The Contender, Episode 10: The Laws of Power

This is the second of two episodes in one night. If you haven’t read about Episode 9 yet, click here now to go there first.

Previously:

• Jesse, Anthony, Joey, and Peter, tired of Ishe’s bad attitude, conspired to rattle his cage by voting his nemesis, Ahmed, back into the game replacing an injured Juan.
• The old teams were abolished, leaving every man for himself from here on out.
• At the Choice Challenge, Jesse won the medicine ball obstacle course, earning him and him alone the right to decide who would fight next.
• Despite an earlier altercation with Ishe, Jesse decided not to fight him, but matched Ishe up against his good friend Sergio.
• In the fight, Sergio frustrated Ishe by taunting him and dodging his punches, while penetrating his defenses with blows of his own.
• The winner: Sergio Mora!

Following his victory, Sergio allows himself to look forward, knowing that he has taken another big step towards the one million dollars, and the positive changes it could bring to his impoverished family. He is now in the final four!

In the loft, the others, clearly glad to be rid of their greatest detractor, toast “to a new house.” There is laughing and dancing, and a lot of applause for the man who made it possible as Sergio returns. They toast again, and something tells me that it isn’t Sierra Mist in those product-positioned cups they’re drinking from!

Later, Ahmed, who appears to be Sergio’s new roommate, asks Sergio to read a letter he received from his fiancée. Ahmed, from Lebanon by way of Denmark, is having trouble understanding it. Sergio says that although people may knock him because his English is bad, Ahmed is quite bright. Ahmed trusts Sergio to read the personal letter to him, in which Brandy confesses her love for Ahmed and is dreaming of spending their future together.

The next morning, it’s back to training for the six contenders yet to fight in round two of the tournament. It’s been weeks since Alfonso fought, and he’s ready to go again. He’s also aware that everyone is watching him, and watching they are. Peter, who already lost to Alfonso in the first week, now believes Alfonso is the man to beat, and thinks he might be a world champion someday. Alfonso feels he is at his peak.

Ahmed, on the other hand, informs his fellow contenders that Alfonso “is nothing,” and that he doesn’t punch hard enough. Well, he’s certainly more than his anonymous sparring partner can handle!

It’s Ahmed’s turn to spar next, and he, too, is looking good. Peter knows how determined Ahmed will be to rebound from his loss, just as Peter himself was when he beat Miguel. Ahmed proclaims himself the best fighter in the tournament and scoffs at Ishe, who beat him previously, but who is now gone.

Sly arrives and gathers everyone to award Sergio the new “golden gloves” equivalent, a pendant with the Roman numeral four, signifying his place in the final four. Sergio feels like he’s on top of the heap and is eager to see who will be joining him in the next round. Sly asks him to choose one person to take with him on a reward, and Sergio chooses Alfonso, to the surprise of Ahmed, who was in Sergio’s corner during his fight. Sly drives the pair to a swanky golf course. Sergio comments that as Mexicans, he and Alfonso are used to cutting the grass at golf courses, not playing on them.

Alfonso and Sergio overcome their distaste for the golf clothes they are given and head out to the driving range. Sly instructs the pair on how to hit a drive using his “Open the door, close the door” technique to mixed results (better than the first time I took a swing, to be certain).

In the loft, Ahmed voices his disappointment at being passed over. Joey reminds him that Sergio didn’t vote to bring him back, and that Ahmed shouldn’t expect any favors from him. Joey tells us that he wants to keep Ahmed on a leash, and needs to be sure he gets to set up the next few matches so he doesn’t end up in the ring with him. He is looking out for Jesse and Peter. Ahmed indicates that he’d prefer to fight Alfonso, and Joey agrees to try to make the match happen. Privately, he tells us that Ahmed could be a problem in the third round, and that Alfonso might be able to take him out.

The problem with Joey’s strategy is that there are only three fights left in the second round, so unless he wants to fight one of his allies, he should be more interested in making sure one of them fights each week from here on out.

Back on the golf course, Alfonso admits that a pro golf career is not in his future, but he’s having fun golfing with Sergio, Sly, and Sugar Ray. And racing golf carts.

Is my crew all fired up? Damn skippy. That means it’s time for this week’s Choice Challenge at Santa Anita Park racetrack. Each contender will race around the one-mile track, pulling a cart behind them with a harness.