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FINAL SCORE: USA 4, UK 2
The USA team of fighters comprised mostly of participants from the boxing reality show "The Contender" won the first transatlantic "Contender Challenge" by a score of 4-2 against a team of UK fighters on Friday night in Newcastle, England. The match was decided when former WBC super middleweight champion Robin Reid (39-5-1, 27 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over USA Contender Jesse Brinkley (26-5, 17 KOs). Scores were 78-75, 78-76, 78-74 for Reid. However, the USA team clinched the tournament at that point via the tiebreaker: having scored two knockouts in their three wins to that point, compared to no early stops by the UK team. USA jr middleweight Cornelius Bunderage (26-2, 15 KOs) made it all academic as he stopped the UK's Colin McNeil (11-2) in round seven of the final match.
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Earlier, super middleweight Jerson Ravelo (18-2, 12 KOs) ensured the USA team of at least a draw with a one-sided unanimous decision over Paul Buchanan (8-1-1). Scores were 80-71, 79-73, 79-72. USA fighter Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KOs) scored a seventh round TKO over the Martin Concepcion (11-4, 8 KOs). The USA's Freddy Curiel (17-6-2, 7 KOs) scored a stunning eighth round knockout over UK fighter Ross Minter (17-2-1, 8 KOs) to win a bout he was trailing and UK middleweight Anthony Small (17-0, 11 KOs) won a split decision over the USA's Walter Wright (13-2). Scores were 77-75, 78-74 for Small on two cards. Wright prevailed 77-76 on the third card.
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It was decided that two bouts would not count toward the final results in the USA-UK Contender match. In those bouts jr welterweight Nigel Wright (18-2, 9 KOs) crushed late sub Jonathan Nelson (16-16) in two rounds. Also, middleweight Paul Smith (20-0, 12 KOs) scored a controversial stoppage of Contender: Season One's Jonathan Reid (34-6) in round seven. Reid was dropped early in the round but seemed to be recovered when the bout was surprisingly waved off by referee Victor Loughlin at 1:21 of the round.
The USA team of fighters comprised mostly of participants from the boxing reality show "The Contender" won the first transatlantic "Contender Challenge" by a score of 4-2 against a team of UK fighters on Friday night in Newcastle, England. The match was decided when former WBC super middleweight champion Robin Reid (39-5-1, 27 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over USA Contender Jesse Brinkley (26-5, 17 KOs). Scores were 78-75, 78-76, 78-74 for Reid. However, the USA team clinched the tournament at that point via the tiebreaker: having scored two knockouts in their three wins to that point, compared to no early stops by the UK team. USA jr middleweight Cornelius Bunderage (26-2, 15 KOs) made it all academic as he stopped the UK's Colin McNeil (11-2) in round seven of the final match.
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Earlier, super middleweight Jerson Ravelo (18-2, 12 KOs) ensured the USA team of at least a draw with a one-sided unanimous decision over Paul Buchanan (8-1-1). Scores were 80-71, 79-73, 79-72. USA fighter Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KOs) scored a seventh round TKO over the Martin Concepcion (11-4, 8 KOs). The USA's Freddy Curiel (17-6-2, 7 KOs) scored a stunning eighth round knockout over UK fighter Ross Minter (17-2-1, 8 KOs) to win a bout he was trailing and UK middleweight Anthony Small (17-0, 11 KOs) won a split decision over the USA's Walter Wright (13-2). Scores were 77-75, 78-74 for Small on two cards. Wright prevailed 77-76 on the third card.
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It was decided that two bouts would not count toward the final results in the USA-UK Contender match. In those bouts jr welterweight Nigel Wright (18-2, 9 KOs) crushed late sub Jonathan Nelson (16-16) in two rounds. Also, middleweight Paul Smith (20-0, 12 KOs) scored a controversial stoppage of Contender: Season One's Jonathan Reid (34-6) in round seven. Reid was dropped early in the round but seemed to be recovered when the bout was surprisingly waved off by referee Victor Loughlin at 1:21 of the round.
