Are You Sly's Contender?
Thanks to reality TV, stars can offer wannabes an entree into almost any glamorous career field. Supermodel Tyra Banks has America's Next Top Model. Music exec Simon Cowell has American Idol. Business tycoon Donald Trump has The Apprentice. Now, Sylvester Stallone — whose Rocky movies made him an icon — has The Contender.
That's right, Sly's seeking America's next boxing champ. He'll host The Contender — debuting on NBC in early 2005 — and also coproduce the show behind the scenes with Survivor creator Mark Burnett and Dreamworks exec Jeffrey Katzenberg. The sitch: Viewers follow would-be boxers through 16 episodes of training camp and rumbles in the ring. After KOing his competition, the last man standing wins $1 million and the chance to go pro as a prizefighter.
Though Burnett loves the drama of tribal council ousters, Sly dislikes watching reality rejects take the walk of shame. "One thing that won't be on this show — we talked a lot about this — is there won't be any humiliation of anybody," Burnett says. "Sly is very, very clear on that."
"Perhaps you have never walked into a ring," Stallone adds. "It's a terrifying experience. It really is, because you are completely exposed. You are exposed by the bombardment of negativity. You hear the [crowd's] shouts. You're expected to withstand the pain and fight back. So there are no real bums in this."
Besides a ringside view of their sparring skills, Sly and Co. plan to offer a touchy-feely glimpse into the personal lives of boxing contenders. "There will be some very, very sad situations in this," Stallone promises. "You will hopefully grow to know these [contestants] and their families. And when the time comes for them to have to move on, it's going to take an emotional toll. And I think that's important for people to understand the real grandeur and the tragedy and the triumphs of this incredible sport."
Think you
could be a contender? Visit NBC's Web site for application details.
