When we think back on tonight's Versus card from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (I doubt we'll be recalling this one in the future, but humor me), there'll be a few things that spring to mind for me:

• Peter Manfredo, Jr., is simply not a world-class boxer in any way, except perhaps his chin. Period.
  
• Grady Brewer-Cornelius Bundrage is one God awful style matchup.
  
• When Sakio Bika gets mad, get out of the way.
  
• What a sloppy night of fighting.
  
• Wally Matthews on commentary: "Jaidon Codrington's balance is atrocious. Just atrocious."

Let's start with the undercard fight first. Grady Brewer won a terrible split decision over Cornelius Bundrage in a fight that featured far more mid-ring collisions than it did clean punches. I scored it 94-92 for Brewer, which might seem an odd scorecard, but you have to take into account Bundrage being knocked down in the third in a really fluky sort of way, then point deductions later for each man for excessive holding. Referee Eddie Claudio sounded disgusted by the fight. He also ended up taking a point from Bundrage in the 10th for hitting on the break, even though it looked like Brewer hit first on the break. That one, I thought, was a really bum call by Claudio, but in the end, I didn't care who won, because -- and I say this with respect to the fighters, who tried but just did not mesh -- neither of them really deserved a W over the other man.

In the main event, hometown hero Peter Manfredo fought like an idiot and got blown out in the third round by Sakio Bika. I'd put that nicer, but there's really no other way to put it. He fought a really stupid fight, trying to go toe-to-toe with a faster, stronger, better fighter. He could have tried to play defense and work the body -- it's not always about being aesthetically pleasing or trying to make the Providence faithful cheer and hoot and holler.

While I do have respect for Manfredo's guts, there's no way to defend his gameplan as one being worth the time. If that was his idea to fight Bika, he never had a shot. Never. Bika wailed on Manfredo in the first round, and wailed on him again in the second until a very blatant shove was ruled a Manfredo knockdown by referee Rick Gonzales. Manfredo's gloves touched the mat on the same spill, and Bika was absolutely furious with Gonzales.

He was so incensed, in fact, that in the third round he came out fighting as angry as you'll ever see a guy fight, and he pummeled Manfredo on the ropes for what seemed like forever until Gonzales finally stepped in to call the thing off. Manfredo says he didn't think it should be stopped; personally, I thought it should have been stopped earlier. He stood there trying to block his face, not throwing punches, and absorbing shot after shot.

It was reminiscent of the Calzaghe-Manfredo third round stoppage, but Bika hits a lot harder than Calzaghe and was winging serious leather. Manfredo went from one side of the ring leaning on the ropes to another to lean on the ropes, and then it mercifully was called off.

Some of the classy Providence fans threw garbage at Bika after it was stopped. I'm not trying to slam all the Providence fans, either, just the morons. There were a lot more that didn't throw things at a fighter that cleanly won.

With the win, Sakio Bika grabbed the IBO super middleweight title, and since some folks are starting to recognize the IBO, I guess that's worth noting. I suppose they're really no worse than anyone else. But that just makes five crappy organizations lording over boxing as far as I'm concerned.

It is a testament to Manfredo that he didn't go down, though the ropes did hold him up a few times. He's a tough, tough guy, but he fought the absolute worst fight he could tonight, and I think we proved he's just not going past being the star of Providence boxing. He's given it his best shot a few times now; his best just isn't good enough to be a world-class fighter.

Once the main event ended early, Versus also showed the latter five rounds of Jaidon Codrington's return fight. I wish we'd gotten to see the first three, too, because it was absolutely the fight of the night.

The most I got out of watching anyone tonight was watching Jaidon Codrington, who beat rugged tomato can William Gill in a barroom brawl of a fight when Gill finally ran out of gas just before the final bell sounded in the eighth. Rick Gonzales had no choice but to step in and stop it as Gill tried to stumble into his corner.

The thing is, I really like Jaidon Codrington. His war last year with Bika was epic, and his story on "The Contender" was truly touching, and showed him as a hell of a fine young man. He came off as just totally easy to like while on the show. Classy guy.

But once you get past his offensive capabilities, which are good but not great, he is awful. There are so many fundamental things that I think we usually take for granted when watching fighters on TV, because even the worst fighters on TV are pretty good at boxing, sort of like how the worst player in all of even minor league baseball is one hell of a baseball player.

Wally Matthews was brutally honest about his balance, but you can't not point it out, you know? The guy is so wide, opens himself up, stumbles around the ring. When he's touched it seems like a strong breeze could blow him over, because his balance is just that bad.

He has an AWFUL habit of hanging onto the top rope with his gloves, which wound up getting him docked a point tonight against Gill. He also seems to fight in spurts; he's not like Eddie Chambers, for instance, who has a habit of admiring his own punches and not following up. Codrington is a good combination puncher. The problem is, he gets a good combination in, maybe throws another one, and then if he gets hit back, he has a tendency to climb into a shell and wait until he thinks it's safe to come out, if you will.

These are things that are correctable, I'd think, and at 24, sure you have some time to make him better defensively, make him more aware of himself in the ring, get his focus right...

But that doesn't really ever happen. Fighters kind of are who they are in almost every single case. In Jaidon's case, his flaws are so overwhelming that as much as I love to watch him fight, I don't see him ever beating a guy that can punch and take a punch. He's probably already achieved all the fame he's going to. I hope I'm wrong, too.

We'll be back in all of two days as far as round-by-round coverage goes, with Taylor-Lacy on HBO.

Our coverage will start with the show at 8pm ET on Versus.

For most of its cast during the first three seasons, fame on popular boxing reality TV tournament "The Contender" is about as good as their careers are ever going to get.

The most notable names from the first three seasons include Sergio Mora, the season one champion and only fighter from the show to go on to win a world title after the series began. He quickly lost it back to Vernon Forrest in a one-sided fight, and has alienated many fans with bad career decisions and the perception that he's arrogant.

Alfonso Gomez became maybe the most popular fighter from the show's short history, and he did retire Arturo Gatti with a wicked beating at Boardwalk Hall last July. Earlier this year, Miguel Cotto beat Gomez mercilessly for five rounds before the ring doctor thankfully stepped in to stop the carnage after five rounds.

Season two champion Grady Brewer, now 37, was a big upset winner whose career has stalled because of injuries. On the undercard Thursday night, he'll meet Cornelius "K-9" Bundrage, another "Contender" alum. Season two runner-up Steve Forbes was a former world titleholder that has gone on to fight and lose to Oscar de la Hoya when Oscar needed a tune-up in May.

Ishe Smith has been a solid fighter, but hasn't broken through. Sam Soliman remains the same fringe contender he's always been. Brian Vera upset Andy Lee earlier this year, and now will have a shot at offensive force James Kirkland on November 22. Season three runner-up Jaidon Codrington has done nothing since the series ended.

Many other fighters have been part of the show, and that is pretty much their story.

Thursday night on Versus, at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, season three champion Sakio Bika and season one standout Peter Manfredo, Jr., will meet to find out which one of them will avoid being typecast as "nothing more than a 'Contender' fighter" for the near future.

Both have had chances. Prior to his participation on the show, Bika had a crack at then-super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe and lost. Calzaghe moved on after Bika to face Manfredo, and he blew the pride of Providence out in three rounds. Though many questioned the stoppage as Calzaghe didn't seem to be hurting Manfredo, no one has questioned what the outcome would have been.

Manfredo (31-5, 16 KO) has gone 5-1 since losing to Calzaghe, losing only to Jeff Lacy in a tight, ten-round decision on the Mayweather-Hatton undercard. Bika (26-3-2, 16 KO) has fought just one round since "The Contender" ended last November.

Manfredo's critics have cast him as nothing more than a club fighter, and though I'm not going to lie and say I'm a huge believer in his chances to become a world-class fighter, I think "club fighter" is a bit harsh. At 27, Manfredo is likely as good as he's going to get, but he's a tough guy with fine skills. He's not a puncher, he's not an exceptional boxer, and he's not particularly fast. But he's also not terribly weak in any area.

Truth is, Manfredo probably tops out with fights like these. Sure, he could prove the detractors wrong, which is exactly what he's trying to do, but guys in his position at his age working to constantly prove detractors wrong likely has detractors for a reason.

Bika, 29, has not fared well against world class fighters either. Calzaghe clearly beat him, and he also lost to current super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute in 2007 by wide scores (118-109, 118-109, 116-111). 

Is either man destined for greatness? It is unlikely. Frankly, there's a reason all these guys have been on "The Contender" in the first place. It is not the home for world-class boxing. And Bika-Manfredo, while not a world-class fight, is one featuring a couple of hungry guys that are both desperate to extend their time in the spotlight. One more loss for either guy is essentially it for any gold hopes and championship wishes. But a win could go so far as to give one of them another title shot sometime in 2009.

It's not quite do or die, but it's pretty close. Like the other past cast members, life beyond "The Contender" has been an uphill battle for both Manfredo and Bika. That will likely never stop. All that they can do is win to fight the stereotype.