A storybook ending for ‘Contender 2’

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Clash of styles
Forbes was as different from Brewer as two fighters can be. The 28-year-old from Las Vegas was a former title holder as a super featherweight at 130 pounds — or 19 pounds lighter than he fought at for this competition.

Despite his relatively small size, however, Forbes was the fighter everyone was most eager to avoid. Some, like Brewer, had seen him on TV fighting for the title. Others were simply impressed by his workouts and his sparring sessions, during which he showed a polish that nobody else could match.

When the contestants were lined up outside the gym to pick teams for the initial round, Forbes was the first boxer selected. Brewer was in the middle of the pack, just another anonymous fighter.

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While Forbes was impressive in his three wins leading up to the championship bout, he didn't show anything that caused Brewer to lose his confidence. Forbes showed greater speed than Brewer, but a lot less power. That lack of power kept him from knocking out any of his opponents, and in the championship bout it meant that none of the punches he landed seemed to have much of an effect on his bigger, stronger opponent.

What's next?
ESPN hasn't yet announced if it will bring back "The Contender" for another season. The show moved to cable after its debut on NBC a year ago, and while it never made a big dent in the ratings, it reportedly has done well in coveted demographics and would seem to provide the network with compelling programming at a relatively cheap cost.

Brewer's victory may be a selling point in the show's return. If the program was already a network staple, the younger Forbes would have been the preferred winner for the network brass. He hasn't yet turned 30, and has the look of a boxer who could become a staple on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" for years.

But for short-term marketing, it's tough to beat the Grady Brewer story. When the year began, he molded tires for a living. Now, he has a (made-for-TV) championship belt, half a million dollars, a new truck and a chance to pursue his dream full-time. That's a story, and a show, that practically promotes itself. After all, the "Rocky" franchise keeps finding a home in movie theaters while its star is paying his dues to AARP. His real-life counterparts are compelling enough to stick around as well.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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