This has been rumored for a while. Maybe it gets less like The Bachelor and more like The Real World...which is basically what the WWF and UFC shows did on MTV/Spike and in part why they became popular. I'll only be interested if they actually show the fights...which they should have plenty of time to do. I'd actually prefer if every boxing show was like the finale. Show them preparing one week, and then combine each round of fights on a live card...or at least a full card that tape delayed.
As far as I know from a very good source I know, boxing has always pulled pretty decent ratings on networks like ESPN and VS. But the problem has always been sponsors. On a network like VS, where the viewership is narrowed down, they can do more with less.
I thought they had the right formula last time: edit the fight during the telecast, but show the full fights on an 'uncut' version during the week. It doesn't have to be convenient, just available, imo.
I have to confess I've never watched a full episode of The Contender. Sometimes I'd flip over to the channel, usually late in the show, to see if they were showing a fight, but that was it. Is there any word on what weight they're going to have for the next season?
Of weekly shows? They also show classic fights on ESPN2 pretty regularly...I bet boxing does pretty good numbers on ESPN Classic as well.
