Gladiators, ready.
The reboot of Amazon Prime Video’s show American Gladiators has selected its competitors, a fact that The Hollywood Reporter is the first to disclose. In this revamped season, there will be 16 contenders – eight women and eight men, ranging in age from 22 to 38 and standing anywhere between 5’5″ and 6’5″, weighing between 140 and 270 pounds. These participants were chosen from various parts of the country and come from diverse backgrounds such as bodybuilding, professional wrestling, former Division I athletes, CrossFit champions, and military veterans.
The upcoming series will be emceed by WWE champion Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, with sideline reporter Rocsi Diaz joining him. Rocsi, who was previously a co-host on BET’s 106 & Park, has been exclusively confirmed to us by THR. Apart from Gladiators, Rocsi is also a contributor at GMA and GMA3, as well as other ABC News programs. Currently, she co-hosts Tubi’s We Got Time Today with Deion Sanders. In addition, Rocsi has been a regular guest host on MTV’s Ridiculousness, and her resume also includes hosting the Fox singing competition series Alter Ego.
As a gamer, I’d say: “Five pro wrestlers, each with their unique styles, are assigned to monitor the action in this show. These include Rick Boogs, also known as Eric Bugenhagen, the powerful Wardlow, who goes by Michael Wardlow, the muscular Mr. PEC-Tacular (Jessie Godderz), the athletic J-Rod (Jessica Roden), and Kamille, or Kailey Latimer.
Professional wrestlers need to possess an attractive physical build suitable for wearing spandex, along with the necessary athletic abilities and charisma when speaking into a microphone. It’s not by chance that they fill around one-third of the on-screen talent positions in the show.
In order to find worthy successors to the legendary Gladiators, our search had to be thorough and far-reaching. Our team traveled nationwide, connecting with countless fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes in pursuit of top-tier competitors. As Barry Poznick, general manager at MGM Alternative, Evolution Media, and Big Fish Entertainment, explained to THR, “Each Gladiator in this new lineup represents the essence of a modern warrior – tenacious, inspiring, and prepared for the greatest challenge of their lives. They are true-life superheroes.
On Amazon Prime Video, you’ll find the revamped version of “American Gladiators,” which includes fresh competitions along with fan-favorites like “Gauntlet,” “Hang Tough,” and “The Eliminator.” For those who want to revisit the original series, it’s now available for streaming on the newly launched “American Gladiators” FAST channel on Amazon Prime Video.
The following are the latest Gladiators along with their respective hometowns; you can find them on their Instagram profiles, except for Jason Peele who doesn’t have an Instagram account, and that just makes him even more intriguing as our top Gladiator.
By the way, I should mention that each of the 16 gladiators will indeed adopt gladiatorial names, similar to the original ones such as Gemini, Lace, Nitro, and Zap. However, their specific names have not been decided yet, we’ve been informed.
Here are the participants and their respective hometowns:
* Abigail Lay – Springfield, MI
* Ayinde Warren – Silver Springs, MD
* Dani Means – Los Angeles, CA
* Dani Speegle – Houston, TX
* Drew Aggouras – Boston, MA
* Emily Nelson – Mesa, AZ
* Eric Bugenhagen – Milwaukee, WI
* Fessy Shafaat – Orlando, FL
* Jason Peele – Southern Pines, NC
* Jessica Roden – Mount Vernon, OH
* Jessie Godderz – Weed, CA
* Joseph Hall – Sacramento, CA
* Kailey Latimer – Durham, NC
* Lu Faustin – Brooklyn, NY
* Michael Wardlow – Middlefield, OH
* Sydney Hunter – Sacramento, CA
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but reminisce about the iconic show, American Gladiators. Over the years, it has undergone several transformations: in 1994, it was reimagined for kids, and in 1995, it graced our primetime TV. The series format returned in 2008, but alas, a 2014 revival, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on board as executive producers, didn’t quite make it to our screens.
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2025-06-12 20:54