Nevadan Stevie Forbes makes his move on The Contender
Four fighters haven’t gotten busy on The Contender 2 and all of them gloved up in the latest installment on ESPN Tuesday evening so here’s what went down for all you TSS Blog Squadders who had better things to do…
Freddy Curiel of New Jersey, who’s been away from the ring for four-plus years, is on the phone with his lady, a most sensible gal. She tells him to fight the softer Massachusetts fighter, Chicken Pox Fraza, over the former world champ, Nevadan Stevie Forbes. He seems to absorb the wisdom but who will he choose as his dance partner?
Fraza reads “Junky” by Bill Burroughs and we are led to believe that he treasures his leisure time, as Burroughs did, over everything else….
SRL gives his “Put up or shut up speech� to the remaining crew, telling them to show what they got in the ring, not with their mouths…
The Blue crew chooses the matchup because Michael Stewart downed Ebo Elder last week so Nick Acevedo from New York does the smart thing and picks Fraza.
The Curiels are seen chowing down and a son asks Freddy who he’s facing. “A world champion,� Curiel answers. “You can beat him,� the boy says, proudly, naively.
Fraza’s pop visits him in the dressing room, as we move quickly into the action portion of the show because of the doubleheader format….
Acevedo says he’s doing this to keep a roof over his family’s head and to put chow on the table.
He looks to be doing a good job of it in the first, as he comes out strong and Fraza flat. “Ray Charles gave you that round,� Tommy Gallagher says to Acevedo.
In the second, Fraza winces when Acevedo goes to the body. But Ace is breathing hard after the round and can’t even muster an answer when Gallagher asks him how he’s feeling.
In the third, Fraza has a better round and raises his hand to the ceiling after to celebrate. His left eye is cut, not horribly…
In the fourth, it’s trench warfare, toe-to-toe action. Good stuff, they both want it.
SRL tells guest star Burt Reynolds that the last round will decide it. Burt looks like he comprehends it, but who knows if the plastic surgery and Botox has clouded his brain…
In the fifth, Ace throws a wicked one-two and then goes downstairs, on the beltline. Fraza doesn’t respond in kind.
Not too much drama as the announcer gives the verdict: unanimously, the judges have sent the Red Sox fan back to Beantown. If he were so inclined, if any Yankee fan tried to rub in the loss, Fraza could remind them that the Yanks choked in historically grandiose fashion in 2004.
“I dropped the ball,� Fraza says, and really, he really seems better suited to sofa time than a ring career.
On to the second bout of the evening.
Curiel’s son cries and his pop tells him everything’s gonna be alright.
Forbes’ lady, the hottest chica of any of the Contenders, shows up.
Gallagher loves Forbes, tells him that they are similar in warm-up habits….
In the first, Curiel from New Jersey shows Forbes who’s boss as he shoves the man off and whales away. Then Forbes goes to work, but it looks like Curiel took the round. Is the favorite going to be upset?
In the second round, Forbes starts landing. Freddy’s woman, showing typical sense, tells him to “Get out of there!�
Gallagher smartly warns Forbes that he hit Curiel with major power shots and “he went nowhere.�
In the third, Forbes shows his veteran savvy. He crouches and then comes up with a mean hit from underneath, a shot he used to good effect throughout the bout. Forbes also goes to the body and hits on the beltline, a legal blow.
Forbes continues his accurate assault in the fourth, and gets SRL to wet himself when he does a herky jerky dance and then tosses a mean right uppercut that snaps Curiel’s head back. SRL and Mora giggle like schoolgirls meeting….I don’t know, who the hell is heartthrob of the day to the preteen set? I’m not going with a John Mark Karr/JonBenet joke, I’m telling you that…SRL and Mora are appreciative…So is Curiel, who smiles…
Jeremy Williams, a solid motivator, tries his best to perk up the outclassed Curiel. “Your kids need you to work!�
In the fifth, Forbes is in another zone completely. He throws mostly power punches, slips and ducks when he needs to…
No drama here: the judges call it unanimously for Forbes, who held the IBF super feather title in 2000 (but it must be said that he beat limited John Brown for the vacated belt and was hooked up with a rematch for his defense, and that he didn’t make weight for his second defense, against David Santos in 2002). “I’m the guy to beat,� Forbes says, and who’s to dispute that?
The Curiels are teary in the dressing room. His daughter is bawling but daddy gives here an Oprah-worthy life lesson, saying true champs bounce back. The wife boots the kids and then turns around and starts bawling as well. Curiel reassures her that big things are in store for the family.
Solid ep overall, heavy on the action, and both fights delivered. Oh, almost forgot, SRL kissed Forbes and Curiel after their fight in appreciation for a strong effort, so that was a bonus…
