[dramatic music]
- Yes!
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
- How's it feel? - It still doesn't feel real.
I don't think it'll kick in until I see it on TV, honestly.
It's real.
[cheers and applause]
- For nine weeks,
they have defied expectations.
- These teenagers are coming out ready for the big course.
- Refusing to let youth and inexperience hold them back.
- * Yeah, we came to win *
- It's awesome to see what these kids can do.
- Might even take a shot at that Mega Wall.
- I am.
- That boy just answered me
in the middle of his run.
- They are unreal.
- * It feels like, it feels like *
* Our time is now *
- And now,
they've reached the promised land:
the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior."
- * We were born to be champions *
- The fact that I'm here, it's--
it's everything I could have wished for and more.
- * We were born to be champions *
- This season is already
everything I've ever dreamed of.
- Tonight, Stage 1 begins,
the first of four grueling mountains to climb...
- * To the top, to the top *
- On the road to the $1 million grand prize.
- We live and sleep ninja. This is what I do.
I'm built different!
- * Born to be champions *
- Vegas is here to test your will.
- This course is unpredictable.
- You make the wrong choice,
and you hit that water, your season's over.
- * It feels like, it feels like *
- In Vegas,
only the best compete.
- * We were born to be champions *
- And only the best of the best survive.
- It blows my mind knowing that I'm finally here.
- Time to add my name to the history books.
- * Born to be champions *
- This is going to be awesome!
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
* *
- There's nothing like Vegas.
And we're thrilled to be back once again
for the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for being with us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, this is where every ninja wants to be--
in Vegas, with a chance to win a million dollars.
- Now, to win that money,
they have to conquer all four stages.
The first test, the all-out sprint known as Stage 1.
For all the details, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Guys, it is a blast to be back in windy Las Vegas.
Stage 1 has eight intense obstacle,
and five are brand-new,
including the very first one, Slide Surfer,
which is followed by the Swinging Blades.
Then, at number seven, it's a new balance obstacle,
Dipping Birds.
And the big change is what's waiting at number eight.
For the first time, at the National Finals,
our ninjas will have a Split Decision.
With the clock ticking, they can choose the safer
but slower Fly Hooks,
or they can take The High Road.
They hit a button and race
to time their jump up to a handle
that will carry them to the cargo net.
It's a faster, but riskier option.
You only have 2 minutes and 45 seconds to hit that buzzer,
so they better get moving.
Guys.
- Well, it's a windy night,
but we've got stands filled with excited fans,
and we're ready to kick off the National Finals.
We're gonna start with one of our youngest competitors.
This is 16-year-old Christian Youst.
He's one of the many teenagers
who made history on our courses this season.
- The teen invasion is on, Matt.
- For the first time, athletes under 19
were invited to compete this year.
No one was exactly sure how they'd do.
- Oh! - Vance Walker!
- Let's go! Let's go!
- Teenagers comminated the leaderboards in qualifying.
- This is a dream come true.
- Yes!
- A history-making run.
And claimed nearly half the spots
on the Power Tower in semis.
In all, 18 teenagers made it to the National Finals.
Over a quarter of the field here in Vegas
can't even walk into a casino.
- Oh, my goodness.
- * We're off the ground *
- Getting to Vegas
on my first year competing on the show,
as a part of this first wave of teens,
is insane.
- Oh! - This kid just looked like
he was on an amusement park ride!
- I've known for a long time that we're super strong,
and I think a teen could win this.
I hope that teen's me.
- * Look at us *
all: [chanting] Youst! Youst! Youst! Youst!
- He's got Isaiah Thomas and some of the other teenagers
down on the sidelines, starting the "Youst" chant.
- 100%!
- Let's go!
- And watching back in the Dallas area
are his mom, Lisa, and some other friends.
- Lots of excitement for this run.
- Well, Youst calls himself the Dark Horse Ninja,
because he's only 5'4".
Has an underdog mentality.
- He needs that attitude on Stage 1.
Only 2 minutes and 45 seconds to hit that buzzer.
[countdown clock beeping]
- First off, this new balance obstacle, Slide Surfer.
- Whoa! He's going really fast!
- Leaps right on to the all-new Swinging Blades.
Only small ledges to grab on to,
and those blades are angled.
- Youst is one of those classic video game players,
and this course-- kind of like "Mario Brothers."
You gotta keep it moving.
- And he's through.
- Yeah! There we go!
- This next one, Double Dipper, will be a test.
In fact, each of the past three times
we've seen this obstacle, it has taken out more ninjas
than any other obstacle on Stage 1.
- Matt, this is just like a roller coaster.
51 feet long. You better hang on tight.
- Perfect! - Nice.
- Let's go!
- And obstacle four is the iconic Jumping Spider.
5'4". Gotta get deep into the chute.
- Boom! Get in there!
- Oh! Whoa! - Nice! Okay!
- Well, he likes vintage video games.
This is kind of like "Frogger."
Gotta use your legs to hop through it.
- Come on. Push. Come on.
- And he's through.
- Whoo!
- Now he's facing Tire Run.
Gotta run across the angled tires.
- You know, I think this one's more like "Donkey Kong."
It's kind of crazy.
Oh, okay! - Oh! Hesitation!
- Okay! - Great job to regroup!
But now has to swing over and land on top of the big tire.
Keep your balance on the center,
the top of this fifth wheel that spins.
- All right, and nice.
And did you see how he went up, and not out?
So, that way, he didn't get the tire spinning.
- Only 115 pounds. It barely moved.
But Akbar, the clock ticking down.
1:05 left.
- Yes! - Let's go.
- Come on! You got it! Let's go!
- Now the 14-foot Warped Wall. Got the curved run-up.
And he'll be the first to face Split Decision.
Now here's a new element.
He's gonna hit that button.
This activates The High Road.
He will then have 8 1/2 seconds
to get across the brand-new obstacle,
the Dipping Birds, and grab that moving red ring.
That takes you to the cargo net.
- Whoo! - Okay!
Oh, he's about to get it! - No!
And changed his mind at the last minute,
and now he has to choose the Fly Hooks.
This will take longer, and the clock is ticking.
- Come on, Christian Youst.
- Be efficient on these transfers.
An extra swing! - Come on, now.
You don't get a tardy slip here!
Oh! He thought about it! - Oh, no!
- Well, the ring caught, Akbar!
You gotta go up and out! No! It caught again!
- Oh, Matt. He's gotta go up, Matt.
Nice. Get up. Nice!
- Oh, he's got to launch real high up to the net.
Go for it! - Oh, boy. You don't get
a tougher net for this one. - Five seconds!
- Come on! You gotta go!
- Oh, no! - Oh!
- But it was that transfer on the Fly Hook!
And shows just how tough it is to finish Stage 1.
- Awesome, baby. Awesome.
- He didn't have a lot of time left,
so he tried to take the faster route,
The High Road, but when he got there,
he stopped his jump at the last minute,
so he had to go with Fly Hooks.
Got caught up, and came up a few seconds short.
- Any mistake can cost you.
And Christian Youst times out just short of the buzzer.
Our next athlete is seven years older,
but he's also one of the explosive,
young stars of ninja.
This is Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner.
He has been perfect so far this season,
hitting two buzzers.
But not only is he a super ninja,
he's a supper nanny.
[car lock chirps]
- What's up, boys? Who's winning?
I've been babysitting for a family with two boys
for about four years now.
[laughter]
- Ever since we met Cameron,
we just totally fell in love with him.
And we call him our manny.
- Our manny. - Our male nanny.
- Angelo, I think I'm beating you.
[laughter]
- We just like to, like, hang out.
We, like, play sports outside, and we play video games.
- I think they were much better with a manny.
Just listen right now. - Pick that.
No, I could've won that. - What are you doing?
- They're playing.
They're just, like, hanging out and playing.
They're like three brothers.
- It's fine. I'll take the shortcut.
That's fine. That works.
They do look up to me
as, like, a positive role model in their lives.
Seeing their struggles, whether it's with school
or with sports, you know, I've been there,
so I can relate and understand and help guide them.
- Cam "The Bomb," fastest time of the night!
- I didn't think it was possible
for the average person to make it on that TV show.
It's inspired us so that we could, like--
that you can do anything that you put your mind to.
- All right. Bye, guys. See you later.
- See you, Cam. - Bye, Cam.
- Tonight, I'm gonna go out there
and give it my all, and I'm gonna be the first
manny American Ninja Warrior.
Hey, guys!
- And Cam's got that family,
the LaVaccas, watching from back in Illinois,
along with his fellow Chicago ninja Michael Torres.
- Let's go. Come on.
- And on the sidelines, here in Vegas,
his girlfriend and his mom.
- Go, Cam!
[countdown clock beeping]
- And Cam, oh, my, just exploding out.
Akbar, this kid has been so good.
- Whoa! - Oh, no!
[air horn blares]
- Oh, no.
- Oh, no, Cameron!
- Oh, my! How unexpected!
Cam Baumgartner, who looked so strong this year,
is out on just the second obstacle.
An absolute heartbreaker.
- What the heck happened?
- Cam Baumgartner's one of the best, but watch.
He grabs the blade with his right hand,
but just whiffed with his left,
proving anything can happen.
And as always, it's gonna be an unpredictable night
on Stage 1.
- Ninja fans have hit the jackpot.
- Whoo! - 'Cause tonight,
we've got an all-star lineup.
- I can't wait for this one!
- Plus a few teenage wild cards.
They're all hoping to run the table.
Got it! - Nice! Yeah!
- But many will just cash out.
both: Oh!
- It's Vegas, so anything can happen.
- Is that a tattoo of us?
- Whoo! - Oh! Okay, okay!
- It's night one of the National Finals...
- Let's go!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to night one
of the National Finals.
Well, whether she's throwing axes
or throwing herself across the course,
our next ninja's always entertaining.
This is the mighty Megan Rowe,
the axe-throwing, jewelry-making barista
from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The 24-year-old has had
a breakout season.
She was the top woman in her semifinal
and earned her first trip
to the National Finals.
Her family and friends
back in the Midwest wouldn't miss this.
- Love you guys!
- Megan's also got her dad, Tim,
and her boyfriend, fellow competitor Dalton Knapp,
down on the sideline.
- Come on, Megan! You got it!
[countdown clock beeping]
- She's the first of 12 women
who qualified for the National Finals.
Megan Rowe has some explosive power, Akbar.
A high-level gymnast.
- The Swinging Blades look like axes.
No way she's gonna fall on this obstacle.
- You can see her there using her hips
to control her momentum. I like it.
An aggressive start here out of Megan Rowe.
- And she's taking extra swings.
Those are costly when the clock's ticking.
Matt, that time is precious.
- Come on, Megan! You got it!
- There we go. Now she's got to hustle up.
- Yeah, Megan! - Come on, Megan! Go!
- The former gymnast should be comfortable here
on Double Dipper. - All right.
Come on, Megan. Rowe with it. Rowe with it.
- The challenge on Double Dipper is just--
let the bar throw you to that second one.
- Yeah. Use it. Nice. Catch it.
You can tell--no! - Oh, no!
Just missed it! - Meggy...
- Rowe chopped down on Double Dipper.
A terrific season comes to an end on the third obstacle.
- She made the leap to the second bar,
but when it starts to come down,
that's a lot of force on your hands.
Look at her face.
And that's when her fingers peeled right off.
- It's okay, though. Get it next time.
- Our next ninja has become a huge inspiration
to ninja fans in the past two years.
This is Gnarly Ninja Nate, Nate Hansen.
Due to a growth hormone deficiency,
the 20-year-old college student stands just 5'2",
yet it never stops him on the course.
And not only did he make it to the National Finals,
so did all three of his roommates.
- Whoo!
- I live in a ninja house full of American Ninja Warriors.
It's pretty wicked.
[doorbell rings]
- It's 900 square feet.
The living room, we call that Kevin's room.
- See if you can make it in Kevin's ear.
- What? [laughter]
- And then, we have two bedrooms.
Austin and his girlfriend, Jaylen,
and then me and Gnarly Nate.
We have, like, twin beds going on.
[laughter]
- Shut up!
- I try to keep the house as tidy as can be,
but it can get wild sometimes.
- Jonah's bed is a pile of all of Jonah's stuff,
and he sleeps on top of the pile.
- Well, that's not completely true.
I move the pile when I go to sleep.
But Gnarly Nate, he's really clean.
He makes his bed every day.
I don't understand why you would make a bed
that you're gonna get back into.
- Am I in the way here? - You're always in the way.
The apartment's definitely not big enough for five of us.
Get--get out of my way.
- Nate is definitely the chef,
and Austin makes everybody laugh.
- I'm making tortellini, okay?
What are you making? Pancakes out of a box?
Nate's not the chef, and I'm not the jokester, okay?
It is backwards.
- Don't flip my pancake.
- It's not even round.
For sure, I am the only one
that knows how to cook out of us.
Like, I cook anything.
all: Oh!
- * Champion *
- I love having roommates who do "Ninja Warrior."
- We train together, we push each other,
We lift each other up, and I think
that's why we're succeeding.
- And Gnarly Ninja Nate Hansen's going to Vegas.
- All four of us are now competing
in the National Finals, so my roommates
will definitely be on the sidelines watching me.
And tonight, I'm gonna hit a buzzer for them.
- * Champion *
- Let's go! - Come on! Let's go!
- Well, Nate's roomies are ready for his run...
- There you go, bud.
- As are his parents
and family and friends,
including his biggest fan, Aiden, who deals
with the same growth hormone deficiency condition Nate has.
- You got this, Nate.
- Aiden is one of the many who have been inspired
watching Nate run the course.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Nate's had a great season already.
Hit buzzers in qualifying and semifinals.
It's gonna be tough to hit another one on Stage 1,
but don't ever count out Gnarly Nate.
- These supersized obstacles are especially tough
when you're 5'2",
but this guy always comes up big.
- He's been doubted for a long time,
and he's done nothing here on "Ninja Warrior"
but prove himself.
That's why he's here on Stage 1.
- Let's go! - Let's go!
- And look at him, getting the crowd hyped up
as he faces the third obstacle.
- He knows what to do. - Go for a ride here
on the Double Dipper. - All right.
- Make this transfer easy. - He's 125 pounds.
That's a lot of--oh! Whoa! - Wow!
- He almost missed that grab! Nice!
- Whoo!
- Jumping Spider, though,
gonna be a big challenge.
Needs a deep jump off the trampoline.
- Yeah, he's gotta get far in there, Matt.
And he's gotta stick it.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
Oh, no!
- Attaway, Nate!
- Had an exciting start,
but Gnarly Nate can't stick it on the Jumping Spider,
and his impressive season comes to an end.
- Nice run, man. - Whoo!
- He had great extension on Double Dipper.
Look at that grab. But on Jumping Spider,
he didn't get deep enough into the chute.
He was trying to land his feet when the walls are far apart,
and no way to hold it.
- Gnarliest time of my life. Coolest course ever.
Thank you, "Ninja Warrior." I'll be back. Whoo!
- These fans are hyped to have "Ninja" back in Vegas.
And when we come back,
they're gonna see one of the hotshot teenagers.
It's the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas.
His run is up next,
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
[cheers and applause]
- It's great to be back in Vegas
in front of a rowdy crowd.
And they're getting a good show
on the first night of the National Finals.
Minutes ago, another member of the Colorado ninja house,
Jonah Muñoz, made his National Finals debut.
- Nice! - Whoo!
- Get out of there! - Okay, Jonah!
- Come on, baby!
- With his roommates cheering him on,
the 19-year-old college student
looked good through the first four obstacles.
[cheers and applause]
But his run went flat on Tire Run.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
- At just 16, Danbury, Connecticut's Devan Alexander
was making his first appearance in Vegas.
- Whoo! - Whoo!
Look at the energy out of Pow.
- With his mom, Pow, providing enough enthusiasm
to light up the Vegas Strip,
this high school junior set a sizzling pace.
- And you can see, nice technique there.
- But he couldn't stick the landing
at the start of Jumping Spider.
- No! No! No! [airhorn blares]
- Oh, my goodness.
- Slipped out. [sighs]
- Teens like Devan have been the story this season.
And here's another one who's made a big impression.
This is Isaiah Thomas, AKA the Flyboy.
He just turned 16 years old,
but he is brimming with confidence.
And he credits that to the ninja star
he's been training with.
And he's done it!
The youngest ever to hit a buzzer!
- Flyboy, it's just not my name.
It's like a mentality.
I'm built different!
- Oh, ho!
- I have a lot of confidence because of how much I train.
- Up you go, baby. Let's get it.
- But if it wasn't for Karsten Williams,
I wouldn't be where I am today.
- Nice jump. And now.
Whoo! Let's go!
- Karsten is my coach, but he's also like a mentor.
- Smooth and quick. Smooth and quick.
- He's the one that named me Flyboy.
- Way to push it. Way to push it.
- I have all respect for him.
- Let's see what we got.
I didn't have too many mentors, so I felt
it was important for me to be a influence to Isaiah.
Keep his head on straight and keep him focused.
Now he's on the National Finals
in his first season,
and not only is Isaiah gonna crush it on Stage 1,
but he's gonna bring that swag,
that personality that he has.
It's gonna be fun to watch.
[laughter] - Go get it!
Hey, you built different, aren't you?
You built different.
- Tonight, I want to prove
that Flyboy is more than a rookie.
Flyboy is an all-star.
- Karsten's been injured and hasn't been able
to compete this year, but he's on the sidelines,
along with Isaiah's mom.
And remember, just 2 minutes and 45 seconds
to complete the course.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Karsten Williams has run Stage 1 six times,
so he can tell the rookie a few things
about competing when the clock's tick-tick-ticking.
- And you can see, this kid moving with a great pace,
making it in a single move to the second blade.
- Matt, he is so fearless.
He has no regards for the difficulty of Stage 1.
- But he's never seen anything as big as Double Dipper.
You're not gonna find this in any ninja gym.
- You gotta stay in control. Fly with it, Flyboy!
- Look at him. Wow! - Okay! I love this kid, Matt!
- Let's go! - Let's go!
The challenges continue here on Jumping Spider.
- Nice! - Great, locking it in.
He's 6 feet tall.
Got longer legs than some of the others,
and he's using them here on Jumping Spider.
- Yeah, he's really got a nice tempo.
I love the tempo.
- Doesn't have a driver's license yet.
Can he navigating Tire Run?
- Nice agility. Good.
- Watch it here. Top of this tire, it spins.
- Yeah, you can see he's got a lot of momentum.
He's got to come down controlled.
Nice! - Great job.
- Look at him! - Great control!
- He plays on his high school basketball team,
so this is like hanging on the rim.
Just needs to get off this.
- And he's done it.
Well, he has given himself a big cushion here
as he's staring down the Warped Wall.
And at 6'0" tall, he goes right up it.
- He is crushing this course! - There we go.
- Look at how much time he has, Matt.
- Will he hit the button and try The High Road?
His buddy, Christian Youst, couldn't get the timing right.
- Whoo! Light work here.
- All right. Hits the button. He's gonna try it.
All right. Here we go. Nice.
- Gets himself time. He's ahead of the ring.
Oh, but changes his mind.
Don't know if the timing was off,
but decides to go to the Fly Hooks,
and this kid really can fly.
- Come on.
Nice. Whoo!
- And plenty of time, Akbar.
His pace giving him a good cushion.
- Oh, he did his homework, Matt.
He did his homework.
And he's about to turn it in early.
- Well, look at this! - Oh!
- Well, Akbar, we've been talking about
the teen invasion all season long.
Well, the Flyboy, flying through the course,
is gonna be our first finisher here on Stage 1.
[buzzer blares]
- Yeah! That's what we do!
- Whoo! Yes!
- Let's go!
You already know. I don't even gotta say it.
- We sure do. He's just-- both: Built different.
- Matt, I'm gonna go ahead and say it now.
I think he might get to Stage 4.
He just turned 16, but showed no fear on this course.
Ran through everything with confidence.
Decided not to try High Road. But that's okay.
He had plenty of time left to go with Fly Hooks.
And we're gonna see Flyboy on Stage 2.
- All right, Flyboy putting in work.
Now, you made it look effortless out there.
Was it as easy as you made it look?
- Yeah, it was pretty light. [laughter]
- Isaiah, it was light work. That's what you're telling me?
- No, no, it took some-- it took some breath out of me.
But it was light work.
- You knew you could. You did it.
You clearly had a plan, and it worked.
Safe to say you got a plan for Stage 2?
- Well, we'll have to wait for that.
- Ooh, well, we'll just wait and see then, won't we?
Congratulations, Isaiah. We'll see you at Stage 2.
Guys, back to you.
- Coming up, we're going to the dogs
with last year's breakout star, Amir Malik.
And if you're a "Ninja" fan, you should check out
all the great merchandise at NBCStore.com.
You'll find t-shirts, hats, and more.
Shop NBCStore.com.
- Welcome back to the National Finals.
Minutes ago, 16-year-old Nate Pardo
had no problem flying across Double Dipper.
- Whoo! - Whoo!
- We saw his fro flying in the wind on that one.
- The high school senior from Cambridge, Massachusetts
kept getting through obstacles,
but at a slower pace.
- Time is ticking. - Whoo!
- So with time running out, he hit the button
for High Road, but as he rushed to get there,
he became the first victim of Dipping Birds.
- No!
[air horn blares] - Good try, buddy!
- Dirty bird got him!
- New Jersey teacher Rachel Degutz
had her fellow Jersey Girls on the sideline.
- I see you! I see you!
- Degutz is one of three women who made it
to the National Finals in their first season,
and she came out hot.
- Oh! Wow!
- Yeah! - Let's go, Rachel!
- But her inexperience cost her on Double Dipper,
when she didn't let go of the bar.
- Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- That's all right!
- Though she tried to build up enough momentum
to save it...
- Come on! Yeah!
- It was a lost cause.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
[audience groans] - Oh.
- That's a tough one, Matt. That's a tough one.
- Well, here's another one of the women
who made it to Vegas as a rookie,
and she's also from New Jersey.
This is 16-year-old Ava Colasanti,
the youngest female ever on Stage 1.
The incoming high school junior's
crisscrossed the country in search of ninja competitions.
- Hold. - Good. Go.
- Racking up victories and ninja knowledge along the way.
- Nice.
- And her dad's been with her every step of the journey.
- [laughs]
- We were one of those families that said
we're never gonna be that crazy ninja family,
where we just take her all over the country.
And then, after seeing her excel the way she has,
it's hard not to jump on board.
- Come on, Ava! - Come on! You got this!
- When I'm on the course, my dad is so nervous.
- Come on. Light feet, Ave. Light feet.
- But it's, like, so cool to have him by my side
for this whole experience.
- Yeah! Let's go!
- I'm so excited. It's, like, surreal.
- Of course, Dad's on the sideline,
along with her mom and brother,
and the two other female rookies
who qualified for Vegas.
- Let's go! Whoo!
- She looks a little nervous, but her nickname is Savage,
because she turns it on when she hears those beeps.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Now keep in mind, only two women ever have
hit a Stage 1 buzzer: Jessie Graff and Allyssa Beird.
This is a difficult course, especially as a rookie.
- And you can't spell "Savage" without "Ava," Matt.
- Here on the Swinging Blades.
And for the women,
the problem has often been time, Akbar.
The clock runs out before they can get
to the end of the course.
- Come on, Ava. - Come on, Ave! Let's do this!
- You got it, Ava! - Did you see that?
That is a fingertip save right there.
- Nice. - 5'3", 122.
You can see those hands moving forward on to the blade.
Gets the dismount.
A little slip. - Oh, watch out.
That's steep right there. That's a steep incline.
- But she gets through. Stay calm.
Go for a ride here on Double Dipper.
This is where Rachel Degutz got hung up.
- And Matt, this is so intimidating
when you're upon top, looking down on this obstacle.
But the teenager's gonna take it on.
Nice! - And remember the switch grip.
- Whoa! - Lands, and makes it.
[cheers and applause]
Now the Jumping Spider.
Only a handful of women have ever gotten through this.
- Take that power from the tramp and get in there.
both: No! [air horn blares]
- At 16, the youngest woman to ever take on Stage 1,
and she handled it like a veteran.
- We love you, Ava!
- Oh, I have a feeling we'll see her back
at the National Finals for years to come.
- She survived a hard fall on Double Dipper,
and then just didn't get deep enough into the chute
on Jumping Spider.
But nothing to be ashamed of.
A savage run by this rookie.
- Well, up next is the top rookie from last year.
This is Vermont's Amir Malik.
He's come back with a strong sophomore season.
And ninja's not his only passion.
He and his mom have saved the lives of dozens of dogs.
- Dog fostering is a huge part of my life.
Me and my mom, we foster over 50 dogs,
and we've taken trips down to Costa Rica before
to get some foster dogs and bring them back,
make them our own family, pretty much.
Oh, yeah, yeah. Your belly.
Usually, when we get them, for the most part, they're scared.
They don't want to come out of their cage.
You want to come out?
You have to make them feel comfortable.
And it takes weeks, sometimes even months.
Once we feel like they're ready,
you know, we go through the applications
and match the dog with the best home we can find.
If I won a million dollars,
I'm going to help so many dogs find their forever home,
and I hope people seeing my story are inspired
to do the same and go out there and foster.
Dogs are just awesome.
[dog barks]
- A million dollars would buy a lot of dog food.
And he could win it all.
Made it to the final four last season.
- And today is Amir's 21st birthday.
And here to help him celebrate in Vegas
are his brother and his mom.
Among those watching from back on the east coast--
his dad, Jua. - Happy birthday!
- Well, a Stage 1 buzzer would be a perfect birthday gift.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Amir, perfect so far this season.
Hit buzzers in qualifying and semifinals.
Last season, he was one of the final four competitors,
but lost to Austin Gray in our Power Tower Playoff.
- Ooh! How about that for a birthday, huh?
- Did you see that catch, though, Akbar?
You can see, the Swinging Blades,
they throw your momentum sideways.
But Malik survives.
- Yes, yes. - Come on.
- He only weighs 120 pounds.
He may go flying off the Double Dipper.
- This one was a ninja killer in the past,
but the ninjas really seemed to figure it out.
Just go for that easy ride--
oh, no! - Whoa!
[air horn blares]
- Whoa! Did you see him skywalking in the air?
- He went up, not out,
and Amir Malik is done!
- All right. - It's all right, Amir.
- Good job, Amir!
- Matt, we gotta see that one again.
He's sliding down on the first track,
but he just held on too long.
It came to the end of the track,
and he was still hanging on,
so he went straight up instead of out.
- Not the birthday present he wanted.
* *
- Welcome back to the Las Vegas Strip
and our National Finals.
Minutes ago, three-time veteran Casey Rothschild
proudly flew the flag for the LGBTQ community.
- Everybody represented on "American Ninja Warrior."
- The former college track star came out sprinting,
but the long jumper surprisingly
didn't fare as well on Swinging Blades.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
You can't go down like that!
- Grabbed her nose like she's jumping into the pool!
- 16-year-old Owen Dyer hit the course
wearing his signature flamingo hat.
- Okay! Let's go, flamingo!
[cheers and applause]
- The high school junior from Bentonville, Arkansas
did get through Swinging Blades
and sailed through Double Dipper.
- The flamingo's still standing!
- Yeah! Whoo!
- But the Flamingo Kid didn't have the legs
to stick it in the Jumping Spider.
- It's a Dyer situation.
No! - Oh!
[all groan]
both: Oh!
- I can't believe I made it to Vegas.
I'm a teen, and I made it to Vegas.
- Still only one finisher
on this unforgiving Stage 1 course,
but up next is another talented youngster.
This is 19-year-old Matt Bradley,
who's been accepted at Penn State,
but he gets his ninja education in the family barn.
[upbeat country music]
- Two years ago, my parents bought
a 1,500-square-foot barn kind of middle of nowhere.
People call it The Barn, The Brad Barn.
We have 20-plus obstacles in here,
but we're always changing them out.
My barn's kind of infamous in the community.
- He builds, like, crazy obstacles
to torture people.
all: Yeah!
- We're making an En Garde bar from season ten.
Me and my dad have built all the obstacles in here.
The bar can contract and expand.
My dad loves that I chose ninja as a sport.
He was an engineer, so he's always telling me about
how it's a sport that actually lets him use his talents
to, like, help me get better at it.
- He's learning all sorts of skills that will help him,
whether it's improving his house or helping his kids,
and so it's been a fun project for us.
How'd you do, Matt? - It looks good.
We got to spend so much together
planning, welding, machine work.
Really brought us closer together.
I'm pretty well-known in the community
for my grip strength, especially my finger strength.
- I wouldn't put it past Matt Bradley
to be able to just hang off of one finger,
you know, on something that I probably need both hands for.
You know, the kid is just-- he's a mutant.
- From Wayne, Pennsylvania, he's going to Vegas!
- Okay, Matt Bradley!
- I want this more than anything.
I've devoted my life to this
for the past, like, eight years.
I lose sleep, miss out on schoolwork.
Like, this means everything to me.
- After this season,
people will know Matt Bradley's name.
- Najee's not competing this year because of injuries,
but he knows what this kid can do.
And Matt Bradley's got lots of supporters
back in Pennsylvania, including his dad and mom.
- Thanks for staying up, everyone!
- Oh, he looks cool as a cucumber right now,
but this was him a few minutes ago,
getting sick on the sidelines.
He gets nervous before big runs
and throws up before and after he hits the course.
- It's nerve-racking to come out
and run on national TV.
I've seen a lot of NFL players do that before a game.
- Let's go, Matt! [countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go. 5'6"--ooh!
- Nice. - Wow.
Matt Bradley, he's coming out to run.
- Despite his battle with nerves,
he's been perfect so far this season.
Hit buzzers in qualifying and semifinals.
- You can see, an awkward transfer, though, Akbar.
Had his hands on the same side of the blade.
But he's made the adjustment.
And he's through.
[cheers and applause]
But now one of the few obstacles
he doesn't have in his barn-- the Double Dipper.
- He plans to study business at Penn State.
He's gotta go to work on Double Dipper.
Come on, you Nittany Lion, you!
Okay! - Outstanding control there!
- Whoo! - Come on! Come on!
- But now the Jumping Spider,
which has ended several runs tonight.
- Nice! Great stick. - Great job.
- That was nice. - Really locked it in.
- That was sticky. - Real smooth there.
Finding his footing now.
- On to Tire Run.
- These young ninjas,
they've waited so long to be out here.
And just waves to his friends as he strolls on by.
Cautious approach here on Tire Run.
It's easy to get tripped up on these angled tires.
- Okay! - Keep in mind,
this fifth wheel spins.
Gotta stay right on top of it.
- All right, Matt. Here we go.
It's showtime.
- Taking an extra swing.
- Nice. - Great balance.
Great control! - Only 5'6".
But coming up big on Tire Run!
Nice. - Let's go.
Come on.
- This kid is showing why
so many of the ninjas have so much respect for him.
Up the wall, but what's he gonna do here
at Split Decision?
- With his nose? - Yep.
He's gone fast enough he doesn't need to try High Road,
and I don't think he's really considering it.
- Go. - Go. Go quick.
- Whoa! - Gets across Dipping Birds.
And, yeah, he's going straight to the Fly Hooks.
Just under a minute left.
Just has to pop that ring off the hook
and land it on the second one.
Oh, no! - Oh, my goodness!
Matt, he's gotta get himself up better on that front swing.
Like that.
- Good job generating power
with those hips.
Looking to get high up on this cargo net
and make that climb a little easier.
- Good hard, or go home!
Okay! - Perfect!
He's given himself plenty of time.
- Oh, yeah. He's got it.
Watch out. - Oh, boy. Oh--
- I've got my eyes on you! I see you, Matt Bradley!
- And he's gonna be our second finisher tonight.
From his barn to Vegas, now to Stage 2,
Matt Bradley continues to be perfect!
[cheers and applause]
- His run almost ended early on Double Dipper.
Watch his right hand. He missed the bar completely.
But with that grip strength of this, was able to save it.
And then, he cruised the rest of the way.
Our second finisher of the night.
- We're gonna let his stomach settle,
but one thing we're not sick of--
seeing Matt Bradley hit buzzers.
- Well, we're just getting started on Stage 1.
Still to come, we've got the Weatherman, Joe Moravsky,
the Big Dog from Texas, Jody Avila,
and when we come back,
it's stuntwoman Tiana Webberley,
on "American Ninja Warrior's" National Finals.
- Welcome back to the National Finals here in Vegas,
where we're about halfway through the night on Stage 1.
- And, Matt, there's one big storyline so far,
and that's the Jumping Spider.
- No! [air horn blares]
- This obstacle has been an icon on Stage 1.
It's been here for 10 years,
but it's tripping up our ninjas tonight.
- No! - Oh!
- Minutes ago, Abel Gonzalez, an eight-time veteran,
who's conquered this obstacle three times before,
had an awkward jump.
- No! - No!
- And the Texas gym owner's season was over.
- And Abel is stunned.
- Boston-based bricklayer John Uga had
a great leap into the chute,
but once he started moving down the walls,
he lost his footing.
Oh! - [yelps]
[air horn blares] - [groans]
Eric Middleton is an entomologist.
He studies bugs.
And in three previous seasons,
he had never fallen on the Jumping Spider.
- Oh, no! [all groan]
- And he became the seventh victim
of this obstacle so far tonight.
- Good try.
- Oh, man, an entomologist taken out
by the Jumping Spider.
I think there's some irony in that.
- Our next competitor made it past the Jumping Spider
the last time she was in Vegas.
This is Sweet T, Tiana Webberley.
The Hollywood stuntwoman is coming off
another impressive season.
Would love to be just
the third woman ever
to get a Stage 1 buzzer.
all: [chanting] Tiana! Tiana!
- Sweet T's a favorite with fans.
Plus, she's got two ninja superstars
showing their support,
- You got this, Tiana! - Come on, T!
- Jesse "Flex" Labreck and Michelle Warnky Buurma.
- Come on, T! Whoo! - Come on, Tiana!
- It's so great to see her parents back on the sideline.
Her mom, Teresa, has been Tiana's inspiration.
Mom battled gestational diabetes for years,
and two years ago, had to get a kidney transplant.
Tiana's been with her
throughout her surgery and recovery.
- Fives. Give me hugs.
Good job. - Thanks.
[countdown clock beeping]
- She was a college track star.
Sweet T's gonna explode at the start.
- Hard impact there.
Tiana was a pole vaulter at Cal State-Northridge.
Oh! - Oh! My goodness!
- Somehow holds on. - With just her fingertips!
Oh, my goodness!
Incredible save.
- Watch the transition.
Got it.
- She's putting in work.
- Extra swings here, though. Sapping that body strength.
Expending a lot of energy there, but survives.
- Yeah. Whoo! Whoo! - Whoo!
- Well, she's a stuntwoman on big movies.
You know she's fearless.
Gonna have to attack Double Dipper.
- I hope she has enough grip strength
to be able to hold on and then make that transfer.
- You got this, T! - You got it.
- Whoo! Come on, girl!
- Speed, speed, speed. See it.
Hold it. Ride it. Ride it.
Oh! Whoa! That was a superhero landing.
- Sweet T looking to be the first woman tonight
to make it past the Jumping Spider.
5'4", good on the trampoline. - Get in there!
Nice! - Locked.
Good flexibility.
- Sweet T looks so determined, Matt.
- But has to keep moving.
Very little time to rest on Stage 1.
- Oh, she got it.
- Yeah! Come on, baby! Come on!
- Four obstacles down, four more to go,
starting with Tire Run.
- Come on, T. [cheers and applause]
- She's got to just run with it.
Don't overstride and get off-balance.
Nice. - Grab the wheel.
Got it! - Yes.
- Again, only two women in history
have ever completed Stage 1.
- Well, Matt, at the pace now,
she's starting to slow down a little bit.
- Oh, no, no. - Oh, whoa! No, no!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa--ooh! - Oh, okay. Nice.
- Regrouping, but that clock is ticking.
- That was great. Come on, Tiana!
- Good jump! But she's gonna have
less than a minute for these final three obstacles.
And there it is. Reaches the Warped Wall.
She reached this point two years ago,
but the clock ran out.
- You gotta be aggressive! - You got this!
- Come on. We know you can do it!
- Last time, she couldn't get up it on tired legs.
- Well, Matt, she said she's been working
on her endurance to make sure she can run the Warped Wall
when she's exhausted.
Let's see if that training's worked.
- Get a big run up here! - Let's go. Nice.
Explosive! Nice! Yeah! - Got it!
- Under 30 seconds! - Okay, Sweet T!
- So, she needs The High Road, Akbar.
- That's her only chance. She's gotta race
across Dipping Birds and grab that ring.
- Gotta pick up the pace! - Don't let up.
Come on. Come on. You still got time. You still got time.
- 17-- - No. No, no. No, no.
Okay. - Oh, no, Akbar!
And now, a little hesitation could cost her.
both: Oh, no!
- Tiana Webberley makes it all the way to the end.
But not fast enough.
And time's out, just shy of the buzzer.
- What an amazing run right there.
- Absolutely.
- Good job, Tiana!
- Whoo! - Whoo!
- Well, time's run out, but she's gonna keep climbing
to show she can finish this course.
all: [chanting] Sweet T! Sweet T!
- Her best run ever in Vegas.
Came very close to finishing Stage 1.
- Love you, guys!
- Nice job, T!
- This run almost ended early,
but Sweet T made a great fingertip save
on the second obstacle.
She got past the Warped Wall on Stage 1
for the first time ever, but just ran out of time.
- Coming up, the best performers in Vegas
are on our course.
[trombone plays]
And we've got plenty of surprises.
- Hey! - Whoo!
- What's in the box?
- When "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Things happen fast in Vegas. - Absolutely.
Take a look at what went down while we were away.
California's Francisco Barajas calls himself
the One Percent Ninja,
to represent the 1% of the population that,
like him, stutters.
- Let's go!
- The 24-year-old had a rocky start to his run.
- Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay.
- Shake it off! Come on!
- And then, the pool technician
splashed down in one of our pools.
- Whoa! [air horn blares]
- Come on. - No.
- Wow.
- Deren Perez was proudly waving the flag
from his homeland, the U.S. territory of Guam.
- We made it, Guam! We're in Vegas!
- The wind standing that flag straight up.
- The 37-year-old father of four
left it all on the course.
- It's windy! And he's riding it!
Whoa!
[cheers and applause]
- Perez traveled more than 6,000 miles
to compete here on Stage 1,
but the Coast Guard recruiter needed rescuing at Tire Run.
- Whoa! [air horn blares]
[all groan]
- Man!
- The Papal Ninja, Catholic church worker Sean Bryan,
was praying for a better result on Stage 1
than his last appearance.
Two years ago, on this course...
- Ooh! Is he okay?
He's holding that shoulder!
- Bryan dislocated his shoulder on the Jumping Spider
and had to be carried off.
Tonight, he reached the obstacle once again.
- Put the pain behind you.
- Stick on this. Stick on this.
- With his nervous mom watching, he attacked.
- Boom! He's back!
This time, he stuck it with his legs first.
- Yes! All right, Sean.
- After that, the six-time veteran
cruised through the course,
and showed why he's one of the favorites to win it all.
- Look at him go!
- And he became the night's third finisher.
[buzzer blares] - He's back. He's back.
- Whoo! - Yeah!
- Yeah!
- Going back to Stage 2.
- Yeah!
- Well, now it's Sean Bryan's roommate, Adam Rayl.
He's another top competitor,
but things are different this season.
The blue-collar concrete worker
moved from Arizona to California
and is taking a spiritual approach to competition.
- We've always had the family business,
ever since I was 12 years old.
- * This is how I love *
* *
- Concrete work is no joke.
It's a grind, literally and physically.
Super heavy, super hot.
It's tough. It's tough work.
- * Oh, oh *
But this last year has been different for me.
I think any time you're physically somewhere new
and different, you're gonna open your eyes up
to new things.
Moving from Phoenix to northern California definitely
put some more emphasis on my spiritual journey.
[gentle music]
- [vocalizing]
* *
- My mentor's name is Keshava, and we've been learning music.
Music is very important. Creativity is very important.
And I've been learning about breath work.
I think break worth and meditation are super critical.
I never used to be open to that.
I mean, I'm learning how to center
and just, whew, take a breath, chill,
calm the mind to nothingness, and just be still.
I feel different on the course.
- No problem for Rayl.
- I think this last year, getting into spiritual growth
has allowed me to be mentally more ready
than I ever have been for total victory.
- And hoping he's ready tonight
are family back in Michigan, cheering him on.
The respectful bows. - Ah, yes.
- And he's got fellow ninjas on the sideline too.
And, of course, Adam's parents.
- Keep the camera on Mama Vicki, Matt.
You will see the nerves on her.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go. The rock-solid Adam Rayl.
Oh! Bounding through! - Whoa.
- This dude, capable of going all the way.
Last time he was here, made it to Stage 3.
In fact, every time he's made it to Vegas,
he's completed Stage 1, Akbar.
- This is one of the guys who has a legitimate shot
to win that million dollars.
He's that good.
- Rayl has a gymnastics background,
so great agility.
Ready for Double Dipper.
- Well, you gotta have the nerve of steel
to be able to get through this one. Nice.
- So smooth.
- Yes! Whoo!
- But be careful on Jumping Spider.
Whoo! - Wow!
- Rayl has that flexibility from gymnastics,
plus insane strength.
- Yeah, he's rock-solid. 175 pounds.
His arms are like tree trunks.
- A little slip, but he's through.
Rayl looking calm.
I wish we could say the same for Vicki.
That meditation Rayl's been doing keeping him very focused,
but has to be aware of the time.
- Nice. Got that lean going in.
- Good balance. - Nice spin.
Collect yourself and get right on top.
- Extra swings here.
He got a little sideways,
and it's taking some time to straighten up.
Ooh, a little hesitation!
Not trusting his grip, Akbar. - And, Matt, time is wasting.
Remember, he's gotta race against that clock.
- Finally makes his move,
but Tire Run surprisingly eating up a lot of time.
- Yeah! [cheers and applause]
- Now under 1:10,
and still showing no real sense of urgency.
And now, headed right up the Warped Wall.
And he's got it.
And some flair there, with the somersault.
- Matt, he needs to think about The High Road.
It could save him some time.
- But look at this-- he's sitting down
and considering his options.
Now gets up, but is not hitting the button
for High Road.
- Pick it up, man. Come on!
- He's gonna have very little room for error on Fly Hooks.
Come on. Keep going. Keep going.
- Right through it.
- Come on. Come on. - Vicki's getting nervous,
and for good reason.
He's down to 30 seconds.
- He can see the big clock ticking down in front of him.
It's gonna take some time to climb up that cargo net.
- Come on! - Come on, Adam!
- Only about 20 seconds left.
On to the final hook,
but now has to build up more swings.
He's got to get high up here, Akbar.
- Ooh, buddy.
- Oh, no! Let's than 10 seconds!
Oh, my goodness!
He's gonna have to race. It's gonna be close!
- Oh my gosh! Oh, my gosh!
- Oh, oh! - No?
Did he do it? - We gotta get a replay!
- We heard the horn sound! We saw the smoke go!
We gotta take a look at the replay!
- Oh, my goodness.
This is as close as it gets.
- We really don't know, so let's look at it again.
The clock behind the net only counts in whole seconds,
but our official clock breaks it down
by hundredths of a second.
Our buzzer goes off at exactly 2 minutes, 45 seconds.
And if you look at his hand right there,
he beats it by 0.10 of a second.
And then, you can hear the buzzer.
- Wow! - Adam still doesn't know
for sure, so let's go down to Zuri.
- All right, Adam, so you had an amazing run,
first of all, so great work with that.
Look, we replayed the tapes, over and over again,
and the verdict is,
you made it by 0.10 of a second, dude.
.10 of a second!
I know! [laughter]
Congratulations!
- More ninja all-stars are straight ahead...
- Whoo!
- Including the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky.
- The best is yet to come.
- Is this finally his year to win it all?
Plus, would you get these faces tattooed on your arms?
We'll show you who did,
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- While we were away, three ninja veterans
got their shot at stage 1.
In his fourth season,
Atlanta's DeShawn Harris was excited
for his first appearance in the National Finals.
- Rise up, baby! Let's go!
Rise up! - He's pumped, Matt.
- But the former college football player
got sacked early.
- Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!
Faceplanted.
Let's look at this one again.
[thud] Got smacked right in the face.
- Ahh!
- Then, we had a special delivery.
- What's in the box?
- As The Maker, obstacle designer Kevin Carbone,
came ready to work.
With his hardhat-wearing roommates cheering him on,
Carbone was workmanlike on the course.
- Okay, Carbone!
Knock on your hardhat if you're with me.
- The four-time veteran, who made it all the way
to Stage 3 two years ago...
- Let's go! - Come on, Kevin!
- He's about to make it happen!
- Dropped the hammer on Stage 1 tonight.
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
- Yeah! - Whoo!
- Yeah!
- The Dream Chaser, Tyler Gillett,
also made it to Stage 3 two years ago.
- We know he can go far.
- Gillett had a close shave on Double Dipper.
- Whoa! Oh, my goodness!
- But after that, the Atlanta barista had it brewing.
- At the top of the Warped Wall. Nice.
- At Split Decision, the 25-year-old
didn't even think about The High Road.
- He said, "Forget High Road. I'm taking the other road."
- The five-time veteran has never fallen on Stage 1,
and he kept that streak alive tonight.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
- Our next competitor was also on Stage 3 two years ago.
This is Plymouth, Massachusetts's Lucas Reale.
- Let's go!
- Matt, he's fired up! [thud]
- Reale is a member of an all-star group of ninjas,
21 of them in all, who made it to Stage 3 two years ago,
but have not had good luck since.
- The lineup a few years ago, on Stage 3, that we had
was some of the most incredible ninjas in the world
and I'm blown away that a lot of them aren't here right now.
- Oh, no! - Whoa!
- In fact, of the 21 who made it to Stage 3 that season,
only seven are still in the competition.
It's a phenomenon these ninjas have dubbed
the "Stage 3 Curse."
- Oh, no! - Oh, no! What?
- Please, go, go, go. No, no!
- No! [air horn blares]
No!
- I didn't see that coming.
I'm hoping that that curse doesn't catch up to me.
I'm not gonna let it. This is my year.
And I'm coming for Mount Midoriyama.
- Lucas doesn't look like he's worried about that curse.
- Nah, he's smiling.
- Hey, guys.
- He's got a big group of supporters
back in the northeast,
including his grandparents, who helped raise him.
- Let's go.
- And on the sideline, his fiancée, Kyra.
- Yeah! - Let's go!
- Along with some of the other ninjas from the northeast.
[countdown clock beeping]
We think of him as a veteran,
but Lucas Reale's only 22 years old.
His third time in Vegas.
Each of the previous two times,
he bested Stage 1 with ease.
- You know, Matt, we know he can go deep.
He has it in him.
- He's a legitimate contender
to win the million dollars.
Couple extra swings, though,
and that's gonna be sapping that upper body strength.
But he is through!
Engaged to his girlfriend, Kyra.
A million dollars would make for a nice wedding.
all: [chanting] Let's go, Matt, let's go!
- The crowd starts a chant as he lines up Double Dipper.
- You gotta get that transition.
You gotta commit. Nice! Yes! - Got it!
- And he's pumped.
- Yeah! Come on! Fly in, baby!
- Gonna wipe the shoes so he gets good traction
on the Jumping Spider.
This has already taken out some good ninjas tonight.
- Whoo! He just crushed it! - And he's got it!
Reale looking real solid early on here, Akbar.
And a decent pace. - He knows what it means
to compete under this type of time pressure.
- Got through it!
- Great pace! Great pace!
- Now, the second half of the course,
starting here on Tire Run.
Don't overlook any obstacle.
Never let your guard down on "Ninja Warrior."
This swing over to the big tire is always dicey.
- Come on, Lucas!
- Stay on top of this fifth wheel!
- Nice! - Good control!
Now under a minute and a half. - Come on!
- Gets through.
And he's just moving with such ease,
and still plenty of time left
as he's staring down the Warped Wall.
No hesitation. Right up.
- What's he gonna do at Split Decision?
- Come on! You got it!
- And the fact that he's waiting by the button
means he may try High Road,
although no one has pulled it off yet tonight.
- All right. - Here we go.
- I think he's looking to race for it.
- He's looking to take The High Road.
- All right. Yeah, take The High Road.
- Right through the Dipping Birds.
- Come on. On this course--
- Oh! - Oh! No boosties!
- Too early! - No boosties!
- His timing was off!
Top competitor, Lucas Reale, comes up empty
on The High Road, and he is out.
- That Stage 3 Curse strikes again!
He made it over in plenty of time,
but look--he's standing on the trampoline
instead of getting a running start off it,
so he didn't get much lift.
Came up short. Missed the ring by a lot.
And look at his face.
He knew he done messed up.
- Oh, man.
Why'd I go for it?
- Well, for the first time since the Bergstrom family,
a brother and sister qualified for the National Finals.
It's the Wakehams from Houston, Texas.
And here comes the first half of this dynamic duo,
17-year-old Isabella Wakeham.
Brother Isaiah runs next week.
And having two kids here is something
their mom will not forget.
- We made a bet with our mom
that if we both made it to Vegas,
that she would get a tattoo.
- Wakeham, don't shake 'em. Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Just like that. - Wow. Are you kidding me?
- Is she about to make it to the ninth obstacle?
Yes!
- You're both headed to Vegas.
- Let's go! - Whoo!
- Let's do this! - My next question is,
Mom, are you ready to get that tattoo?
- Oh, my gosh. I guess it's happening.
As a mom, you always want to motivate your kids,
and I really believe in them and their abilities,
but I had no idea it would go this far.
- We decided on something very, very important
and close to our hearts.
- We're pretty stoked about it.
- Yes. - Yes!
- She's always gonna remember this bet.
She's gonna have those tattoos, and she's gonna remember
that her kids made it to Vegas for the National Finals.
- And look at that! - Oh, my goodness.
- You can see my gorgeous face on her right forearm.
And Akbar, I think she's got something
on her left forearm too. - Oh--
- Not quite as handsome, but still a good-looking tattoo.
- No, I think it's a really good forearm
right there, Matt.
- And Isabella's got the whole family on the sideline,
plus family friend Jake Murray, who runs next week.
[countdown clock beeping]
18 teenagers made it to the National Finals,
two of them women. Isabella's one of them.
- Oh, had that little stumble, but she's good.
- 5'5", taking on Swinging Blades.
Well, Mom, nervous as ever.
If they both get to Stage 2, wonder what the bet is there.
- Push, Bells, push.
- Couple extra swings here on Swinging Blades.
- She's got to go. Nice.
- Well, she just got her driver's license
in the past year, and she's a big fan
of Formula 1 racing. She likes speed.
But she needs to put the pedal to the metal here.
- Come on. Come on. - There we go.
- Oh, whoa! - Hold on!
- That's steep right there. That's a steep incline.
- Come on, Bells. Breathe! Breathe!
- Those dismounts have been challenging.
And that will get your heart rate up.
Gotta calm down here.
Just go for a ride on Double Dipper.
- Just 17 years old.
You know she's got to be feeling some nerves.
- Come on. Go! Let's go!
- Come on. Keep going. Keep going.
Nice! - Perfect!
Oh, wow! - Ooh!
Strong! You go, Girl! [cheers and applause]
- And only one woman, Tiana Webberley,
has made it past the Jumping Spider tonight.
- You gotta get in deep. Nice. - Yes!
And she's on the verge of history
if she gets through this.
Only six other women have made it
past the Jumping Spider on Stage 1.
Isabella Wakeham would be, by far, the youngest.
And she's done it!
[cheers and applause]
But the clock is ticking down.
- She's gotta go.
- Tire Run could be a challenge.
Again, just 5'5".
- All right. Keep your feet hot.
Keep your feet hot, keep your feet hot.
- Good approach there.
Very methodical. Very in control.
- Nice. Hold on! - Boom.
Under a minute, Akbar. Watch this transfer here.
Stay on top of this fifth wheel.
- Fearless. Look at her, Matt.
She is a beast. She's a beast! - Real beast!
Failed to grab. - You she-beast, you!
- Oh, my! 40 seconds, Akbar!
- Okay. That's all right. - Gotta get going!
- Don't let the urgency make this an emergency.
Just stay calm.
- On tired legs,
can she get up the Warped Wall?
- There you go. You got this.
- Oh, no! - Ooh!
Oh, now it's an emergency.
- Time's slipping away,
but she will not give up.
The Warped Wall was long a challenge
for the women here on Stage 1.
- It's the short run-up that makes it really difficult.
And now, she's fighting against the clock.
- Got it! - Oh! Okay, got it!
She's gotta hustle. - She's gotta get High Road.
10 seconds. - She's gotta go.
She's gotta go.
- Hits the button. - All right.
Sprint across those Dipping Birds.
- Well, what a run, but time-- - She's still going for it.
- Runs out! - Oh!
- She runs out of time,
but made it to the eighth obstacle,
something only a handful of women have ever done.
And Isabella Wakeham did it as a 17-year-old rookie.
- She took too many swings early, and that cost her.
But she's just the seventh woman ever
to get through the Jumping Spider
and make it up the wall, fighting to the end.
A great run by Isabella Wakeham.
- Up next is another teenager,
and he's been perfect all season.
- Let's go!
- Can Vance Walker keep his streak alive?
- Let's go!
- We'll see him next,
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the first night of the National Finals.
While we were away,
Connecticut's 17-year-old Jay "Lache" Lewis
made his Vegas debut.
Lewis has had a big rookie season.
Yes!
He was fastest in his semifinals,
but lost to his mentor, Joe Moravsky,
on the Power Tower,
so he didn't have a Safety Pass
and had no room for error.
- I think we got another ninja star on our hands.
- Lewis is nicknamed Jay "Lache"
because he can fly through the air,
but he shockingly didn't fly far enough on Double Dipper.
- Oh, no!
[air horn blares]
- 16-year-old Max Feinberg can toot his own horn.
[trombone plays]
He's also had a great rookie season,
hitting two buzzers so far.
The high school marching band member
had his own close call on Double Dipper.
- Not--whoa! Whoa! - Oh! Wow!
The straight-A student regrouped and got it going.
- He's done his homework. He knows what he needs to do.
- Feinberg was able to fly through the final obstacles,
becoming just the second teenager
to hit the buzzer tonight.
- Strike up the band! Strike up the band!
- [screams]
- Let's go! - Yeah!
- Yes!
- Well, our next teenager's
also hit two buzzers this year.
Zuri, get him going.
- Guys, Vance Walker is already a champion.
He's won "American Ninja Warrior Junior" twice.
Now, the 16-year-old is stepping up to Stage 1
for the first time.
And his athletic achievements
are especially impressive
when you consider the obstacles
he's had to overcome.
[somber music]
- I didn't have a typical childhood.
I had to wear braces on my legs,
and I wasn't able to play any sports,
go running outside,
or do anything any of the other kids could do.
- When Vance was about 18 months old,
the doctor told us he had cerebral palsy.
We weren't sure if he would be able to
ever walk without the braces.
We knew there was gonna be some obstacles ahead,
but I never would have thought that he would be
a top-notch athlete as a teenager.
- When I started training, I was not good at all.
Ow!
But I started taking it really seriously.
And then, I got the call to compete
on "American Ninja Warrior Junior."
- Vance is gone! Whoa! - Walker delivers!
- Vance does it again!
[buzzer blares]
- Ninja has changed Vance's life.
He's become more confident.
He sees that he can inspire other people,
and I'm so proud of him.
- Cerebral palsy still affects me to this day.
I have to put hours into stretching my legs,
or else they cramp a lot.
They give out on obstacles.
You could see, on the Spider Climb,
I was starting to give out at the top.
- Vance Walker trying to muscle his way through.
- [exclaims]
I'm super excited to be here in Vegas.
I've been waiting for the longest time to be here.
And I'm trying to show off to the world that
you can do anything you put your mind to.
- Wow. What a story.
You know, it's so amazing how far this kid has come.
- And he's got supporters across the country
wearing those "Walker, Texas Ninja" shirts.
Walker was born in Texas.
- Let's go!
- On the sidelines, his brother and parents...
- Let's go!
- And lots of other ninjas who have trained with Vance
throughout the years. His runs are can't-miss TV.
[countdown clock beeping]
- If you're not familiar,
cerebral palsy is a movement disorder
that affects roughly 1 in every 350 kids.
There's no known cure, only treatment,
which is why Vance Walker winning "Ninja Junior" twice
is so impressive.
- But Matt, Stage 1 may be a challenge.
It's an all-out sprint, with a lot of lower-body obstacles.
It's gonna test those legs. - Go, Vance!
- Doesn't need to use the legs here
on Double Dipper, until the landing.
- Mama, here comes that man.
- Whoo! - Wow!
- So smooth--oh! - Whoa!
- He was coming in so hot, he stumbled, but pops back up.
- All right. We talked about it.
The next few obstacles will test his legs,
starting with the Jumping Spider.
- You got it!
- Concentrate. Concentrate.
- 5'5". Really gotta lock in.
Jumping Spider can bite you.
- Matt, he can go. Come on.
- And no problem! - Okay!
- And he's running at a decent pace
and really being cautious there, being smart.
Trying to get that ankle flexibility,
make sure those feet are locked in as much as possible.
- Really nice. - Good job.
- Let's go! - And he's pumped.
- Got a buzzer in qualifying. Got the Mega Wall.
Got it in the semifinals. Won the Safety Pass.
- Matt, this is a different type of pressure, though.
- Remember, through two seasons of "Ninja Junior"
and this season of "American Ninja Warrior,"
he's never fallen on an obstacle.
Now, keep an eye on time.
We know he goes fast, but that clock is ticking down--
- Whoa--oh! Whoa! - Wow!
- Well, he threw caution into the wind.
- You gotta go! - Hurry up!
- Let's go! Come on!
- Just over a minute left,
as he's staring down the Warped Wall.
And right up, he goes.
- Matt, he's gotta go super pursuit mode now.
- Just skips High Road.
- We're just under a minute. He's gotta go.
- Those legs may be starting to tighten up,
but he's got Dipping Birds.
- Sprint! - Go fast. Go!
- Come on. Keep going.
Look at him go. Look at him go.
- And now, just has the Fly Hooks,
with about 45 seconds left on the clock.
But it's easy to eat up a lot of time on this obstacle.
- You're seeing a lot of the ninjas
get caught up on that front swing.
They need to go up and out-- just like that!
- Great power! - And that was textbook!
I know he's been in his books.
- Well, it's not just lifting on those poles,
he's lifting him up there-- and look at him ascend that!
- Oh, wow! Look at this.
- Vance Walker remains perfect
as he runs his way to a buzzer and Stage 2.
- All he does is this. All he does is this!
[cheers and applause]
- We may be looking at our next Ninja Warrior,
and he's just 16 years old.
This kid is good.
- And Matt, oh, by the way,
he has his Safety Pass for Stage 2.
- Vance Walker in good position, heading to Stage 2.
- Let's go!
- Those legs of his handled all the tests
Stage 1 throws at you-- Jumping Spider, Tire Run.
whatever was put in front of him,
Vance Walker handled it.
And now, he's our third teenage finisher tonight.
[cheers and applause]
- The Walker family can celebrate.
Vance is moving on to Stage 2.
Coming up, the Classy Ninja's got a new suit
and a new trick planned for his run.
We'll see him next.
Plus, big news about our defending champ, Daniel Gil,
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- We're back from break,
but the fun never stops at the National Finals.
True Becker was fired up.
He just started his freshman year at Tufts University
and he was showing some school pride.
- How about that for freshman orientation?
- The teenager had the fourth-fastest finish
in semifinals a few weeks ago,
and he was moving well again tonight.
- Nice flexibility. Nice technique.
- But the future engineer miscalculated on Tire Run.
both: Oh, no! [air horn blares]
- That's not a part of his general education.
- Another teen, Elijah "Boss" Browning,
had some extra stakes riding on his run.
Browning collects high-end sports cards,
and he made a deal with Akbar.
- If he hits the buzzer on Stage 1,
I will increase the value of my trading card.
- And the Tennessee teen quickly showed the course
who's boss.
- I'ma sign this one for you, baby.
I'ma sign this one for you. Get that buzzer!
- The 16-year-old could not be stopped,
[cheers and applause]
And put his signature on Stage 1.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
- Then Akbar put his signature on the card.
- Hey, great job, man. I got you. Here we go.
- Yeah! I appreciate it so much.
Let's go! - There you go, man.
- Last year's runner-up, Colorado's Austin Gray,
was also flipping out at the start.
- Man, that was a high flip!
- Gray was wearing the Safety Pass he won
on the Power Tower last week.
- Let's go!
- And with his ninja roommates cheering him on,
the 24-year-old came out racing again tonight.
- He wants to go fast.
- Yeah, baby! Let's go! - Come on!
- At Split Decision,
he thought about taking The High Road...
- Oh, he's gonna go for it. He's gonna go for it.
- But instead, opted for Fly Hooks,
and made it to the buzzer,
keeping his Safety Pass for Stage 2.
- No Safety Pass needed. Let's go!
- Let's go.
- And the ninja who beat Austin Gray
in our Power Tower Playoff to win the championship last year
was, of course, Daniel Gil.
Unfortunately, Daniel joins us from back in Houston.
He's not here in Vegas.
Can't be here because he tested positive for COVID.
Daniel Gil, how are you doing? You look great.
- Hey, guys. I'm doing much, much better.
And I wish that I were out there
running the courses with all my ninja friends.
But I'm staying positive. I'm full of faith.
And you can bet I will be back next year.
- Well said, Daniel Gil.
Now Jody Avila steps in your spot.
I know you gotta be cheering for him,
rooting for him as he runs the Stage 1 course.
- Oh, yeah. You know I will.
- And here comes Jody,
the heating and air-conditioning technician
from Texas,
and this is a second chance for the Big Dog.
Jody fell on the fifth obstacle and finish 16th
in his semifinals.
He just missed the cut, was so disappointed,
but he gets to move up and take Daniel's spot.
And Jody's gonna have a lot of support back in Texas--
of course, his wife, Pauline, and their two kids.
- We love you. - Love you, babe.
- Along with his friend and training partner, Daniel Gil.
- Get it, bro. Get it, bro. This is you.
- I got you, Daniel.
[countdown clock beeping]
- This is Jody's third time on Stage 1.
He's only made it to the buzzer once.
- At 6'6", he's the tallest athlete in the competition.
That size should make some of these obstacles
a little easier, and some a little harder.
- Come on, babe. Straighten out.
- But gets that long body through the Swinging Blades.
- Come on, babe.
- Watch it here--a big boy!
The Double Dipper can be tricky.
At 210 pounds, he is our heaviest competitor.
He's gonna be moving down this track fast.
- A longer body--ooh, okay! - Wow, there's some power.
- All right.
- Perfect. Come on. Come on.
- Well, we know Daniel Gil was hoping to be out here
hitting that buzzer for the million dollars, but you know
he's gonna support his friends in their efforts.
The Big Dog facing the Jumping Spider.
- Hold on! Nice!
- That was just easy to stick those legs out.
Jody's problem is, he's almost too big.
You can see, those hips,
and really, his knees are almost touching the sides.
- He doesn't have the same type of flexibility,
but he's making it work.
- Oh, he's slipping down. - Now, drop.
Good.
- Yes! - Babe!
Let's go. Let's go.
- Now, he went out on this obstacle
the last time he faced it, two years ago.
- I'ma tell you something about Jody Avila.
He doesn't make the same mistake twice.
- Watch Jody Avila. - Long legs.
He's gonna go fee-fi-fo on this.
Nice. Nice.
- But this is where he fell last time,
going over the big tire,
which was shocking, with his size.
You can see. He's 6'6", Akbar.
It's tougher for him to get up top.
- And he spread his legs.
Nice! Nice! - Perfect!
- He said, "I'm not making that mistake again."
- Well, Jody Avila learned from last time.
You can teach this old dog new tricks.
- And let me tell you, you put him on the back half,
he's hitting that buzzer.
- Last time he got through Stage 1 was four years ago.
A little over a minute left. - Yeah.
And now, Matt, he doesn't have a lot of time to rest.
- Well, for him, that transfer to High Road
may be a little easier, with his height.
He's looking a bit winded, Akbar.
I think he may go High Road.
- Ooh. Okay. All right. Here we go.
He's got the long legs. He's got the long--
Oh, no, no! - No!
- It crushed him! - No!
[groans]
- The Dipping Birds take out the Big Dog.
Oh, man, I wanted to see--
- Looking at the High Road,
taken out on the Dipping Birds.
Let's look at it again.
- Jody's had trouble on balance obstacles in the past.
He just comes up short on the second dipping bird.
That caused him to miss the third one entirely.
- Ugh, I should have been faster with my feet.
- Good job, Jody!
- No one looks better on the course than our next athlete.
This is the Classy Ninja, Donovan Metoyer,
the only ninja who runs in a three-piece suit.
The six-time veteran is quite the showman,
blowing us away with his amazing moves.
Oh! - Oh! Oh!
He did a 360!
- And his one-of-a-kind style.
Looking good, Donovan. - Okay, Classy Ninja!
- Now he's back on Stage 1
for the first time since season nine.
- Stage 1,
I know it's been a while since we've been together,
but you and I are gonna have some fun tonight.
I'm gonna make hitting the buzzer this year
look as elegant as possible.
- Oh, he's serious tonight.
Taking the jacket off.
- He's got a big bunch of veteran ninjas
on the sideline, including his girlfriend,
Trinnie Bush, who competed earlier this year.
[countdown clock beeping]
First time back in Vegas since season nine.
- Well, check this out. Taking the slow approach.
Everyone else has sprinted across these.
But it works.
- And going right into the Swinging Blades.
- To be able to do this in a suit
is an obstacle in itself. Nice.
- He owns a gym now,
and his training, he says, has reached another level.
- Nice. - Let's go, Donovan.
- And he's been much improved the last couple of years,
but Double Dipper is where his run ended
the last time he was here.
- All right, Matt. Here we go. He about to ride dirty.
Nice. - Launched up.
- Whoa! Oh, almost missed that landing platform.
- Now further than he's ever been on Stage 1.
How's that for classy? - Oh!
- A great recovery! - Okay!
I see you, Metoyer, with the Lycra in the stretch pants.
- And the Classy Ninja looking sharp.
And a good pace, Akbar. Time shouldn't be an issue.
But very easy to make a misstep here on Tire Run.
- You're crushing it, bro. You got this.
- Nice! - Perfect!
- Come on. Keep going.
- 5'7". Needs a good swing.
Control the momentum of this big wheel.
- Ooh, he's so clean. Be clean. Be clean.
- Ooh! Barely got a fingertip!
- Oh, man. That's all right.
He ain't taking the suit to the drycleaner tonight.
- You could see him spinning out, but he's got it.
- Let's go!
- Still got a lot of work ahead of him.
- He told us he's got something planned for the Warped Wall.
- Oh, is he-- - Oh, A 360?
Come on. Don't play with me like that!
In the finals? - He just called for it.
both: Oh! - Okay!
Okay, then! He's back! - He did a 360!
- Look at it again.
Even with the clock ticking and the pressure on,
he goes 360 on that wall!
- But the clock's down to 45 seconds,
and looks like he's gonna try The High Road.
- All right. He's going. He's going.
- No one's been able to figure this out tonight.
Watch it on Dipping Birds!
- Uh-oh! He's going for it! - Oh, my!
How classy would this be-- - Oh!
- Another one-hand save! - Okay! Okay!
He did a one-handed save, a 360.
- Now gets to climb the ladder to the buzzer.
Well, this is the run of his life.
- He is a human highlight.
What he got? What's he got?
Wipe it off. Wipe it off.
- Oh! [buzzer blares]
There it is! - The handkerchief.
- That was classy from start to finish, Akbar.
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
both: Whoo!
- And we got to do a 360.
- Hey! - Whoo!
- Oh, my goodness.
We told you he's a showman.
He did a full 360 going up the Warped Wall,
and then followed it up by becoming
the first one tonight to grab the ring on High Road,
and he celebrated with a one-handed fist pump.
He's gonna bring some class to Stage 2.
- Donovan Metoyer just did a 360!
And best of all, he hit the buzzer.
- Hey, DM is the real deal.
- Well, it's a windy night,
perfect conditions for the Weatherman.
We'll see Joe Marovksy run
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
[dramatic music]
- Next week,
we're kicking it up a notch at the National Finals.
* *
We'll see our remaining finalists take on Stage 1,
including ninja superstar Jesse "Flex" Labreck.
- Wow!
- The Cowboy Ninja, Idaho rancher Lance Pekus.
- Come on, country boy!
- And our reigning women's champ,
Meagan Martin.
Then we're sliding over to the even tougher Stage 2...
both: No!
- As we move one step closer to the million-dollar prize.
And we had more drama just minutes ago
as 15-year-old Caiden Madzelan made his Vegas debut.
- He's a long-legged 15-year-old.
- The 6'1" high schooler from Troutdale, Oregon
was slow, but steady through the obstacles.
- He's gotta be mindful of the time.
He's got to start hustling.
- With the clock ticking, he ignored The High Road
and went with the slower choice,
the Fly Hooks, and got hung up.
- Oh, he's in trouble, Matt!
- And Caiden Madzelan's season ended
just a few feet from the top.
- That's a tough one, Matt. That's a tough one.
- Then it was the other teenage Kaden,
Colorado's Kaden Lebsack.
- Nice. - Yeah.
- Though only 15, some have labeled this rookie
a contender to win it all.
And he has lived up to the hype.
- Well, Kaden Lebsack, he's done it.
Completed qualifying, completed semifinals,
just looking for this Stage 1 buzzer.
- At Split Decision, he too decided to go with Fly Hooks.
[cheers and applause]
- He'll have plenty of time left.
- And he put up the second-fastest time
of the night.
- Lebsack was laidback, but he still crushed it.
- Well, get ready for some thunder,
because our final runner tonight is the one, the only,
the Weatherman, Joe Moravsky.
The nine-time veteran has been a threat
to win it all for years.
[buzzer blares] - That was for you!
- No one's made it to Stage 3 more than Joe.
And this year, he's coming to Vegas
with one of the four coveted Safety Passes.
Moravsky earned his Safety Pass
with a convincing victory over his teen protégé,
17-year-old Jay "Lache" Lewis.
One move away! - Here we go!
Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!
- And Joe Moravsky does it!
- Whoo!
I'm the type of person that rides confidence.
Whoo!
And I feel like just knowing I have a Safety Pass
is gonna change my game plan, mentally.
- No! - Oh, no!
- The years I've fallen at Stage 1 or 2
were just bad years.
- Oh, no! - Ooh--no!
- That was not what you're supposed to do!
- I wish I could have been, like,
"Oh, I got a Safety Pass."
But it's in the past now.
You know, I do not plan on falling at Stage 1.
I do not plan on falling at Stage 2.
I don't plan on falling Stage 3.
I don't plan on missing any single buzzer at all.
I don't want to use my Safety Pass.
I want to get through this thing with no help.
* *
- He's got the Safety Pass on his shorts.
He'll only pull it off if he needs to play it.
Lots of support back home for Joe.
There's his wife, Stephanie, and two of his three kids.
- Look at my beautiful family.
- You got it, Joe. You got it.
- One obstacle at a time.
- You got it.
[countdown clock beeping] - Let's go, Joe.
- Come on, Joe! - Come on!
- I think a lot of people know, in the ninja community,
that Joe Moravsky could very well be
the next American Ninja Warrior.
He's got the skills to pay the bills.
- Look at this, Akbar! Just effortless!
- I mean, he went right into it, wasting no time.
- Running like a guy who wants a million dollars.
- Nice and strong, babe. Come on. This is your year!
- Only time he's ever fallen on Stage 1,
Double Dipper, three years ago.
- Get it. Ooh! Nice!
Okay! - Wow.
- Yes! - Easy there, Joe. Easy.
- But the Jumping Spider's been trouble
on this dusty, windy night.
- Get up there!
- Boom! - Nice!
- At 32, he's twice the age of some of the teenagers,
but showing he can still keep up with these kids.
He's been so close to winning it all before.
Twice, he was the last ninja standing.
With that Safety Pass, this could be his year.
- Don't need a lot of speed. Just stay focused on the steps.
- Yeah, he's been perfect this season.
Two buzzers, a Mega Wall, and a win on the Power Tower.
- Sailing through Tire Run.
Gotta stay right on top of this spinning wheel.
Extra swings here, though, sapping that body strength.
- Control the speed here. Land softly.
Nice. - Good transfer.
- Very aggressive transfer too.
- Gonna have over a minute and a half
for these final three obstacles.
- Keep it going, man. - Stay focused, Joe!
- You got it, Joe! You got it!
- Taking a moment here.
Well, he's given himself a cushion.
He has the Safety Pass,
but you can't pause for long on Stage 1.
- Oh, he's up the wall with plenty of time.
- Breathe, babe. Come on. Push through.
- And he's gonna pause here again
and consider his options at Split Decision.
He's got plenty of time to try Fly Hooks,
but he's seen some others get hung up there.
May be thinking about trying The High Road.
- Well, Matt, he should hit that button. Go!
- I think he wants it, Akbar. - Yeah.
Because he doesn't want to have to run through all this.
- Well, way ahead of the ring,
but he's got to time his jump off the trampoline.
- I like it. Playing--
- No! - Oh! Ooh!
- No!
[crowd groaning]
- He jumped early!
Joe Moravsky's gonna have to use that Safety Pass.
- Aw, man, he could have used it for Stage 2,
and it's out.
- I can't believe I have to use this.
- Yeah, he's an intense ninja, Matt.
- Come on! Pathetic!
- Well, you can just see the frustration.
[tense music]
Let's take a look at what happened.
- He had plenty of time.
He was waiting for the ring to pass by,
but he just jumped too early.
His timing was way off,
and now, he's gonna have to come back next week
and run this course again.
- Let's go down to Zuri.
- Joe, I know you're disappointed right now.
You threw the Safety Pass in the water.
You said, "Pathetic."
What was going through your mind in that moment?
- You know, I very rarely tell people
that I'm good at, like, one specific thing,
but if I had to say my favorite thing, my best skill,
it would be a trampoline jump.
I just--it's crazy.
- Well, we'll see you try again next week.
Guys, back to you.
- A shocking end to the night.
And we end up with two teenagers
atop our leaderboard,
Isaiah Thomas and Kaden Lebsack,
followed by veterans, Tyler Gillett and Sean Bryan.
But five teenagers are among the 12,
including 16-year-old "Ninja Junior" champ
Vance Walker,
along with Max Feinberg and Elijah Browning.
Veteran Adam Rayl made it by the slimmest of margins.
That's it for tonight.
Next week, we'll wrap up Stage 1,
and then move on to the even more challenging Stage 2!
- And Matt, Stage 2 is a killer.
- Absolutely, big man.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."
* *
[dramatic music]
* *