Season Three Grand Championship! “A Finish You Won’t Soon Forget.” | Full Episode | S03E25

[@katofmine]

We truly peaked in the 80s/90s. Thank you for the nostalgia.

[@ShaneGaffey-g4m]

These ladies are teasing me could you give me quit teasing me

[@gladfan1989]

There will NEVER be another Eliminator race like this one. Bam Bam and Mark set a standard for all future races.

[@BruteStrength99]

I thought Tim Goldrick vs Chaz Worthington was just as close. RIP Tim

[@gladfan1989]

@@BruteStrength99 There were a lot of close finishes that season. Tim vs Coz was a great one, as well.

[@BruteStrength99]

@gladfan1989 well overall I believe that was American Gladiators best season from the combination of contenders to Gladiators to events. I thought it had the best collection.

[@justinsane1119]

What future races? Future as in almost 30 years ago?

[@bloopnation]

THE BEST!! I wonder what Mark is up to these days.

[@djnekroman]

Something I never realized as a kid when I would watch this show, but have definitely noticed revisiting these as an adult... There's a lot of genuine good sportsmanship between the gladiators and competitors on this show. Yeah, folks can get heated and riled up, but there's usually a handshake or pat on the back of approval from both sides. It's really nice to see, honestly.

[@WSPBane]

I noticed that as well watching this again. It was nice to see the Gladiator's giving them encouragement.

[@SomeGuyFromOK]

I think when we were kids that’s just how things went so it was normal. Now we see how out of the ordinary sportsmanship is.

[@danangell5482]

@@SomeGuyFromOK Because now people keep encouraging trash talking and acting like an idiot. It's really sad.

[@olliehays3206]

There is and it is nice. Its so prevalent it seems it was an absolute requirement by the producers. It adds to the show.

[@LucianDevine]

@@olliehays3206 It really does. There's nothing wrong with being upset at your own loss and popping off when you win, but the sportsmanship goes a long way, especially with the size and sometimes numbers advantage the gladiators had over the contestants.

[@shaunna28]

The Eliminator between Bam-Bam & Mark Ortega was EPIC!! Talk about a photo finish! 📸

[@davidford3968]

It was just a shame that somebody had to lose between those two. Two of the best ever

[@danangell5482]

And it almost didn't happen. That yellow ball of Joe's that lipped out in Swingshot, the first event, would have meant an extra half-second in the Eliminator and would have meant Mark's flying leap would have come up inches short of victory.

[@RIVALContentJammerz]

This might be the very best episode. Very entertaining.

[@Rick-Raven]

I remember this episode; Kathy was great on the wall; a natural blonde beauty and Joseph reminds me a little bit of Rico from season 2.

[@ff89999]

Arguably the best 45 mins in TV history, I remember this episode like it happened yesterday

[@matthewwebb8245]

Same here!

[@admorewarhammer5141]

I think it is stupid and boring

[@brandocalrissian3294]

Powerball could be a legit fun sport to watch with a few tweaks. This show should be brought back. One of the best competition shows ever.

[@aanderson4803]

I started this video thinking "OMG! Is this the 'arm finish' episode?!?" Something I haven't seen since playing hookie from school I the mid 90s. 25+ years later, this moment lives rent free in my head! Thank You American Gladiators!

[@nathanbyberg]

That finish in the men’s eliminator was one for the record books

[@abadidol]

"...the southern California former prep football star running back methodically sliced through the competition with his OJ Simpson like moves." Well that aged like milk.

[@indigomontoya1970]

Lol I didn't catch that. Thank you for pointing that out. Great stuff. He literally said sliced omg that's great!

[@jacknitro9163]

this made me laugh very hard thank you!

[@justinsane1119]

Why? OJ was a great running back

[@wali0022]

@@justinsane1119The OJ trail is the joke

[@justinsane1119]

@@wali0022 the sliced through part? I guess that’s funny

[@arcmov24]

I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOREVER!!! THANKS! BEST ENDING.....EVER!

[@georgesmith4476]

Incredible finish! Great winners! Kathy is so perfect that even if a computer tried to make "the perfect woman" it wouldn't do an equal job. Her wall climb was astonishing.

[@loganvandyk7090]

Those mullets are on point!

[@alanf8622]

Whoever was operating the balls at the end literally cost Joe the match.

[@joelar17]

Yup the throw at Mark was way late

[@johnocch1]

The stumble after the wall jump definitely didn’t help either

[@scopsmusicproductionandcom3926]

I noticed that. Tower threw the ball and I noticed his high five to Mark afterwards with a big grin on his face that makes me wonder if he knew what he did.

[@fakeascanbe423]

​36:14 Tower didn't throw the ball

[@skippythealien9627]

18:12 - that ad read for Super Nintendo really puts things into perspective how long ago this show was

[@FellowshipOfTheAviatorZ]

It was Epic. I called in the wife and everything 😆

[@joshbasarab6869]

Wow, that was a really long time ago memory for me, thanks for posting this.

[@andrewphillips2179]

Both Joe Mauro and Mark Ortega were fantastic on the Wall. Also, It was a fantastic Race in the Men's Eliminator between Mark Ortega and Joe Mauro.

[@mugabi9502]

Mark would have lost if he did not fling his body across the line.

[@hsupower]

@@mugabi9502 I think I'll go a little bit further to find the turning point in the Men's Eliminator. Joseph Mauro had gotten to the mat from the zip line with a decent lead. If Mauro used the rope on the first wall, then it would have harder for Mark Ortega to catch up in the end. In that instance, the perfect storm of events started. It ended with a clean run by Ortega in the final stretch. Ortega getting by the big ball allowed him to get the speed needed to dive for the finish from the final barrier. That was an instant classic still remembered to this day.

[@g.mitchell7110]

I was in college when this version was on in first run syndication. Where I was attending college, it aired Friday nights after the late news where it either followed or was followed by Friday the 13th: The Series (which is still better than any of the movies) for a couple of years and A Nightmare on Elm Street (not as good, but still pretty good) for a couple of years. It was awesome. That was a great finale. I do think Mauro got robbed, not by the referee, but by the Gladiator in the pit just before the finish. Mauro had to dodge the ball that was pushed into the pit just as he entered, while Ortega went unimpeded as the ball was pushed in late. That was the last little bit that allowed Ortega to close the last few feet. Look at the thumbnail - Mauro is dodging the giant ball, Ortega has no obstacle. On the women's side, they say several times that Lenz just had too much time to overcome . . . but Mollica, who had an eight second lead, won by twelve seconds. Even if they had start even, Mollica still wins handily. The appeal this has to my nostalgia receptors is strong. I think I'll bust out my DVD set of Friday the 13th and watch a few episodes.

[@dugger0]

Yeah. Ortega got lucky. If that ball was a second earlier he loses

[@Glokas7]

I felt the same way. Seemed a little tilted in Marks favor there. Had Bam Bam not slipped up at the Wall, even that barely pushed Pit Ball wouldn’t have been enough. It must’ve been a tough pill for Bam Bam to swallow, but he did. These contestants had a lot of class. I watched a lot of USA network stuff in those days myself, although I was an adolescent at that time. Friday The 13th the Series was a real gem. Used to watch that and Tales From The Darkside religiously. I always did the Saturday Morning lineup between Fox, WNUV and the USA Network. Then back to Fox (I think) for Nightmare and Kung Fu Theatre. Can’t beat those days of television in my opinion. Best ever.

[@dugger0]

@@Glokas7 I miss 90s Saturday cartoons

[@Glokas7]

@@dugger0 - Same here. Think about it a lot. USA Saturday Morning Express. Saturday Nightmares later in the evening. Fox and WNUV54 had some amazing lineups in the 90s. I still tuned in during my later teenage years. Even as a young adult in the early 2000s, I would catch the Cartoon Network lineup they tried to give us. They would try and run Silverhawks, Centurions, Transformers, GI Joe, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Tranzor Z, X-Men, Street Fighter (Cartoon Express/Action Extreme), Voltron, He-Man, TMNT, Real Ghostbusters, Go-Bots, Carmen Sandieago, Mario Bros Super Show, Captain N, COPS. My god, that was just off the top of my head. I’m sure if I sit and think I can come up with more. Some of those were more 80s into the early 90s, but still. I love those shows and made sure I collected DVD sets of any I could. I recently saw my Captain N GameMaster 4 Disc Set was like $120 now. Still can’t believe that.

[@selinaogorman8380]

Mark and Bam Bam was the best American gladiator episode ever there eliminator finish of all time indeed what a photo finish I remember this so well and they both have it there all I enjoyed watching them!

[@hunkmarvel8925]

37:18 Ortega had no giant ball to slow him down. Gemini just threw it over his head. Not fair to Mauro.

[@Dead_Goat]

Ortega also didnt cross the line first. They just wanted ortega to win.

[@sirmegallot3276]

I used to love watching this show as a kid... watching it now you can see the moments that are staged by the gladiators... It's still a fun show and a relic of its time!

[@juliansmith4352]

The men's eliminator race is the greatest

[@l-wolverine2211]

CHEATER!!! Commenting before the video is even uploaded.

[@mugabi9502]

@@l-wolverine2211 who cheated

[@l-wolverine2211]

@@mugabi9502 DUH!!! Why comment way before the episode aired???!!! So Unfair & Dishonest!!!

[@mugabi9502]

The closest finish ever.

[@FreddyKurganNimmo]

@L-Wolverine For Christ's sake, man, lay off of the 'roids! This episode is 30 freakin' years old, and The Eliminator between Ortega & Mauro has been available on multiple other KZbin channels for YEARS!🙄🤦 Dude, maybe you should consult a psychologist about your anger issues, and your overwhelming need to needlessly accuse others of doing things that they DON'T do🤔 There's absolutely NO "rule" saying that comments can't or shouldn't be made before a video that has been slated for upload actually premieres🤷

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

28:03 Even when Diamond was big, she was still lovably cute and innocent. :P

[@drummingdanny84]

Word!

[@bryanracine2715]

What a finish!

[@kennethzinke9168]

Was the photo finish in the Elininator on American Gladiators similar to the obstacle course on Nickelodeon's Family Double Dare?

[@MannyDer]

"sliced through the competition with his OJ Simpson-like moves" -- lol at the foreshadowing

[@chadbaughman401]

My favorite eliminator final Bam-Bam vs Mark

[@dementia316]

My God, what a finish! Whoo! That being said, Kimberly did get Zap's pugil stick away from her before the whistle, and I used a stopwatch for the maze, and Kimberly DID make it out of the maze by hundredths of a second! She got screwed out of 15 points! In the end, it wouldn't have changed the ending, but it's the principle of the thing!

[@Jason_Maier]

Season 3 was the best overall season of AG for sure. Best mix of contenders and gladiators; though I recall Gold (not sure why) and Turbo (hyperextending his knee in Powerball) missed a good chunk of time because of injuries

[@charliedaniels4731]

Love AmGlad. Does anyone know if there are plans to EVER PUT IT ON DVD or BLURAY ?!

[@ericagray5222]

Love American Gladiators

[@Mediamessengers]

Such a great show. My brothers and I love it as kids! We would go in the backyard after episodes and recreate/make up our own challenges. :)

[@1WordSirMalarky]

When I was in the 5th grade 1995, the gym teacher set the entire gymnasium up like a gladiator course. Had teachers throwing tennis balls at us and all. One of the best memories of my childhood.

[@Dman3827]

They should have kept the events look and musical scores. Also uniforms of season 3 a lot longer. It was perfect.

[@horrorbro]

Kathy Comeback Successful in Joust The Wall and The Eliminator at 15:08 28:53 and 33:11 😎

[@terryleemangrumii8566]

And this will be the ONLY time you'll see Thunder, Nitro, and Viper together, so savor it and enjoy it!

[@drummingdanny84]

Viper was probably the only gladiator to work with O.G.s (Gemini, Lace, Nitro, and Zap) and the newbies (Tower, Storm).

[@jenniferthomas5305]

Great men's ending! Love the new challenges like the maze and changes to the eliminator❤

[@furbl4345]

Season 3 was the best season ever: all the gladiators returned from prior season in their best of shapes. Lace bulked up and looking more muscular than ever. Blaze also gained a few pounds of muscles. Zap got smaller but very glad she returned to the show. The season also boasted four of the best contenders on any seasons!!

[@dawnrebrebseeiftv5126]

Viper's debut with a sweet mullet. This competition was intense. Bam Bam was behind then ahead. Then Mark wins with one arm yet didn't break the tape. The gladiator also threw the ball after he ran by. That first wall cost bam bam regardless.

[@apatheism]

Bam Bam nursing that fake injury at the end like it cost him the race is the most hilarious thing I've seen in a while. The fact that the most embarrassing thing for him in that moment wasnt his haircut makes my day.

[@lamontpeanutmillerjr]

That Mark Ortega/Joseph Mauro Eliminator was somethin serious. I'm remembered that when I was kid and I was on the edge of my seat.

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

31:46 Force a smile???? I thought she came off as charming in her interviews, myself!!!

[@rob7476]

Netflix brought me here. God, I miss this show/these people

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

Amazing how gemini got to have exactly 50 jousts during his time on the show!!!!! It's like it was meant to be, having the 50th one on his last show!!!!

[@andysee6996]

What a bittersweet episode this is going to be. One of the closest eliminator runs in worldwide Gladiators history paired with an episode that will be the swan's song for four of these gladiators (Blaze, Gemini, Lace, & Thunder). I guess Gold was already in her last episode.

[@davidford3968]

Yep. Gold got hurt at some point and was done

[@aflodesigns]

damn its 2023 and im 40 now...and this SHIT IS STILL FUN TO WATCH!

[@jamesthing6963]

There's only two episodes of season 3 are missing, one is the NFL special edition episode and the other was Mark Ortega's preliminary episode which he advanced to the next round. So it's actually 27 episodes in season 3.

[@misterdarren3622]

"Knifing and slicing through the competition with OJ.-like moves."

[@JonnySuite13]

That was amazing!!! Mr. Miracle Mark Ortega!!!

[@Oppeldeldoc1]

You can be crazy about the whole show, but if you're an FBB fan, you still wait and wait for a moment like 28:00, with that great pose.

[@TheSungecko420]

This was the most amazing time in history.

[@ballthemblack]

That is how you finish the eliminator

[@dvd7826]

That sucks Turbo got hurt during the season😟😟😟

[@jamesthong2508]

And so as Gold.

[@MsCwebb]

The Creeper was always my favorite gladiator ❤💪❤

[@pjdiver3]

"Sliced" through the competition, with OJ Simpson like moves...he didn't know it at the time, but the announcer made an amazing joke

[@4HBirtcher]

26:21 & 38:53 Larry Thompson was being unfair with those rulings! 1. Referee refused to award Kimberly Lentz 10 points in the Maze! 2. Mark Ortega should not have become the grand champion! When there’s a piece of tape stretched across the finish line it’s the hand that touches the tape first wins so clearly the winner was Joseph Mauro and not Mark Ortega!

[@BoRnMuSh]

totally unfair ball throw at the end....they basically threw the ball after he had already ran through the final portion of the race....unbelievable

[@Firebird4Life]

Gemini had the blue ball. This was his last appearance on the show. Maybe that lead to his release or possibly he knew his contract was up and just put no effort into it...

[@Will-h7h]

@@Firebird4Life lol no Gemini left between seasons 3 and 4 due to wanting more money off merchandising. He was team captain and would have been in Season 4 had this not happened

[@c0mputer]

Agreed that probably cost his the race. BUT what really did it was the poor attempt at the first wall and then the fall. THAT was the real deal sealer.

[@GameShowMike]

@@Will-h7hnot only Gemini, but also Nitro and the other original Gladiators wanted their share of the revenues from merchandise sales, which included action figures, video games, and even a soundtrack of the music from the show (which I even had on a cassette tape). But a few seasons later Nitro returned as a gladiator in season six with the agreement that for the seventh and final season he would succeed Lisa Malosky (who succeeded Larry Csonka) as color commentator.

[@GackFinder]

More of a design flaw of the eliminator. The last event should test the contestants in isolation and against each other, not against the gladiators. The ball throw stuff introduces a random element that shouldn't be there.

[@l-wolverine2211]

Gemini has highlighted his AG legacy with his 50th Joust, more than any other Gladiator in history.

[@Dingoplexor]

I feel like I see u everywhere lol 😂

[@chriscripplercruz1833]

Oh 36:01 the very epitome of 90s fashion back in the fun days of my youth lol

[@jarellano1014]

Men's race was Awesome but 2 things Bam Bam made 2 mistakes & giant ball was thrown late on Ortega kinda helped him.

[@l-wolverine2211]

So, are we gonna get those Missing Episodes from the Preliminaries, which includes Mark Ortega’s Debut, and also the NFL Episode?!

[@NORMIES_GET_OUT]

Jesus Christ, that has to be the most majestic mullet I've ever seen on a person. Also, I can't believe I just typed that sentence.

[@GackFinder]

Majestic Mullet. Now that's a cool band name

[@kevinjwhite334]

Diamond still astonishing, Mark Ortega is the best

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

Ya, I watched 28:02 - 28:10 numerous times!!!!!

[@CerealKiller143]

Great finish! I think Tim Goldrick had slightly closer finish though

[@dawnrebrebseeiftv5126]

He almost beat mark

[@jasonryan1942]

Mark ortega one of the best

[@andrewphillips2179]

Kathy Mollica was fantastic in the Joust, The Wall, and the Women's Eliminator

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

0:18 That comparison would have a totally different meaning nowadays!!!!!

[@GameShowMike]

What happened at 37:25 had me screaming “HOLY SHIT!” Game shows have close finishes all the time, but that moment on American Gladiators in the spring of 1992 showed us just HOW close it can get… just a scant two hundredths of a second.

[@mrmotown313]

The moment when Larry Thompson had announced that Kimberly Lentz had not won the maze event was the ultimate letdown moment of that episode! He was extremely sounding very unhappy when he said therefore, no score is awarded. I could tell that there was a lot of disappointment and unhappiness in his voice.

[@WSPBane]

I felt for Kimberly there, she was sooo close. But at least she kept her sense of humor and was posing in front of the gladiator.

[@LucianDevine]

Yeah, you could tell that he didn't want to do it, but it would be disingenuous to every contestant, including herself, to just give it to her rules be damned.

[@demitirusmcneal1327]

Heartbreak

[@mrmotown313]

@@demitirusmcneal1327 my thoughts exactly!

[@robertmasen9792]

WOW

[@kmik4466]

Did this originally air on Fox? NBC? Can’t remember.

[@charell31]

I miss the 90s so much.. loved this show

[@indigomontoya1970]

Bam Bam will always be the champion. The champion of sweet mullets

[@sugarbelleash]

That Maze finish thwarted Kimberly Lentz’s momentum.

[@bethtyree6346]

Thee guys were great

[@ballthemblack]

No lie for Kimberly not to get the points in the maze did hurt her confidence just a bit

[@CerealKiller143]

Yeah she needed just a half second more

[@davidford3968]

I have to say the maze was one of the worst events that they ever came up with and had the finish line been when you got to the end of the maze and not the platform she would have got those 10 points

[@jimmypikachuchoi]

Plus they like had her start on the complete dead end beginning. her side was all blocked off and had to go back to kathy's side to actually get out of the maze.

[@justinsane1119]

Where can I listen to this in stereo?

[@mENTALdRIFTER]

lmao at Zonka (Saint Zonka, Blessed be his name) getting mobbed by the family

[@Disciple8923]

Kathy just rubbed that in walking through the finish line like that 😂

[@jnadle1]

Goodness, it was hard to know who crossed the finish line first, but it was Ortega by a split hair.

[@LucianDevine]

It's weird that there isn't an overhead camera that they can show us that would help in these situations.

[@therealhonestraider7921]

WHEN WILL THIS EVER COME BACK ?

[@YamiSatoshi]

To think, the men's Eliminator was decided by a strategic move. Good thinking, champion!

[@machoman1016]

This is why I'm glad they replace the tape with the paper wall 2 seasons later.

[@Dead_Goat]

Yea a strategic move to not have to dodge the giant ball like his opponent did.

[@dagdogg]

Great sportsmanship from Nitro before and after Men’s Powerball.

[@jorgeandrew]

10:17 what a good clash between Lentz and Mollica at Atlasphere 🔮 Lace did a good job keeping Mollica at zero. Lentz had help from Ice on those two scores 😅 10:52 first time I see Laser take a big hit in Atlasphere 🔮 13:00 yeah... good job by Mark against Gemini 💪 14:07 😁 15:20 and 16:11 Zap had a very poor performance at The Joust in this grandchampionship. Although some don't want to accept it, the best female glad in this event wasn't Ice, Gold, Jazz or Sky... That was Crush (Gina Carano) in the 2008 remake 👊 15:42 Several errors in this session. Lentz in second round lost at The Joust against Blaze, not against Diamond 🤦‍♂ 18:53 "that ball is mine, mine, mine..." 🤣 Nitro again ridiculing Mauro 21:01 Blaze saying goodbye to Powerball with a good blow to Mollica 🤣 To be a grandchampionship Ice and Blaze should have been the front line gladiators and Diamond protecting the center cylinder. 25:50 extremely doubtful that disqualification of Lentz in The Maze🤨 Anyway, I never liked that event too much 34:20 I said it several times before. Lentz was an excellent contender only in The Eliminator, so having fallen so far behind Mollica, that denouement was imminent. 😐 37:06 At that precise moment Mauro lost the final of that grandchampionship 😑 38:25 That was simply INFARTING 😮😯😲😨 39:00 "Ortega...!" ¡¡¡LONG LIVE THE LATINOS!!!👏👏👏💪 Anyway, goodbye to Nitro and Ice for a while, but we will never see to Gemini, Blaze, Lace and Thunder again. Bye, Bye guys 👋

[@l-wolverine2211]

STEREOTYPE!!! “Long live Latinos?!” It does NOT matter what people’s backgrounds are, when we’re all suppose to be Unified, You HYPOCRITE. I’m part Latino, and I would NEVER say that BS

[@LucianDevine]

26:06 You see Lentz's foot still on the platform when they pause the replay, with the announcer specifically calling it out. It's a brutal call, but the correct call.

[@AlexanderBBrown-hq9gg]

Awesome!

[@matthewwebb8245]

I remember watching this as a kid, so I knew how it turned out, yet I was still disbelieving that Mark had a chance even til the end. If the Gladiators had hit Mark with the big ball at the end, Joe wins. Awesome!

[@michaeldarabasz7210]

OJ moves... Yup he murdered it...

[@andysee6996]

What happened to Bam-Bam? He touched down from that zipline 6.4 seconds before Mark Ortega did. I assume he hurt something on that impact.

[@jamethong8005]

His left arm gave out which it cause him to stumble in the first wall, he wasn't even a hundred percent during The Eliminator course.

[@gabe9346]

In an official track event, the chest/torso of the runner is what counts for crossing the finish line, not limbs or head. I'm not sure if that's the standard they used here, or if that would've changed the result.

[@kevincharles1983]

American ninja before American ninja

[@kcx1588x]

TALK about (barely) split second by two awesome competitors!!!

[@Name_redacted_86]

I remember this show growing up man he reminds me as much simpler times... what happened to the world man

[@l-wolverine2211]

The debut of Viper, the farewell of Gemini, Thunder(RIP), Lace, Blaze, & Gold, and the hiatus of Nitro & Ice. It’s a real shame, since most of the Gladiators that left after this season were better than some of the Gladiators that came afterwards. Still, we move forward into Season 4, one of my Least favorite seasons.

[@mugabi9502]

After season 3 the show went downhill.

[@crgray1979]

Why did ice left

[@crgray1979]

Went downhill when Larry conzka left the show

[@l-wolverine2211]

@@crgray1979 No, it went downhill in Season 4, but back up in Season 5, and then back down afterwards.

[@l-wolverine2211]

@@crgray1979 I think Ice left either by an Injury, or Maternal leave. I remember one of the female Gladiators left for a season, and came back, and I wasn’t sure if it was Ice or Zap, but that’s what I remembered reading a long time ago

[@mcbailey9]

I remember watching this after an NFL game.

[@demitirusmcneal1327]

No one cannot beat Gemini in the Joust

[@Zacht1980]

The extra weight of Bam Bam's mullet made all the difference.

[@Gr8gg787]

I remember watching this as a kid and eating little Caesar’s pizza. Making me hungry

[@BrandonKingsbury]

Hahahaha so awesome. Greatest finish ever ! Man when u was a kid I had crushes on all the lady gladiators.

[@STEJTHEGREATEST]

Wow, you had 25 episodes per season in American Gladiators?????? :O

[@machoman1016]

I wonder why they brought back the red and blue uniforms for season 3 championship but not for season 4.