| "Tears of Pain & Sorrow" – The Contender, Episode 5.2 |
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| Posted on Tue 29 Mar 2005 (1211 reads) |
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Last episode, we saw Najai Turpin outlasted by Sergio Mora. This brings West Coast's undefeated streak to 4-0. Jeff was sent home with the Chicken Pox and Peter Manfredo, Jr. was voted to come back in his place by both teams. We start out in the ring during Sergio's celebration. "Very impressive," Sugar Ray tells him in the ring. "A little guy chose a big guy," Sergio says, "Najai's a good guy, but I was a better fighter tonight." Back in the suite, they come together to discuss the fight. "Sergio took it, he landed the better punches," Alfonso notes. "West side is on top of the world. We're kicking ass." That night Sergio goes out with his family to a local restaurant and bar. "Nothing beats your mom being there, supporting you," he says. "It's a rarity when my family and I get together. So, when it happens, it's special." They are elated at his victory, very proud of him. "We're just taking them apart," Sergio says. His girlfriend is very happy to see him; he's very happy with her and someday will be comfortable with her in his family. Meanwhile, back in the suite, Peter and Miguel are discussing the situation. "If we win, he's up," Miguel says saying he would fight whoever came back. So, now he will call out Peter, if given the chance. "I'm going to keep my mind focused," Peter says, "to eventually win The Contender. The next day at training, Tommy works in the ring with a few of the fighters while others spar or train with the bag. Stallone, too, works with Peter on some of the weight training equipment. "It's great to come back," Peter gushes. "Since I've come back, everything's been different for me." Sly is giving him advice, realizing he's a big slacking. "I don't feel like I'm on," Peter admits. The other contenders see it, too, and Peter knows this. "I'm just not there," he tells Sugar Ray in the ring that day. "I want to come back to win, and I don't know if I'm ready for that now." Miguel sees himself as the most conditioned fighter even if he may not look the best in the ring. "Miguel is in peak shape, top shape," Alfonso says, "That's a very dangerous fighter." That day, Sugar Ray and Stallone, gather the boys to give Sergio his golden gloves before going out. Tommy tells him to wear the suits they won in a previous reward. So, they all get dressed up to go out on the town. "We haven't had a bad one, yet," Jesse refers to previous challenges. They are lead by Tommy to this old brick building wondering what the heck was going on. Antonio Tarver, the lightweight champion of the world, is there and they get to meet him and dine with him. "He's the Superman of boxing," Alfonso explains. Back at the suite, "We're sitting here bored. We get no damned reward," Peter sighs. "Hopefully, we can turn it around and the East will finally get one reward." West Coast goes to play poker with Tarver, smoking cigars and just hanging out while having a boatload of fun. "Tommy, I like this," one of the contenders laughs. "In order to be the best, you have to beat the best," Tarver advises. "I knew as long as I win, I would get my break. As long as I was winning, they had to open the door." Tarver gives Sergio two-round trip tickets anywhere in the world for his win against Tarpin; he was very impressed by the fight, as this isn't a normal occurrence or reward for the winner of the matches thus far. For the next challenge, it's called the "Urban Obstacle Course," as Sugar Ray dubs it. They will run through a Toyota traffic jam, they then have to jump hurdles, then fill a dumpster with tires and bring the dumpster back down to the Toyotas to get keys to get ladder rungs for a blank ladder to reach the top of a Bally's Total Fitness Mack truck. The first one to the top wins. The winners from West Coast have to sit out. East Coast is ahead at the start, West Coast is lagging. Both begin filling the dumpster with tires and West Coast catches up, taking the lead by pushing their dumpster back to the Toyotas. "The team we have is unreal," Jesse says from the sidelines. East Coast finally gets there dumpster as West is already unloading their tires; East Coast is notably tired as the West side begins to head back for the cars. West Coast is retrieving keys from the rear view mirrors and makes it to the ladder before East Coast finishes finding their keys. They both are now at the locks, getting their rungs, before they can add them to the ladder. West Coast begins to build their ladder as East Coast is still fighting to get them unlocked. West Coast wins as Miguel takes to the top of the Mack truck. "West Coast wins the challenge. Once again, you get to call the match out for tomorrow's fight. East head back to the gym where you will again be at the West's decision," Sugar Ray shakes his head, disappointed. Back at the gym, both teams meet for West Coast to call out who will fight. Miguel toes the line and chooses Peter. Therefore, it'll be Miguel versus Peter for the next fight. "He's a good fighter, I don't have any disrespect for him. I'm peak to the max, I'm in awesome shape," Miguel explains when Sugar Ray asked him why to pick him. "I want to be one of those great fights, if not the best." Peter goes home that night to spend it with their family. He spends the time with his daughter. "I'm not on my game at all," he confesses to his wife. "That's not talking the way you were talking before," his wife tells him. "You scared, daddy, you scared," his daughter teases him. "This time I have to win," Peter says. "Yes, you aren't done, yet," his daughter beams. "That's right, I'm not done, yet," he smiles. Elsewhere, Miguel comes down to the ring to look at the banner hanging and get psyched out. He shadowboxes in the ring and visualizes the match for tomorrow. "It's going to be a great night for me," Miguel muses. Next day, the fighters take to their lockerooms to prepare for the fight at hand. Both begin to psyche themselves out by listening to music. Peter's daughter and wife come to visit him, excited to watch him fight again. Miguel's parents come to visit him to support his fight. Thirty minutes to the fight, the boxers get wrapped up and are advised by their trainers. Burt Reynolds and Melanie Griffith join Chuck Norris sitting in the audience tonight for the match as the fighters begin shadowboxing in their lockerooms. Sugar Ray comes to wish them both look. "I was in the same position you are, and its all here. You know what to do," he tells Peter, he's pulling for him with everything he has, because they have very similar stories. First out comes East Coast's Peter Manfredo, Jr. "No redemption. Not many people get a second chance in life," he says. "There's going to be different results this time." Everything he has in boxing is invested in tonight. He has the chance to forge his own destiny (and by golly, I want to see him do it). There's something about this kid that makes me smile. Next, comes Miguel Espino for the West Coast. "He's a good fighter, and the better man will win, and it will be me," he explains confidently. Round 1: Peter stares down Miguel, as the latter comes out swinging first. Peter is defensive, waiting to strike. He gets pummeled, though, and locks up. He gets smacked in the face and loses it. He comes back from the grave and begins landing punches, using his speed to get the best of Miguel who goes defensive and can't take it. Round goes to Peter. Round 2: Both come out cautiously, Peter leads. Miguel is defensive, taking shots when opened. He gets Peter to the ropes and begins tearing into him, but Peter lands an uppercut. Sergio comes back and sends Miguel packing with a series of shots. Peter is all but tired, trying to get in what he can and Miguel lands another uppercut. Round goes to Miguel. Round 3: Peter comes out first, to the abdomen, only to bet met with a lockup with Miguel. They exchange punches to the abdomen and a few to the head. Miguel gets him to the ropes again. Peter breaks free but is at the mercy of continuous shots to the head. He breaks free, brings Miguel to the ropes and they lockup in a fury of punches to every part of the part. Round goes to both. Round 4: Peter lands the first punch, they lockup and begin to barely punch. Both are tired. Peter lands a punch to the head that dazed Miguel, and Peter comes in a flurry getting his opponent to the ropes and taking advantage of the position. Abdominal punches and a few head punches end the round. Round goes to Peter. Round 5: They come out defensively. Both in a flurry of combinations. Peter connects more, as the crowd chants his name, Miguel can't defend himself. Peter's speed is his advantage and he lands a killer punch to Miguel's chin. Peter is on fire and Miguel can't keep up, he's hurt and Peter lands a wicked right hook that cements the round in his favor. Miguel can't defend himself, he's faltering, as Peter keeps punching until the bell rings. Round goes to Peter. Judges scorecard is in: Peter Manfredo, Jr. wins by a 48-47 card, a unanimous decision. (This win brought tears to my eyes, I love Manfredo, Jr., and I want to see him take this contest. I know he can.) Alfonso looks on, almost eerily, at Peter who he defeated in the first episode. Sugar Ray is proud of Peter, and comes to tell him so, before he heads back to celebrate. "We let a lion back in, didn't we?" Jesse muses ringside. Sly meets up with Espino, "It was literally that close," he tells him. "Nobody's going to forget you or what you did tonight." "This is it, and it hurts. It hurts a lot," Miguel sheds tears. Espino, the fifth contender to be sent home, hangs his gloves up on the wall as the first West Coast team member gone. "I'm not ashamed that I lost. I'm more ashamed that my dad has to go back to work tomorrow," he cries. Carpesomediem is an aspiring freelance writer from Lancaster, Pa. who enjoys music, movies and writing about the way the world works; you can contact her at carpesomediem@realityshack.com to talk about this week's episode or anything at all. |
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