[upbeat music]
- We're about to double down in Vegas.
It's night two of the National Finals
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, the goal tonight is simple.
Survive stage one so you can move on to race on stage two.
- Well, it's not easy, big man.
This stage one course is challenging
as we saw last week.
For a preview of what we'll see tonight,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Guys, the ninjas who faced stage one last week
found out just how tough this course can be.
Whether it was Slide Surfer, Barrel Roll...
- No.
- Giant Rollercoaster...
- Ooh.
- Or Jumping Spider...
- Get in there. Oh!
- Every obstacle was a factor last week.
The Gambler knocked out more ninjas than any other.
And those who survived had to get past
the Warped Wall, Dipping Birds, and Thread the Needle.
- Yes. Yes.
No.
[buzzer blares]
In all, 13 ninjas did hit the buzzer.
They'll be joining tonight's finishers to race
next week on stage two to keep their
million-dollar dreams alive.
It is going to be nuts.
Guys.
- And there are many in this field
capable of winning that million-dollar grand prize.
- Take a look at some of the top contenders
we'll see tonight.
- How about the ninja with more buzzers
than anyone in history, The Weatherman, Joe Moravsky?
And the young ninja who's already climbed
stage four twice, Kaden Lebsack.
Plus, teen sensation Taylor Greene
will try to become just the fourth woman
ever to finish stage one.
- We're going to start with something new.
Our very first legacy invite, allowing
a ninja favorite to run here at the National Finals.
And we can't think of anyone more deserving
than the legend, Ryan Stratis.
- Look who's back, baby.
Strat's back, baby.
- And now he'll be the first recipient
of this special honor.
- Next up from Kennesaw, Georgia,
National Guard communications officer, Ryan Stratis.
- He's one of the pioneers of the sport...
- One hand, two hands up, pulling himself up
to the buzzer, and he does it.
- With 24 buzzers in his 13 seasons.
- Ryan Stratis getting another buzzer in his storied career.
- Ahh!
- And a burgeoning career as a commentator.
- Move. Come on.
Not quite able to make the transition.
- And in recognition of his dedication to ninja,
now he's the very first legacy invite in finals history.
- What a cool thing. A legacy wild card.
I've been doing this a long time, 13 seasons in.
Ahh!
You know, it's kind of an honor.
Ahh!
It is getting more and more difficult to keep up
with these athletes year in and year out.
So I'm going to put it all on red and let it ride.
Let's see what happens. We're in Vegas, man.
We got-- we gotta get crazy.
- Strat's always been popular, and he's got some ninja
legends on his sideline.
Joe Moravsky, Daniel Gil, and our other legacy invite
for tonight, Flex Labreck.
- Let's go, Strat.
- That clock will count down from 2:50.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's go!
- 40 years old.
Got to get those legs across Striding Steps.
Now heads up to Barrel Roll.
Spends most of his time these days as commentator
for Ninja Sport Network on YouTube.
What a career he's had.
Started 16 years ago.
- Yes, he has.
And he's rolled with the punches throughout his career.
- Well, he has had so many injuries,
particularly in that upper body.
Will he have the endurance to last all eight
obstacles of stage one?
Get ready to go for a ride, Strat,
here on the third obstacle, Giant Rollercoaster.
So much experience.
- Nice.
- This guy has seen it all.
Been to Japan to compete on the show that inspired
"Ninja Warrior," "Sasuke."
Now the Jumping Spider, this longest staple of the sport,
faced it many times.
He knows the dangers.
- Let's see the flexibility.
You know, as you get a little older,
them hips get a little tighter.
- Breathe right now.
- Keep breathing, Stratis.
Keep moving.
- Oh, his flexibility looks perfect to me.
- But taking his time here, Akbar.
That clock is ticking down.
- This is the challenge of stage one.
You can't take too much time to rest.
- And you could just see him trying to gather his breath.
He ain't a spring chicken anymore.
- Let's go.
Push yourself.
- And Matt, don't be fooled by the legacy title.
He might be a little older, but this dude can ninja.
But because of the slower pace through the first five
obstacles, he will have to sprint on the back half.
- Good spin, controlling it.
- Ooh, OK.
Nice focus.
- You can see the hands wobble that makes that transfer hard.
Just over a minute left for Strat.
- Got to get going, big man.
- Nice.
There he goes.
- He's lined up.
- You would think because he's a veteran,
his plan is make sure he doesn't
go out here on The Gambler and then sprint like crazy.
Whoa.
both: Whoa!
- He went all in, lost his footing.
- But always great to see Strat on the course.
- I see you, OG.
Hey, he was making 40 look good on the early obstacles.
But with the clock ticking, he rushed across the roulette
wheel and just came up short.
- That's how the cookie crumbles.
- Believe it or not, when Stratis first
competed on "Ninja Warrior," our next competitor
was in diapers.
It's Florida teenager Nacssa Garemore.
Flipping is just one of his talents.
He's been a revelation.
Made it to stage 4 as a rookie last year.
And what a journey it's been for him.
[upbeat music]
- We were born in Africa.
And coming to the USA it was very challenging,
because everything was new to us.
I want to touch him.
- Our parents, they wanted us to be
involved in some kind of sport, because we
were rowdy children.
- Go jump on the rocks. - Oh.
- They would be the kids at the playground that were climbing
up the fireman's pole instead of sliding
down the fireman's pole.
So we decided to build a few obstacles in the backyard,
and that was the beginning.
We looked like actual ninjas.
Trying to make quick work of it.
- But we would also pretend we were Matt and Akbar.
We would narrate.
- We still do it actually.
We do it at the gym, you know.
Welcome back to another season of "American Ninja Warrior."
And then like we'd be jumping up and down, freaking out.
- [grunts]
[both screaming]
- What a save by RJ Roman.
- I'd be spinning around.
Yeah.
Well, guess where you're going.
Vegas, my guy.
- Yeah! - Whoo!
All these ninjas we grew up watching,
getting to compete with them, like, that's pretty cool.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."
I think that is good.
- Oh, man, they're coming for our jobs, Matt.
- His announcing partner, his brother Roberto,
is watching back in Florida.
That's him on the far left.
And their mom Angela is leading the cheers
down on the sideline.
- Here we go.
He won the Safety Pass race in semis.
You see that patch that he's got on.
That gives him a second chance if he falls.
[countdown clock beeping]
- The odds are he won't need it.
In a season and a half, he's never touched the water.
Had an amazing first year.
Made it to stage four, climbed for a million dollars
as a middle schooler.
- This kid can go fast.
- He won the fastest time in semis and won
his Safety Pass race.
- Well, RJ Roman has trained him and just said,
the kid goes fast, but the kid is so strong
physically and mentally.
What a journey he's been on, Akbar.
You were talking to him about this.
Adopted from Guinea Bissau.
- What an American dream he is living, Matt.
- Let's go, Nacssa.
- Started ninja training when he was eight.
First saw him on "Ninja Junior" a few years ago.
- It looks so easy for him.
- Oh my god, he's so powerful.
We know that he can do stage four.
Wouldn't be a surprise if this season
he became the new American Ninja Warrior.
- Come on, dude, you got it.
- Well, he's been training for "Ninja"
over half his life.
- You got it.
- You got it, Nacssa. Let's go.
- Has some experience on The Gambler.
- Nice.
- But even the good ones can get tripped up.
This is such a challenging, unforgiving obstacle.
- He's sporting that Safety Pass,
but you know he ain't even thinking about it.
- Come on, Nacssa.
Come on, honey. - Come on, dude.
- This is the only stage where you can use that Safety Pass.
- Makes the grab onto the Ace of Spades,
making stage one look easy.
- Come on, Nacssa.
- There we go.
- Great control of the Ace of Spades.
OK, I see you out there being an ace.
- 1:15 left.
And, Akbar, this is one of the rare ninjas
who still doesn't look like he's breathing heavy.
- Yeah.
No, he doesn't.
- What strength.
What a motor this kid has.
- Last year, he was a little winded,
but he's in better shape this year.
Nice.
- And look at that, a minute left
here on Thread the Needle.
- All right, here we go.
Up and over.
- Little hung up.
- Well, he knows he's got enough time.
Whoo!
- Speed is important.
The faster finishers will race against the slower
ones on stage two.
No one wants to go head-to-head
against Nacssa Garemore.
- Nice.
- And how high up he got on the cargo net.
- Nice.
- And Nacssa Garemore is going to get his eighth buzzer
in just two seasons.
He's going back to stage two.
[crowd cheering]
- [laughs] Look at this.
- He's looking like John Travolta at the disco.
* Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha *
You see that?
- That was incredible, folks. - You like that?
Yeah, you like that?
- I felt like I was back in the '70s.
- Well, Nacssa Garemore is staying alive
here in the National Finals.
He's a dancing man, no time to talk,
because he's going racing on stage two.
- Tonight the stakes are high in Vegas.
Hit a buzzer or your season's over.
And only the best are left.
Can teenager Taylor Greene become just the fourth woman
ever to take down stage one?
- I'm ready to make more history tonight.
- And Joe Moravsky's done almost everything in "Ninja,"
except win the million dollars.
- I would be lying to you if I said I was
not thinking of retiring.
- Is this finally the year for The Weatherman?
And one thing's for sure, in two weeks,
someone's going to cash in for a million
dollars on the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Vegas, where three ninjas got their shot
at stage one minutes ago.
California high school student Jonah Maningo
is one of seven rookies competing
in the National Finals.
With his family cheering him on,
this 16-year-old from Chino Hills looked confident early.
- I like that.
Now ride that momentum.
- Until he reached the Jumping Spider.
- Oh, he lost it.
- Pennsylvania's Matt Bradley has
his friends wear silly hats when
he runs to ease his anxiety.
The 22-year-old is a talented young ninja
making his second trip to the National Finals.
- He is moving, Matt.
- He's already hit two buzzers this season
and looked like he was on his way to a third.
- Oh!
- The Dipping Birds ended his run.
- Oh, no.
- In his first trip to the National Finals in five years,
37-year-old Julius Ferguson had one of the gutsiest
performances of the year.
- Oh, come on.
Hold on.
- After landing in the chute,
he struggled to maintain traction
and fought for almost a minute to get through.
- Oh my goodness, just sapping up time, energy-- oh.
- Despite re-aggravating a shoulder injury,
the seven-time "Ninja" veteran kept going.
- Oh my goodness, he is fighting through the pain.
- With time running out, Ferguson refused to give up
and just kept fighting.
- Oh my goodness, are you kidding me?
- Though he timed out, he showed incredible grit.
- Man, he did that.
He did his thing.
- Our next competitor is wearing leis to the start line
to honor her Hawaiian heritage.
This is 16-year-old Violet Kepo'o.
She's our lightest competitor at just 95 pounds.
But competing on Ninja Warrior has given her new strength.
[upbeat music]
- Look at the fight in Violet Kepo'o.
- She is strong.
- Doing "Ninja Warrior" has really
helped build my confidence.
- She does not give up.
Yes!
- Before, I was like really shy.
And now I feel like I've been able to be more outgoing.
- Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!
- I've even been able to start coaching other kids in ninja.
Two hands, two hands.
Nice.
And I could be a great example to others.
[laughs]
Yeah.
[applause]
I have come up with a new nickname for myself.
The Ultraviolet Ninja.
I think it's kind of representing
how I can be the light to other girls
who want to do hard things.
[all cheering]
Ultraviolet is going to shine bright on stage one tonight.
* *
[crowd cheering]
- Violet's got her parents, siblings, and a big group
of friends here from Utah.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Just 5'1", 95 pounds.
Got to at least be in the top women in her semifinals.
- Oh, man, did you see that little celebration
right there?
Yay, I did it.
- Just remember how nervous she weas
the first time she competed.
But look at her now.
- Little celebration, onto Barrel Roll.
- Smooth.
Well, let's see if she can generate the power here,
just 95 pounds.
And look at that, using the whole body,
launching herself real good. - Nice.
She is moving with some fluidity.
- Really been training hard.
- Whoa.
- She's used to get so nervous before a competition,
she would cry.
But look at her out here smiling.
How beautiful is this?
- Oh, Matt, she threw all 95 pounds of herself,
and she was air walking there.
- Now onto Giant Rollercoaster.
- Teenagers love rollercoasters,
but not this one.
It's taken out a lot of good ninjas over the years.
- Got it.
Hold on.
- Nice.
- She's got it.
If you read lips,
she just said, oh my gosh.
She surprised herself.
- Well, with her size, the Jumping Spider
may be a challenge.
- Really going to have to hammer that trampoline.
- Get in there.
Get in there deep.
Get it. Get it.
No! - Oh!
- Comes up short on the Jumping Spider,
but still a great season for this teenager.
- Matt, I loved seeing her reaction on the course.
She even surprised herself.
Didn't get a big enough bounce on Jumping Spider,
but a good Vegas debut for Violet Kepo'o.
- It's like so crazy and so fun.
- Yeah?
- Our next athlete is going to get this crowd charged up.
It's Electric Enzo.
Florida teenager Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.
- Yeah, let's go.
Make some noise.
- Now in his fourth season.
And he's established himself as a top competitor.
He's made it to the National Finals
every season he's competed.
And last year, made it all the way to stage three.
- Enzo's always got an energetic sideline, including
his very nervous mom.
[countdown clock beeping]
- 5'9", 145 pounds, Enzo has looked so strong this year.
Put up one of the fastest times in qualifying
and semifinals.
He came close to stage four last season.
He really believes he can get there this time.
- Lives down in Florida, gets to train
with all those great ninjas from the Sunshine State.
- Keep moving. Keep moving.
- He likes to go fast and jumps up
to start Giant Rollercoaster.
- Remember when we first saw him on "Ninja Junior"?
Look at him all grown up out there.
- And he's quickly through the first three obstacles.
Mom I'm still worried as Enzo goes
right into Jumping Spider.
He is moving.
Well, it's his fourth season in "Ninja Warrior."
His fourth straight trip to Vegas.
- Three years ago, Matt, he was the youngest
to ever clear stage one.
- And last season was within one obstacle of making
that stage four climb.
- You know he wants it badly.
- Plenty of time still on the clock as he
takes on The Gambler.
- Good body control.
- Well, this kid is so-- - Oh. Oh!
- Oh my goodness.
I did not see that one coming.
Wow.
- A shocking early exit.
He can't believe it.
- Let's look at what happened.
As he goes to the craps table, his right hand
hits the support structure, and he just missed the bar.
- Proud of you, dude.
- Not the way Enzo expected to end his season
but gonna get hugs from his always supportive family.
- Coming up...
- Houston's Jody Avila has had lots of success
in his nine years of "Ninja."
Just not at the National Finals.
- Oh. Oh!
No, it crushed him.
- And get out of there. Oh, no, rejected.
- The Big Dog tries to change his luck
in Vegas when we come back.
- Megan Johnson and Kyle Soderman
won our very first Couples Championship,
and both made it to the National Finals this year.
Megan was first to hit the course
minutes ago with Kyle cheering her on.
- You got this, Megan.
- Johnson's a doctor for the U.S. Army,
and she marched across the first obstacle,
then went airborne on the second.
- Let's take this one out for a spin.
Whoa.
Wow.
- And she became the night's first victim
of the Barrel Roll.
[buzzer blares]
Then it was her fiancé Kyle's turn.
The stuntman is known for going fast
and living dangerously.
He was flying through the first half of the course.
- Oh, right on the edge.
- On the toes.
- Yeah, I know, very close. - He just gave us a smile.
- Very close.
He realized how lucky he is.
- The five-time "Ninja" veteran cruised through
the back half and earned a trip to stage two
for the fourth year in a row.
- Let's go!
Whoo!
- Up next is one of "Ninja's" biggest stars.
It's 6'6" Jody Avila, AKA The Big Dog.
The 38-year-old from Houston has had lots
of success over the years.
But not on stage one.
[crowd cheering]
- The very first time I made it to Vegas,
I hit a stage one buzzer.
- Yeah, Big Dog.
- Well, howl, Big Dog.
- Whoo!
Ever since then, I've never hit another buzzer in Vegas.
- Oh, no.
- Oh!
- He's got the long legs-- no.
It crushed him.
Oh my goodness.
[buzzer blares]
- The Big Dog timed out.
- The time aspect of stage one is really what gets me.
I always feel under pressure.
I always feel like I'm rushing.
- All right, Matt, he's got to go fast here.
He's got to go-- oh, no.
- Beating stage one means so much because I'm
starting to get older.
I'm starting to kind of lose a little pep in my step.
So if I don't do it pretty soon,
I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it again.
[dramatic music]
[crowd cheering]
- Jody's wife and sons watching from back home.
- Let's go, babe.
You got this.
- Got a big group of ninjas on the sideline.
[crowd cheering]
[countdown clock beeping]
- 210 pounds, the biggest out here tonight.
That's a lot when you're sprinting through this course.
Them long arms will help you in some places, though.
- Nice to have that wingspan there.
He says, he's really been working on endurance.
Especially for the bigger ninjas, for any ninja
stage one is just an exhausting gauntlet.
- Yeah.
Let's go, baby.
- Now, onto Giant Rollercoaster.
Using those arms as shock absorbers.
Watch the transition. - Whoo.
That's a lot of weight landing on that bar.
But he's very agile for a big guy.
[crowd cheering]
- You can see for the bigger ninjas, sometimes
the flexibility can be a challenge
in the Jumping Spider.
- Well, this one Jody Avila feels
pretty comfortable with.
- Nice.
- He's locked in.
- 38 years old.
He doesn't even move like it.
- Got to move fast, because he just does not
want a repeat of timing out.
[crowd cheering]
- He's under two minutes.
- And The Gambler can eat up a lot of time.
- Oh, almost slipped on the course there.
- And just controlling it by going for a little ride here.
Good transfer. - Nice. Nice.
- That was an aggressive move.
Rolling the dice on The Gambler.
- The Big Dog is manhandling the craps table.
- Got the long wings.
Can he make that dance? - Nice.
- Got it.
- Boy, it is good to be 6'6".
- Gotta control this spin, though.
- Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
- And this is-- - At 210 pounds,
you don't wanna be spinning too long on that.
- Well, it's not just the seconds, it's the strength too.
- Now, Matt, this is where the endurance is
gonna have to kick in because he's
already wasted some time here.
- Get going, Big Dog. - Ooh, boy.
- This is looking like a mirror of last season.
- He's got to go. - You got this.
Move, baby.
Come on.
- You got to get your rest on the other side
of the Dipping Birds.
- Even with the long legs, he fell on Dipping
Birds two years ago.
That's got to be in his head.
But gets through it this time.
- Yes! - Let's go.
- Let's go, babe.
- Well, this is it, a rematch.
- Come on, get on that before 35 seconds.
- Well, the key is going to be at 210,
does he have the strength to get
the cane up and off the hook?
- All right, he's got good leverage.
Nice up and over.
Ooh.
Ay-yi-yi.
Mama Carilla.
both: Oh.
- And now that ring is moving.
- No.
- He kicked it. - Oh, my goodness.
- And this is shaping up just like last season.
- Ohh.
- History repeats itself.
The Big Dog did not learn new tricks.
- Wow.
Déjà vu.
- He used a lot of time and energy on The Gambler
and look tired as he took on Thread the Needle.
With that big body, just couldn't
get the cane off the hook.
- Jody, I know you're disappointed right now.
Same spot you went down last year.
What went wrong there?
- Just couldn't figure out how to unhook it.
Seven seasons since I last beat this stage.
And, yeah, this one--
this one today hurts the worst, for sure.
- Well, I'm so sorry that it didn't
end the way that you wanted.
But tell me we'll see you next season trying it again,
aiming for stage one buzzer.
- Yeah, I'd love to do it. - There it is.
Thank you, Jody. Good job.
Incredible season.
Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- Coming up...
Rene Browning's always been there for her son, Elijah.
But now he's there for her as she faces cancer.
- She is battling it like a champ.
- Their story's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We had pink all round the course minutes ago.
- Let's go, Max.
- As Colorado's Max Feinberg took on stage one.
- Matt, that man is on a mission.
- The college student at the University of Denver
runs to raise awareness for breast cancer.
His mom Debbie is a breast cancer survivor.
The four-time "Ninja" veteran fell on The Gambler
last season, but he had no trouble tonight.
- Now drop.
There you go.
Get it.
- He cruised to the end, got his third buzzer
of the season, and brought attention to breast cancer.
- And that's what it's all about for him,
doing it for his mama.
[crowd cheering]
- That message certainly hits home for our next athlete,
Tennessee teenager, Elijah Browning,
who's been supporting his mother Renee,
who's in the middle of her own battle with breast cancer.
- One obstacle at a time.
Thanks, friends.
Thanks for bringing all the food.
Oh, I love it.
- Recently, my mom told me that she was
diagnosed with breast cancer.
- Thank you guys so much for being here today.
- It was a really shocking diagnosis.
I did not have breast cancer in my family.
- We're just so thankful for the ninja community,
especially for the prayers for my daughter here
during her breast cancer treatments and all.
- When she first told me, I was super upset,
and I thought there was going to be so much sadness
surrounded by this.
But she is battling it like a champ.
- * See the sun *
* Watch it rising up *
- We are walking this journey with joy
and with happiness and in victory
and in complete healing.
- * It's our moment, we are stronger *
* Together we are not afraid *
- She's always had a big smile on her face,
even when I know she's in pain or I know she's struggling.
And I was honestly super excited to be there
for anything that she needs because she
was always there for me.
Here you go, made it just how you like it.
- Ooh, thank you.
- Yeah. - Perfect.
- Come on, Jay.
Yeah, that was it.
- * Hold on *
- Elijah has been so incredibly supportive.
And that encouragement from all of my family
has been so crucial.
- * Just hold on *
- Love you, Mom.
- Love you, buddy, so much.
- Everyone always sees me as the ninja warrior,
but the real warrior here is my mom.
[crowd cheering]
- Our thoughts certainly with Renee Browning.
As always, she'll be on the sideline
cheering her heart out for Elijah.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Oh, you know he would love to give
her something to smile about.
- So important to get that buzzer.
- What a season he had last year.
One obstacle away from getting that stage four climb.
- You got it.
- He knows stage one.
He's run this course twice before.
And he can go fast when he needs to.
- Come on, buddy.
[crowd cheering]
- Has the nickname "The Boss" because he
runs several businesses,
collects sports cards and builds ninja rigs.
- 6'1", 170, on the bigger side for a ninja.
We've seen some of the bigger ninjas
have a little awkwardness here in the Jumping Spider.
- Ooh.
OK, got it, good hip flexibility.
Nice four points of contact
really pressing against those walls.
- And the Jumping Spider is that obstacle
that just drains your energy.
But The Boss looked very efficient there.
[crowd cheering]
This guy, not a gambler.
He's an entrepreneur.
But he's all about making money.
- Matt, he can make a lot of money
if he continues hitting buzzers.
- A million dollars up for grabs
if he makes it to the end.
A little over a minute and a half left.
Gotta be careful here going across the roulette wheel.
- And he's got it.
- Big spin on the Ace.
And he is through.
Mama Renee beside herself. - [laughs]
- He's got three more obstacles to go.
- OK, Boss.
- Come on, buddy.
- And just looking in control.
The Boss is in charge.
- Well, Matt, that's the name of the game
here in the National Finals.
The Boss has got to own this course.
[crowd cheering]
- A little under a minute left for Thread the Needle,
buy easy to eat up time here.
And when you're 170, it can be
a little more challenging to get that cane off.
- Ooh. - But not for him.
And that's a big move.
- Matt, Tony Danza better watch out.
- Bruce Springsteen too.
- Nice.
- Cargo Net is going to soak up some seconds,
but Boss is gonna do it.
- Nice, get it.
- He's going back to stage two.
- Oh boy, I can't wait.
I can't wait.
[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
- * So much to see if you believe in me *
- * And just hold on *
- And Mama Renee can finally breathe.
- Let's get it.
[crowd cheering]
- Boss, I've got to say, the only thing more entertaining
than watching you on the course is watching
your mom on the sidelines.
- I know you had her on your mind every second of this run.
- What did she say before you competed tonight?
- Dude, she was so encouraging.
She's so amazing.
I love her so much.
She just said go out there and kill it.
And here we are. - I love you, buddy!
- I love you too.
- Well, we're gonna give fans unlimited access
to the emotions your mom goes through during a run
presented by the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.
- One obstacle at a time, buddy.
One obstacle at a time.
Let's go, Elijah.
Let's go, buddy.
Cargo net.
Get on the cargo net.
[crowd cheering]
- Yes!
[crowd cheering]
- So great to see him put a smile on her face
with what she's going through.
- * Just hold on *
- What a moment.
And we've got a lot more to come, including
ninja legends Jesse "Flex" Labreck and The Weatherman
Joe Moravsky.
- They're two rowdy ninjas from Iowa
who like to have fun.
Whether it's protein shakes or noggin buzzers,
Chris Behrends and Levi Enright
are always entertaining.
And now they're going to try to hit a buzzer on stage one.
Chris will run first.
- Got some corncobs with him.
Passing it out to the crowd.
- Well, he and Levi do everything together.
And that includes falling on the same place
the last time they were here.
[upbeat music]
- Season 14 was a great time, felt amazing.
Until, you know, the Dipping Birds.
- Onto the Dipping Birds. - Ohh.
Oh... both: No.
- Levi Enright over thumped and got dumped.
Keep your feet hot. Keep your feet hot.
- Oh, no. - Oh, no.
- The Dipping Birds taking out both of the ninja teens.
[birds squawking]
- We actually get nightmares from the Dipping Birds.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- And sometimes we wake up in a cold sweat super scared.
But luckily, we're there for each other.
- Dipping Birds, huh?
I get those nightmares too, Chris.
They can't get you here.
- It's OK. It's just nightmares.
It's just the past.
Let's focus about the now.
- [yelling]
- But we're different people.
We're more mature.
- We actually train for balance this year.
So we're both coming in very prepared.
- We're gonna get another noggin buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
Boom.
- Whoo!
- I mean, this year so far, we both have qualifiers,
semifinal buzzers. - Yeah.
- Noggin.
- So stage one buzzers for both of us.
It only makes sense.
- I mean, yeah.
- So those birds are going to go down this year.
- Yeah.
- But they're not coming back up.
- Not at all.
- Levi will run next.
He's on the sideline with Jackson Twait
along with a big group of family and other Iowa ninjas.
[countdown clock beeping]
- No doubt, Chris and Levi are a couple of goofballs.
But they are serious ninja athletes.
This season, both hit buzzers in qualifying and semifinals
hoping to change their luck in Vegas tonight.
- He'd love to get that noggin buzzer on stage one.
- Come on, Chris. You got it.
- Iowa's become a ninja hotbed.
Chris and Levi a big part of it.
Their other good friend from Iowa, Jackson Twait,
hit a buzzer last week.
He's going to stage two.
Can Chris and Levi join him?
Sails through the Giant Rollercoaster.
He's 5'9", 140, heading into Jumping Spider.
- Come on.
- Oh.
- Having trouble holding himself up.
- Come on, Chris.
- Come on.
- You got it. - Come on, Chris.
- And watch this, Akbar.
This is where a run can end.
Even if you survive it, that is just
eating up energy in the legs and the upper body.
- Well, you can see he's really pushing
against the walls, Matt.
And that is very difficult.
Matt, I don't think he's going to make it.
- Chris Behrends giving it all he's got.
- Matt, he's going to gas out.
He's changing his position to get
a little bit more leverage.
He's fighting for his ever-loving life.
- And he got through it, but what does he have left?
You know he wants to take a moment to rest,
but the clock is ticking.
So he's got to gamble.
- Let's go. - Come on, Chris.
- His arms, his upper body must be taxed.
- This course is so challenging.
The obstacles add up, taking everything you got.
- It's a good thing this country boy is corn-fed.
Co'n-fed.
Not corn-fed, co'n-fed.
- He's got to get going.
Needs to make this transfer perfect.
- Nice.
- Got it.
Under a minute-- both: Oh.
- Oh.
The card played tricks on him.
What?
- We love you, Chris.
- He spent a lot of time and a lot of energy
on Jumping Spider, so he was rushing on The Gambler.
He almost got through, but his fingers
just slipped off the card.
- So now it's Levi's turn.
And he's saying, not this time to the Dipping Birds.
His buddy Chris didn't make it far enough to get redemption.
Levi hoping he can do better.
His wife's on the sideline with all the Iowa ninjas.
[countdown clock beeping]
Levi actually fell twice on the Dipping Birds
in season 14.
Had the Safety Pass, but the balance obstacle
took him out on both runs.
- He's going bird hunting tonight, big man.
- Yeah, he said it.
Those birds wake him up in a cold sweat.
The first ninja ever to go out on the same obstacle
twice in the same night.
Not the kind of history you necessarily want to make.
- But it's still history.
- Wants to give himself plenty of time
so he's not rushing at the end.
Moved quickly on Giant Rollercoaster.
Levi looking confident so far.
[crowd cheering]
Hoping to have a smoother trip across Jumping Spider
than Chris did.
- Levi's got to get in right.
Nice.
- Levi got that relax fit there.
- He may have learned from watching his buddy.
He's getting through this a lot faster.
- Long drop down.
Onto The Gambler.
- This was fifth obstacle, two away.
- Levi part of these Iowa ninjas.
Doesn't want to suffer the same fate here as Chris.
- All right.
Nice.
Use that body weight.
- Gut it out.
- Nice.
- Let's see the balance here on the roulette wheel.
- Ooh, he's kind of shifting to the left there.
Oh.
He was out of line.
- And it's happened again.
He falls on the same obstacle as his buddy
for the second time.
- No!
- Well, Levi had a much smoother run on the early part
of the course, but he didn't get a good jump
off the roulette wheel.
And just like Chris, he goes down on The Gambler.
What are the odds?
- They wanted revenge on the Dipping Birds,
but now it's The Gambler that will give them nightmares.
Up next, one of our top women competitors,
seven-time "Ninja" veteran Abby Clark.
And this Jersey girl is having one of her best seasons ever.
In qualifying, Abby scaled the wall
and hit her first buzzer in six years.
- Get it.
- Yes. - Yes.
- [screams]
- Then went to new heights to train for stage one.
- Nice.
- Nice one.
- She traveled all the way to Switzerland
to train on a course that is almost
600 feet above the ground.
- Come on.
Whoo!
- Oh, no, that looks crazy.
No, thank you.
I'm good. - Let's go, Abby.
- Her boyfriend Joe Capo did that course with her.
He's on her sideline along with fellow Jersey girl
Rachel Degutz.
[countdown clock beeping]
- You got this, Abby.
- Well, Abby Clark feels like she has unfinished business
here on stage one.
Ran out of time just before the seventh obstacle
in season 14, and last year,
didn't get a chance because her best friend right
there, Rachel Degutz, beat her in the semis.
But Abby is back and ready to go.
- That buzzer she got in qualifying
has given her some new confidence.
Getting up that wall this year was huge.
- Let's go, Ab.
- Keep breathing.
- Well, the last three times she'd reached it before that,
she'd come up short.
That changed this year.
5'3", 125.
Super high-level gymnast.
Was actually a national champion on the balance
beam in college. - Ooh.
OK.
- She also did the bars.
So she looks right at home flying
through Giant Rollercoaster.
- Let's go. Good job.
- The Jumping Spider's always a challenge
for the smaller ninjas.
You've got to get a good jump on this trampoline,
especially at just 5'3".
Locked in. - Ooh. OK, very comfortable.
How great would it be to hit that buzzer,
add her name to the list of strong ninja women?
- Jesse Graff, Alyssa Beird, Flex Labreck,
the only women to take down this course.
Well, it's been a long time, season 13, when Flex Labreck
got that stage one buzzer.
Could Abby Clark add her name to that elite list?
- And paying attention to the time,
she's in a good position.
- She'll have to beat The Gambler first,
then she'll get a chance to attack the back half.
- She's gone deep before on stage one.
We know she's got it.
I think she's getting that buzzer tonight.
- Oh, this is where so many ninjas get hung up.
Even if they don't fall, it just eats up time and energy.
- Nice. Nice. - Good transfer.
- Nice and explosive too.
Good positioning.
- Hips up and push.
- Well, we know her balance is strong.
- Well, Matt, she is putting on a clinic.
- Let's see her dance over this roulette wheel.
- All right, she's going to have to get going now.
- Just a minute left.
- Come on, Ab. - Come on, Ab.
- Come on, Abby. You got it.
- Line it up.
- Got it. Got it. Got it. - Nice.
She's got to control the card here.
- Find your hands, turn, and go.
- All right, you got to show your hand on this one.
- She's got a chance to finish but needs to get going.
Gets through.
But keep in mind the Warped Wall has been a big challenge
for her in the past.
- 37 seconds.
- OK, come on now, Abby.
You got to hustle.
- Last time she was here, it took her multiple
tries to get past it.
- Come on.
Ooh. - Ugh.
- And that's got to be so frustrating.
She has trained so hard on the Warped Wall,
but it's just so hard to simulate
the fatigue that those previous five
obstacles causes.
- Yeah.
The fatigue and the nerves, because that
also tires you out.
- Well, this would be a victory just getting
the Warped Wall, and she does.
- Nice. Nice.
- Abby Clark.
Time's going to run out, but a great effort by Abby Clark.
[buzzer blares]
- Yes!
- Stays dry, and she's smiling as she should be.
[crowd cheering]
- She flew through the early obstacles,
then spent a little too much time on The Gambler.
Though it took her two tries,
she did get past the Warped Wall.
And she made it as far as any woman this season
on stage one.
Still to come...
He's already climbed for a million dollars twice.
Can Kaden Lebsack get back to stage four once again?
And up next, she's one of only three women
ever to finish stage one.
Jesse "Flex" Labreck will try to do it again
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to Vegas, where we've just had
three of a kind on stage one.
College softball player Karen Potts
was making her second appearance
at the National Finals.
- She's got to knock this one out the park.
- At 5'11", she's the tallest
woman competing tonight, but came up
short on the Jumping Spider.
- Oh, she was so close.
- At 6'2", Colorado's David Tomassoni
is one of the tallest male ninjas running tonight.
- I see you, big boy.
- The 20-year-old was able to stick
the landing on Jumping Spider.
- Does he have the hip flexibility
to squeeze in there?
Nice.
- But he couldn't hold on.
- Oh, no. - Oh, no.
- Then it was Florida plumber Vinnie Castranova,
who's had good success on the course
in the past few years.
But last year, his stage one run ended at Jumping Spider.
- Oh.
And he just missed it.
- So the 5'7" father was looking for redemption when he
took on the obstacle tonight.
- Oh, no.
- So three of a kind was unlucky for this trio.
Better luck next time.
Well, now it's time for the second of our legacy invites,
a true legend, Jesse "Flex" Labreck.
She missed the last couple seasons for health reasons,
but she's making a return tonight.
And boy, have we missed her.
She's the most accomplished woman
in "American Ninja Warrior" history...
Her tenth buzzer, making history yet again.
With more buzzers than any other woman.
Perfect season continues.
Helped Team USA say win a title and took home the
second Women's Championship.
But her biggest impact is felt off the course.
- I've heard from a lot of young girls
that I'm an inspiration to them.
And honestly, I just want to keep
inspiring them to be strong or just set goals for themselves.
So I love it.
It holds myself to a higher standard.
And I feel so honored to be a legacy wild card
chosen athlete.
I think it's super cool, and I'm just really
grateful for the opportunity.
- She has been such a trailblazer for women.
Got many of her fellow ninjas on the sidelines
and so many fans in the stands.
But her biggest fan is her fiancé, Chris DiGangi,
who's back home with the dogs.
- Let's go.
You're going to do so great.
Come on, keep moving, focus.
You got this.
[countdown clock beeping]
- This is a legend right here.
- I just love watching her compete.
She's such a good athlete.
But mentally, she is so tough.
- That is exactly right.
She has no quit in her bones.
- She's one of only three women to have completed
this stage one course.
Did it three years ago.
And no woman has been able to do it since.
- Ooh.
- Well, Flex not missing a beat.
- You know what to do.
Trust yourself.
- She's taken some time off the last couple of years
as she and Chris try to start a family.
Hasn't been training quite as much.
- Oh. - Oh, no.
- Oh!
- Wow.
- Just missed the transfer.
Flex Labreck splashing down, but always great to see
that woman compete.
- Matt, she looked like the Flex of old
on the first two obstacles.
But on Giant Rollercoaster, an obstacle
she's conquered many times before,
she flew to the second bar but just couldn't hang on.
- Jesse, this is the first year that we've
extended these legacy invites.
What did it mean to you to be out here in Vegas tonight
because of that?
- I was so thankful to be chosen for that, to get
a chance to run the course.
It was amazing.
I just wish I had done a little bit better with it.
- It was incredible to see you out here.
Awesome job, and I hope we'll see you back next season.
- Thank you. Yes, for sure.
- All right, there we go. Give it up for Flex, y'all.
Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- Well, up next is another one of the greats.
It's Colorado's Kaden Lebsack.
Still a teenager, but he's already climbed stage four
for a million dollars twice and was the last ninja
standing those two seasons.
He's one of the best ever.
- So we thought it only fitting to bring up a legend up here
to call his run, Ryan Stratis.
- Hey, guys.
It's an honor to be up here with you all
and to see one of the best in the sport
about to run the course and call the shots up here.
I'm excited to see how he's going to do today.
- Well, you've been doing play-by-play
at other "Ninja" competitions, and you
ran the course earlier.
- What are you thinking when you're sitting
up there at the start line?
- You know, the butterflies are flying all over the place.
You want them to fly in formation to help you
float across those obstacles.
But man, let's-- let's see if Kaden's got it in the
tank, man.
- I love that.
- Well, this kid, he's been such a stud.
Perfect.
Last season was the first time in three
years he touched the water.
Twice been to the top of the mountain at stage four.
Came up just seconds away from it.
Could this be his year?
He's got a big group of supporters on his sideline,
including his parents.
Strat, you've been on this course.
2:50.
The thing we're seeing, though,
it's not just the time.
It's how it saps your energy.
Where did you feel this course is most challenging?
- Yeah, I mean,
the wind really starts to get taken out of you right
after the Jumping Spider.
Let's see if he sticks this jump.
- All right, here we go. Get in there, get in deep.
Nice. Stick it.
Whoo. - OK.
- And you can see Kaden Lebsack,
this guy says, I don't like speed,
and yet he moves so fluidly.
But The Gambler, a real challenging obstacle.
A lot of opportunities to get screwed up here.
- All right, here, grab on to that poker chip.
You ever played poker?
- Oh, man, I lost it to the house one too many times,
my friend.
- Wow.
Just threw a 360 there.
- Come on, that thing can hang them up a little bit.
Lining up this transfer.
Come on, Kaden.
- Nice.
- Bingo. Textbook.
- He lined that up real nice. - Whew.
- Just looking effortless.
- House not winning today.
He's taking that money with him.
Come on, Kaden. Let's go.
- He wants that money. Go get it.
- How do you keep your focus?
He's getting deeper.
You've been on stage one.
What do you do on these final obstacles?
- Dude, he's probably glancing at the time
right now, seeing where he's at.
But he's going to take a second here to just catch his breath
and keep driving forward.
- And right now, he's got a shot at the fastest
time that's currently held by Noah Meunier.
But this run should give Kaden a high seed
for racing on stage two.
This is remarkable, Strat.
I mean, again, we're seeing him run controlled.
- It's such consistency out of Kaden and such a high grab.
- Oh, boy.
You think he's going to get the fastest time?
- He's digging for it. Come on. Get up there.
- Oh, he's about to get the fastest time.
- Oh, my. - Oh, my.
Go, go, go, go. - It's gonna be close.
- Oh.
- Let's go.
- Just misses by 0.3 of a second.
[crowd cheering]
- Great run from Kaden.
More than just the last ninja standing,
he's going for the top of that tower.
- OK.
- Kaden looks exhausted after that sprint.
But we know he's excited to move on.
Strat, let's send him off to stage two
with your famous battle cry.
[together] Ahh!
- We've got more "Ninja" favorites coming up,
including James "The Beast" McGrath,
teen phenom Taylor Greene,
and The Weatherman Joe Marovsky.
Plus, they've already got a big ninja family.
But now, the Bergstrom bunch is getting bigger.
There's a baby Bergie on the way.
Details when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to Vegas.
Minutes ago, more finalists took their shot at stage one.
South Dakota teenager Josh Miller has already had
an impressive rookie season.
The mild-mannered high schooler from Sioux Falls
hit a buzzer in qualifying and had one of the fastest
times in semifinals.
- That's a big one.
That's a talented kid right there.
- But the high schooler wasn't ready for the Jumping Spider.
- Go, go, go.
Oh.
- Tennessee's Benjamin Drake was back
for his second appearance on stage one.
- Benjamin Drake looking like Draco Malfoy.
- Last season, he had a memorable exit
on the third obstacle.
- Oh my goodness, what an epic flip.
- So tonight he was extra careful as he
came down Giant Rollercoaster.
- He said, I ain't going out like that again.
- The 20-year-old had a much-improved run
making it to the back half of the course.
- Time is ticking. - Ooh.
- Get up.
Get up.
- But the fast-food worker wasn't fast enough,
and time ran out with him swinging on Thread the Needle.
- Oh, no.
[buzzer blares]
- Well, our next ninja certainly has reason
to celebrate.
Caleb Bergstrom is one of the favorites
to win the million dollars.
And he recently found out he's going to be a dad.
His wife Ashley is expecting.
The Bergstrom bunch is getting bigger.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Last season Caleb and Ashley became the first
married couple to qualify for Vegas.
This season, Caleb's sister Caitlin and her husband, David
became the second married couple to do it.
- That baby's gonna have a lot of good ninja genes, Matt.
[crowd cheering]
- You got this, babe. Come on.
- Gym owner, the Jungle Gym in Seminole, Florida.
- Straight-up this is a guy that could be the next
"Ninja Warrior" champion.
[crowd cheering]
- He's having another great season.
Got the Mega Wall back in qualifying.
Followed that with an impressive win in semifinals.
Nearly won it all last year.
Climbed stage four for a million dollars.
- And he looks poised to continue his march back there.
- Well, he didn't have much trouble with this last year.
- So you could see how calm keeping his body,
keeping that chip from rotating.
- The only thing he doesn't have is a Safety Pass.
He lost his race a few weeks ago to knock Nacssa Garemore.
So no room for error.
- Trying to get that craps table fully extended.
And he two-steps it.
He is absolutely flying through the course.
- Yes, he is.
Nice.
Efficient is what it is.
When you're efficient, you save a lot of time.
- Well, his brother-in-law, David "The Caped Ninja"
wasn't efficient enough last week and timed out.
But Caleb's in good shape on the clock.
If he hits the buzzer, he'll be in good position
to have a good matchup on stage two.
But what a loaded field it's shaping up to be.
Noah Meunier's still got the fastest time on stage one.
Don't know if Caleb can top that,
but he's going to put up a great time.
And he can do it because of his efficiency.
Get high up on that net.
- Nice.
- He won't have the fastest time.
- But he'll be up there.
- He really will.
- He'll be top six for sure.
[buzzer blares]
- The father to-be puts together another
great run on stage one.
[crowd cheering]
- He's going to be an outstanding dad,
and he's already an outstanding ninja.
He looked strong through the entire run,
and he has got to be considered
one of the favorites to win it all this year.
- Another thing for he and Ashley to celebrate.
And we'll see Caleb racing next week on stage two.
Well, our next athlete knows all about fatherhood.
This is Pittsburgh's Barry Boyd.
After growing up foster care, he's now a stay-at-home dad
to two young sons.
- He needs to stand up.
Yep, stand him up.
I absolutely love being a dad.
- Ahh! - Ahh!
Should I eat the dinosaur?
Every moment of it is a learning experience.
Every moment of it is so much fun.
It's exciting, it's rewarding seeing
them become their own person.
Go, go.
Big step.
- * Rise up and rise up *
- We are going to be looking to adopt kids into our home.
I feel like that's my way of giving back.
When I was in foster care, I felt like I had to become
like an adult really quick.
- * Never on our own *
* Never on our own *
* No, not alone *
- But now that I have Ninja, I feel
like I can be a kid again.
So I get to just play on a giant playground.
- * No, we're not alone *
- Ready?
both: 1, 2, 3.
- This little guy is my inspiration.
And I will be hitting the buzzer for him tonight.
- Barry's son, Isaiah, is in bed,
but his wife and youngest son are watching with other family
back in Pittsburgh.
[crowd cheering]
[countdown clock beeping]
- Barry Boyd made a big impression last season.
Came out as an unknown 27-year-old rookie,
and he looked strong.
Got buzzers in qualifying and semifinals,
made it to the National Finals.
Now, he's back for his second run at stage one.
- He has a year of experience under his belt.
And he's got a lot more confidence this time.
- 5'7", 155 pounds.
Wasn't an athlete growing up, but he's moving like one now.
He got big air on the Barrel Roll.
- Barry Boyd has got some giddyup to him this year.
[crowd cheering]
Wow.
Boy, he is dialed in, ain't he?
- He just looks so relaxed.
And he's through three.
- And now, Akbar, rematch with the the Jumping Spider
that ended his season last year.
- All right, put this spider out of its misery.
Come on; come on.
Stomp that spider out.
Nice.
Ooh, a little awkward inside of the spider,
the Jumping Spider.
- Well, he wasn't going to let it happen twice in a row.
- No.
He said, nuh-uh, not me.
He worked too hard to get back to this point, Matt.
It is not easy to get to the National Finals.
Barry Boyd, uh-oh, very close to getting out of there.
Come on.
[crowd cheering]
- That Jumping Spider eats up energy.
Gotta get going.
Right now, into The Gambler.
Gonna need to be perfect on here.
- Yeah.
From the slot machine to the cards.
[crowd cheering]
- It's so hard to control the momentum with this poker
chip spinning, but got it.
Real smooth.
- It's so crazy to think just five years ago,
started "Ninja Warrior," and look at him.
- But he's struggling to get it extended.
- Uh-oh.
Get the right leverage.
- He's just going to have to go for it.
- Yeah.
- Not going to be lined up.
This is going to be some athleticism here.
- Oh, boy.
You saw he had an awkward landing.
He was back on his heel instead of being forward.
And now he's eating up some time.
- And this is no-man's-land.
This wheel keeps spinning.
- Oh, man, he is all--
oh, he is discombobulated.
He's all over the place, fumbling and bumbling.
- It's so easy to lose it all gambling in Vegas.
And Boyd just spinning.
- Oh. [buzzer blares]
[together] Ohh!
- And you could see it spun out as he went.
The house wins again.
Coming up...
It was a devastating fire that shook the ninja community.
Now, from the ashes, Sam Folsom tries
to rise up and keep his "Ninja" dreams alive
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to Vegas, where we just had two nail-biting
runs on stage one.
San Diego photographer Alex Nye
was looking picture perfect
for his first trip to Vegas, until he reached The Gambler.
- Yeah.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi,
Whoo.
Wow, that looked scary from up here.
- After barely grabbing the craps table,
he stalled out on the roulette wheel
and then spun out on the Ace of Spades.
- He's got to make a move.
He can't think about it.
- That left him with less than 30 seconds
for the final three obstacles.
- He has no time. He has no time.
He's got to go. Hustle.
- Go, Alex, go.
- And he timed out just a few feet away from the Cargo Net.
[buzzer blares]
- So close. So close.
- New Jersey college student Joe Meissner
gave us another thriller.
His first appearance in Vegas was going smoothly,
until the final obstacles.
- Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
Little tripped up.
Explode up.
Nice.
- Out of breath and running out of time,
he stumbled across Dipping Birds.
- All right, he's got to get going now.
He's got to get going.
- Then the 21-year-old had to take extra swings
on Thread the Needle.
- Oh my goodness.
Oh my goodness.
Climb, climb, climb.
- It came down to the closest finish of the season.
- Reach out for it.
Oh my goodness.
Oh, my.
- He got the buzzer with less than a second to spare.
- Whoo!
- Up next is one of the top young ninjas,
21-year-old Sam Folsom.
And he is coming into Vegas with a heavy heart.
His family recently suffered a devastating loss.
But the ninja community has rallied around him.
[rock music]
- When I started "Ninja Warrior," I started
building obstacles at my barn.
Welcome to the Danger Zone.
Then eventually, it grew to be called
and known as the Danger Zone.
Ninjas came from all over the country to train there.
- Nice.
- I don't even know how many obstacles were in
the Danger Zone, because every time I went there,
everything was completely different.
It was the coolest place ever.
* *
- Recently, the barn had a fire, and it
was a total loss of everything in it and around it.
We were just super happy that nobody was injured or harmed.
We had so many events there in the barn.
Just a really emotional journey.
We also could not have expected the support
we got back from the ninja community after the fire.
[gentle music]
- Hearing that the barn burned down was a devastating loss.
But there was actually a fundraiser
set for $10,000 that was started the day
that everybody found out.
And it's way surpassed that goal already.
The ninja community has came through in a big way.
[saw whirring]
- Coming into Vegas is super exciting,
because a lot of construction could
be planned bigger and better with a
million-dollar cash prize.
- So great to see the ninja community
supporting Sam and his family.
- His parents on the sideline,
along with Sam's girlfriend, fellow ninja Isabella Wakeham.
Those two won the Couples Championship
earlier this year.
- And Sam will be running with a Safety Pass.
If he falls, he'll get another shot at the course.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Folsom faced a couple of big ninjas to get here.
He beat 6'6" Jody Avila in the semifinals race
and then outran 6'5" John Mack in the Safety Pass race.
- He's 5'9".
He's the giant slayer, huh?
- He's looked very strong all season.
Started off by winning the Couples Championship,
had a blazing-fast time to get a buzzer during semifinals.
- But when you have a Safety Pass,
you sure don't want to have to use it.
But stage one is diabolical.
- This Giant Rollercoaster is the highway
to the danger zone.
Nice.
- I'm sure his girlfriend has given him some advice.
She's gone deep on stage one before.
- Let's go. Come on, Sam.
- Well, this kid is a beast.
Just an explosive athlete.
Locked in on Jumping Spider.
- It's his first time on stage one,
and he's not flying through the course
like he normally does.
He's got to really be mindful of the time.
[crowd cheering]
- Gets through.
- Let's go. Let's go. You got it. You got it, Sam.
- Taking his time here.
- He's comfortable being in the danger zone,
and that's certainly gambling in Vegas.
- This obstacle can eat up a lot of time
if you're not careful.
- You got it, Sam. - You got this.
- This poker chip spins and makes
it so challenging to control your momentum,
but Folsom looking dialed in.
- Nice.
- He's now old enough to place a bet at the craps table.
But struggling to get it extended,
and that impacts your angle.
Here, dancing across the roulette wheel.
- Here we go.
Nice-- oh. - Oh.
- Very close.
Very close to slipping.
- But he said, I'm all right.
- He's 21.
That's a good number in Vegas.
- Well, just under a minute.
- Keep moving.
- And you can't let off the accelerator
here, Akbar, because Thread the Needle can eat up time.
- This is where he's got to go.
No resting here before Dipping Birds.
- Let's go. Let's move, Sam.
- Go straight through, dude.
Let's go.
- Gets through.
But only about 30 seconds left.
- He's got to get going, Akbar.
- Here we go.
- No extra swings here.
- Up and over. Nice.
- Got it.
Get on to that Cargo Net, get high.
And an extra swing.
- Whoa. - But a high transfer.
- Oh, boy. Oh, boy. - He felt the need,
the need for speed.
- Hurry, hurry, hurry. Get there.
[buzzer blares]
- Gets the buzzer with just over two seconds to spare.
- He looks exhausted, but he's moving on.
And how great for his family to have something
to celebrate after that fire?
We'll see Sam in the semis.
Coming up...
No one gets a crowd fired up
like "The Beast" James McGrath.
We'll see him next...
- Let's go.
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Three more ninjas tried to keep their season
alive while we were away.
New Jersey's Brandon Singletary was
excited for his first attempt at stage one.
- He's having way too much fun here.
- The two-time "Ninja" veteran got his first-ever
buzzer back in qualifying, and he
looked confident tonight.
With his family cheering him on, the waiter from New Jersey
rolled through the first three obstacles,
but then faced Jumping Spider.
- No.
- Oh.
- Connecticut's Conor Galvin was back in Vegas for
the first time in five years.
And his cheering section was led by girlfriend
Hailey and his dog, Sadie.
- Very nice and steady. Nice.
- The physical therapist fell on the fifth obstacle
the last time he was on stage one.
And number five got him again tonight.
- Oh.
That was a lot of heat on that swing.
- Say hi to Daddy.
Say hi to Daddy.
- Hi, Sadie. - Ohh.
- Pennsylvania teenager Cal Plohoros
was making his third straight appearance on stage one.
And ninja Cal was able to dance across The Gambler.
- Dance, dance, dance. Nice.
Good, good.
Good movement.
Whoa.
- The budding actor fell on Dipping Birds last year.
- Don't overthink it. Just do it.
You got it, man.
Nice.
- And the four-time "Ninja" veteran got his first buzzer
in Vegas.
[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!
Let's go!
- Well, we've got a true legend of the sport
coming to the start line now.
It's James "The Beast" McGrath.
He started competing 15 years ago in season 2.
And while he's hit plenty of buzzers over the years,
stage one has not been his friend.
- The last time I hit a buzzer on stage one was season five.
- Look at him, beasting the course.
- Since season five, James has failed stage one five times.
- Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- Including three times in a row on the Jumping Spider.
- No, H2O.
- No. - Oh my goodness.
- You know, part of it I thought like maybe
I'm just getting old.
Maybe this is just how things are.
Maybe I'm never going to be as strong as I used to be.
- Last year, he timed out after getting
hung up on The Gambler.
Oh, no. - Oh, no.
- That hesitation could be costly
as the roulette wheel spins and the clock ticks down.
- He surrendered way too much time there on The Gambler.
- At the very least, making it to the end of stage one
was gratifying in and of itself just knowing
like, yeah, I still got it.
And this season, I'm just going to come
in with more confidence.
The Beast isn't done yet.
- His fiancée, Allyssa Beird,
is one of the three women who finished stage one.
She's injured and watching from back in Massachusetts.
- All you. You got this.
- He's got a big sideline group.
Some of those guys have been competing
with him for 15 years.
And some were just toddlers
when "The Beast" started "Ninja."
- Come on, James. You got this.
[countdown clock beeping]
- At 37, one of the oldest athletes
to make it to the National Finals.
He's had some serious shoulder injuries that kept
him from competing for years.
But since he's come back he's had a career resurgence.
- Her's racked up a remarkable 23 buzzers
in his career, but he really wants
to get one here tonight on stage one.
- No problems through the first two obstacles.
But we say it all the time, you have
to pace yourself on stage one.
So easy to run out of gas when you
reach those final obstacles.
- OK, Beast, no problem.
- Well, after timing out last season,
you can see The Beast is on a mission
not to suffer the same fate.
But he's had injuries right here on the Jumping
Spider before.
- Not now. - Locked in.
- He's got a little giddyup to him.
Looks like he's a little lighter as well.
Looks like he's shed about 5 to 7 pounds.
- Good job.
That's always a confidence boost for an athlete
to best an obstacle that caused you to have surgery.
But slow progress there, Akbar, and that's
reminiscent of last year.
That eats up energy and time.
- Uh-oh.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
- And he's already breathing heavy.
- Yeah. You see him.
He says, those legs get pumped up.
- Don't sleep on the Jumping Spider.
[indistinct].
But the good thing is, he's not going to have
to use a lot of his legs.
- Well, that is the challenge on this course,
the eight obstacles add up, and the Jumping Spider
just took a big bite out of The Beast.
- And a big bite out of on time.
- 6'2", 160, plenty of leverage, plenty of length.
Let's see how he dances with the roulette wheel.
- Nice move. - Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
- Oh, good save.
- Wow, he avoided disaster right there.
- You know what he did?
He just beasted it there.
But down to minute, Akbar. - All right.
- Gotta get going. - Ooh.
Lost his step but recovered.
- You can see those legs are tired.
- Oh, legs are toast. Those legs are toast.
- Oh, my.
You got it, Beast. Go. - I know.
Breathe, buddy, breathe.
- And he just nodded at us.
He's feeling it.
Go, Beast, go.
Oh, Akbar.
- Ooh, boy. I don't care.
Suck it up, man.
Suck it up.
Nice.
- When you're tired, will he have the energy
to get the cane off the hook.
- Come on.
- Matt, he's got to get on that cane before 30 seconds.
- This is looking exactly like last season.
Will he be able to best it?
Got it. - Yes!
- He's gonna have to climb up the net
with those tired legs.
- Get on that net.
- Oh, boy.
- Go, man, go.
- Well, let's see.
Oh. Oh.
- 10 seconds.
- And that is incredible.
The Beast will do it this year.
[buzzer blares]
[crowd cheering]
- Yeah!
- And that had to feel good.
- Yeah!
Come on.
- Beast, you had us nervous.
This was looking like a repeat of last season.
You got through it.
What was the difference?
- Everything I've been through to get here,
all the surgeries and all the times you guys
have said The Beast is back.
Tonight, tonight The Beast is back.
- Yes. - Yeah, buddy.
- I love it.
- Well, The Beast is gonna go racing.
We'll see you on stage two, buddy.
Coming up...
She nearly took down stage one in her rookie season.
- Oh, she's rolling now.
- Can teen sensation Taylor Greene get
a buzzer on her second try?
She's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Vegas in the start of our National Finals.
5-foot-tall Anna McArthur
is the night's smallest competitor,
but she had one of the biggest cheering sections
with friends watching from Utah and her family
on the sideline.
- Let's go, Anna Lee!
- But unfortunately, the high schooler had a short run.
- Oh no.
That's a tough one, Matt.
It's a tough one.
- Colorado's Austin Gray made it all the way
to stage three last year, so he was
running with confidence.
- That's what he does best.
He stays calm, stays focused.
- He turned on the jets on the back half of the course
and made quick work of Thread the Needle.
- Oh, and going right for it.
OK, good.
- The seven-time veteran put up the third-fastest time
on stage one to that point.
- Man, I can't wait to see you on stage two.
- Thank you.
- Then New Jersey teenage Josiah
Pippel came out even faster.
- He is not messing around.
- The four-time "Ninja" veteran has made it
as far as stage four, and he's never
failed to finish stage one.
- Lost his grip but was able to hold himself up
with one hand!
That was impressive.
- He sailed through all eight obstacles
and moved ahead of Austin Gray for the third fastest
finish on stage one.
- He'll be one of the top seeds
when we start head-to-head racing on stage two.
- Guys, Taylor Greene almost finished stage one
last year as a rookie, and she is coming
in with a lot of confidence.
Though only 16, she's been a "Ninja" star for years
with tens of thousands of followers,
and she takes that responsibility seriously.
- I had this viral video when I was, I think, 10 or 11
of me racing this guy on a course,
and it got over 100 million views.
- Strong, strong, strong, quick.
- And that's when my mom decided to start an Instagram.
As I started to get that following on social media
and people started following my journey through "Ninja,"
people started messaging me saying,
"Hey, my little girl watches you,
and she really, really loves you, and she's so inspired."
And that was so cool because I used to be that little girl.
Jessie Graff or Jesse Labreck, I was so inspired by them
and what they could do.
- Taylor's the one who inspired me
to stop watching "Ninja" on YouTube and to go out
and actually do it.
- The first time a little girl dressed up as me for Halloween
was so cool because dressing up for Halloween
is so important to little kids, and for them
to choose to be like me was incredible.
I'm sure lots of my followers would be very excited to see
me hit another buzzer.
- Yes!
- And there's some of the kids she's inspired--
- You got this.
- --including Jaelyn who we saw in that Halloween costume.
- You got it.
- Taylor's got supporters on the sideline,
including her parents and brothers.
[countdown clock beeping]
She almost finished stage one last season.
- Went out on that seventh obstacle, Dipping Birds.
Will this be her year?
Only three women have ever hit that stage one buzzer.
How impressive would it be if a 16-year-old
added her name to that list?
- She remembers seeing Jessie Graff and Allyssa
Beird and Flex Labreck.
And she wants that.
She wants that badly.
- Well, they were coaching her on "Ninja Junior."
- And now they're all competing together.
- How cool would it be for mean Taylor
Greene to join the ranks of those great ninjas?
- Yeah.
- There you go.
- She is so strong, but she works so hard day in, day out.
Great body control there. - Nice.
- Yeah, she's really good now.
- She is good.
She's from your home state.
- Colorado.
Proud.
[cheers and applause]
- And you can see, she's used to training at altitude,
so she's doing OK with Vegas so far.
Locked in.
Wow!
- It can be hard to breathe in the Mile High,
but here we're only about 2,000 feet.
- And Akbar, she's looking locked in.
And that's key because she's expending less energy here.
- She's got upper-body strength for days.
And now back to The Gambler.
- Whoo. Good job.
- She's in great position, Akbar.
- Yes, she is, Matt.
This obstacle is the difference maker.
If she can get through it quickly,
she's got a shot.
- This obstacle has been the separator for so many runs.
Gets a little turned around.
Corrects it.
Got it.
- Nice and focused.
And just arm over arm, so efficient, no wasted movement.
- Here we go. Here we go.
Come on. One-two push. - Push it.
- Send it. Get it.
- Nice. Nice! - Got it.
- Wow, she is dialed in.
This high school track star is gonna need to sprint.
But I think she can do it, Matt.
- By far, the fastest woman to this point.
We saw Mady Howard and Abby Clark
get to the Dipping Birds.
Last year she made it here.
Can she get through the seventh obstacle?
- All right, here we go.
- Akbar, she's got a shot at a buzzer here.
- You got this. You got this.
- Got to get going.
- All right, here we go.
Come on.
You got to be lean, mean, and Taylor Greene got it!
- Now get right into it, Taylor.
You got 30 seconds!
- Yeah, Matt.
It's like she heard you.
Oh! Get up high on the cane.
Oh, she got to readjust.
Nice!
- Only three women have ever hit the buzzer here!
both: Oh!
- Sha na na.
- No.
- Peeled off on the transfer! - Ohh.
- The best run we've seen out of a woman.
And Taylor Greene once again proving she is a stud.
- Wow!
- Dang it.
- She came so close.
And it's because she was efficient
on all the obstacles.
Made it across Dipping Birds, which got her last season.
But as she made the move on Thread the Needle,
her hands just slipped off.
- Taylor, what a run that was.
We saw a little smile you cracked after Dipping Birds.
And then did you realize, you know what?
I think I got to lock back in.
I got to focus on this clock here.
- Absolutely.
I was, like, super excited to, like,
clear those and do it well.
And then I was like, oh my gosh,
I have one more obstacle.
I have to do, like, I'm so close.
And I think that, like, how close
I was just kind of got in there,
and I just didn't hold on.
- Hey, it happens.
Well, incredible job out here.
- Thank you.
- Great work.
Guys, back to you.
- Up next, he's Super Dad around
the house but a record-breaker on the course.
One of the all-time greats, Joe Moravsky,
is up next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Next week, the National Finals go into overdrive with
head-to-head racing on stage two
as our remaining ninjas try to keep their million-dollar
dreams alive.
- He's done it!
- But we're not done tonight.
And these fans know who's up next.
It's The Weatherman.
Joe Moravsky has more buzzers than any ninja in history,
but he's had some heartbreak in Vegas.
And as a 35-year-old father of three,
he's the first to admit that time may be running out
on achieving total victory.
- Joe Moravsky is a climb away from advancing to stage two.
- He has a record-setting eight stage-one buzzers--
- Moravsky gets another buzzer!
His record-breaking total continues.
- --and more stage-two buzzers than anyone else with five.
- Moravsky is going back to stage three.
- Go Dad! - You got it.
Come on.
- But he's never reached stage four.
- Almost there.
- And the competition to win the million dollars
gets stiffer every season.
- Yeah! - Yay!
- Whoo!
- I would be lying to you if I said I
was not thinking of retiring.
It's just the sacrifice that it takes.
My family means so much more to me
than anything else in the world.
- [screams]
I got you.
- I just want to not miss the moments of them growing up.
To compete on "American Ninja Warrior"
is a full-time job in itself, the amount of training
needed, sacrifice needed.
I have experienced the closest of victories--
Let's go!
- And Joe Moravsky does it!
- --the worst fails.
- No!
- Oh my gosh!
- No!
- And I've sacrificed more than anybody else, anybody.
So it's my time.
- Yeah, you got this!
- The kids are back home, but Joe's wife,
Stephanie, is here leading the cheers on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, Joe's been close to winning it all,
last ninja standing twice in his career.
- Coming into this season hitting back-to-back buzzers
in the qualifying semis.
Many believe this could be Joe Moravsky's year.
Season 16, how sweet would it be?
- Just a remarkable record of consistency.
But never made that stage four climb,
and that has haunted him, and that's motivated
him to keep coming back.
You see him go to that switch grip
there, making it look effortless.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
- He's seen teenagers who are half his age come in
and do very well.
But Joe's managed to keep pace with them.
- 35 years old with an incredible 32 buzzers.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's see if The Weatherman likes to gamble.
- More than any other obstacle, this one
can make you or break you.
It's easy to get hung up and lose a lot of time.
And there it is.
35 years old, this father of three really
showing that he still got it.
- Take your time. Come on.
- You can see him shaking his head there
getting a little hung up on that poker chip.
- Every second matters because how fast you finish
determines who you'll be racing against on stage two.
Dancing on the roulette wheel, got the Ace of Spades.
Controlling it.
And Joe Moravsky looking strong as ever.
[cheers and applause]
Akbar, he is a man on a mission.
- He's on a mission.
But the thing is, if he gets to stage two,
will he be able keep up with these young ninjas?
- Well, no one has hit more stage two buzzers than Joe.
And you know he'll be motivated.
[together] Go, Joe!
- About a minute left.
Real smooth and right into it.
- Ooh. - Oh, Akbar, he's conscious.
He wants to have a good matchup.
He wants to get this buzzer fast.
- Nice. Oh, he wants to make sure he gets it good seeding.
- Well, it is a loaded field, Akbar.
There are going to be no easy races on stage two.
[cheers and applause]
- And Joe Moravsky, a remarkable 33rd buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
- There we go again, baby.
- Joe Moravsky making it rain in Vegas.
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
Always feels good.
- Get over here, man.
Joe Moravsky, man, it's season 16.
Are we going to get a stage four out of you?
- Yeah.
This is the year, I'm telling you.
I got three down, three to go.
- All right. - I love it, Joe.
- All right.
- Listen, you've got 33 buzzers.
Every time you hit one, you break your own record.
You're going to stage two!
Hit the buzzer one more time!
- Let's go!
- What a way to end the night.
In all, we had 26 ninjas hit the buzzer on stage one,
so our matchups are set for next week's races
on stage two.
Our fastest finisher, Noah Meunier, is our top seed.
He'll be racing Joe Meissner.
Kaden Lebsack is the number two seed.
He'll have a tough matchup going against Sam Folsom.
New Jersey's Josiah Pippel will go head-to-head
against Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner.
In a battle of "Ninja" veterans,
Austin Gray will face off against
James "The Beast" McGrath.
The five seed, Caleb Bergstrom, is up against
Colorado's Max Feinberg.
"Cat Daddy" Jackson Twait will try to hold
off teenager Cal Plohoros.
Speedster Kai Beckstrand faces the "Papal Ninja" Sean Bryan.
Kyle Soderman will try to outrun John Mack.
And a marquee matchup pits defending
champ Vance Walker against fan favorite Flip Rodriguez.
That run by Joe Moravsky makes him a ten seed.
He'll face Rhode Island's Kevin Rodriguez.
Nacssa Garemore is up against Luke Beckstrand.
"The Flyboy" Isaiah Thomas faces
a tough test against "The Boss" Elijah Browning.
And one of the best, Daniel Gil,
will be racing college student Colton Skuster.
- For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."
[dramatic music]