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After his five-round victory over Gary Balletto was shown on "The Contender" reality show Tuesday, Norberto "Nito" Bravo's right hand ached.

Not from beating Balletto. That happened in late January.

It ached from signing nearly 100 autographs before, during and after the ESPN show was broadcast to an overcapacity crowd of about 250 at the Desert Diamond Casino's sports bar.

"It is a little bit" sore, Bravo said.

He was hardly complaining. There were nothing but smiles, high fives, raised fists and cheers when Bravo and fans watched his unanimous decision unfold.

Bravo lost the first round to Balletto, then won all of the final four rounds on two judges' cards, working his right hand most often against Balletto's head and body.

"Gary Balletto is a really strong guy," Bravo said. "He was trying to lunge on me, and that was keeping me from getting some good punches off, so I was trying to work over him."

The victory put Bravo (22-10-3) in a semifinal match against Grady Brewer (20-11) that will be aired Tuesday, and guaranteed Bravo a championship or third-place fight during the live season finale Sept. 26 at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

Bravo fought from the heart against Balletto, said his trainer, Mike Agredano. He also spoke from it during Tuesday's episode.

Bravo tearfully said he wanted to duplicate the effort his father, Norberto Sr., did in raising him before he died in 1985 at age 49.

"I want my boys to grow up knowing their dad loves them," Bravo said on the show. "All this fighting is for them."

That was not just a Hollywood touch, Bravo said Tuesday.

"That's not fake stuff, man," Bravo said. "When I was over there, I had so much emotion built up inside me, and seeing my kids when I was there choked me up. Questions they would ask me about my family, I'd just start bawling, you know?"