contestant (n.)
- adversary
 - battler
 - belligerent
 - blade
 - bravo
 - brawler
 - bully
 - bullyboy
 - carouser
 - combatant
 - competitor
 - contender
 - disputant
 - duelist
 - emulator
 - enforcer
 - entrant
 - fencer
 - fighter
 - gamecock
 - gladiator
 - goon
 - gorilla
 - hood
 - hoodlum
 - hooligan
 - knight
 - merrymaker
 - militant
 - opponent
 - participant
 - playboy
 - player
 - plug-ugly
 - quarreler
 - reveler
 - rioter
 - rival
 - rough
 - rowdy
 - ruffian
 - scrapper
 - squabbler
 - strong-armer
 - struggler
 - swashbuckler
 - sword
 - swordsman
 - thug
 - tilter
 - tough
 - vier
 - wrangler