Video Beat - CONTENDER FINAL - Fear Factor - TOP MODEL Winner & Reunion - Ultimate Fighters QUIT - October 2006

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Thursday October 5, 2006 - Update Sunday October 8, 2006

Contender season Finale Ranks as One of the Highest-Rated EOE Boxing Telecasts in Nine Years for ESPN - BEYONCE Music Choice - Jay Leno - Sinbad - Amazing Race - Fear Factor - Ultimate Fighter

THE CONTENDER FINAL

The final of the Contender reality boxing show ESPN telecast in the USA , which saw 35-year-old veteran Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer crowned Contender champion when he defeated former IBF Jr. Lightweight champion Steve Forbes in a 10-round split (2-1) decision.

Along with the title of Contender Championship, Brewer won $500,000 and a new Toyota Tundra..

The telecast earned a 1.9 rating in the USA, representing an average of more than 1.7 million homes and 2.3 million viewers. It was televised in southeast Asia on the AXN network.

The series’ rating in the US was further solidified in comparison to the same time slot in 2005 by showing an increase of 56%. Key demographics of the show had an increased viewership of more than 100% as compared to last season and the season finale was the highest-rated boxing telecast on ESPN in nine years, dating back to January 10, 1997.

The fight actually happened TWO DAYS prior to the AXN Asian telecast on Tuesday October 3 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. .

Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage (Detroit) captured the bronze belt by way of a technical knockout in the seventh round Norberto “El Gallito” Bravo (Tucson, Ariz.).

FULL STORY

NOTE:

K-9 Bundrage was defeated by Forbes in a semifinal bout. The Detroit Michigan native said he was a winner by just being involved in the TV show. He pointed out that he had come a long way from the ghetto to being able to earn a living from boxing and being selected to be on The Contender TV show.

In the semifinal fight K-9 actually won the first round overwhelmingly. There were two split rounds and he faltered at the end.

In the fifth and last round K-9 went on the defensive by backing up and protecting himself from the barrage of Forbes punches. If there were any doubt that round convincingly won it for Forbes.

Flaws in K-9's style were pointed out during the fight as he was repeatedly warned for holding and hitting his opponent in the back of the head. Shame shame on K-9…. He's known as a dirty fighter.

Most notably K-9 was the only fighter NOT CHOSEN on the initial episode when the 16 fighters were chosen for two teams. He was the last man standing when all of the others were chosen and he was a left over for the last team that picked.

RELATED STORY

CLICK ON LINE

For Internet and hi tech lovers tune in to the BBC's CLICK ON LINE. The half hour show airs at 2:30pm Tuesday afternoons in the Thailand/Cambodia time zone. Check local listings for time time and date in your area.

BEYONCE MUSIC CHOICE

Music Choice, the leading, multi-platform music network, announced that music sensation Beyoncé will be featured on its October edition of ‘Artist of the Month’ FULL STORY

JAY LENO Is (Spot) On

You often hear the phrase SPOT ON meaning you got it right or it's hot. When it comes to comedy often the humor is lost in the translation of language or a cultural misunderstanding.

Jay Leno is recognized as one of America's top comedians. He took over The Tonight Show that Johnny Carson hosted for many decades. They said nobody could replace Carson but Leno certainly has having hosted the show for a decade himself.

To see if Leno is SPOT ON for you the show airs on the CNBC channel Saturday night and Sunday afternoons in the Southeast Asia region. Check your listings.

In Cambodia and Thailand it is televised at 9pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday. CHECK IT OUT.

SINBAD DVD

Veteran comedian Sinbad’s DVD Afros and Bellbottoms--the hit HBO stand up comedy special that takes audience members on an “old school” ride back to the 1970’s has been released.

In this hilarious 60 minute, self-styled monologue, Sinbad revisits the days when dashikis, afros, bellbottoms, platform shoes, and collars “wide enough to take hang gliding” were the hit.

Seen by millions of TV viewers nationwide, Afros and Bellbottoms aired during the HBO “Comedy Hour” and helped solidify the comic superstar’s giant fan base. FULL STORY

TOP MODEL REUNION - AMAZING RACE & Ultimate Fighter Up and Running

Monday is a big day for TV in the Southeast Asian region with Tyra Banks Top Model being scheduled to air its season REUNION show.

The Top Model winner was selected last week from the three girls that remained of the original 16 candidates. She was the shows THIRD WINNER in the shows third season of being televised.

Repeats of the TOP Model REUNION show are scheduled to be televised Thursday 8pm & 1am (Friday) , Friday 5pm, Saturday 10am, Sunday 9pm and the following Monday 1pm on Channel V.

These times are for the Cambodia - Thailand time zone and are based on the times of PREVIOUS SHOWS.

Keep in mind that in Asia nothing is for sure in TV time scheduling so check you local listings for dates and times.

NOTE:

TA TA YOUNG UNCOVERED and the Joe Rogan feature are POSTPONED TILL A LATER DATE.

Monday is also the airing of Amazing Race and The Ultimate Fighter's new episodes. All installments are repeated later in the week.

AMAZING RACE 10 will air its fourth episode of this seasons shows.

As usual the show has its mix of contestants from various backgrounds that have relationships with each other. They include a gay couple, Muslim friends, black moms, Miss America contestants, cheerleaders, a dad with his gay daughter, an Indian married couple, hillbillies, Asian brothers, a couple that the girl is handicapped and also two male models that are recovering drug addicts.

Missing from this season are the elderly or as the show defines longtime married couples.

Four of the original 12 teams of two people have been eliminated. The first to go were the two Muslim friends who were eliminated in a show first…. before they reached a pit stop that is at the end of each leg of the race and also the end of that episode of the show.

"This isn't a pit stop," they exclaimed. They were then informed by the shows host New Zealander what he said at the beginning of the race… "There will be some surprises."

At the end of that episode the Indian couple were the last to arrive at the pit stop and were eliminated.

They were followed by the cheerleaders who were eliminated when they ran into a physical problem in not being strong enough to shoot an arrow far enough to ignite a combustible powder.

Last week the father and his recently revealed gay daughter were eliminated after they made a mistake that cost them time.

The mix of contestants from various backgrounds enhanced by the travel around the world seeing different sites and the contestant's interaction with different cultures is what makes this show work.

As a viewer watches and hears how people behave they usually root for their favorite team. In doing so the viewer becomes a part of the show. It's as though they're betting on a horse at the racetrack.

The Amazing Race is a multiple Emmy Award-winning show that originally aired in the USA September 5, 2001. Since that time 115 episodes have been produced through season 10, episode 1.

AMAZING RACE IS TELEVISED on Monday nights at 8pm on the AXN channel in the Thailand - Cambodia time zone. A repeat of this past weeks episode was televised Tuesday 11am, Sunday 9am, 6pm and 11pm in the same time zone.

Check your local listings for the time in your area.

ULTIMATE FIGHTER

As in the Contender reality boxing TV show another big talking fighter in the Ultimate Fighter reality mixed martial arts TV show lost when he couldn't back up his bragging about being one of the greatest fighters in the contest.

He was called out (challenged) by his opponent who proceeded to shut the talker up in a three round unanimous decision victory.

The victor had to go to the hospital and in the closing shots of the preview of this weeks show he walked into the house shared by the fighters and announced some good news and bad news. What was it??? Tune in 7pm Cambodia - Thailand time.

The show repeats Monday 11pm, Tuesday 4pm, Saturday 6pm and Sunday 8am based on the previous weeks telecasts in the Cambodia - Thailand time zones.

This season the Ultimate Fighting Championship's current Light Heavyweight Champion Rich Franklin and current Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes are the shows featured teacher/trainers replacing UFC light heavyweight champ Chuck Liddell and Randy Couturee.

The fighters live in a house in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA together and compete against each other for a six-figure contract to fight in the UFC.

The first episode was a surprise when two of the 16 fighters dropped out and that irritated the shows host/producer Dana White.

The episode was designed to see who was the weakest through conditioning exercises. The weakest were judged by the trainers and was then given a chance to prove he wasn't.

He would then pick the fighter of his choice to fight with the winner to remain on the show and compete for the title and prize money.

One fighter quit because he felt the experience was "Like being in jail," due to constantly being filmed.

This the second season of the show features competitors in the light heavyweight and welterweight divisions. That means they have to make the weight. The welterweight division has a 170 maximum limit.

One of the almost competitors quit because he couldn't make the weight. He weighed in at 191 and had only two days to drop to 170.

He lost 12 pounds the first day by sweating it off in a sauna. The second day he dropped to 175 and quit. He claimed that he was throwing up and couldn't continue.

White went ballistic and pointed out to the fighters that when they applied and were accepted to the show they knew what they committed to. They know they have to make weight and they should come in within their weight limits.

He also said that if they were scared or didn't want to fight, "Why are you here."

The message to anyone in life is when you make a commitment you should be adult and professional enough to follow through and be prepared and do you best.

In reality when a fighter loses that much weight in such a short period of time it would be suicide to fight someone when you are to weak to do so. What is left after losing 21 pounds in two days?

One of the fighters said, "Quit is not an option. You don't quit."

White called in a new heavyweight to compete on the new episode tomorrow Monday October 2.

When they other fighter's saw the new heavyweight their reactions were… Whoa this guy looks ready to fight. Who is that fighter? Tune in and find out. The show airs at 7pm Thailand/Cambodia time.

Weight classes

The UFC currently uses five weight classes:

* Lightweight: (146 - 155 lb)

* Welterweight: (156 - 170 lb)

* Middleweight: (171 - 185 lb)

* Light Heavyweight: (186 - 205 lb)

* Heavyweight: (206 - 265 lb)

List of UFC champions

Division Champion --- Since

Heavyweight Tim Sylvia UFC 59

Light Heavyweight Chuck Liddell UFC 52

Middleweight Rich Franklin UFC 53

Welterweight Matt Hughes UFC 50

NOTE: THE SECOND SEASON OF THE REALITY SHOW THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER IS TELEVISED MONDAY NIGHT SEPTEMBER 25th at 7pm Phnom Penh (8pm, Singapore - Hong Kong) Check you local listings for the time and date in your area.

FEAR FACTOR

Fear Factor is in the first month of their new season. There is a new twist to the show that has matched the Freaks vs. The Geeks, Reality Show winners, and the US armed forces Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines challenging each other.

On the Reality show winners episode host Joe Rogan got into a fight with one of the contestants. Ooopppsss A BIG MISTAKE…

What those contestants knew or not is that Rogan is qualified in Martial Arts. He also is a commentator and co-host of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competition that is televised Saturday afternoons in Southeast Asia on the Sports Action channel at 2pm in Phnom Penh.

Folks… this was real and of all of the Fear Factor challenges this stunt topped them all. But that raises some questions…

Fear Factor airs on the AXN channel in Southeast Asia. Check your local listings. This past week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia it was televised Thursday at 7pm (8pm Singapore - Hong Kong) and repeated at 11pm.

It repeated Saturday 11am and Sunday 5pm. Check your local listings for the date and time in your area.

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