This week's episode begins with an extra-long recap narrated by Tony Danza that sums up the entire first round of the tournament. We're down to eight remaining fighters, and the second round will begin with a bout between Felix Cora Jr. and Troy Ross.
There's a short focus on Ryan Coyne, who won the final first round fight in a narrow decision. He has to visit the hospital for a cut over his right eye. This one is deeper than the one he suffered over his left eye earlier in the show, and he has less time to recover before his next fight.
The remaining members of the Gold Team discuss the last fight. Akinyemi "A.K." Laleye is especially upset about the decision that cost them teammate Tim Flamos, and he unleashes a tirade in the direction of Troy Ross when he feels like Ross isn't as bothered by the actions of the judges.
Coyne and trainer John Bray talk about whether or not he can realistically continue. Though he wants to keep fighting, Coyne promises to make the decision that's best for him going forward when the time comes.
In the morning, Danza gathers all the remaining competitors and congratulates them for making it to the second round. He declares the team portion of the tournament officially over and says it's every man for himself now. There's no drama in choosing second round slots - Rico Hoye and Coyne have to fight each other because there are only two slots left.
As a reward, Danza tells the fighters he is going to take them out to see some of the sights in Singapore. It becomes a bonding experience as they take a boat tour, ride one of the world's largest Ferris wheels and enjoy a private dinner at a nice restaurant. Danza tells a good story about how he got his first big break in TV after he got up from two knockdowns in a boxing match and knocked out his opponent with one punch. Cora also gives a heartfelt speech about boxing and respect.
When the boxers return, they find pictures of their first round fights decorating the walls of the loft. They also receive letters from home, and Hoye gets word from his wife that he'll be having a baby boy.
Cora gets some bad news in his letter. Since he's been away from his city job for more than ten days, he gets notification that he's been terminated. And since storm-damaged Galveston was hit so hard, he has no home either. Those revelations have an impact on Alfredo Escalera.
During training, Bray expresses his opinion that Cora is the man to beat. He doesn't think Felix will get caught the way Ross' first-round foe did. Trainer Tommy Brooks says both men will come to fight and it may boil down to who makes the first serious mistake.
Before the fight, Brooks tells Ross to get up on points in the early rounds and be patient. Bray speaks to Cora mostly about the mental aspect of his game.
And it's fight time...
The first round sees both men trying to establish the jab. Ross looks like he has the faster hands, while Cora looks a little more hesitant. He lands a nice power shot that is answered with a multi-punch combo by Ross.
In the final minute of the round, Cora is caught flush by a hook and he goes down. He beats the count but the ref will not let him continue despite his protests. The official time of Ross' KO win is 2:38 of the first round.
Ross says he was expecting a five-round chess match, not a first-round KO. He wishes the best to Cora going forward and says he feels very confident.
An embarrassed Cora agonizes over his failure to step up to the plate. He also thinks he may have been too tight going into the fight. Physically he feels great, but mentally he is shaken up. As he takes the long walk, he sounds like he is considering giving up boxing, ending the episode on a somber note.
Next week: Tension heats up in the loft between Escalera and Hoye, but it's A.K. who Escalera will have to face in the ring.
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