GALVESTON — Galveston’s newest hero will begin his journey tonight to become the next winner of “The Contender.”

Ball High graduate and island resident Felix Cora Jr. is a contestant on Season 4 of the reality television show, featuring 16 boxers vying for a large payout and the chance to jump-start their careers as fighters.

The show debuts on Versus at 9 p.m. tonight. The show’s producers have confirmed Cora fights in the first episode.

Because of a confidentiality agreement, Cora isn’t allowed to comment on any specifics about the show until the episodes air. He was allowed to talk about the general experience heading into the season premiere.

“I’ve dreamed about getting an opportunity like this,” Cora said at Texas City Boxing Gym, where he is currently training. “I watched the past few seasons of the show and always wondered what it would be like to be one of the contestants. To actually get a chance to participate in unbelievable.”

Already Jeff Wald, one of the show’s executive producers, has said that Cora will be one of this season’s most popular contestants.

“Felix is going to be a guy that is special to the audience,” said Wald, who’s been a producer for the show all four seasons. “I’ve been in this business long enough that I can sense how an audience reacts to someone. To me, Felix was one of my favorites since this series began, and I think the audience will feel the same way.”

Wald said Cora is a large focus of the show because of Hurricane Ike. The storm hit Galveston the first day of filming, and Cora said he spent days trying to contact his family from Singapore to find out the status of his three children and his home on the island.

“It was pretty difficult,” Cora said. “I kept hearing different things about what was going on in Galveston, and I didn’t know what to expect. I had to find a way to block it out, though, and use it as motivation to do well on the show.”

Cora’s presence on the show could give Galveston some needed publicity to help in its recovery from the hurricane. Cora said he hopes the show helps viewers realize the devastation suffered on the island.

He also wants to be an inspiration for those still going through adversity because of the storm.

“I was pretty fortunate to have not lost my home or any of my loved ones in the storm, but others weren’t so lucky,” Cora said. “I can only imagine what the people who lost everything are going through. I’m hoping, depending on how the show is edited, that I can be an inspiration for some of those people. I don’t ever want those people to give up hope.”

While Galveston attempts to come back from the storm, The Contender could provide Cora’s career a second chance after it fell off course.

The Galveston resident started his pro career 18-0-2 with nine knockouts, but was defeated by Vadim Tokarev in May of 2006.

Cora had a chance to become the No. 1 contender in the World Boxing Council rankings in April of 2007, but Matt Godfrey knocked him out in the second round.

Cora took a yearlong break after his second straight defeat and wasn’t ready to step back into the ring until this July. His comeback fight against Zack Page was postponed when another boxer was injured just before he was supposed to go on at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.

Shortly after, Cora was given the opportunity to be a contestant on “The Contender.” This is the first season that cruiserweights, Cora’s weight class, were featured.

Cora took the offer and left for Singapore in September. The entire show was shot in Southwest Asia. He didn’t return until October.

“That was my first time overseas,” Cora said. “It was a long flight. I really had a good time, though. It’s a different way of living. They are very respectful, and the customs are different.

“My favorite part was the scenery. It was breathtaking. They took us all around for different news conferences, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was.”

“The Contender” will be 12 episodes this season — 11 one-hour shows and the two-hour live season finale Feb. 26.

Cora would have to make the semifinals of the show’s single-elimination tournament to make it to the finale.

Cora said he isn’t planning to host a big viewing party for tonight’s episode.

Instead, he’ll watch the show with his father, Felix Sr., and the rest of his family.

“I’m curious to see how it all unfolds,” Cora said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be edited, so it will be like I’m an ordinary gentleman watching from home.”