American Gladiators concludes its revival run and crowns new men’s and women’s champions as the final four-episode drop of the iconic sports competition series hits Prime Video on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.!
The final drop of four episodes will include the semifinal round as well as the finals in the men’s and women’s brackets and The Miz is ready to bring the energy.
They asked for energy. I dialed it up to 100. 1 Arena. 2 winners. 2 moments that finish the comeback the right way.
This Friday, the semifinals & finals drop on @PrimeVideo. All 10 episodes of American Gladiators will be available, w/ 6 streaming now. Who ya got winning? pic.twitter.com/F6wU0U5gn3— The Miz (@mikethemiz) April 28, 2026
Before we get to the final four episodes, however, we have to look back at episodes 4-6, which saw memorable performances, heartbreaking DQs, more injuries and a few shots at redemption.
American Gladiators Episodes 4, 5 and 6 recap
(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
- Episode 4 saw a strong performance by stuntman Ben Galper, who started off with a perfect 10 points in Gauntlet and dominated The Wall to build up a seven-second head start in The Eliminator. That would be more than enough, as Galper posted the fastest Eliminator time in the competition to that point, although it’s worth noting that his opponent, Bobby Levine, posted the best time for an eliminated competitor. On the women’s side, Fallon Fratone was looking to do her dad, who tried out for the OG Gladiators back in the day, proud. She had a two-second head start over Michelle Keith in The Eliminator and built up a good-sized lead, but Fallon wound up getting DQ’d for using the side of the Travelator to pull herself up. Thus, Michelle moves on to the semifinals.
- The refs would play a role again in Episode 5, as video game motion capture artist Austin Liu had two points taken away during Collision due to a rules violation. It looked like that could come back to haunt Austin, as he and opponent Andy Stern were pretty evenly matched throughout their competition. Austin entered The Eliminator with a three-second head start, but he and Andy were pretty even right up to the zip line, which Andy just got to first. They were neck and neck again getting to the Travelator, but Austin just beat Andy to advance to the semifinals. On the women’s side, Jordan Szewc gave new meaning to “Hang Tough,” as she held off Crush at the cost of her fingernails. Jordan also outscored circus performer Rebecca Clements in Collision to head into The Eliminator with a 4.5-second head start. Rebecca’s circus experience seemed to give her an edge at the cargo net, but she couldn’t handle the Travelator with the greatest of ease, and Jordan rallied to advance to the semifinals.
- Episode 6 would once again see the refs get involved, as The Bull initially looked like he had defeated bull rider, Blake Wright. However, upon further review by the refs, it was determined that The Bull crossed over to the contender platform at the same time Blake was knocked off, so it was ruled a tie. The Joust was a rough ride for The Bull, as he was also DQ’d for touching the contender platform against Ben Afuvai. Unfortunately, that would be the highlight of the night for Ben, who sustained a torn knee ligament in Powerball and would be forced to leave the competition. He would be replaced by Kyle Bernier, who would go on to outscore Blake, 6-0, in Powerball and dominate the rest of the way to earn his way into the semifinals. On the women’s side, Army vet Terri Bell, who overcame homelessness, took on national champion ice dancer Ilana Sedaka, who was out to prove she’s more than just a pretty face. Unfortunately for Ilana, she was knocked out of the competition following Atlasphere with a concussion. Rebecca Clements would sub in for Ilana in The Eliminator and ultimately defeat Terri to move on to the semifinals and a rematch with her opponent from Episode 5, Jordan Szewc.
- Also in Episode 6, Bobby Levine would square off with Michael Moralia as the Wild Card entry for the final spot in the men’s semifinals. As I noted last week, Moralia had built a five-second head start for his Eliminator run, and he earned a hard-fought victory over Levine for a spot in the semis. He also bested Ben Galper for the best Eliminator time this season.
What is American Gladiators?
American Gladiators debuted as a syndicated TV series in 1989, pitting contestants off the street against hulking gladiators in spandex. The competition series played off the popularity of professional wrestling at the time, albeit in a legit sports setting.
The original series ran for seven seasons and became a pop culture phenomenon, spawning video games, action figures, merchandise and live events. More recently, the series was the subject of a 30 for 30 documentary and a five-part Netflix docuseries.
The 2026 revival will bring back the tournament format, with one man and one woman each claiming the title of American Gladiator champion and $100,000. In order to earn the cash and the championship, contenders will square off against a new generation of gladiators in classic events, such as Joust, Powerball, Hang Tough, and The Wall as well as new events like The Ring and Collision.
American Gladiators Cast
There will be 16 new gladiators for the 2026 revival of American Gladiators, featuring a mix of pro wrestlers and elite athletes. They are:
Men
- Michael Wardlow (aka Fang) — AEW wrestler and three-time AEW TNT champion
- Eric Bugenhagen (aka The Bull) — Former WWE wrestler (f/k/a Rick Boogs)
- Jessie Godderz (aka Steel) — Pro wrestler, former Big Brother contestant
- Fessy Shafaat (aka Mayhem) — Former Big Brother and The Challenge contestant
- Joseph Hall (aka Lightning) — Former football player and bodybuilder
- Jason Peele (aka Eagle) — Powerlifter
- Ayinde Warren (aka Neon) — Fitness coach
- Drew Aggouras (aka Ace) — Fitness coach
Women
- Kailey Latimer (aka Hurricane) — AEW wrestler and former NWA women’s world champion
- Dani Speegle (aka Crush) — Titan Games season 2 champion and seven-time CrossFit Games competitor
- Jessica Roden (aka Supernova) — Independent pro wrestler and former OVW women’s champion
- Dani Means (aka Voltage) — World champion powerlifter
- Emily Nelson (aka Striker) — Personal trainer
- Sydney Hunter (aka Huntress) — Powerlifter
- Lu Faustin (aka Empire) — Bodybuilder
- Abigail Lay (aka Blaze) — Fitness coach
American Gladiators FAQ
Who is hosting American Gladiators?
American Gladiators will be hosted by WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and Emmy Award-winning TV personality Rocsi Diaz.
When do new episodes of American Gladiators drop?
New episodes of American Gladiators drop on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET. The schedule is as follows:
- April 17, 2026: Episodes 1–3
- April 24, 2026: Episodes 4–6
- May 1, 2026: Episodes 7–10
How can I watch new episodes of American Gladiators?
American Gladiators — as well as seven seasons of the original syndicated series — will be available to stream on Prime Video.
How many new episodes of American Gladiators will drop in season 1?
Season 1 of American Gladiators will include 10 episodes, with the season set to conclude on May 1, 2026.
