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A whopping $25 million budget, only 12 episodes.
They are freaking auditioning guys to be on the show so I feel like it might be more reality/drama, but they better not edit the fights.
They are freaking auditioning guys to be on the show so I feel like it might be more reality/drama, but they better not edit the fights.
Producers of the reboot of “The Contender” reality series continue to fill the cast of the show, which will begin filming in Southern California this spring and air the first of 12 hour-long episodes on Epix beginning in late August or early September.
In addition to trainer Freddie Roach, who is on board as one of the coaches for a team of contenders, they're also finishing a deal with Naazim Richardson to serve as the other trainer, a source with knowledge of the casting process told ESPN. Philadelphia’s Richardson is best known as the longtime trainer for Bernard Hopkins and has decades of experience.
They also still need to cast a host, which is expected to be a well-known boxer, according to the source. Also, more than two dozen middleweights have been invited to an April 13 audition in Los Angeles, where they will vie for one of 16 spots on the series. “The Contender” initially ran from 2005 to 2008 with the first season on NBC, followed by two on ESPN and a fourth on the now-defunct Versus.
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer
