The Contender Challenge: UK vs. USA

The Contender Challenge: UK vs. USA
Starring	Sugar Ray Leonard, Barry McGuigan
Country of origin	United States, United Kingdom
Production
Running time	Varies
Release
Original network	ESPN (USA), ITV4 (UK)
Original release	10 April – 17 April 2007

The Contender Challenge: UK vs. USA was a series of boxing matches on 30 March 2007, held at Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England, featuring 6 boxers from the US reality television shows The Contender and The Contender 2. The Contenders, in a team coached by Sugar Ray Leonard, took on 6 boxers from the UK, all promoted by Frank Warren, and coached by Barry McGuigan. The winning team was awarded the "Sugar Ray Leonard Cup," not unlike the Ryder Cup in Golf

The bouts was the basis of a TV show broadcast in the US by ESPN, and by ITV4 in the UK, featuring 6 episodes, beginning on 10 April 2007, with commentary by the well-known ESPN team of Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas, with British boxing commentator John Rawling joining. Sugar Ray and Barry provided some analysis through the fight as well.

Points were awarded to each team as follows:

In the event of a tie, the total number of knockouts by each team would have determined the winner.

The bouts were scored in the American style, with 3 ringside judges and a non-scoring referee—British non-title bouts are scored solely by the referee.

The referees and judges were a mix of both nationalities.

The matchups, all scheduled for 8 rounds with weights ranging from welterweight to light heavyweight, were:

The matchup wound up a 4-2 US victory, with Curiel, Bundrage, Gomez, and Ravelo winning for the US, and Small and Reid winning for the UK.

The fight was mainly consistent for the first 7 rounds; Small fought a very unorthodox style, with his hands very far down, often by his knees, and used extreme bobbing and weaving. Small would remain outside Wright's range, then jump in to score a quick, jabbing blow or two, weave to avoid counterpunches, then jump back out.

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