LOS ANGELES, March 17 – Close to 25 million viewers have responded, and they can’t stop talking about NBC’s “The Contender”, which has finally brought world-class professional boxing back to primetime network TV, complete with hard-hitting action inside the ring and heart rending human-interest stories outside of it.. Returning on Sunday, March 20 (8pm ET / PT) / 7PM (CT), “The Contender” lands another 1-2 punch with an action-packed episode that raises the stakes for the 13 remaining boxers on the show.
“I haven’t been this excited about a project since the original Rocky” says Executive Producer and host Sylvester Stallone about the show the New York Times call “Thrilling…Engrossing… Riveting”. In this week’s episode, both teams are staggered by an unexpected twist that puts an entirely new face on the competition. As the second round draws near, the latest bout leaves the crowd breathless as two combatants fight to stay alive in their quest to earn the Contender title.
Episode Three Recap
After the West won its third challenge in a row, the war of words between Ishe Smith and Ahmed Kaddour finally reached its climax with a memorable bout won by Smith – whose heart to heart meetings with his family and his West teammates gave him the strength to make it to the next round of the competition.
About Ishe Smith
Ishe Smith loves God, his family, and boxing… in that order. He was born and raised in North Las Vegas by a single mom and lives a proud life with his family. He has had great success in his undefeated boxing career, but has been taken advantage of by promoters and agents along the way and recently had to declare bankruptcy. His strength is his wife, LaToya, his 2-year-old son Ishe Jr., and his faith. He is gentle and loving with his family, respectful and humble with everyone else. Ishe has trained with superstar boxers, including Fernando Vargas and “Sugar” Shane Mosley and feels he can hold his own against anyone—he just needs an honest chance.
About The Contender
“The Contender” follows 16 professional boxers as they come to a training camp to follow their dream of becoming a champion. The driving force behind the series is the pursuit of the American dream and the natural trials, tribulations and heartbreak inherent in that quest. The canvas of the show gives viewers a first hand look into the real life hopes, triumphs and defeats of the contestants and how this single-minded, consuming commitment affects their families. The final two boxers will fight live at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on May 24th for one-million dollars and the chance to change their lives and the lives of the people they love forever. “The Contender” is a joint production between Mark Burnett Productions, DreamWorks Television and Rogue Marble Productions. Sylvester Stallone, Mark Burnett and Jeffrey Katzenberg are the executive producers. Jeff Wald is co-executive producer
For more information on “The Contender”, visit www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Contender/