ESPN today announced that The Contender is returning back to ESPN for another season this coming September 4th (10:00 p.m. ET), ordering up a third season of the Mark Burnett-produced show.
This year, the show will feature 16 fighters competing for the Contender championship and a $1 million purse. The third season will introduce a new weight class, super middleweight, and will feature new trainers in James “Buddy” McGirt and Jose “Pepe” Correa, as well as guest appearances by comedian Adam Carolla (who was once a trainer) and multi-time champion Oscar De La Hoya.
Yet another new feature this year is the ability for viewers to watch unedited versions of each bout on ESPN2.
The Contender season two finale drew an impressive 2.3 million viewers in a matchup between Grady Brewer and Steve Forbes, making it ESPN’s top-rated boxing broadcast in nine years.
