[As far as the second season of the] Contender ... I thought we received enough critical praise from the mainstream press to warrant another year on NBC. The ratings weren't huge, but the ratings weren't huge for ' Seinfeld ' or ' Cheers ' in their first years and those shows turned out pretty well when they were given time to build an audience.

In fact I think that 16 women in the same house, competing in the ring would make a great show. Their ' back stories ' are so much more diverse than the men. You have college graduates, truck drivers, straight women, gay women and the drive that got each of those women into the gym in the first place adds up to some very compelling stories. Do I think it will happen? It's a long shot. Going to ESPN gives the show much more of a niche appeal, the viewers on that network are mainly male sports fans and it might not be the best programming environment for a female ' Contender ', and that's a shame because it's a great concept.

The sport is still growing and there's only upside for female fighters. The examples of the LPGA, the women's tennis tour and the WNBA indicate that the time is right for women in the sports world. Female boxers don't have the benefit of a tie-in with the male sport like the tennis tour, which plays at the same major tournament venues as the men, and certainly not like the WNBA, which is directly subsidized by the NBA. But, there's no question in my mind, this is the time for women in the ring.

No, no, no, no. The only way she's going to play me is to get in there and do it.

A Ring of Their Own

What a great punch,