NBC has already made it clear they have no intention of bringing forth a second season of the most expensive reality program ever, the ratings failure ‘The Contender’. However, that hasn’t stopped Mark Burnett from attempting to keep the “favourite work of my career” from an untimely death. Burnett stated “I’ve never had such pats on the back as I’ve had for ‘The Contender.’ I’m totally committed to it. If NBC doesn’t want to do it, we’ll go somewhere else. … The public wants more of these guys and our job is to provide it to them.” The Orange County Register is now noting that Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard are in negotiations with ESPN to see a second season take place.