Once the episode starts, please limit all discussion of the episode to this thread until after midnight Eastern time. This is a common practice on RTVW forums so that posters in all time zones can visit our forums.

• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,pdaj, 04:49 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,volsfan, 05:41 PM, 05-01-05
• Anthony's Injury Looking Worse . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:01 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Anthony's Injury Looking Worse . . .,volsfan, 06:02 PM, 05-01-05
• Joey Making a Ruckus,FFantasyFX, 06:07 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Joey Making a Ruckus,volsfan, 06:10 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Joey Making a Ruckus,ARnutz, 08:41 PM, 05-01-05
• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,volsfan, 06:08 PM, 05-01-05
• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,pdaj, 06:14 PM, 05-01-05
• It's On Like Donkey Kong . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:16 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: It's On Like Donkey Kong . . .,pdaj, 06:25 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: It's On Like Donkey Kong . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:29 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: It's On Like Donkey Kong . . .,ladro, 06:27 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: It's On Like Donkey Kong . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:34 PM, 05-01-05
• Best Challenge of the Season?,FFantasyFX, 06:21 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Best Challenge of the Season?,volsfan, 06:22 PM, 05-01-05
• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,volsfan, 06:22 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,FFantasyFX, 06:25 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,volsfan, 06:29 PM, 05-01-05
      • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,FFantasyFX, 06:37 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,ARnutz, 08:43 PM, 05-01-05
• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,pdaj, 06:36 PM, 05-01-05
• Round 1,FFantasyFX, 06:40 PM, 05-01-05
• Manfredo's "shorts",volsfan, 06:41 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Manfredo's "shorts",volsfan, 06:42 PM, 05-01-05
• Round 2 & 3,FFantasyFX, 06:43 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Round 2 & 3,volsfan, 06:45 PM, 05-01-05
• Round 4,FFantasyFX, 06:45 PM, 05-01-05
• Round 5,FFantasyFX, 06:47 PM, 05-01-05
• Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:49 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,volsfan, 06:53 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,pdaj, 06:55 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,FFantasyFX, 07:01 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,dmdpup, 08:07 PM, 05-01-05
      • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,pdaj, 09:03 PM, 05-01-05
      • RE: Absolutely amazing effort by Joey . . .,cmoneytakemoney, 04:30 AM, 05-02-05
• Probably for the best . . .,FFantasyFX, 06:54 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Probably for the best . . .,volsfan, 06:57 PM, 05-01-05
• Quiet Day . . .,FFantasyFX, 07:09 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Quiet Day . . .,volsfan, 07:31 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: Quiet Day . . .,ARnutz, 08:47 PM, 05-01-05
    • RE: Quiet Day . . .,volsfan, 07:29 AM, 05-02-05
• RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,kay_tin, 10:21 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,pdaj, 11:02 PM, 05-01-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,ARnutz, 08:18 AM, 05-02-05
    • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,ladro, 10:51 AM, 05-02-05
  • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,abaum, 07:14 PM, 05-02-05
    • RE: East Coast Spoiler Thread - Discussion of 5/1 Episode,kay_tin, 08:03 PM, 05-02-05

Man, about an hour until showtime!

Can't wait ..

15 mins! WOO and HOO! Tonight's fight should be a good one too!

Torn hamstring, not a bruised hamstring. Quite frankly, he probably shouldn't be fighting. Whoever fights Anthony has an effective bye into the final four.

Yeah and from the chat around the table the fights are set and they have decided who is going to win the challenges to set the fight. Did you notice the eye rolling?

Joey wants to fight Anthony now. Jesse isn't having any of it. We actually may have a real challenge now. Really, if I were any of the three remaining contestants, I'd put my heart and soul into the next challenge so I could fight against Anthony.

And I'm a bit peeved at Jesse as well. He comments that Joey wants everything given to him. I hate to inform Jesse of this, but I'm pretty sure Joey's first round fight was much more difficult than Jesse's. If Jesse ends up fighting Anthony, he'll have taken the easiest road to the semifinals.

I agree with everything you said. I am a little peeved at Jesse tonight (for the first time). I know some people on the board doesn't like him but he has been playing a game and so has Joey!

Joey's little strategizing is beginning to be shown.

Also, remember someone is in the hospital after tonight's fight!

Jesse is the biggest weasel of the bunch!

He was all talk and no action with Ishe last week (after weeks ago he was ragging on Ishe for possibly backing out of his fight with Ahmed, which by the way he was man enough to not) and now that Joey wanted to change his matchup AND had the gonads to actually tell him about it (unlike the worm Anthony), Jesse's got his panties in a bunch!

Jesse needs his azz beat badly! Unfortunately, I don't think Anthony's the man who can do it.

Jackie takes Sergio and Alfonso shopping! The guys are in shock at the prices of things. I am so happy for Alfonso!

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." -- Joey

Haha, you have to love it!

Fantasy - you're entirely correct. What makes Jesse any more deserving of fighting a gimpy fighter? His logic is completely ridiculous.

Let it all come down to the challenge, baby!

And considering they'll all be working hard to win ..

Losing and having to fight soon after won't be fun.

I'm a big Nintendo fan, but since when has this become a pop culture reference? Chip said it in the penultimate episode of TAR5, and now we've had a boxer say it on The Contender. Since when has this become popular slang, and what exactly does it mean?

It's a phrase typically used in the dating game.

The Woman: "I can't believe you cheated on me with my best friend!"
The Man: "Hey, don't hate the playa, hate the game."

In other words, the world (and the dating game in particular) was this way far before he arrived .. and he's merely learned to play the game better than she has ..

Get it?

Either way, seeing Jesse and Joey battle for the last victory for the right to decide the last two fights was incredible! I loved every second ot it ..

Haha! Actually, I never had thought out the implications of that particular quote either, but I was more nonplussed by "It's On Like Donkey Kong" - I think Manfredo said it. Donkey Kong gets his barrel handed to him by Jumpman (Mario), so I really don't think I would invoke the big ape as inspiration.

If you can explain that one to me, you get a multitude of brownie points for the evening.

I have heard that before, but did not know the origin either, so I googled and came up with this from the urbandictonary.com:

1. its on like donkey kong
a phrase used to incite fear in an opponent, so much more than simply 'it's on', the inclusion of primate legend Donkey Kong stems from DK's penchant for victory. used by one Steve Stifler in American Pie 3 to provoke Mr Paul Finch. also, the worst insult/compliment that can be used in a checkers game.

DK's penchant for victory - well, I guess Donkey Kong is a somewhat difficult arcade game. But . . . checkers? Checkers? Now I'm really confused. Thanks for looking that up though ladro.

Certainly the most important challenge of the season. Just think of how different the season might have turned out if Joey had won that final heat. Nice to see Joey and Jesse roughhousing to become matchmaker.

Yeah I liked the challenge especially the final round!

I thought it was interesting how Sergio made sure the final round came down to Joey and Jesse. And we KNOW what Jesse is gonna do now...no need to think about it.

However, does Jesse fight tonight or does he make Joey fight?

Jesse claims that nobody knows what match he'll line up. I really wish he would call out Joey given all his talk this episode - that would be match worth seeing.

Joey is soooo dead! Manfredo is gonna mop up.

Don't be so sure, volsfan! Joey has the good trainer, while Manfredo is stuck with the trainer whose curse is more unlucky than thirteen black cats, thirteen broken mirrors, and going under a ladder thirteen times.

Sergio is a smart one, he figures out everybody's games! I like him more each time, plus he treats others with respect.

Joey keeps saying, "I'm just going to try my best."

Doesn't sound like he's too confident about winning.

Manfredo beat the living crap out of Joey. Joey claims that his rib is broken.

Did Manfredo wear the flags stuck into a sliding girdle last time? It looks funny!

DAMN! Where did round 3 come from? Joey is fightin back BIG time!

After round two, I was waiting for Manfredo to knock out Joey. Manfredo got a good start in round three, but Joey ended the round extremely strong.

Round 4 went to Joey as well. IMHO!

If Joey hadn't started out so tentatively, I think he would have been able to win this fight. Absolutely amazing.

Wow! Peter headbutts Joey and hurts him bad. They stop the fight. The headbutt obviously does not count. Given the tenor of the crowd, I think there is going to be a riot if Joey doesn't win.

Manfredo wins by split decision - I can't wait to see what the scorecards were for the fight. Had Joey started off stronger, we would have beaten Peter, no question in my mind.

I agree. Joey was amazing in rounds 3 and 4! Almost relentless. Manfredo couldn't do anything but try and protect himself. Very agressive move by Joey. His head looked horrible!

LAST EDITED ON 05-01-05 AT 06:56 PM (EST)

And if Peter would have ended strongly, it wouldn't have been close.

If, if, if ..

That's why there's 5 rounds.

I also had Manfredo winning the 5th before the headbutt.

It's probably a good thing Peter won, also -- there was no way Joey was continuing to the Final Four after getting beat up so badly. That broken rib will take some time to heal.

Edit: Spelling

Well, you make a very valid point about my hypothesis - people can if until the cows come home. I'm just a bit curious about the fact that Joey has a habit of starting out his fights very cautiously, at least based on the two fights we saw on the show. I'd be interested if anyone has any rationale for why he fights that way. Is it something he learned in the college ranks? Is it that insecurity that Jesse talked about? I'm curious.

Also, I find it interesting that Burnett had no problems showing how close Peter & Joey's fight was, but felt compelled to withhold that information in the case of Ishe/Sergio. It just makes his editing decisions in Ishe/Sergio seem that much odder.

Someone explain to me why Manfredo did not dominate in that fight. I find it hard to believe that he beats Alfonso in the semi-finals, based on his performance tonight. He should have been able to easily dispose of Joey.

I just don't understand how Manfredo has gotten so far. He does not show the attributes of a good fighter. He looks slow and inexperienced in the ring. Sergio (if this is true) will CRUSH manfredo. That is my prediction. And I am honestly a Manfredo fan and want him to win.

Did you see Joey's face after round two? He looked like a hot air baloon. And while Peter took quite a few pops from the "strong" Joey, did he at any time seem shaken?

These two observations are significant for various reasons.

While Peter's feet aren't the most agile, he offers the best combination of hand speed & punching power amongst the fighters remaining. Most importantly, however, is his ability to take a punch. In all his three fights - even with the notoriously strong Joey - he has yet to be shaken or wobbled. This allows him to fight inside and aggressive more than most.

That being said, why didn't Peter blow Joey away? Well, that depends on your perspective. How many of you think Gilbert would have been able to last in a 6, 7, or 8 round fight? Although the match was close .. Joey took a physical pounding and wouldn't have stood a chance if the fight went beyond 5 rounds. Few of Peter's previous fights have been decided in less than 6 rounds, and most have lasted 8 or longer.

Peter is so well-rounded .. he does everything good and nothing great. And that's what makes him appear average. But his resiliancy is incredible. And that's what will carry him over Alfonsos. I think Manfredo will inevitably be too strong for Gomez the second time.

>Someone explain to me why Manfredo
>did not dominate in that
>fight. I find it
>hard to believe that he
>beats Alfonso in the semi-finals,
>based on his performance tonight.
> He should have been
>able to easily dispose of
>Joey.
>
First of all Joey is a really strong kid. He's by far the strongest on the show and would have given Alfonso or Sergio a good fight if he had fought them in a five rounder.

Although I'm somewhat disappointed that Joey lost, it's probably for the best. There is absolutely no way he would have been able to come back for the next fight considering how much damage Manfredo did.

So, we've got Jesse versus Anthony next week. Previews say most shocking ending yet? Can we say - knockdown?

LAST EDITED ON 05-01-05 AT 07:10 PM (EST)

It's gonna be good! I can't wait!

It has been a pretty quiet day today, both inside and outside this thread. Pleasure watching tonight's show with you all - volsfan, pdaj, ladro, and any lurkers that might be out there. See you next week!

The board as a whole has been quiet today! Nice watching with you too...same bat time and same bat channel next week!

I was all worn out from spoiling over on the TAR boards earlier, plus I was eating fried chicken while the show was on and I didn't want to get my keyboard all greasy!

Otherwise, I would've been here. (see Vols, I haven't given up yet. )

Next week, a surprising ending? Do you think Anthony even has a shot? I don't, but you never know, I didn't think Joey would be so great this week.

I missed you! I was wondering if you had given up!

Anthony next week? Don't even start thinking he has a chance. MB can't even give me drama for this bout!

It looks like Tommy would have given rounds 2,3 and a close 4 to Joey. Sounds like the fight was even closer than it appeared in its edited form.

http://contender.tv.yahoo.com/01/theshow/fight/episode11.html

LAST EDITED ON 05-01-05 AT 11:05 PM (EST)

I read the same thing -- and immediately reviewed the fight tape. But as we've discussed before, it's so hard to judge a round with all the editing! From what was available (via yahoo), the round looked to be Peter's .. and quite easily, actually. Even Joey's corner gave the round to Manfredo when the round was completed. Additionally, at the start of the fifth round .. Joey's father yells, "It's tied 2-2. You need this round, Joey!" Or something to that extent. Peter then appeared to land quite few good shots in the the last round .. and the fight was stopped with about 30 seconds remaining.

I wonder if Tommy made a mistake in his analysis .. because it just doesn't make any sense. His post-fight comments (with Stallone and the rest of the "counsel") don't mention anything, either. Interesting. I'm looking forward to the score cards.

Even if Joey had won, there is no way he could continue the competition (unfortunately) with the broken rib and that gash over his eye.

Poor Joey, he was a warrior! He did not want to go out on that gurney!

those EMT people get woodys from hauling people around on gurneys.

Havent you been watching the end of all the shows? Tommy has not picked one fight correctly.

LAST EDITED ON 05-02-05 AT 08:30 PM (EST)

Tommy's commentary on Yahoo isn't him trying to pick the winner. He goes through the fight round by round and analyzes it afterward. Still up to his interpretation but nevertheless based on more than his intuition.