"Clean Up the Ghettos" – The Contender, Episode 7by carpesomediem
In a surprise twist to West Coast's dreams, last week's episode ended as Anthony Bonsante called out Brent Cooper and sent Cooper packing with a flurry of punches that called the match in Bonsante's favor by way of knock-out.
We begin with the West Coast's not-quite-celebration for Anthony's win; after all, he did betray their trust by choosing to fight Brent (taking the easy way out). While the crowd loves it, as does Anthony's kids and mother, his team is less than thrilled. "I'll make him pay," Ishe tells Sly. "He knows what he did, he knows what he did." Ishe says he won't go on the reward even if the rest of the team goes with Anthony. "I had to do what I had to do," Anthony says.
They head back to the suite and Ishe threatens to make Anthony pay. "We should've never agreed to that," Ishe says. "I swear dog, I can't even live with this cat." Anthony tells his mother he's mad at him, because he made his own choice. "I didn't think that fair was fight," Juan announces. "I was had by Anthony pretty good, the guy lied to me to my face," Miguel admits, and he moves out of the room they share. "I don't know if I told you this or not but I'm very proud of you," Anthony's mom tells him in the lockeroom. Ishe goes insane, throwing things around. "I don't even want to hear his name in this house," Ishe yells.
Anthony comes back, and Tarick congratulates. "When you're in the ring, you got to do what you want," he tells him. "This opportunity is probably one of my last shots," Anthony says, "but I'm going to do whatever I got to do for my two kids." Tarick admits he has nothing against Anthony for what he did. Ishe and Alfonso come out to the kitchen without saying a word, just starting him done. "You want to take me out, you're going to have to put me in a body bag to do it," he grins.
During their daily training the next day, everyone takes part in their normal routine. Tarick gets some time in the ring with a trainer while Sugar Ray looks on. He talks about how he signed a contract for a championship fight until the champion backed out. "The frustration of this business took the will out of me," he says. "Tarick is so disillusioned by the world of boxing, but as he sees it, The Contender is his second chance," Sugar Ray notes.
Ishe tells Juan, who is only 18, to fight the weakest person on the West Coast team. They tell him to pick Joey. "I feel everyone should try to go their hardest round," Juan says, "That's how you built greatest." He decided he wants to fight Tarick. "If they want to call me the weakest, what do they know?" Joey scoffs at his team who thinks he is the weakness, pointing out he had won three NCAA championships in boxing.
Later that day, Anthony is presented his golden gloves by Sly. He offers to give them to Brent Cooper, much to the astonishment of everyone. "I want Brent to have them," he says. "I personally hope you keep those," Sly says, "I know there's been a lot of anger, guilt in this house, but everyone knew what they signed up for." Everyone applauds the little speech, except for Ishe and Alfonso, who just sit there ready to kill Anthony. "I was not feeling anger toward Tony anymore," Alfonso admits. Ishe refuses to go, but Alfonso tries to convince him to go, but he refuses.
Ja Rule shows up for the West Coast's reward challenge; Ishe smiles when he sees him. He gives them all watches, and Ishe looks on longing. "We didn't miss him," Sergio laughs at Ishe's pride. "We're about to tear L.A. down," Ja Rule says, "Hook them and cook them!" They head to a night club to drink, dance and party the night away. "The club was classic Hollywood," Sergio smiles, "It was a good feeling." They discuss boxing, and Ja Rule admits he admires what they do, because he doesn't have the discipline to do it.
"My father works for the military," Joey explains. "Last couple of times I've talked to him are by satellite phone." He calls his father, and he finds out he's home. He was in Afghanistan for awhile with the Marines. "I had no idea you were home," he cries when he finds out his dad has come home from overseas. "I can probably walk home from anything now. I'm the last guy you want to mess with right now, and they're calling me the weakest link. The hell to all of this. My pop's home. I can sleep better at night. I can go home tomorrow with a smile on my face."
Next day Sugar Ray comes to visit them. "There's only two rounds left of the first round," he tells them. "This is your chance to control your own destiny. This is your insurance policy." Jimmy says, "The stakes for this challenge are heavy."
On to the challenge! They go to a plot of line that Home Depot and Ka Boom is building for inner-city kids. They must destroy a brick wall in two two minute rounds, then, they must hall the cinder block bits into the back of a Toyota Tundra. Four of West Coast's side must sit out. West Coast isn't doing to well, but East Coast has a good rhythm and is destroying their war. Next part begins and Joey begins to destroy their wall, taking care of most of their war. "You're going to be a construction worker, kid," Anthony yells at him. "You guys are animals, man!" Sugar Ray says then blows his whistle and they begin to load up their trucks by using a wheel barrel and by carrying them. "Don't scratch those Toyota!" Tommy yells. "Keep working!" They're carrying parts of the wall left with 10 seconds. Ishe throws a ton of bricks into the back by diving with seconds left. Now, they bring in the East's truck to be weighed, which comes in at 6655 pounds whereas when the West Coast's truck is brought in it weighs 7015 pounds. West Coast wins!. "Once again, you have the power, you choose the last two fights," Sugar Ray tells them. East looks defeated.
West Coast heads into their lockeroom to discuss their win. They applaud Joey. "Pick the fight that's best for you," Ishe tells Tarick. "We're here to fight the best," Tarick nods. "I chose my own destiny," Anthony explains, "You never know until you toe the line who is fighting." East Coast joins them in the gym. Tarick steps up to the line and calls out Juan; they hug. "This has the making of a very interesting fight," Sly says. "It's just the making of a great fight," Peter says. The match is set: Tarick versus Juan. "I think the fight between Juan and Tarick is going to be explosive," Alfonso observes.
Tarick heads home for awhile to spend with his daughter and wife. "Being away from my family isn't easy, especially my daughter, she's only two and a half years old," he says. "The energy I get from my daughter is unexplainable." Her daughter has never seen him fight, and she says she doesn't want to see him fight. "I'm doing this for my family," he says at the end of his visit. Meanwhile, that night Juan heads down to the ring to envision the fight. He relates that his grandfather would've loved this entire experience. "My grandfather always told me there was going to be obstacles in the way," he says. "I want to overcome all challenges that are put in front of me. I know my grandpa is going to be there. My grandpa would leave to see something like that."
"I envision myself fighting in the ring," Tarick says in the lockeroom. "You have to be mentally prepared for this stuff," Juan explains. They talk to their respective trainers, and Juan talks about his grandfather. "I feel like he's with me all the time." Tarick's daughter and wife come to visit him before the fight. "That fuels me to fight," Tarick explains. "My dad's a big inspiration for me," Juan says, when he comes to visit him.
One hour before the fight, the boxers get their hands wrapped up as they get into the mode. "I'm sort of at the last hurrah of my career," Tarick reflects. "Nothing is better than this," Tommy tells Juan as he wraps his hands. They begin to shadowbox and psych themselves out by listening to music. Juan's trainer puts the picture of his grandfather around his neck, as he often wears it, before he goes out.
Anthony stands ringside in Tarick's corner while Peter is in Juan's corner, as East's fighter – Juan – is introduced and comes out, talking about how he will become a world champion someday. Next comes Tarick, "It's time to fight," he says, "I've been doing this all my life. I've been doing this since I was a kid. It's been a few years since I've been in the ring, but I'm going to have more speed and more strength. It's either now or never." He comes out and his daughter smiles before he enters the ring.
Round 1: They play defensive, with Juan out-speeding Tarick's punches. Juan gets more punches in and Tarick's wife closes her eyes. Tarick is being careless, just trying to land a hard punch as Juan's speech gets him in for punches. They lockup and Juan ducks to land punches to Tarick's face. They both are nailing one another, Juan gets Tarick to the ropes, but he gets out. Round goes to Juan.
Round 2: Juan's dad tells him to relax as they lockup right away. Tarick gets a few punches in and Juan chases him, reaching for punches carelessly. Tarick lands an uppercut and fakes out Juan who comes right into his punches even though he gets sent to the ropes. Tarick nails into Juan and he's ducking to get out but can't avoid getting hit. "That's experience," Sugar Ray notes. Round goes to Tarick.
Round 3: Juan gets Tarick to the rings in a flurry of jabs to the face, they lockup again, and Juan lands a hard punch and keeps going in. They lockup again, and Tarick is physically tired. Juan lands a punch in Tarick's abdomen and takes advantage of his tiredness. Juan's speed is his saving point, he lands a flurry of punches and stays on him until the bell rings. Round goes to Juan.
Round 4: "He's dead, he's finished," Peter says to Juan when he comes to the corner. They lockup right away, holding one another, and the referee breaks them up. "His legs are gone, " Sly says. Juan lands a load of punches, and pulls back into Tarick's head taking advantage and following him as he stumbles back. Juan is landing every punch where Tarick can't get a thing in edgewise, eventually he gets a few here and there, but it's not enough as he headlocks Juan. They stare each other down and Juan's face is cut. Juan drops his hand and eggs Tarick on. Round goes to Juan.
Round 5: "You got to give it all, Tarick," his trainer tells him. The medics are looking over Juan before the final round starts, and he is cleared to continue. Tarick needs a knockout to win, no doubt, and they lockup right away. He punches a few times, but Juan goes under and lands a flurry of punches to his abdomen as they lockup once again. Tarick can't get in to punch, and he's faltering back, tired. He lands a few punches but Juan lands more, Tarick nails him in the head a few times but they lockup once more. Tarick is tired, and it shows, he nails Juan in the head once again and keeps punching even when letting his guard down. They both begin going into one another's heads without blocking, they just keep punching, as the crowd cheers them on. They get locked up again as the bell rings. Round goes to both.
They both hug and then go to their corners as West Coast's team joins him while they await the decision. Juan's father puts the picture of his grandfather around his neck. The judge's scorecard is in by unanimous decision: East Coast's Juan de La Rosa wins! "Nice fight kid, you showed a lot of heart," Anthony comes to shake Juan's hand as his father comes in to give him a hug.
Tarick heads back to the lockeroom. "I couldn't lose to a better fighter," he says. "Tonight he was the better fighter. Better late than never to have the opportunity. Before this, I had a big whole in my chest because I never had a chance, and I gave it my all. He's a good fighter." He wallows in the lockeroom after visiting with his wife and kid.
Salmaci, the seventh contender to hang his gloves on the wall and have his pride shattered, leaves saying, "I got my shot, and it's like a relief off my chest."
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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