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New host Tony Danza addresses the fighters. |
This Wednesday begins the fourth season of the boxing reality show, The Contender. There are several changes this time around, one of which being that the show will air on VERSUS now. I will detail that later, but the most notable change for the show itself is the absence of “Sugar” Ray Leonard as the host. Replacing him is Tony Danza, who is probably best known for his five-year run on Taxi as Tony Banta, and his eight season series, Who’s the Boss?, in which he played Tony Micelli. And yes, his acting career began when he was discovered in a boxing gym. But I had an opportunity to spend a few minutes with our new host. Here’s a quick introduction to Danza, the boxer.
Growing up in Brooklyn in the fifties and sixties, fighting was just another game to play, and Tony did a lot of street fighting. He was in the Golden Gloves in 1975, entered as a joke by some of his friends. He went to the semi-finals that first year. He fought as a Middleweight, and in his first professional fight on August 3rd of 1976, he knocked out Earl Harris. He had a total of 15 fights, two after he began his role as Tony Banta on Taxi, “But those I really don’t count,” he laughed. “My record is 10-3 with 10 knockouts. I had two after Taxi, and I won those by knockouts, but I wasn’t the same fighter after that.” He refers to himself as a big puncher, and with all victories by KO’s, who am I to argue that!
Most may not know that Danza has some history with The Contender. “I was one of the original guys who were pitching the show around town. But I did not know anything about taking over Ray’s place until Jeff Wald called me up one morning and presented the offer. I told him, ‘I don’t think so Jeff, what about Ray?’”
The show was going to be shot in Singapore and Ray didn’t want to do it. “I thought, ‘Ya know, I haven’t been around boxing in a long time, I haven’t been to Singapore, let’s go!’ I had an absolute blast. It was so much fun. And one forgets about the camaraderie, about training in a gym and watching other guys, and that’s what we did for over a month. I hope the show will capture some of that.
“And what I tried to bring to the show, which I think is different than Ray, look, Ray is royalty, a six-time World Champion, when club fighters walk in and look at him, they can’t even open their mouths. With me, I got them to talk about why they do this. Why do they work two jobs to support their boxing career? Why do you walk up those four steps and put yourself on the line? What does it feel like to hit someone on the chin? So I’m hoping that’s what I brought to this season. “
There was another difference that Danza explained. “Because we were in Singapore there were no families. And one of the things that I was never a big fan of was the family aspect of the thing. To watch somebody’s wife or kid see them get beat up, that’s not something I want to see. Even when they’re winning, it’s just too tough. There were phone calls and letters, but I was everybody’s family. I think the show is more pure this time. It’s a boxing tournament, and it is a GOOD boxing tournament.
“They’re big guys. I boxed a couple of them. Oh God, 40 pounds heavier and 30 years younger. They killed me!” Then he laughed. “Nah, they took it easy on me. But they are great athletes, and there are some good fights. “
I wanted to know about this group of fighters. “You’ve got guys on the edge of their careers. They’re a couple of young guys, but you’ve got guys that, if they don’t get a shot soon they really are going to have to think about benefits. They are going to have to come up with another plan. There was urgency to it. When you talk to them, a lot of guys, they know how big of an opportunity it is. Boxing’s in trouble anyway. It’s not on free TV any more. We’re talking about an economy that’s touching everyone. And there’s no transcendent personality out there that captures the imagination of the fans. It’s dwindling. I’m hoping that The Contender is one of the last ports in the storm. That’s what The Contender always was, a talent contest. You hope you can find the guy to take to pay per view; the next Oscar De La Hoya, or something.
“I think we have a couple of kids this year,” he continued, “that are pretty interesting, both as fighters and characters. And the two guys it came down to are really, really good. On the undercard you’re going to have some of the guys who stood out from the series, so it should be a really good card in February, a great two-hour finale on VERSUS. “
According to Danza, the finale will take place on February 23rd at the biggest casino in the world, the new Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. MGM just took a partnership up with Foxwoods. They have a brand new arena with 4500 seats. “It should be great,” he told me. “It should rock, and I hope people are vested and want to come out to see who will be the next Contender Champion.”
So do I! Watch for The Contender on Wednesday nights at 10:00 ET, of course at its new home, VERSUS.
Thanks to Tony Danza for taking some time out to speak with me.
Be safe and God Bless,
Viva La Raza,
Barb.
