On Friday, a California judge gave the Fox network and it’s boxing series “The Next Great Champ” the right to air next week. Fox has been fighting with NBC, which is producing a similar show called “The Contender” which will air this fall. The producers of “The Contender” sued Fox in order to keep “The Next Great Champ” off the air. “Champ” features boxer Oscar De La Hoya while “Contender” is fronted by Sylvester Stallone. Both shows are about a group of boxers fighting to win a cash prize and a shot at a big match.

The 'Contender' group had argued that “Champ” producers used unfair business practices in order to get their show on first. The lawsuit alleges that California Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole denied the request of injunctive relief and the Fox show will air as scheduled. The backers of “The Contender,” Dreamworks and “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett, may appeal.

This isn’t the first time Fox has taken on one of the big three networks. This summer, they released “Trading Spouses” a full season before ABC’s similarly themed “Wife Swap” which is set to air this fall. Producing similar reality TV shows has long been a practice among the three networks (this fall “The Apprentice” on NBC goes up against “The Benefactor” on ABC for example). But the three major networks seem united in their dismay with the tactics of the Fox network claiming that imitation is one thing but direct copying is another.