LAS VEGAS -- He coulda been ''The Contender,"
but Providence boxer Peter Manfredo Jr. lacked the pop and power
that Sergio Mora showed last night in the NBC reality show's $1
million final bout.
Manfredo, 24, lost a unanimous decision to Mora, who dominated
from early on and as late as the sixth round was dismissively
shaking off Manfredo's punches.
The seven-round end for ''The Pride of Providence" defied
the made-for-TV comeback story's happy ending he seemed to be
writing. He was eliminated in the series' first episode, only
to be voted back in when boxer Jeff Fraza of Haverhill had to
quit because of chicken pox.
Fraza, however, completed his own comeback tale, beating Brent
Cooper of Nashville in a five-round match earlier yesterday.
Fraza, 27, earned a split decision and $75,000 for his triumph
over Cooper, both of whom were voted back by show fans for one
of the three fan-favorite fights.
In the $1 million bout, though, Manfredo looked weary early,
holding on to Mora repeatedly to maintain balance. He seemed
to land more punches in the first few rounds, but Mora's shots
were cleaner and looked more exacting.
A scrappy and soft-spoken slugger, Manfredo is an electrician
who grew up in his father's Providence gym and vowed to use
the money to better the lives of his pregnant wife and daughter.
He earned $250,000 for losing last night's fight.
''No matter what happens, we keep fighting," Manfredo said
before the bout.
''The Contender" drew critical praise but limp ratings. The
NBC series was not given a second season, a decision that led
fans in the audience to heckle NBC president Jeff Zucker at
the encouragement of an announcer. Zucker, who attended the
fight, shrugged.
The fight took on the electricity of the many title bouts
routinely held here. A horde of celebrities, including Cameron
Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Eddie Murphy, and Cuba Gooding Jr.,
filed into Caesars Palace.
Manfredo was an unlikely sentimental favorite, coming into
''The Contender" with the best record, an unbeaten 21-0, of
any of the 16 boxers chosen. His loss to Alfonso Gomez Jr. in
the first episode shook up the expected pecking order and startled
even producer Mark Burnett.
Then Fraza left, sparking Manfredo's dramatic resurrection.
The ''Pride of Providence" defeated Gomez in the series' 14th
episode to move into final contention.
Fraza, who has known Manfredo for more than 15 years, was
disappointed his friend failed but proud that Manfredo had capitalized
on his own misfortune by making it to the final.
''It makes me so happy that Pete got to come back because
of me and he went and he did something with it," said Fraza.
''If he came back and blew it, then I would've been disappointed.
But he didn't."
Mora's story is equally compelling. Born in poverty in East
Los Angeles, the 25-year-old resisted entreaties from gangs
and focused instead on becoming a boxer. His career was slow-going
until he won a spot on ''The Contender."
''I was undefeated in 12 fights, unsigned, unmanaged and broke,"
he writes on his website.
For Fraza, whose hard luck followed him all the way to Monday,
when he nearly lost his chance at this fight because he was
weighing in too light, the victory was ''the perfect way to
end this." Burnett ensured Fraza would fight by switching his
opponent to the lighter Cooper from a different fighter.
''I feel just great," Fraza said after the fight, his face
barely bruised despite taking several head shots from Cooper.
''This is what I waited for my entire life. It's awesome."
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