Last One Standing
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
PREMISE:
Six athletes go head to head against indigenous warriors in places like Djilor, Senegal, and the Trobriand Islands.
PRE-FIGHT HYPE:
“Western athletes, remote tribes, real competition. Welcome to full-contact culture.”
IN THE RING: The winners seem determined by who looks best in a loincloth. Meanwhile, the show struggles to overcome its colonialist premise: Will the Westerners beat the natives at their own game?
DECISION:
TKO’d in December, after one season.
Human Weapon
HISTORY CHANNEL
PREMISE:
Cage fighter Jason Chambers and NFL tackle Bill Duff train with the world’s masters and then fight the local talent. Along the way, they absorb exotic scenery and culture.
PRE-FIGHT HYPE:
Duff is 6’4″, 280 pounds, and, according to his bio, “undefeated in bar fights.”
IN THE RING:
Training sessions are interspersed with historical vignettes, but CGI models illustrating the mechanics of fighting styles add a modern touch.
DECISION:
Winner!
Fight Quest
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
PREMISE:
Cage fighter Jimmy Smith and Iraq vet Doug Anderson train with the world’s masters and then fight the local talent. Along the way, theywait, this sounds familiar.
PRE-FIGHT HYPE:
Smith defeated Human Weapon host Chambers by heel hook in a 2006 cage match.
IN THE RING:
Smith whines a lot, and Anderson is a meathead, but the grueling training sessions are entertaining.
DECISION:
Still swinging. New episodes are in the works.