Craig Zablo's StalloneZone

Sly to Produce Reality TV Boxing Series
Tue Feb 24, 8:31 PM ET
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES – Sylvester Stallone is getting back into boxing — this time finding and grooming young fighters to compete in a reality television show.

The 57-year-old star of the five “Rocky” movies will be executive producer of “The Contender,” working with reality mogul Mark Burnett (“The Apprentice” and “Survivor”) and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a founder of DreamWorks SKG.
Stallone and Burnett, speaking at a news conference at a downtown boxing club Tuesday, said the NBC series will focus on the lives of boxing hopefuls in and outside the ring. NBC executives said the show will likely air in the 2004-05 season.

“‘Rocky’ wasn’t about boxing; it was about the people around him who gave him reason to go on,” said Stallone, who originated the role of hard-luck fighter Rocky Balboa role in the 1976 best-picture Oscar winner.

The idea of the new series was hatched by Katzenberg, the former Disney executive who went on to form his own studio with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

The series will follow would-be boxers from training camp through challenges in the ring over 16 episodes, with the winner getting $1 million and the chance to become a professional prize fighter. The boxers will fight one another in a weekly elimination process similar to other reality shows. Producers haven’t decided the weight class of the boxers yet.

Stallone said he will jump into the ring during the series and spar with some of the boxers. He believes the show will give boxers a Rockyesque chance at their dream.

“The door is now wide open again for you to have the opportunity to walk through it,” Stallone said, speaking to potential contestants.

Both he and Burnett expressed disenchantment with professional boxing today, saying the sport is often misrepresented on many fronts and has too many federations.

– Craig Zablo

Sly may step in ‘Contenders’ ring
Tue Feb 24, 7:00 PM ET
MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

(Variety) A “Rocky” boxing match on NBC? Sylvester Stallone (news) hinted he might just suit up and get into the ring himself for the Peacock’s upcoming reality show “The Contender.”

Stallone and Mark Burnett traveled to downtown’s Los Angeles Boxing Club on Tuesday to reveal details behind the boxing-themed series.

According to Burnett, contestants will be put through a variety of challenges, leading up to a fight at the end of each episode — with the loser going home. The ultimate “Contender” will receive a $1 million prize and will likely emerge as the marquee star behind a new boxing federation created especially for the show.

Stallone said he partnered with Burnett and DreamWorks partner Jeffrey Katzenberg to create “The Contender” after getting fed up with the state of pro boxing.

“I think there is a great deal of mismanagement in boxing today,” Stallone said. “I think the finest talent does not rise to the surface. Quite often the compromises that a fighter has to make through his managers to get in a position of competition is not quite worth it for them. So we have been I think, deprived of some new fresh talent.”

Stallone called the system Burnett and Katzenberg worked out “revolutionary.” “We welcome (fighters) to step forward who believe they have not been given a fair shake, who believe they do have the talent,” he said.

Burnett said he planned to cast a wide net for “The Contender,” and would even welcome non-English-speaking contestants. “We’ll use subtitles,” he said. “I think that’s interesting.” The producer said he’d even be willing to include contestants with criminal pasts, as long as they’ve “paid their dues.”

Contestants will also technically become professional boxers by participating in the show, because they will be paid during the show and will be fighting. Also, Burnett and Stallone said the contestants will all come from the same weight class, but the producers haven’t decided whether that will be heavyweight, welterweight or lightweight.

As part of the deal, NBC is giving up six 30-second spots to producers, who will then sell the spots and split any profits with the network. Burnett said he would work closely with NBC’s sales team to market the spots and strike product integration deals, but had no plans to link with a media buyer.

NBC honcho Jeff Zucker introduced the producers; also in attendance was Stallone’s brother Frank, who may also work on the show.

As for hopping into the ring, Stallone said “definitely” – and recounted the time he got into the ring with Joe Frazier. “I would say including the count, the fight was 14 seconds,” he said. “I considered him the hardest puncher in the world.”

Copyright © 2003 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Variety is a registered trademark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc. and used under license. All Rights Reserved.

– Craig Zablo

NBC has signed on for The Contender, a boxing reality series developed by “Survivor” creator Mark Burnett, DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenburg and Sly Stallone.  NBC reportedly has agreed to pay $2 million an episode for the 16-part series.

Stallone will serve as executive producer with Katzenberg and Burnett, as well as appear as an on-screen mentor to the young fighters.

Now this is good news! – Craig Zablo