01x08 - Semi-Final 2

[bunniefuu]

[Chris] It's a gorgeous night
for gladiating.

The Atlas Flame is burning bright as ever,

waiting for new legends to rise.

Gladiator Arena,

give it up for your master of ceremonies
this evening, The Miz!

Gladiator Arena!

Are you ready for the semifinals?

[crowd cheering]

Tonight, four returning contenders
from across the country,

two men and two women, are back
for a shot at the finale where $100,000,

a trophy forged in freedom
and American Gladiator glory.

They'll face the events you know and love,
but with a semifinals twist.

Here's Chris Rose with more.

[Chris] Alright, thanks, Miz.

The finals are this close.

The tournament bracket is filling up.

Evan and Ayonna have already locked in
their spots in the finals.

Now, two more are up for grabs,

and by the end of the night,
one man and one woman will claim them.

We say every point matters here
in the Gladiator Arena an awful lot,

but that has never been more true
than in the men's heat tonight.

It's LA stuntman Ben versus viral
workout influencer Michael from Sin City.

Ben and Michael both dominated
their events in the prelim.

-[The Miz] Oh, no!
-[Chris] He mocked Bull!

-[whistle blowing]
-[Chris] Another amazing performance!

But it was their Eliminator times
that were the most impressive.

With only less than a second and a half
separating their times,

this is the closest two contenders
have ever matched up.

Tonight, the contenders will face off
in a new twist on Gauntlet,

Hang Tough, and The Ring.

And with every point worth a half-second
head start in the Eliminator,

each point has never mattered more.

It could be the difference
between nothing or $100,000.

[crowd cheering]

♪I'm the one in the arena♪

♪I'm the one, remember my name♪

[The Miz] Gladiator Arena!

Are you ready for your first event?

Rocsi, tell us about
this semifinals edition of Gauntlet.

Thanks, Miz. In this semifinal,
it's the most grueling Gauntlet ever.

Contenders have 45 seconds to charge
through four gladiator-packed zones.

It's two points per zone,
ten if you clear them all.

That's not all.
This time, it ends in the Impact Zone,

where contenders face gladiators

with the kind of wrestling resumes
that strike fear before the first bell.

[bell ringing]

For the men, Fang, a three-time
TNT champion and ladder match winner.

And for the women, Hurricane,

a Pro Wrestling Illustrated
top ten powerhouse

and gold medalist
at the Lucha Libre World Cup.

Get any part of the gladiator
out of the Impact Zone,

earn an additional three points.

[crowd cheering]

[The Miz] Stepping
into the Gauntlet, it's Ben.

Let's go!

He dominated the Gauntlet last time out,
but with five gladiators lined up,

he's never pulled off a stunt like this,

especially against gladiators
that do their own stunts.

And in another twist,
we have a new gladiator.

He will shock you!

It's Lightning!

[Rocsi] At 6'5", 250 pounds,

Lightning comes into the arena
with some serious credentials.

He's served our country and served
the big hits on the football field.

He's used to breaking through lines
and taking on contact.

[The Miz] And here comes the rest.

It's Neon, Ace, the Bull!

And in the Impact Zone, it's Fang!

[roars]

Let's go, man! Let's go!
Come on!

[crowd cheering]

[fanfare]

This is easy work, baby!

We dominate!

[Chris] Let's go to the floor
to our head referee, Thomas Taylor,

as always, joined
by Robin Delorenzo and Mike Sydara.

Contender, ready!

[yells]

Gladiators, ready!

[Chris] Party of four angry gladiators,
your table is ready.

[roars]

You have to leave Bull outside.
We don't allow pets.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Ben off and running.

First stop, Lightning,
making his American Gladiators debut.

Ben gets two.
Now working on Neon, gets past him.

Bull, you're out!

Ace, what'd you think of your performance?

Uh, Ace did bad.

[roars]

[Chris] Okay, so here we go,
one on one with Fang.

Three points up for grabs here,

if you can just get
any part of Fang out of the Impact Zone.

Ben, the stuntman.
Hey, Tom Cruise does his own stunts.

No way he's gonna ever do this,
fighting a world-class wrestler

who is used to take down
opponents twice Ben's size.

Oh wow, nice takedown,
but that's not going to get it done.

[whistle blowing]

Hey, impressive move by Ben Galper.

Who is the man?

[The Miz] Come on over.

You know, if this was amateur wrestling,

you definitely would've got
some points there.

[chuckles]
Would I? That is a big man right there.

[The Miz]
I mean, you took down Fang.

You didn't get him out,
but you took him down.

I mean that's got to be
some sort of pat on the back.

Listen, I give him all the respect.

He gave me some good shoves, I respect him
even stepping in The Ring with me.

Making his gladiator debut.

For the first time that we get
to check him out, it's Lightning.

I saw some of your football techniques
out there in the start.

Yeah, I was just trying to confuse him,

get in his head a little bit,
play a mind game with him,

be more aggressive,
but have fun.

I wanna have fun
with our competitors and enjoy it.

Love that. Welcome to the family,
Lightning. We love seeing you out here.

Everybody give it up for Ben,

who scored ten points
in the Gauntlet leveled up.

And Lightning making his debut,
and as always, Fang.

[Chris] Ben picks up ten,
here in the semis.

Looks like Bull and Ace are warming up
for Michael, who's up next.

Michael's fiance and their girlfriend
looking on tonight.

Bit of an interesting situation
going on there.

Let's see what it's all about.

If I win American Gladiators,

I'm going to put
a lot of it into the wedding.

I want to make it absolutely perfect.

So I met my fiance, the love of my life,

at a party for, let's call it
"like-minded adults"

for lack of a better word.

My version of marriage is
a little bit different than the norm.

So instead of a monogamous relationship,
we are both polyamorous.

Currently, Rook has a girlfriend.

So there is another aspect
coming into our relationship.

I can understand
that this lifestyle in particular

may not resonate with others.

I just want people out there to understand

that we treat our relationship
just like they would.



-the fastest male Eliminator time...
-Let's go!

-...this season.
-What!

I'm just going to repeat
what has been working, stay positive,

whatever game I get,
just accept it and have fun.

[crowd cheering]

[fanfare]

[The Miz] Alright, Thomas, let's do this.

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Okay,
Michael's turn in the Gauntlet.

Ben set the bar at ten points.

Time to find out what Michael's made of.

Gladiators, ready!

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Ben already with ten,
Michael already with his first two.

Got past Lightning, spins on Neon
who pins him against the wall.

Let go!

[Chris] Referee Thomas Taylor says
let him go!

Another two points. This is
where Michael had trouble in the prelims.

Ah, he gets on his own free
past the Bull and past Ace as well.

In the Impact Zone, he's got 24 seconds
for a battle with a professional wrestler.

He's got to move 265-pound Fang out,
and Fang's got the upper hand on Michael.

Alright, he's got Fang!

All he has to do is drag
a 265-pound beast onto the red

to get three more points.

[crowd chanting]

But Michael,
the man who's always smiling...

[whistle blowing]

...can't do it.

Both Michael and Ben pick up

ten points
out of the gate in the Gauntlet.

-Let's go, let's go!
-[howls]

I feel like I earned
my stripes on that one,

but that extra level is no joke.
I'm exhausted.

Hey, kudos to Michael though,
that guy's a beast, right?

That's what brings American Gladiators,
is competition and the best of the best!

I wanna see you thrive.

[growls]

[Chris] We have never seen
a match quite like this.

So after one event,
the men are all tied up at ten.

Now let's move on to the women.

It's Bailey, the CrossFit instructor mom

looking to make her son
and all of her CrossFit students proud,

versus Michelle,
the owner of a health and wellness company

with a second chance
at redemption tonight.

Bailey comes in confident
after earning her semifinal spot

by overcoming a massive ten-second deficit
on the Eliminator in the prelims.

Whereas Michelle is out
to prove she belongs

after earning her semifinal spot
thanks to a Travelator DQ.

Which one of these two has what it takes
to go all the way in the Gauntlet?

Bailey's up first,
five gladiators stand in her way.

Who are they?

They call themselves The Fright Club.

It's Crush, Empire, Voltage, Huntress,

and in the Impact Zone, it's Hurricane.

Bailey's about to learn
why the first rule of Fright Club is...

we don't talk about Fright Club.

[crowd cheering]

Come on!

[fanfare]

Have a good fight... Good fight.

[Chris] Thomas!

Contender, ready!

[Chris] During the prelims,
this was the only event

in which Bailey scored any points.

Gladiators, ready!

[Chris] But she literally has
to get through a Gauntlet of:

Crush, Empire, Voltage,
Huntress, and then, finally, Hurricane.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

-[whistle blowing]
-[Chris] Here we go!

Oh, my gosh!
She delivered an elbow to Crush.

She's got two points.

Spinning past Empire,
easy past Voltage, see ya, Huntress!

Bailey charges into battle
against pro wrestler Hurricane.

And now in the Impact Zone,
showing her muscle!

Let's go!

[Chris] She's got 25 seconds
to get her on any part of the red

to earn an additional three points.

Bailey, already with ten points
in her pocket.

She's giving up about ten pounds here.

She used to be hanging out, eating chips,
watching anime in her bedroom.

Now she's going
muscle to muscle with Hurricane.

-Hurricane's gonna survive...
-[whistle blowing]

...but a great start for Bailey.

She picked up ten
out of a possible thirteen points,

here in this semifinal matchup.

We know you're exhausted.

Must be very hard
to walk all the way down here.

In the Impact Zone,
it's a little different, isn't it?

It's a lot of fun. Yeah, that's definitely
a little bit different coming out

of that full sprint
through a wall of people.

Now I know that you actually have
a wrestling background.

How did it feel kind of getting back
in the ring like that?

[Hurricane] She came
through that zone four really quick,

so I had to stay low
and get ready for her.

I had a good time.
I had a good time rolling around with her.

I enjoyed it.

Like a pig in mud, baby.

Ten points out of thirteen for Bailey.

Congratulations.
Give it up for Bailey and Hurricane!

Great job!

[Chris] Michelle's up next.

She only qualified for the semis
because her opponent got disqualified.

Let's see how she earned her spot.

Michelle, she is stuck on the cargo net.

Fallon crawled off to the side.
That is ill*gal.

Fallon, you are disqualified.

[Michelle] It was bittersweet.
People might be saying,

maybe she doesn't really deserve it,

but I'm here to prove people wrong
and that's what I'm gonna do.

[whistle blowing]

I grew up watching American Gladiators,

so it was good to see people
doing these cool obstacles.

You know, and even more so
seeing, like, Black women do that.

Having that representation to me matters
so much, and to be here.

I just hope to show that, you know,
women are way stronger

and are way more capable to do things
that they never thought that they could.

And if you push through,
you have to finish what you start.

[fanfare]

[Chris] Michelle has got her game face on.

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Michelle says
this is her best event.

She outweighs four of the five gladiators
she's about to try and run over.

Gladiators, ready!

No one is getting me in here.

No one.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Michelle Keith, she works
in health services in Atlanta.

You're out, gladiator!

[Chris] She's trying
to lose these gladiators.

She's already past the first three.

And now Michelle squares up

against the decorated veteran wrestler
with 30 seconds on the clock

for Michelle Keith to try and get
the gladiator out of the Impact Zone.

Hurricane, though,
nice little reversal there.

If this were a wrestling match,
she would have picked up a couple points.

Michelle still has 12 seconds.
One more good run at it.

She's trying to get low, a great job
by Hurricane to tackle Michelle.

She's the aggressor.

-Final few seconds.
-[whistle blowing]

[Chris] So Michelle, just like Bailey,
will settle for the ten points

as she worked her way
through the Gauntlet.

But then her dream stopped
in the Impact Zone.

And that means no contender won
the battle in the Impact Zone.

[The Miz] Oh, man! Gauntlet is leveled up!

And how hard is that Impact Zone?

[Michelle] That Impact Zone is crazy.
That was a fight.

I got my ten points. I wanted
to get the other points, but...

I'm going to just let you know,

any of y'all watching at home think
you're gonna be a gladiator,

no one is going to get me
in that Impact Zone.

Period. Not going to happen.

[crowd cheering]

Great job, Michelle! Great job, Hurricane!

American Gladiators, baby!
We are in the semifinals!

[Chris] Bailey and Michelle pick up
ten points apiece in the Gauntlet.

Our next event is not only
an ultimate test of toughness,

but I'm considering it
for the title of my memoir.

Rocsi, tell them about Hang Tough.

[Rocsi] Contenders have 60 seconds
to make it across the arena

using nothing but the ring.

All while gladiators try
to knock them down.

Reaching the red rings and holding on
to the end earns them five points.

But if they can make it through
and make it all the way

to the opposite platform,
that's ten points.

It's all about grip, control, and courage.

One mistake and it's a long way down.

With ten points up for grabs,

Bailey is ready
to try Hang Tough for the first time.

She'll face a gladiator that eats,
sleeps, and breathes competition.

It's Crush!

[Chris] For Bailey, it's time to see

what's been fueling her fight
through the semifinal round.

[Bailey] Enzo, my son, is two years old
and he is the love of my life.

I thought I loved before having Enzo

and I did not realize how much love
you can have for another human being.

Let's go, let's go. Go see Dada.

He doesn't realize it,
but he provides me so much support

and I want to do so much for him

and show him how hardworking
a mom could be, a woman could be.

Winning would mean everything to me.

It would be a means to be able
to provide back to my family financially.

It means everything to me
because they mean everything to me.

[fanfare]

Contender, ready!

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] The last time Crush
was on the rings

was against Jordan Szewc.

Bye, Crush.

And now, she's ready for revenge.

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

[Chris] Bailey gets it going.

Sixty seconds for Bailey
to cover the 40-foot distance.

Crush, eye on the competitor.

Bailey staying in the middle.
Here comes Crush.

Oh! Oh, she's got
Crush's back turned to her.

Let's see if Bailey can take advantage.

Bailey... oh, no! She's got Crush
wrapped all around her.

Bailey used to do workouts

with her two-year-old son Enzo
attached to her body.

Oh, but this is like an extra 170 pounds,
and down goes Bailey.

[whistle blowing]

No points for the contender.

You really like ripping
their hands off of those rings.

You got to. These girls are strong.

And also I really feel bad. I was coming
out for a little vengeance this time

because I've had some,
you know, some moments on this one.

So, sorry, girl.
Had to do it.

For people at home,
just for you to visualize this, okay?

Look at her thigh matched to my head.

A lot of meat.

Jeez, it must have been leg day
today at the gym, Crush.

I am leg day!

Nobody likes leg day.
Nobody except for Crush.

Give it up for Crush and Bailey.

[Chris] That'll do it
for the former goth queen.

She picks up zero points in Hang Tough.

And Crush certainly feeling better
this time around on Hang Tough.

Next, it's our board game buff Michelle's
first ever crack at Hang Tough.

Can she strategize
her way past this gladiator?

Shocker, she's back again.

It's Voltage!

[crowd cheering]

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Chance for Michelle Keith
to grab the lead

in the semifinal for the very first time.

Gladiator, ready!

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] The health services worker
from Atlanta, Georgia, off and moving.

Full 60 seconds to cover
the 40-foot distance between the podium.

Looks like she wants
to meat Voltage right in the middle!

Come on!

[Voltage] Let go, let go! Come on.

[Chris] Oh, no. She's got a hand
on a ring. And that is it.

[whistle blowing]

She is done in 18 seconds after making
a beeline to the gladiator.

An interesting strategy
with disastrous results for Michelle.

What was the strategy on Hang Tough?

Because it felt like you just went
right towards Voltage.

Is that a good strategy?

That wasn't the plan.
That wasn't the plan, Miz.

What was the plan?

[Michelle]
I was trying to get to the outside,

but I didn't get there
quick enough, clearly.

She was quicker than I thought, so...

Give it up for Voltage and Michelle.
It is tied right now. Let's go.

[Chris] Both Bailey and Michelle
shut out in Hang Tough.

We are all even, ten points apiece.

Now it's the men's turn to Hang Tough.

Ben's grip strength is off the charts,
so the hanging won't be a problem.

It's that this gladiator has
all the right moves.

It's Neon!

[Chris] Ben Galper has dreams of going
from stuntman to leading man one day.

Let's take a closer look.

[Ben] When I work in stunts,
I often portray a bad guy.

It is not who I am as a normal person.

I am very nice, but maybe it's
because I'm a Gemini

and have two sides to me that,
when I do get on stage,

it's easy for that bad alter ego
to come out.

One day I would like to venture
out of stunts and get into acting.

I would love to be Tom Cruise one day.

Well, I don't want to be him.

I'm Ben Galper,
but I would love to do what he does.

Action hero and then do
all your own stunts, that is the dream.

The money would be nice, but...

I wanna prove to myself
that I truly am the strongest.

I will be the last man standing.

[crowd cheering]

Thomas, it's hang time!

[fanfare]

Contender, ready!

Gladiator, ready!

[Chris] Neon getting his first crack
at Hang Tough this season.

He looks like he's ready to light it up.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Ben, the stuntman from LA.

Wow, he's moving.
He's shaking, which is a good idea

because that's the best way
to move forward in this sport.

He's kind of twisting around, though.

Oh no, Neon has fallen!

The gladiator is down!

Oh, look at that! He's mocking him!

He's got a ten-point layup
right in front of him.

-There it is!
-[whistle blowing]

And in less than 30 seconds,
Ben Galper makes it across Hang Tough.

And now he's going back
just to rub it in his face.

-[Rocsi] Neon!
-Oh, he's still up there, Neon!

He's still... look at him!
He's having a blast! He's doing curls.

[Chris] Is he trying out
for the 2028 Olympic Games in LA?

Do the Iron Cross with me!
Do it! See how good I am at this?

What happened?

I was dancing so much beforehand.

My hands were sweating a little bit and
I got up on there and it just slipped off.

Go regroup, Neon.

-Go regroup!
-Sorry, Neon!

-[The Miz] Go regroup.
-[Rocsi] Wow, Neon!

Go give him a hug, Ben! Give Neon a hug!

[Chris] Next up, Michael.

After scoring the fastest Eliminator time
in the prelims,

Michael's got a big target on his back.

And when this gladiator sees a target,
he doesn't miss.

It's Eagle!

[Rocsi] At 6'4", 250 pounds,
he towers over his competition,

but it's his 74-inch wingspan

that makes him even more dangerous
in the air on Hang Tough.

Thomas, bring us the action!

[fanfare]

Contender, ready!

[Chris] Huge event
for the party boy from Vegas.

Michael has his work cut out for him.

He needs a perfect game here
if he wants to stay even with Ben.

Gladiator, ready!

Eagle is undefeated in Hang Tough.
Can Michael break that streak?

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Michael said he was
really looking forward to this event.

Yeah, he's one of the heavier contenders
this season, but he said this is his jam.

We saw Eagle in the regular season
wrap up a contender just like this,

but Michael shakes him off.

And now they're doing a little footsie.

Don't kick, don't kick!
No kicking! No kicking!

[Chris] Ah, the Eagle trying to reach out
with that 6'5" frame.

Michael's broken left.
He is now on the red side of things.

So if he hangs out
for the next 20 seconds,

he'll at least pick up five points
as long as he's on a red ring.

Michael!

Trying to get there!

And he does!

[whistle blowing]

Michael goes bird hunting.

Takes down the Eagle, and is tied up
this second semifinal at 20 points apiece.

Yes!

That's how we do it!

[Chris] It was quite a grind for Michael
to earn those ten points.

Michael slid off, had an opening.

Would Eagle beat him to the spot?
He did not.

Michael and Ben are giving us
a classic here in this second semifinal.

Tied at 20, heading into the third
and final event in The Ring.

[The Miz] We've really put our
semifinalists through the wringer tonight.

Now, we're gonna
put them through The Ring.

Shorter word, same punishment.
Rocsi, tell us about The Ring.

[Rocsi] In The Ring
contenders have 60 seconds

to take on gladiators
in a head-to-head clash.

Every touch of the ring
scores two points,

but holding your ground
against the gladiator is the real victory.

[Chris] Bailey and Michelle
looking focused as they enter the arena.

They're all tied up at ten.

During the prelims, Bailey had
the second-fastest Eliminator time.

So it's of the utmost importance

that Michelle scores
some big-time points in The Ring.

[The Miz] The Ring could swing
the scoreboard big-time,

but these gladiators won't
give away points without a fight.

It's Supernova!

[roars]

[Rocsi] At 5'11" and 170 pounds,
her background in wrestling makes her

tailor-made to stop contenders
from getting to the ring.

And it's Blaze!

[Rocsi] She stands six feet tall
and weighs in at 185 pounds.

This former volleyballer is looking

to spike a few contenders
to the mat in The Ring.

Thomas, take it away!

[fanfare]

Contenders, ready!

[Chris] Points so valuable
in this final event.

Gladiators, ready!

[Chris] Blaze will be attached to Bailey.
Supernova against Michelle.

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

[Chris] Two points every time
a contender touches the button.

Blaze, ripping away Bailey,
and Michelle gets it!

She gets the first two.
Bailey still working her way.

She gets two as well.

Two-two in the early going.

Oh, look at that!

You can use your feet.
Michelle trips right over.

Bailey gets two as well. It's four-four.

Blaze, she's holding on to Bailey.
She can still crawl toward the button.

Michelle trying to back in.
She takes a six-four lead.

Bailey evens it at six.

Both contenders exhausted.

Michelle breaks clean. She falls.

She spins! Left-handed tap!
Eight-six lead!

Final ten seconds.
Bailey trying to get in there to tie it.

Michelle, she takes a ten-six lead.

-Bailey gets in there. Final few ticks.
-[whistle blowing]

And Michelle Keith wins The Ring.
Ten-eight over Bailey.

She's fired up! She's lost her head.

A crucial victory
she needed against Bailey

if she wants any chance at the Eliminator.

Michelle feeling it out here.
She's loving The Ring.

Give her some more!

[crowd cheering]

You just scored ten points in The Ring!

[yells]

[The Miz] Eight points for Bailey.

Michelle, you will have
a one-second head start in the Eliminator.

What does that mean to you?

One second is all I need.

I feel like you get that one second,
that could mean the difference.

So, I'm going to take
full advantage of it.

Alright, give it up
for our gladiators and our contenders!

[Chris] Michelle takes a 20-18 lead
going into the Eliminator.

That means she'll get
a one-second head start against Bailey.

Next up, it's the men's heat.

Ben and Michael have put on
one of the greatest head-to-head displays

in the history of American Gladiators.

And I'm talking
about going to the old school as well.

These two warriors are even
at 20 points apiece.

And remember, Michael had
the best time on the Eliminator.

Ben had the second-fastest time.

So every point
is gonna matter in The Ring.

[yells]

[The Miz] Ben and Michael
are stepping into The Ring.

But standing in their way,
they're an unstoppable duo.

It's Lightning and Mayhem!

[Chris] We talked about how
these contenders are evenly matched.

But how about these two gladiators?

Both come from the gridiron,
but in The Ring,

it's going to be less about touchdowns
and more about takedowns.

Michael, we got a baby! We got a baby!

This is why you all watch Gladiators.
Watch.

Lightning will strike against Ben.

Mayhem will be attached to Michael.

You'll remember Michael and Mayhem had

a little bit of a rivalry
with one another in the prelims.

Shoving him into the side of the halfpipe
and now down on the ground.

Great job by Mayhem.

Delivered a shot right
to Michael's grill and that will do it.

[whistle blowing]

You know what?
Guaranteed, I'm winning this next event.

[Rocsi] What do you think, Mayhem?

Be ready, Michael, 'cause these ain't
like them parties in Vegas.

Boy, you better be ready.

[Chris] This is the first time they've
seen each other since that Gauntlet.

Alright, Thomas, let's do this!

[fanfare]

Contenders, ready!

[Chris] In the women's heat,
Michelle and Bailey racked up

eighteen combined points
against the gladiators.

Let's see if the men can follow suit.

Gladiators, ready!

Born ready!

[Chris] The old Lightning leap
to get us going.

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

[Chris] Sixty seconds to score
as many points as possible.

Michael, he's got a rugby background.

Mayhem shoves him out.

In the meantime,
Ben can't get past Lightning.

Michael's gonna give it another shot.

Yeah, former rugby star.

Mayhem asks,
"Hey, how that rugby tasting down there?"

Nothing scored so far
in the first 20 seconds.

Ben with a big spin and he runs
right into the back of Mayhem.

Mayhem picks Michael up and says,
"Get back to your room, young man."

Michael, all held down.

Less than 30 to go.

Ben, who's given up
nearly 90 pounds to Lightning,

can't get anywhere near that button.

Michael making a move.
Can he get past Mayhem?

Lightning's not even breaking a sweat.

Ben ain't even sniffing the red ring
outside of the button.

Ten seconds left.
The gladiators mocking the contestants.

Trying to pitch a shutout.

Ben, dragged down by Lightning.

Mayhem.

-[whistle blowing]
-That'll do it.

What a performance
by our American Gladiators.

Two evenly matched contenders going up
against two almost identical gladiators.

And it's the gladiators that come away
with a pair of shutouts.

Folks, it doesn't get more even than that.

Michael and Ben, welcome to The Ring.

My gosh.

[indistinct]

If you don't know,
you better go ask somebody.

You're gonna find out real quick.

That's good, that's good, baby. Let's go.

-Whoo!
-Yeah, "whoo" is right.

Mayhem and Lightning
were all over you guys.

Could you do anything in there?

No, that's like fighting a brick wall.

He was all over me every step of the way.

I literally got pushed back
ten feet one time.

And Ben, is there any type of strategy?

Going into this thinking,

"Alright, I got Lightning. What do I do?
Do I just think about thunder?"

[Ben] I tried to use my speed.

I tried to come at him,
do... do little maneuvers.

Nothing could work.

Ben, it looked like he was
tucking you into bed.

He just had one arm over,
just swung you out.

I was like, "Wow, there was no shot."

Not gonna lie, it was comfortable.

-[Rocsi] It was comfortable.
-[crowd laughing]

Going into the Eliminator,
Ben and Michael, you are tied right now.

What do you want to say to Ben?

I hope he gives me his best run.

I know I'm sh**ting for a new fast time.

I better hope he wants the same thing.

Ben, is there anything
you want to say to Michael?

I love this man.
We've been through it all.

We just got wrecked by these two giants.

But I'm gonna go sub-60.

Sub-60 in the Eliminator.

Michael, you think
you could go sub-60 in the Eliminator?

I want a 55.

[The Miz] Under 60, 55...

We've got a little rivalry going here.

Let's go.


They are going to the Eliminator,
and they are going sub-a minute.

I've never seen that before.

Ben and Michael tied up
this second semifinal.

Ben and Michael put up the top two
Eliminator times in the prelims,

and they both think
they can do it in under 60 seconds.

Well, to win this, they might have to.

[crowd cheering]

[The Miz] Our semifinalists
have made it through the fire,

but one final test stands
between them and the finals.

[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 one final swing to the finish.

One man and one woman will secure
their place in the finals,

for a shot at $100,000
and gladiator glory.

This semifinal has been
an absolute master class in heart, hustle,

and how'd they just do that thing?

When I'm on a competition or event,
the hate and drive

for wanting to embarrass another person
really comes out,

so I am a fierce competitor
that's not meant to be messed with.

[Michelle] I'm here to prove people wrong

and sticking
with my strategy within myself

and just believing in myself
and knowing that I have the strength

to get through anything,
that's what I'm gonna do.

For Bailey and Michelle,
it all comes down to this.

One dream will live to see the finals,
and one dream will end tonight.

Thomas, take it away.

Contenders, ready!

[Chris] Michelle's racked up 20 points,
and Bailey with 18.

That gives Michelle
a one-second head start.

That's a blink of an eye.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] Michelle is off.

-[whistle blowing]
-Bailey is off as well.

Bailey loves this part of the game.

That one-second lead of Michelle's
has evaporated.

Michelle having
a little trouble out of the gate,

and Bailey has passed her.

She's off to the monkey bars.

Michelle struggling to get up,
pulling, and finally getting there.

But Bailey has a several-second head lead
as they get to the trapeze.

The former goth girl turned athlete.

Now onto the cargo net.
Great jump to get it started.

Michelle Keith has got some work to do.

And she gets across.

Can she make up some time on the cargo net
that gave her trouble in the prelims?

What a jump there.

Uphill battle for Michelle Keith.

Bailey gets to the top.

Gets over to the zip line.

Michelle Keith
not even halfway up the cargo net.

That's not good.

With her husband Brian
and her two-year-old son Enzo looking on.

[crowd cheering]

Michelle Keith struggling
to get up the cargo net still.

The woman who shows
the heart of a Pennsylvanian

gets up the balance beam.

Bailey falls off and has to restart.

Keeping her balance.

Gets halfway across...
Whoa! Little trouble.

Good.

Bailey.

A sprint up the Travelator...
she stumbles.

And she's down.
That did not happen to her in the prelims.

Michelle just getting to the zip line now.

Bailey takes a deep breath.
Runs, runs, runs.

Gets to the top. Next stop, the finals.

And that means Michelle's night is done.

How's the second time
doing the Eliminator?

Exhausting.

Is it easier?

No. It's never easy.

Well, you're going to the finals.
You have a shot at $100,000.

[cheering]

Give it up for Bailey.
Give it up for Michelle.

Oh, yeah!
We're gonna see Bailey in the finals.

[Chris] Hey, it ain't over yet, folks.

It's only fitting that these two
arena warriors will enter the Eliminator.

Yes, dead even.

It doesn't get more dramatic than this.

Two titans, Ben and Michael,
standing side by side

after a night of pure competition.

Getting the encouragement from the crowd.

Heck, even the gladiators
in the locker room are pumped up.

Let's go! Let's go!

[Chris] Michael and Ben,
they promised to run the Eliminator

in under a minute tonight.

Nine obstacles stand in their way.

That's roughly
six and a half seconds per obstacle.

And there's simply no margin for error.

Which means we gotta put a clock on it

to see if they can
back up all the smack talk.

In an awfully exciting second semifinal!

There aren't enough spots
for both of these boys.

Let's see which one wants it the most.

Thomas, take it away.

Contenders, ready!

[Chris] Mike had the fastest
prelim Eliminator time.

Ben had the second fastest.

[Thomas and crowd] Three, two, one!

[whistle blowing]

[Chris] They're off and running.

Mike said that he expects Ben
to get the lead.

Look at Ben up the rope.
Took him no time at all.

Across the monkey bars.

He's got a several-second
advantage already.

Mike's going to have to push it.

Ben halfway up the cargo net.

Oh, no, Mike has fallen!

Michael, you gotta wait for my whistle.
You gotta wait for my whistle.

That means he's gonna have to wait
a full ten seconds on the podium.

Before the referee releases him
back into the wild.

[both] What happened?

[Chris] In the meantime, Ben Galper,
who as a teenager, as a 15-year-old,

facing an autoimmune disease.

[whistle blowing]

And Michael's back in it.

Staring at the possibility
of losing his life.

He has found purpose
in Los Angeles as a stuntman

and a fitness freak.

And now up the Travelator.
Will he get his sub-60 goal?

He's done it!

[yelling and roaring]

Let's go!
You are going to the finals, baby!

You finish in 59 seconds!

Fastest time in an Eliminator
this entire season.

[Ben] Oh, my God,
I told you I'm gonna get sub-60.

That was the fastest time
this season for an Eliminator.

What does it feel
for you going to the finals?

You have a shot at $100,000.

I want this. It's mine.

[crowd cheering]

What would you tell
your 15-year-old self right now?



[Rocsi] What happened up there?

Yeah, I rushed through an obstacle.

And here we are on the big stage.
Totally whiffed it.

And who knows, maybe I'll be back on.

Everybody give it up for Michael and Ben,

who's going to the finals!

[Chris] Ben Galper with a sub-60 second
Eliminator performance

took out Michael Miraglia.

And Bailey Meraviglia beat Michelle Keith.

So Bailey and Ben punch
their tickets to the finals.

That means only two spots remain.

Austin Liu and Kyle Bernier
will battle for one.

While Rebecca Clements and Jordan Szewc
will fight it out for the other.

There it is!

Two more semifinalists mature
into full-fledged finalists,

joining Evan and Ayonna in the finals.

Until then, stay ready
for action, America.

For Chris Rose, I'm Rocsi Diaz.

And I'm The Miz.
See you next time on American Gladiators.

[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♪

♪There ain't no quit in me♪

♪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... ♪

♪I'm the one in the arena♪

♪I'm the one, remember my name♪