This is a major role for Greg Morris who takes the place of a boxer who injured his hands during the Vietnam war. He has to train as a boxer (although he had done some and was a local champion when he was in the service, Barney not Greg) in a small amount of time in order to set up a crooked promoter and gambling ring leader. This is developed over two episodes and creates a huge amount of tension as you invest yourself in Barney more than you have before. There is also a segment for Willy (Peter Lupus) that lasts for over a full commercial block that enhances the tension. The acting in this set of episodes is top notch and begins an upward spiral where the team all ups their acting to match Martin Landau who dominated in season 2. This is a great episode to see Barney Collier in a different milieu.
3 Reviews
Pretty Good Boxing Episode with Interesting Actors
ftao-861-73838230 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"The Contender" features Greg Morris (Barney) prominently in a boxing role, training and eventually fighting to take down a sports betting syndicate. The boxer whom Barney is impersonating is played by an almost unknown actor, Ron Rich, who doesn't make much of an impression. Interestingly, however, the former boxer Sugar Ray Robinson displays a lot of screen charisma as not a boxer, but one of the bad guy's "heavies" who does his dirty work. John Dehner and Ron Randell are both very good as the two main villains. A bit of a spoiler here, Robert Conrad, who was starring in "The Wild Wild West" at the time, has a cameo as a sparring partner for Barney (if it appears that Conrad looks like a real boxer, it's because he did have a brief boxing career). The boxing scenes are fairly exciting, though purists may complain that it's not authentic enough. Overall, an interesting two part episode for the sports fan.
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