Aug 27, 2018 3 min read

Sometimes, second chances come out of nowhere.

That’s the case for Morgan “Big Chief” Fitch.

On Friday night, the second episode of the rebooted reality show “The Contender” will air on Epix, and boxing fans can catch him on the show.

Fitch, a native of Louisiana who has resided in Charleroi since 2006, is one of the 16 contestants on the reality show and is looking to outlast his competitors to win the $250,000 purse.

Mark Yankello, Fitch’s advisor, called him one day with the offer.

“He reached out and asked me if I was interested,” Fitch said. “I told him, ‘Let’s go for it.'”

Fitch, who has not fought since a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Yamaguchi Falcao on May 5, 2017, has a professional record of 18-1-1.

After the loss, Fitch had his fifth surgery for repairs and he looked at his future.

“I thought, I have three kids who are getting older and I am tired of going under the knife,” he said of his children, ages 12, 9 and 2. “It used to be boxing and family for me, but now it is family and then boxing.

“I decided to open up my own business.”

Fitch owns and operates AYL Window Cleaning.

“It stands for All Year Long and we also do gutter work and pressure cleaning,” he said. “Things are going well with it, but I had to take this chance.”

This new boxing opportunity, which has already been filmed in its entirety except for the Las Vegas fight to decide who wins the purse, has reinvigorated Fitch’s boxing career.

“The experience was a life-changer and an eye-opener,” he said. “It got me back into training full-throttle and wanting to fight again. It has changed my (professional) life and I am ready to see what it offers.”

The 16 fighters are broken down into a pair of teams, the Blue Team and the Red Team, with each squad having a professional trainer. Fitch is a member of the Blue Team and his coach is Freddie Roach.

Ironically, Roach was once the trainer for former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer from Monessen.

The fighters are not allowed to discuss the results of the show to anyone and signed a confidential agreement. Despite that, Fitch spoke with a glow in his tone about the experience and what lies ahead.

“I am ready to start the second part of my (boxing) journey and finish something that was started 12 years ago,” he said. “The light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than it was back then, but it is brighter in a much different way.

“People say that this is my last shot, but I haven’t said that.”

The series was produced by Mark Burnett and executive producer Eric Van Wagenen.

The fighters will push themselves to their respective limits on the show while sharing stories about their families and hardships that they have dealt with.

Andre “Son of God” Warn, who retired as an undefeated champion, is the host of the show, which airs Friday’s at 9 p.m.

The first episode can be seen On Demand, and Fitch is excited for people to see how it plays out on TV.

“The older we get, the wiser we get and you appreciate things more,” he said. “I think people will like the show and I can’t cut corners. I am blessed to have this opportunity and I will give it my all.”

Sometimes, second chances do come out of nowhere.

For Fitch, his second chance has lit a spark.