01x10 - The Finals

[bunniefuu]

Come on!

[Chris] Almost 40 years ago,
they were legends of the arena.

Yeah!

The original American Gladiators.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Two decades later,
the legend has returned.

With a new generation of gladiators.

You ain't seen nothing yet!

[Chris] Stronger.

Faster.

-[crowd] Oh!
-[Chris] Fiercer.

[yelling]

[Chris] This season,


to enter Gladiator Arena.

But only six had what it takes
to be here tonight.

Look at me now!

[Chris] Our finalists are…

Bailey Meraviglia.

The once teenage goth girl
who is now a fitness phenom.

Evan Barr.

Desperate for redemption after costing
his high school track team

their first state crown.

[yelling]

[Chris] Dr. Ayonna Procter.

The woman who wants to win it all
in front of her mother,

who sacrificed everything
for her daughter to be here.

Kyle Bernier.

A single father from Georgia.

He wants to win in order to provide
a better life for his son.

Welcome go to the finals, Kyle!

Rebecca Clements.

The circus girl from San Diego

who had physical ailments
throughout her life.

But she loves pushing herself
past the limits.

And Ben Galper.

The stuntman once used
an obsession with fitness to rise above

an autoimmune disease.

All right! Let's go!

[Chris] But only one woman
and one man will emerge victorious.

An American Gladiators champion.

♪I'm the one in the arena♪

♪I'm the one, remember my name♪♪

[Chris] The time is now.

[rock music playing]

[Chris] Because a champion is
about to be crowned.

[cheering]

Yeah!

So Gladiator Arena,

give it up for your master
of ceremonies this evening.

[upbeat music playing]

[Chris] The Miz!

And his co-host Rocsi Diaz.

[The Miz] Oh! Boom!

Let's go!

[cheering]

[music continues]

Hello, America!

Welcome to the finale
of American Gladiators.

[crowd cheering]

[Rocsi] Get up on your feet,

and give it up for your top six finalists!

[epic music playing]

[Ayonna] Come on! Let's go!

Hey, Mommy!

Please, welcome back
your female finalists.

Rebecca,

Ayonna,

and Bailey.

[Rocsi] And your male finalists.

Ben,

Kyle,

and Evan!

[cheering]

Oh, my God! This is crazy!

[chuckling]
This is crazy, right?

So good to be here with you, guys.

Let's amp up the stakes right
out of the gate

and make things a whole lot tougher.

Bring out the Gladiators.

[ominous heavy-drum music playing]

[crowd cheering]

[Ayonna] Go! Go now!

Relax!

Tonight, we're getting right down
to business.

A super-sized version of The Ring.

[Rocsi] If The Ring wasn't
tough enough already,

this version features not two,
but three of our toughest Gladiators.

[The Miz] But oh, don't worry,

it gets worse.

This first event will also result
in an elimination.

[crowd] Oh!

[bleep]

[The Miz] The first two contenders
to hit the button

in the center of The Ring move on.

No clock, no mercy.

[crowd cheering]

[whooping]

The women are up first.

All right, let's meet
the undisputed queens of The Ring.

Hurricane, Blaze, and Crush.

And, of course, we've got
our head referee, Thomas Taylor,

joined by Robin DeLorenzo
and Mike Sydara on the floor.

Thomas, take it away with the call.

[fanfare playing]

[Chris] American Gladiator math.

Three start out.

Only two will move on.

Battle of the redheads
as Hurricane takes on Rebecca.

Crush will spot up Bailey,
and Blaze against Ayonna.

Instant elimination starts now.

Contenders, ready!

[crowd cheering]

Gladiators, ready!

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Here we go, we march to the final.

Ayonna Procter in on Blaze trying
to break free.

Can she work her way there?

Who will be the first two
to hit the button?

Ayonna is in!

She's on her way to the final!

One more spot up for grabs.

Will it be Bailey,
or will it be Rebecca?

Bailey trying to get in there.

Rebecca working against Hurricane,
trying to break free.

-But Hurricane drags her down.
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Bailey resets.

Bailey and Rebecca still alive.

Can she work her way there?

She's close!

Rebecca hits it with her left hand.

-She is off to the races.
-[whistle blowing]

[cheering]

[The Miz] Hey, Rebecca!
[exclaims]

-Yeah!
-[The Miz] Oh!

[Mike] That's it.

[Chris] She is moving on to the final,
and it is Bailey that is going home.

[The Miz] Bailey.

Bailey.

What happened out there?

I can't even remember what just happened.

-I know. It happened so fast.
-It happened so fast.

Um, pretty defeated.

Yeah, took a little bit
of a beating on that one.

Thank you so much
for being here, Bailey.

You were absolutely incredible.

-Send it over to Rocsi.
-[Rocsi] I want to know.

You were the first one
out of the gate to hit that buzzer.

What did that feel like?

I mean, uh, it felt like football.

I've never played football,
but I have played basketball.

And it's a contact sport,

except I get a foul
when you do what you just did.

[Ayonna cackles]

So I just knew I needed
to get to that button.

I was like, "Let me get to the button."

Well, both of you are one step closer
to that one hundred grand.

How is that feeling?

You continue to move on
in this competition.

It's exciting.

I'm just so ridiculously grateful
to be here.

[Rocsi] One more time for our Gladiators.

Crush, Hurricane, Blaze.

And of course, Ayonna and Rebecca.
They're moving on.

[whooping, whistling]

[Chris] It's down to Ayonna Procter
and Rebecca Clements.

Two points apiece for hitting the button.

One woman will win $100,000.

Now, over to the men's finals.

With Evan, Kyle, and Ben.

Let's send it back down
to The Miz and Rocsi for more.

Now for the male Gladiators
in our first event.

It's Lightning,

Neon,

Mayhem!

If you don't terrify them a little bit,
what's the point?

This is a big one.

Lots of muscle out there.

Thomas, take it away.

[fanfare playing]

[Chris] Ben Galper, of course,
set the record for The Eliminator,

finishing in under a minute,

so you have to think
he's going to have the advantage.

Contenders, ready!

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Ben and Evan have done
The Ring before.

Kyle's a rookie.

Perfect timing, pal.

Gladiators, ready!

[Chris] The three Gladiators
with football backgrounds.

In fact, Mayhem and Lightning pitched
a shutout in this event in the semis.

Evan will go against Neon.

Kyle's going to have to find a way
around Lightning.

And Ben is matched up with Mayhem.

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] First two competitors
to hit the button are headed to the final.

Kyle almost gets there,
but he gets dragged down.

Nobody has gotten close
to the button just yet.

Big spin move,
but Kyle can't get there.

Evan's giving it his best same as Ben!

And we've got one!

One step closer to redemption.

He's in the final!

Evan is already in.

Who's going to get the last spot?

Will it be Ben?

Will it be Kyle?

Kyle, working so hard, gets dragged down.

And he got it!

Kyle, the one-time alternate.

The man who said the $100,000
would change his life forever.

Still very much alive.

That means that Ben Galper,
his run is over.

Ben, what happened out there?

[Ben] Oh, my God.

[panting]

Just… couldn't get past him.

What are you taking away
from this whole experience?

[sighs]

There are ups and downs, and, uh…

sometimes, you just gotta take a loss.

Well, we're proud of you.
You did a great job.

-Thank you so much for being here.
-[crowd cheering]

Give it up for Ben, everyone.

What an amazing performance
from our contenders.

Now, Mayhem, you had the big stop.

Ben was a phenomenal contender,

but what is it like
knowing that you took out

such an amazing athlete?

You know, Ben just got,

I hate to say it, but the crap end
of the stick going against me.

[crowd laughing]

[Rocsi] All right, let's give it up
for our amazing Gladiators.

And Kyle and Evan moving on
to the next round.

[Chris] So, Evan and Kyle tied
at two points apiece.

Still ahead, the Joust and Hang Tough.

And a quick reminder that every point led
heading into The Eliminator

equates to a half-second head start.

[crowd cheering]

You know, Rocsi, there are
certain things that you should expect

from an American Gladiators finale.

Big hits, a lot of grit, and…

-pugil sticks.
-[Rocsi laughs]

[The Miz] It's one of the all-time greats.

Tell them about Joust.

[Rocsi] It's a one-on-one showdown.

Armed with pugil sticks,

contenders square off against
Gladiators on eight-foot platforms.

Stay up for 30 seconds
to earn five points,

knock the Gladiator off for ten.

Swing like a champ
and you might just become one tonight.

[cheering]

First women's finalist on Joust, Ayonna.

It's her third time trading
a pickleball paddle for a pugil stick.

But tonight, she's facing
one of our most feared Gladiators.

Built like a house and is ready to joust.

It's Crush!

[crowd cheering]

[whooping]

[Chris] You know, Ayonna told me
she's always been the underdog.

Let's take a look.

[Ayonna] Second best.

Runner up.

Not good enough.

Bench warmer.

That's been my narrative, the story.

Nobody thinks I can do it.
Nobody thinks I'm gonna go to the finals.

I need to fulfill this journey,
not for anybody but myself.

I can do it.
I'm right here.

I can see the finish line,
but we're not done.

And just one step at a time,
one thing at a time.

And I know I can do it.

[crowd cheering]

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Ayonna Procter won
by disqualification one time

and lost the other time on Joust.

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Crush with one win
and one draw this year in this event.

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Ayonna Procter trying to last


of one of the most
fearsome Gladiators out there.

Get up, baby! Get up!

[Chris] She's trying
to get up off her knees.

She has to make an attempt to get back up.

There she goes.

She's back on both feet,

but look at the shots
that Crush is delivering.

[crowd] Nine, eight…

[Chris] Ayonna trying to get up,
trying to balance herself.

Crush!

Another shot!

Another shot!

Ayonna trying to make it
and get five points.

Oh, Ayonna sneaking a shot in
at the final buzzer.

That was just brutal by Crush.

I'm guessing Ayonna now knows
what it feels like

to be the ball in the pickleball match.

Jeez!

I think you're one
of the toughest Gladiators

to go up against.

How does it feel that each contender
just kind of does that "Ugh!"

when they see that they're going up
against you?

Oh, it feels good.

I knew you were going to say that.

Great job, Crush.
Everybody, give it up for Crush.

You got five points.

How important are these points
going into The Eliminator?

I mean, every point counts.

Did I want the ten? Absolutely.

But I think to endure all those hits
and get five, I earned that.

You earned that five.
Give it up for Ayonna and Crush!

[crowd whooping]

Rebecca is looking
for a ten-point boost on Joust,

but making her Joust debut
right here in the finals,

it's…

Striker!

[Rocsi] Striker's six-foot-four
and three-quarters,

and that's on solid ground.

Add an eight-foot platform,
and that's one tall order for contenders.

[crowd cheering]

Let's get it swinging! Thomas!

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Rebecca needs five points
to pull even.

Ten will give her the lead.

Gladiator, ready!

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Striker with the first strike
against Rebecca.

Knocks her off balance,
but look at the contender coming back.

The circus star trying
to survive 30 seconds.

She said she's not great. Oh!

[Rebecca yells]

-[whistle blowing]
-[Chris] That is it!

Rebecca taking a nasty fall,
and she gets zero points.

The good news, Rebecca looks to be okay.

But you gotta wonder if all her previous
injuries are becoming a factor.

First time on Joust, how was it?

I rattled around a little bit.

She's a very tall, strong,
incredible woman.

Striker, this is your debut on Joust.

How did it feel up there?

I feel great.

I was ready for her to give me a punch
and she did, but no, that was fun.

Give it up for Striker and Rebecca!

[Chris] So Ayonna nets five points
in Joust

and now has a seven-to-two lead
over Rebecca with Hang Tough still to go.

As of now, Dr. Procter would carry over

a two-and-a-half-second head start
in The Eliminator.

[The Miz] Moving it over to
the men's final.

This is Kyle's first time
on the Joust podium.

The Gladiator he's facing
is undefeated on Joust.

You can't handle the tooth.

It's Fang!

[Rocsi] At 6'3", and 265 pounds,

it's no surprise
that Fang dominates Joust.

That pugil stick looks like something
that he fetched.

[growls]

[Chris] Kyle told me he sacrificed
an awful lot to be here.

Let's take a look.

[melancholic music playing]

Being here was a risk,
because it goes against

what I felt like I should be doing,
you know?

Stay with my son and keep working
and do all the things,

but I just decided to be worth the risk,
because you never know what can happen.

-I want him to see that…
-Let's go!

…and be like, "Man, that's really cool
that you did that, Dad."

My dad was…

really great in some ways,
and he was really terrible in some ways.

So there was some abuse.

There was a lot of yelling.

I forgive him.

I miss him.

You know, he died really young.

I always say it gets harder
and harder as I get older.

You just want some…
a male figure to go talk to.

You're gonna win!

Are you excited to watch me?
I'm going to win?

-Uh-huh.
-Yeah. Give high five.

I want to be that figure for Maverick,

and I want
to be around when he's older.

[crowd cheering]

-[fanfare playing]
-Contender, ready!

Gladiator, ready!

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] No male contender this season
has knocked the gladiator off.

He's got to get back up.

Fang hitting him right on the head.

-[whistle blowing]
-Uh-oh. Thomas' down for the call,

as he has touched
the Gladiator's a podium.

Touching the podium of the Gladiator.
Contender is disqualified.

-No points.
-[crowd] Oh!

[Chris] So Kyle shows
he can't hand with Fang.

Who wants to tell Fang
that his n*pples are showing?

Kyle lost his balance
and mistakenly touched Fang's podium.

You don't want to go
in Fang's house unless you're invited.

Just saying.

Come on over here, Kyle.

Please explain to me
what happened up there.

Oh.

Still trying to figure it out.
[chuckles]

A little bummed about that for sure.

[The Miz] It's the finale.
It's the finals.

This is it.

You've made it this far.

How bad do you really want it?

Yeah, I mean,
I've been thinking about this a lot.

It would just mean a leg up,

a breath of fresh air,
just a little… get ahead a little bit.

It would help out a lot, huh?

Yeah.

[crowd cheering]

Please give it up for Fang and Kyle!

[rock music playing]

[crowd cheering]

Evan's redemption tour continues

with ten crucial points
up for grabs on Joust,

but it'll be a tough matchup.

I don't know if a hundred humans
could beat one gorilla,

but I know a hundred humans
couldn't beat The Bull!

[Rocsi] He may not have
a great record in Joust,

but don't let that fool you.

The Bull is ready to prove himself,
and it's gonna hurt.

-[fanfare playing]
-Contender, ready!

[Chris] Evan's previous time on the Joust,

he only lasted two seconds.

[The Bull growls]

Gladiator, ready!

Yeah!

[whooping]

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Evan Barr… Ooh!
He ducks a big shot by The Bull.

He's given up
nearly 100 pounds to the Gladiator.

If he lasted 30 seconds, which he won't,

he would have taken the lead.

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] And this time,
Bull stays in his own pen.

Hey, Evan, at least
you made it 11 seconds this time, pal.

[rock music playing]

[The Miz] Evan, it seemed like you had
a different type of strategy this time.

It seems like you were ducking
and weaving, but…

still didn't work.

Yeah, you know,
last time I tried standing straight up.

When I heard I was up against The Bull,

I was just happy I wasn't wearing red,
you know what I mean?

[The Miz chuckles]

Hey, Miz, you ever had
a bull breathe on you?

-Never.
-[Rocsi] The immense body he… Oh, God!

This bull is out of control!

He's out of control.
We're leaving.

[Chris] And now,
our special halftime performance.

Please welcome to the stage, Bull.

Not sure what he's going to perform,
but here he is.

Oh, yeah! Air guitar.

[The Bull] Yeah!

[Chris] Speaking of big performances.

Kyle and Evan tied at two points apiece.

And a quick reminder,

there is only one more event left
to earn points.

Each point led equates
to a half-second head start

going into The Eliminator.

[crowd cheering]

Our brave finalists have been through it
all this season.

Through the pain, the setbacks,
and of course, our Gladiators.

They've made it this far,
so it's only fitting

that the last event
before our final Eliminator

is something they've done all season long.

Hang Tough.

Rocsi, tell them about it.

[Rocsi] Finalists have 60 seconds
to swing their way

across a vast series of rings,

while a Gladiator chases them down.

Make it to the red rings,
and earn five points.

Make it all the way across for ten points,

but fall off, zero points, and a major hit
to your championship dreams.

[The Miz] Up first,
Ayonna's facing a Gladiator

who's undefeated on Hang Tough.

It's Hurricane!

[warning siren wailing]

-[crowd cheering]
-[rock music playing]

[Chris] Ayonna with a five-point lead
heading into the third and final event.

Can she tack more on?

-[fanfare playing]
-Contender, ready!

[crowd cheering]

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Hurricane, a dominant force
amongst the Gladiators.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Sixty seconds
for Ayonna Procter…

to make it from podium to podium,
which covers 40 feet.

Uh-oh.

Meeting in the middle.

Ayonna making a move
toward the right side.

Does she have an opening?

Go the other way. Go the other way.

Trying to stay away from the Gladiator.

Uh-oh, they're locking legs.

Okay, the pickleball player caught
in a pickle at this point.

We're hanging tough.

[Chris] It's the figure-four leg lock.

Hold on, baby.

[Chris] Uh-oh.

This might be a chance for Ayonna.

She's got an opening to the right.

[crowd] Oh!

[Chris] If she can just hang on.
Got a red ring.

She will get five points
and extend her lead.

Can she do it?

Hurricane is hanging onto Ayonna.

[Chris and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

She has done it!

[Thomas] Five points, contender!

[Chris] She picks up five points
and extends lead to twelve to two.

[screams]

Did you see that?

[Chris] And Mama is loving
every minute of this.

You have Hurricane hanging on you
for ten seconds.

-[chuckles]
-What is going through your mind?

Well, she ain't undefeated no more!

-[Rocsi] That's…
-[The Miz laughs]

Let's go!

You broke her undefeated record
on Hang Tough.

I know, I'm sorry,
just rubbing it in a little bit more.

When I got her and she was hanging on
with both hands,

she said, "No, no, no!"

And I was like, man, I like it.

It was fun, but look,

I'm really looking forward
to watch you in The Eliminator.

Thank you so much.

[whooping]

[Chris] Something I learned about Rebecca,

leaving what could have been
a regular life to join the circus

has been a huge risk for her.

Check this out.

[Rebecca] Joining circus school
was an absolutely risk.

My parents, they weren't necessarily
fully supportive of circus school.

And I'm 30 at the time,
and that is usually the age

where you're knee-deep
in a nine-to-five type career.

It was like,
"Oh, are you sure you're good?"

But I'm a vagabond at heart,

and I was meant to run away
with the circus. [chuckles]

I have a bus that I live in.

Being in a bus,
there's a sense of freedom,

because I'm not locked
into something specific.

Especially, if a get a circus contract.

I want to be able
to travel with the circus.

You'll have to complete
the show to see the rest.

My parents have not been
to any of my performances.

I know that at the end of the day,
whatever I do,

my parents will be excited for me,

even if we don't always see eye-to-eye
on so many things.

Let's do it.

I am so grateful
to have gotten another chance

to be the wild card.
Somehow, that feels very fitting,

and I hope
that I will make everybody proud.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Let's take it down
to the floor to Miz and Rocsi for more.

Ten points hang
in the balance for Rebecca.

We know this circus star can high wire,

but can she take on this live wire?

It's Voltage!

[Rocsi] 5'5 and 140 pounds.

Voltage has shocked us all season long.

When she charges at you,
electricity charges through you.

Whoo!

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Rebecca staring
at a ten-point deficit for now.

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Second appearance this season
for Voltage on Hang Tough.

She won her only previous stop.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

-[whistle blowing]
-[Chris] Sixty seconds for Rebecca

to make it across.

If she does, she'll be tied
with Ayonna Procter

heading into The Eliminator.

Rebecca has tremendous grip strength.

Doing so much aerial work in the circus,
she might have a shot to break right.

Voltage making her way over.

Big swing and a miss!

Rebecca's grabbed the first red ring.

Rebecca's got a shot!

Does she have enough momentum?

The circus star is stuck on pause.

Somebody, hit the play button.

She's using her legs trying
to pick up that momentum.

Voltage stuck behind her
at the very least.

[crowd] Oh!

[Chris] And there goes Voltage.

Fifteen seconds left
for Rebecca to make it to the podium

and even this thing up.

[crowd cheering louder]

-[Chris] And she gets there!
-[whistle blowing]

Rebecca Clements has pulled even.

Voltage! Voltage!

You okay? You okay?

[Chris] So that means,
heading to The Eliminator,

there will be no head start
between Rebecca and Ayonna.

[Rocsi] Come on over here, ladies.

[The Miz] Rebecca, what a performance!

You were swinging,
you were roping, you were ringing.

You were going all over the place.

How do you feel?

I feel so good.
I wanted that.

Yonnie did amazing.

She has a lot of points on the board,

so I'm glad to get some points
on the board.

Voltage, what happened up there?

There was a moment where I was like,

"Right, I've got to try
and make that leap."

[chuckling]
I went for it, it didn't pay off.

We took a tumble,
but at least it was in style.

Amazing dismount from Voltage.

Give it up for her!

And give it up for Rebecca
who will be going to The Eliminator.

[Chris] With both Ayonna
and Rebecca tied at 12,

it's just the second time all season
that neither contender

will have a head start
in the challenge of The Eliminator.

Points have been absolutely pivotal
in the men's competition all season.

Every time a male contender has entered
The Eliminator with a lead,

they've won it.

Now, Kyle is up.

This is his last chance to earn points,

but first, he's got to get through
the baddest bird of all time.

It's Eagle!

[Rocsi] Coming in at 6'4 and 250 pounds,

Eagle might stand for freedom,
but on Hang Tough,

he locks contenders up
and swallows the key.

Contender, ready!

[Chris] All three events tonight
have been brand new to Kyle.

Let's see what his strategy is
here on Hang Tough.

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Eagle won and won this season
in Hang Tough.

He lost to Michael Miraglia
in the semifinals.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

-[whistle blowing]
-[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Last chance for Kyle to break
the tie before The Eliminator.

We know how important it is
to have a lead

heading into the men's Eliminator
this season.

Kyle having a little struggle right now
trying to figure out some tempo.

Eagle already halfway.

And now he grabs his first white ring.

Kyle, uh-oh, there's an eagle there ahead.

But has he gotten past the Gladiator?

Kyle, he's up for the break to the podium.

He's got ten points in his… Oh, no!

Eagle locks him with his legs.

The rookie on Hang Tough.

Twenty-five seconds left.

He gets to the podium.

Alternate Universe at the beginning
of American Gladiators

has snagged a ten-point lead.

You were smiling at that Eagle
on that podium, weren't you?

Yeah, I about got caught there.

Oh yeah, you really almost
just got caught.

Yeah, yeah,
I knew if I could change direction,

move fast, I had a shot.

You just put ten points up.

That is a very difficult task.

You put a lot of pressure on Evan.
Congratulations.

Kyle, you know I was raised
by a single mother.

You're raising your son by yourself.

How much help would this $100k
mean to you?

Yeah, yeah, I mean…

It would be really…
it would be really great.

It would… it would be really special.

I love him.
I'm proud of him.

I believe in him.

Ah! He can do anything.

[crowd] Aw!

Give it up for Eagle and Kyle,

who just scored ten points on Hang Tough.

I can't wait to see what Evan does.

Ooh, man, this is getting good.

The finals, baby.

Yes!

[cheering]

[The Miz] Here we go.

It's Evan, the pole vaulting star
who is almost at the finish line.

He's just got one more hurdle
before the final Eliminator.

His last chance to score points.

But this Gladiator has other plans.

It's Steel!

[Rocsi] At 5'10 and 205 pounds,
Steel made a big first impression.

He declared this arena his house.

Now, he's got one more chance
to defend it.

[Chris] Evan told me he's had
quite the revelation

while competing here
at American Gladiators.

Let's learn more.

[string music playing]

[Evan] Having failed
on such a grand stage and so publicly,

I mean, basically shattered
my confidence in myself.

And so I have
a tremendous fear of failure.

I'm afraid of looking like I don't belong.

I'm afraid of failing in front
of such a huge crowd of people.

It's really just about improving
my abilities to myself.

After the second Eliminator,

getting through that round meant a lot.

Evan is going to the finals.

This competition
has done wonders for me,

and I'm looking forward to seeing
where it goes.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Evan learning how to get past
that mental hurdle.

Now, he has to face
the physical hurdle that is Steel.

-[fanfare playing]
-Contender, ready!

[Chris] Evan will be staring
at a five-second deficit

to start The Eliminator
if he doesn't score a point here.

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Steel making his debut
on Hang Tough.

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Evan needs to cover
the 40-foot distance

making it from podium to podium
to tie Kyle up

heading into The Eliminator.

Kind of waiting it out to see
what Steel does.

He's coming right down the middle
and is already in enemy territory.

Whoa! Evan needs to pick up his pace
if he's going to escape.

Oh, he kicks Steel!

No kicking! No kicking, contender!

[Chris] He kicks away Steel
and just gets a warning

from our head referee Thomas Taylor.

Evan a little bit all over the place.

Steel trying to wrap him up.

Thirty seconds left.

Evan's got to get going forward
at least to get into the red zone.

Oh, he's making his way.

He might have a shot at ten points.

Go! Go!

Trying to get that momentum swinging. Oh!

Oh! Steel steals the red ring
Evan was trying to grab.

That's a great move.

This puts Evan
in a very vulnerable position.

-Oh, Steel flies through the air!
-[crowd] Oh!

[Chris] He makes the saving tackle
in the final second.

[rock music playing]

[Chris] And he will fail by five seconds
heading into The Eliminator.

My gosh!

[Rocsi] Come on over here, fellas.

Evan you were in the red.

You were about to score five points.

Then Steel flew through the air
and grabbed you.

What did that feel like?

Honestly, I know his name is Steel,
but it felt like I got hit

-by a ton of bricks.
-[crowd and The Miz laugh]

And how cool is it to know
that you guys all got to see

the real man of steel fly.

[cheering]

Evan are you ready for The Eliminator?

-I'm ready to go!
-Can you beat Kyle?

Absolutely! Let's go! Let's go!

The Eliminator is next.

We are going to find out
who the American Gladiators champion

of the new generation is.

It's coming up next.

The finals, baby!

Let's go!

[Rocsi] Oh, the testosterone!

[The Miz] Yeah!

[Chris] On the men's side,
a hundred thousand dollars on the line.

Kyle has a ten-point lead which equates
to a five-second head start.

America!

It all comes down to this.

One final Eliminator.

One shot at a hundred thousand dollars,

eternal glory, and yeah,
a pretty sick trophy.

[Rocsi] The Eliminator.

The ultimate test of speed,
strength, and willpower.

The punishing hurdles.

The rope climb.

Those monkey bars.

They'll then take a leap of faith
on the trapeze swing,

scramble up the tangled cargo net,
and race down the zip line.

Then, it's a dash across the balance beam.

A relentless sprint up
the world famous Travelator.

And the first to swing
to the finish wins it all.

Can they do it?

Let's find out right now.

[Chris] It all comes down to this.

We're about to see which male finalist
will etch their name in Gladiator history.

Kyle and Evan.

They have proven to all of us
why they've made it this far.

Kyle's average Eliminator time
this season.

A full five and a half seconds faster
than Evan.

Evan is somehow going to have
to find a way.

Not only does he have to make up
a five second difference,

but his fastest time
running The Eliminator is slower

than Kyle's slowest time.

Kyle, Evan.

Two great competitors.

But which one has what it takes
to rise above the rest

and become
an American Gladiators champion?

Thomas, take it away!

Contenders, ready!

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Kyle will start
with a five second advantage.

Who will walk away
with a hundred thousand dollars

and an American Gladiators championship?

-[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!
-[whistle blowing]

Kyle is off.

Over the hurdles

-and he gets to the rope.
-[whistle blowing]

And now, Evan can start.

He knows he's gonna have to take
some chances,

particularly on the cargo net.

Kyle already crossed the monkey bars.

Evan has arrived at the monkey bars.

And now, Kyle halfway up the cargo net
with a monstrous leap.

In the semi-finals, he had
a little bit of trouble there.

Evan, a great jump.

He has basically pulled even.

Can he work his way up the cargo net?

[crowd slowly clapping to beat]

[Chris] Kyle gets to the top.

The man who started as an alternate.

He said the hundred thousand dollar
first prize would be life-changing.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Whoa!
Very rough dismount for Kyle.

Oh, he used his hands.

Here comes Evan.

Evan working his way down the zip line.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Evan has to quickly get over
the balance beam.

Kyle. Push! Push!

He gets to the top.

[crowd roaring]

Won a hundred thousand dollars
for Kyle Bernier.

[Evan] Oh, no!

[The Miz] You are
an American Gladiators champion.

You just won a hundred thousand dollars.

[theme music playing]

[The Miz] Wait, there's a review
on the play? What?

What's the review?

[Rocsi] There's a review
on the play right now.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Chris] No, there is a review on the play.

-[The Miz] What could be the review?
-[Rocsi] Let's see.

[Chris] Now there's actually a review
of Kyle's Eliminator run going on,

and I am not so sure
what the referees could be reviewing.

I mean, I didn't see anything
that stood out.

Oh, Kyle, the single father
of a three-year-old son.

He said this six-figure sum
would change his life,

and now, his competitive journey
hangs in the balance.

All right, that's what we have.

Okay.

I just got word from Thomas Taylor.

Kyle, when you were running up
the Travelator,

you stepped on the middle pad,
which helped you get up.

[crowd] Oh…

That is an immediate disqualification.

Evan is the winner of the finals.

Evan, you're
an American Gladiators champion.

You have won a hundred thousand dollars.

[upbeat music playing]

You have etched your name
in American Gladiators history.

Congratulations.

[music continues]

[Rocsi] Tell me what's going on
through your mind right now.

Very complicated feelings, obviously.

And I mean,
I've been in the situation

where I've been disqualified
and lost it all.

And I can't begin to explain
to everybody what that feels like.

And Kyle, I just…

I don't want you
to beat yourself up about this.

I mean, this was the guy
to beat in my mind.

[cheering]

[The Miz] Kyle, what are you feeling
right now?

It's unfortunate.

It's not how I pictured it,

but hey, live to fight
another day, and…

Do you feel like it was fair?

It's absolutely fair.
I mean, the rules are what the rules are.

I touched the side,
didn't even realize it.

All of us standing here know is

you learn the most
from failures and setbacks.

You take it in stride,
and you figure out what to do next.

You've been remarkable to watch.

[The Miz] Everybody, give it up for Kyle.

[crowd cheering]

[whooping]

Evan, yeah, what are we doing?
We're standing here.

You're just staring a hole right at it.

You are an American Gladiators champion.

You get this big, beautiful trophy.

[crowd roaring]

[The Miz] What a story.

Twelve years in the making.

High school, you get disqualified.

You don't win the championship.

You come to American Gladiators,
and you do it the right way.

You do it your way.

You go all the way through the prelims,
all the way through the semifinals.

You are an American Gladiators champion.

You have won $100,000!

Yeah, that's your name
in American Gladiators history!

Any final words?

Whoa!

Competition breeds success.

Test yourself every day,
and don't be afraid to push your limits.

[crowd roaring]

[epic music playing]

[Chris] All right. That was incredible,
but guess what?

We are far from done.

We're about to see which female finalist
will etch their name in Gladiator history.

Ayonna enters The Eliminator
with 12 points.

Rebecca has 12 points.

Neither contender will have a head start
in the beast of The Eliminator.

[crowd cheering]

[The Miz] Ayonna and Rebecca
are all tied up.

Who finishes The Eliminator the fastest,

win the race,

win it all for $100,000 in all the glory?

Gladiator Arena, are you ready?

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Here we go.

With both Ayonna
and Rebecca tied at 12,

it's just the second time all season
that neither contender will have

a head start heading into The Eliminator.

Contenders, ready!

[Chris] The competition started
with a dozen women.

It's down to Ayonna Procter
and Rebecca Clements.

Winner walks away with a hundred grand.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] They're off and running.

Even through the hurdles.

We get to the rope.

You must complete the rope.

Dr. Procter… Whoa! Loses her balance.

Rebecca Clements is up.

She's now made it to the monkey bars,

and this is where her aerial acrobatics
really shine.

Look at her, taking it two at a time
to get to the trapeze.

[crowd cheering]

[Chris] Watch her on the cargo net,

the best of any woman or man this season.

Ayonna's gonna have
to make up some ground.

The big jump, well done.

Rebecca Clements will get
to the top first,

which means she'll grab
the outside zip line.

Here comes Rebecca Clements,

a woman whose body has been tested
throughout this competition.

Ayonna finally reaches the top
of the cargo net.

Rebecca, she's on the balance beam.

Her knees aching,

her surgically repaired hip
giving her issues.

Ayonna trying to write
a comeback story of her own.

She's closing the gap.

[crowd cheering]

Rebecca!

[Chris] Now, the Travelator.

Her first time up it,
she's got face first.

Can she get to the top?

[dramatic music playing]

[Chris] She can!

Rebecca Clements, your circus star
is an American Gladiator star.

[crowd roaring]

Rebecca, you are
an American Gladiators champion.

You just won a hundred thousand dollars.

[crowd roaring]

You are an American Gladiators champion!

[Rocsi] Ayonna!

I know you've been saying
that you've been waiting for a long time

to be able to perform
on an athletic stage.

How is it to be able
to perform knowing that

you have one of the best cheerleaders
in the stand tonight?

Yeah, I got my mom here, my sister here.

Mommy, Nita,

it means everything to me
that you're here.

We love you, baby!

[Ayonna] Um, despite the outcome,
I've had an amazing time.

I met amazing people.

This just feels like a dream.

Well, you were such a joy to watch.
Thank you so much.

Everybody, one more time for Ayonna.

[crowd cheering]

It's okay, baby.
Don't worry.

All right, Rebecca,
with the injuries that you have had,

what does that mean to you,
and how does that fill your heart?

That is by far the thing
that I am most proud of.

I have spent a really long time
trying to make it

so I can trust my body again.

This competition has allowed me
to push through new thresholds

that I never would have imagined pushing
into this lifetime.

[crowd cheering]

[The Miz] I want to ask.

You said
with the hundred thousand dollars,

you're going to build a circus.

What can we see in this circus?

A circus tent is a goal.

That is, I want to have an actual tent

and then have a safe space
for everyone to come.

And here you are,

our first ever
American Gladiators champion of this era.

Hold it up.
Yeah, there you go.

-Turn it up a little.
-[crowd roaring]

This, Rebecca,
is your American Gladiators champion.

She has won $100,000!

She's building a circus.

Ladies and gentlemen,
give it up for Rebecca!

[crowd roaring]

[Chris] She's doing a lap.
She's doing a lap.

[theme music playing]

[fanfare playing]

Give it up
for your American Gladiators champions,

Rebecca and Evan!

They came here as contenders,
and they leave as legends.

Until next time, I'm Rocsi Diaz.

And for Chris Rose, I'm The Miz.

See you next season
on American Gladiators.

[crowd roaring]

Yeah!

[Rocsi] Let's go!

[fanfare playing]

[theme music playing]

♪Came and stomped it♪

♪Crowd shake the floor♪

♪You can't stop it♪

♪You already know♪

♪Ten feet tall when the lights go up♪

♪When you see my face
Say a prayer for a moment♪

♪No, you can't cage the beast♪

♪Yeah♪

♪There ain't no quitting me♪

♪Yeah♪

♪I put the thunder in the throne♪

♪I'm the one in the arena♪

♪You'll remember the name♪

♪I'm coming to rise up♪

♪I'm putting it all in, all in♪

♪Oh-oh!♪

♪I'm the one in the arena♪

♪I'm the one, remember my name♪♪