Who remembers American Gladiators? It’s the hour of power, too sweet to be sour. The Gladiator Arena was the stuff of actual legends. Turbo, Nitro, Cyclone, Sabre, Gemini, Laser, Atlas, Thunder, Rebel, yeah you get the idea. They were super-humans, Demi-gods. It was the Olympics on crack, mixed with the entertainment of the WWF/WWE. Rocketball, Atlaspheres, Powerball, Joust, Whiplash, Pyramid, Assault, Gauntlet, etc. These were some of the most ingenious games ever created. And you didn’t have to be a genetic freak to win all of them. Half of them are just timing and execution, which is of course easier said than done.
I grew up watching the original American Gladiators on ESPN Classic as a kid. Who didn’t? ESPN Classic used to run that every single day all-day sometimes. It was the greatest. Sometimes watching the Olympics can get a little played out, don’t deny it. But American Gladiators brought a refreshing twist of action and intensity. Crazy things happened all the time, and the people doing it were even crazier. I remember as a kid, when they did the revival with Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali, and it was still entertaining. Sure it felt a little more television focused instead of competition focused, but it was entertaining nonetheless. They brought back tons of old games and revamped them for modern times with modern looks. The revival series did feel extremely intense all the time, which is a nod to them over the original in my opinion. The new Gladiator Arena looked insane. It was exactly what you think when you think of American Gladiators. And the Gladiators themselves were just as awesome. I was always a big Zen or Hurricane guy myself. Because it looked so cool, it felt the games were more entertaining, crazy, intense, etc. and it was electric. I just wish they didn’t stop so much to do the interactions with the hosts. No offense to Ali or Hogan, they were great. It just felt like it was more reality show driven if you will. Still great though.
What kills me is that the revival series only lasted for two seasons. Now I don’t know if that was because the ratings weren’t great or if they had contracting/internal issues. But man is it a bummer that it’s gone. It’s primetime entertainment, but it’s also live sports. Well, not live sports, but intense sports. Crazy sports. Modern day gladiators can’t face lions or bears in the coliseum. We don’t see carnage like they did during the Roman Empire. But watching humans flying around 20-30 feet high, while they’re clashing back and forth is not a bad substitute. Watching a good game of Powerball can be just as entertaining as a day on the gridiron.
I would have to guess the ratings had to be the reason the revival series didn’t last but two seasons. But man they should think about another restart. I know it’s old, and unoriginal but it was amazing when it was on. They just need to go about it the right way. Maybe make it more geared towards the competitive aspects, instead of the reality gameshow aspects. Almost like an actual sports league. Either way, this show might be the greatest American gameshow that ever existed. Wipeout would definitely say otherwise, but American Gladiators is a staple in American history. More importantly, it’s a piece of history that Americans can be proud of. For a few fleeting moments, everything seemed at peace with the world. In a perfect world, American Gladiators would be the top entertainment show on TV, at least in my perfect world.
The best, and I mean the BEST part about American Gladiators is the fact that they have the same referee from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. That is the single greatest sports hire in history. Try and tell me otherwise.
2021 isn’t off to roaring start people wanted it to be. 2020 definitely wasn’t. Now I don’t have ALL the answers for humanity to be at peace. But I have a few. And none of them are possible unless American Gladiators makes a comeback. Do the right thing NBC.
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