Whats up doggies,
I'm rewatching UFC 74 because it was a good event but I said I'd do a review on these gloves. The reason I bought these puppies is because my wrists are pretty much made of glass. I've had some work done on them but genetics is a bitch.
The Top Contender gloves looks like a Winning Softtype glove clone. The Winning gloves ae known for being one of the best gloves for your hands but comes at a price more appealing to people who are aspiring professionals/professional fighters or just have that extra bundle of cash to spend. I'm neither of those just yet and for $15.00+shipping it seemed like an okay spend, but remember the old saying, "You get what you pay for."
The TCs are rebrands of CSI and Ringside Super Soft Training gloves, they each have a model of these gloves in different colors (Ringside=red, CSI=blue, and TC=black). Theres about 31/2 inches of very soft foam protecting the knuckles according to the website. I didn't check myself but these things are pillows. They are thick and bulky but soft and absorbent. They hand compartment feels just right for me but the wrist is too loose. The gloves aren't tapered like a traditional glove with, they're more rectangular so when you strap the gloves theres material overlapping. Not that big a deal since the velcro is well made and very thick.
The gloves are manufactured in China but the construction leaves alot to be desired. The outershell of the glove is all synthetic leather and nylon stitching. Theres alot of loose stitching all over the glove. I took them out the bag and noticed alot of ugly marks on the palm side and other things like uneven cuts in the velcro strap. The tafeta lining also is pretty thin. I used them for a day and it has already ripped giving a good look at the inside cuff foam. Everybody has at one point used the Everlast pro gloves they sales at Big 5 or Walmart, and people swear they are some horrible gloves well those gloves are made better than these in terms of constuction which is a shock to me.
I mentioned before that I bought these for a purpose and to be honest they work extremely well for that purpose. I was able to hit mitts and then I used them on a 200lb heavy bag and they felt great. I was able to hit full power and recieve minimal shock, but I wasn't in tears so I know that they work as intended. I sparred 5 rounds and my partners got a little to brave since the shots I hit them with didn't hurt to much. It was like hitting someone with small Sockem' Boppers. They are great gloves for people with wrist or hand injuries and for hard sparring.
My final verdict of these gloves are 5.5/10
The reason being they are very poorly constructed gloves. The stitching is horrible the design is okay but should be tapered more at the wrist but the velcro makes up for it. They make you feel good though esp. if you have a history of wrist problems like me. If they were made out of REAL Leather than it would recieve a much high rating since they do what they are made to do.
Bottom line is if you can afford Winning buy them, if you can't and need to train with a slight injury than buy these. I hope that they make a real leather version of these! ARE YOU GUYS LISTENING OVER AT RINGSIDE? MAKE THESE LEATHER!!!!
