Show Updates
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Back to the BeginningTuesday, August 12 2008 |
If you happened to catch Season 2 of the all new American Gladiators, but somehow missed Season 1 from 2008, Realitybug.com is going to recap each show from the 2 part premiere to the finale. Stay tuned and we'll get each of you up to date on what's happened with the All New American Gladiators since it first came into syndication January 6, 2008!
The Season Premiere of the All New American Gladiators will be the Biggest Event of 2008. At least that's what the announcer said. In this two part episode, we're introduced first to the new Gladiators - Titan, Venom, Toa, Crush, Mayhem, Stealth, Justice, Siren, Wolf, Fury, Militia, and Hellga - and WOW are some of them HOT! I don't remember the Gladiators of old looking this good?
Regarding the event challenges, from what I've read so far, there are a few new, but they've also brought back many of the old favorites too, but jazzed up a little. Sounds good to me! American Gladiators now involves water with some of the challenges as well. If you fall off the Joust, you're falling into water; and the same with Hit and Run, and the Wall. If a contestant hits the target in Assault, the Gladiator gets catapulted backwards into water. We will definitely be seeing some of the original favorites such as Joust, Powerball, Hang Tough, Pyramid, Gauntlet, the Wall, and Assault. There's also a new event called Earthquake, where a contestant and a gladiator wrestle on a circular disk suspended above the ground - Very cool!
Our hosts include the beautiful Laila Ali, and our crowd favorite - former wrestler, Hulk Hogan! The hosts do their best to try and bring excitement out of interviews with people who aren't used to being interviewed. Hulk is the more natural TV personality, and is always likable, while Laila was a bit awkward at times. It is her first hosting gig, so I think she'll be fine after a few episodes. I've seen her interviewed before and she's been more relaxed and easy going, so maybe its first time host jitters? Some of the interviews are also done with the Gladiators where of course they talk a bunch of smack against the show's contestants (anyone reminded of WWE/WCW days both past and present?).
One of the highlights of the two hour premiere was the unveiling of the new and improved Eliminator Challenge. It's much more challenging than the Eliminator of old and here's how it plays out: Scale a wall, jump into a pool and swim under 20 feet of flaming pipes, climb up a 30-foot rope web, go across on the hand bike, run down the spinning pipe, climb up the Pyramid, ride down on a zip cord and then run up the angled treadmill called the Travelator - the thing that used to begin the Eliminator back in the day.
The premiere show was like two episodes in one – there were four male competitors yielding two winners, and four female competitors also yielding two winners. The first two guys to compete were Anthony Abbatemarco, a 27-year-old New York City Firefighter and Chad Knight, a 31-year-old Professional Skateboarder from Encinitas, California. The first two female competitors were Jessie Foster, a 26-year-old Toilet Paper Sales Rep from Donahue, Iowa, and Koya Webb, a 26-year-old Professional Chef, Author, and Life Coach who resides in Beverly Hills, California.
Jessie and Koya were up first to take on Venom, Siren and Stealth in the PowerBall. After scoring the first points, Jessie is taken down by Stealth and comes up hobbling. After attempting to run, she collapses in pain. Koya, faced now with all three Gladiators, pulls out 6 points from the round with a combination of great jump shots and maneuvering around the Gladiators to win the round against Jessie's 2 points. After having her leg examined by a medic, Jessie is eliminated from the competition and alternative combatant Dr. Venus Ramos, the 35-year-old reigning Miss Fitness America who is also a Rehab Physician is announced and put in Jessie’s place.
Chad and Anthony take on Titan, Toa and Wolf at PowerBall. The Gladiators seem to overpower Chad as he is constantly pushed to the wall. Anthony on the other hand is all over the place, wildly spinning away from clutches, working his way to the baskets and gaining an impressive 12 points.
Now it's time for Joust. Jessie's replacement Venus takes on Crush but lasts only ten seconds before getting knocked into the water. In a thrilling round, Koya not only holds out against Crush but knocks Crush down, although never managing to push her off the platform.
Up next is Hang Tough! Anthony goes head to head with Militia hanging on the rings over the water. Aided by Militia maintaining an arm injury, Anthony cruises over the water and makes it to the other side for an easy 10 points. Chad didn’t have as much luck against Wolf, who quickly locks himself onto Chad and pulls Chad's hands off the rings to drop both of them into the water. Anthony holds a dominating lead with 22 points versus Chad's 2.
Venus takes on Fury in an all-new event called: EARTHQUAKE! Combatants wrestle on a suspended platformed ring and try to avoid being knocked off. Facing a brutalizing onslaught from Fury, Venus manages to hold out for the whole 30 seconds and keeps herself from falling off for five more points. Koya takes her turn against Fury. While at first Koya seems to be dominating, Fury pulls out a surprise move and throws her off the platform on to the pads below.
Next up, Hit and Run. Anthony has to make his away across a swinging bridge while Titan, Justice, Wolf and Toa do their best to knock him off with what looks like enormous swinging heavy bags. Anthony makes it across all five times for the maximum 10 points. Chad on the other hand does not nearly as well, only making it across the bridge once before being brought down. Chad now faces a grueling deficit as Anthony climbs to an amazing 28 point lead.
Koya faced Crush on the Pyramid, while Venus took on Venom on a race to the top. After making it up a good distance, Koya is pulled all the way down to the bottom by Crush. Venus at first doesn't fare well against Venom and gets tossed down, but then manages to rally her way into the scoring zone, and almost makes it to the top. Venom tries to pull her free but fails and Venus ends up with the only points from the round, taking the lead for the first time.
Now it's Chad and Anthony's turn to take on Mayhem and Toa on the Pyramid. For a while it seems as though both Gladiators are going to toy with the contestants and run off the clock. Chad fails entirely to make it past Mayhem, who just repeatedly tosses Chad to the bottom. With just five seconds left Toa leaps for Anthony and misses him, and Anthony finds the space he needs to get to the top. Just as he's about to bang the button, Toa pulls him back, but he's still good for five points.
Koya and Venus face each other for their final challenge, The Eliminator. For almost the entire round, after the initial under-fire swim and rope climb, Koya pulls away from Venus and seems certain to win by a wide margin. At the very end of the course, though, Koya stumbles and seems unable to catch her footing on the final climb. In an amazing upset, Venus catches up, scrambles up the final climb, and breaks through the final wall to win! With this incredible feat, Venus works her way to the Final 8.
Chad has one last chance to catch Anthony as they go head to head in their last challenge, The Eliminator. He quickly makes his move to eliminate the 17-second advantage Anthony had as the dominant contender. When Anthony stumbles on the final climb, Chad has a chance to overtake him, but Anthony regains his momentum and bursts through the wall and into the Final 8.
In the second half of the premiere show, our final two male competitors of the night were Molivann Duy, a 24-year-old Daycare Teacher and Student from Lakewood, California, and 38-year-old Jeff Keller, who had been on the show in 1994, but didn’t get television time. Jeff works in Radio Sales and is from Los Angeles, California.
The second two female competitors were Shanay Norvell, a 31-year-old Life Wellness Coach and Adolescent Guru from Atlanta, Georgia, and Bonnie Blanco of Arlington, Texas, a 25-year-old Promotional Model and Marine Sergeant who served in Iraq.
Molivann prepares to face the Gauntlet, where he has to break through a wall of Gladiators Wolf, Toa, Titan and Justice. While making it quickly past Wolf and Toa, Titan slowed him a bit, and finally Justice stopped him completely. It was nevertheless, an impressive start for Moli. Next up is Jeff, who was originally meant to be a contender on the original Gladiators in '94. After an initial run-in with the referee for jumping the gun, Jeff starts again. After pushing through stiff resistance from Toa and Titan, he makes it to his final obstacle, Justice, who keeps him from breaking through until the final second. Jeff, the "elder statesman", takes the lead with 8 points versus Moli's 6.
Shanay Norvell faces Venom, Siren, Fury and Hellga on the Gauntlet. After breezing by Venom and Siren, she slips by a bit of resistance from Fury and then completely ducks Hellga to burst through the wall for the full 10 points. Next up is Iraq veteran Bonnie Blanco, who, while facing stiffer resistance especially from Fury, slips by just in time and also breaks through the wall for a perfect 10 points.
Not it’s time for Joust once again. Moli takes on Mayhem, who’s nearly a full foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier. While it seemed Moli would have his work cut out for him just holding out for the five points, Mayhem fell forward, stepping on Moli's platform, instantly disqualifying himself and handing Moli ten points. Within seconds of starting his round with contestant Jeff Keller, Mayhem makes the same mistake! Jeff’s ten points leaves him in the lead again, with 18 points to Moli's 16.
Next up, Shanay faces the Wall with Venom on her tail, and Bonnie must make the climb tracked down by Stealth. Bonnie makes it to the top first, shaking Stealth's trail and earning the full 10 points. Shanay, who’s held back a bit more by Venom, still follows Bonnie to the top, earning her 5 points. Bonnie took the lead with 20 points to Shanay's 15.
Jeff now takes on Justice in the heavy artillery event called Assault. While managing to rack up 2 points with a couple of shots that miss their target, Justice takes him out on his way to the sandpit. Moli takes his turn against Justice, managing to fire off the slingshot and the turret for 2 points, but takes way too much time and fails to find the arrow in the sandbox. Therefore he leaves without the arrow and is quickly out of time. After three rounds, the contestants find themselves close, Jeff with 20 points, Moli with 18.
Bonnie goes up against Fury on Hang Tough. Fury quickly reaches her and latches onto Bonnie with her legs in the infamous "suicide squeeze". But Bonnie holds on despite supporting both her and Fury's weight and even shakes Fury into the water. Still not making it to the platform, she still earns her 5 points. Shanay chooses a different tactic, avoiding Fury entirely with a series of tough elusive moves and making it the opposite platform for the full 10 points. This ties both of them up at 25 points.
Jeff and Moli now must face Wolf and Titan on the Pyramid. In a round of total Gladiator domination, neither Jeff nor Moli can make it past the much heavier Gladiators into the score zone and end up gaining no additional points from this event.
In Hit and Run, Shanay faces the swinging demolition balls launched by Stealth, Crush, Siren and Fury. After managing to get across once for 2 points, Shanay gets knocked out coming out of a crab crawl. Bonnie doesn't even make it that far, going down on her first time across the bridge. This puts Shanay slightly ahead going into the final round with 27 points versus Bonnie's 25.
Now it’s Eliminator Time! Moli and Jeff go up against one another first. Jeff has a slight time advantage due to his score, but Moli quickly makes up the difference, putting the two neck and neck in the early part of the challenge. But Moli pulls ahead at the end for a great finish time of 2 minutes, 12 seconds and a place in the Final 8.
The ladies then take their turn to face off in the Eliminator. While the two are neck and neck at first, Shanay pulls ahead with the Barrel Roll while Bonnie has a problem with Cargo Net after hitting a metal pipe on her swim. Bonnie struggles on with a bloodied forehead to keep the competition tough, but Shanay still pulled out a win with a 2 minute, 22 second time, making it into the Final 8 as well.
