[hype music]
- It's gonna be a history-making night
in Las Vegas because for the first time ever,
we're going racing at 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 may be the most intense night we've ever had.
24 of our best ninjas are going head to head.
These are gonna be some pressure-filled races.
- You know it, big man.
Win your race tonight, and you're still alive
for the million-dollar prize.
For a preview of the course, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Guys, our ninjas will be sprinting
across these six obstacles with their opponent
right next to them.
It all starts with a run across the Striding Steps
and a swing up to the second obstacle,
the Double Salmon Ladder.
Then it's a brand-new one, Jawbreakers,
where competitors have to lock a bar inside a series
of steel traps.
That's followed by a big leap on to the Swing Surfer
and a climb up to the fifth obstacle,
where ninjas need to be precise
on the Epic Air Surfer.
Finally, it's the Falling Shelves,
where ninjas have to make a blind grab at the end.
Win your race, and you're moving on to stage 3.
But if you lose, there's a chance you may not be out.
That's because the top four non-winners
will race each other to determine the last two spots.
Guys?
- Thanks, Zuri.
Our pairings tonight are based on how
the ninjas fared on stage 1.
- And we've got some marquee matchups.
These are the best of the best.
We've got the defending last ninja standing, Kaden Lebsack.
He's the top seed.
But he's got to race his good friend,
"The Boss" Elijah Browning.
"The Flyboy" Isaiah Thomas, an 11 seed,
will have to beat one of "Ninja's"
best, fellow Texan Daniel Gil.
And "The Weatherman," 34-year-old Joe Moravsky,
will have to outrun the speedy 19-year-old
from Minnesota, Jera Boyd.
[cheers and applause]
- And our very first race at the National Finals
is gonna feature two of "Ninja's" best--
26-year-old Austin Gray from Colorado versus 17-year-old
Josiah Pippel from New Jersey.
These two didn't come to win a race.
They came to Las Vegas to win it all.
- Life-changing money. Go for it.
Everything you've got, put it into it!
- Last season, I made it all the way to stage 4.
And I was close.
[timer buzzing]
[horn blares] - Oh, my goodness!
- Oh, my!
- Got to be just within a few feet.
- But I definitely could have done more.
Obviously, I wanted to win it all.
But being one of only nine people to ever get there,
and now knowing that I can do it,
it's a totally different mindset.
I need that million dollars.
So my goal is to get back and hit
that one buzzer I haven't hit.
This will be the year.
This will be the time.
- I have been so close to that last-man-standing position.
- Gray wants it.
Gray wants a banner hanging.
- I got second place in season 12.
- Gray! - Who wants it?
- Gil! - Who wants it?
- Daniel Gil!
- I got second place to Kaden season 13.
- No! - Oh!
- I've tasted it.
I've been right there.
But [indistinct] is unforgiving.
This is the third time I've run stage 2.
I've got nothing to lose.
I'm gonna do what I have to do to try
to keep my season alive.
[cheers and applause]
- Austin's wearing that "Share Your Spare" T-shirt.
He's a big advocate for organ donation--
gave one of his kidneys to a friend a few years ago.
- Come on, Austin!
- Down on the sideline are Austin's girlfriend, Jaelyn,
and his Colorado crew of ninjas.
Josiah's dad is leading the cheers on his sideline.
He can look up and see his mom and siblings
watching back in New Jersey.
We know Josiah loves to go fast.
He's a big Formula One racing fan.
Win this race and you're moving on to stage 3.
[countdown clock beeping]
- These steps are 5 feet apart.
You got to grab that rope.
Goes right up to the Double Salmon Ladder.
You have to go up three rungs,
then jump to the other side.
- Wow.
- They're onto this new obstacle, Jawbreakers.
You have to slam the bar inside the steel traps.
- When Josiah Pippel goes, he propels.
- And he just linked Jawbreakers.
Now they'll need a big jump onto the Swing Surfer.
Got to land safely then build up momentum
to leap to the rope.
Josiah is off first.
Gotta climb up and over the wall.
And Pippel finishes Swing Surfer first.
He'll head over to Epic Air Surfer.
- This is where it can get a little scary.
Too aggressive. Oh, no!
Oh, my goodness, before I could even say it!
- What a turn of events.
Josiah had the lead but goes down on Epic Air Surfer.
Now Austin Gray can get a come-from-behind win.
- Wow.
- On the very first move, Josiah hit the edge
and bounced back off the front of the pad,
and his run is done.
Now Austin can take his time.
But because Josiah finished the previous obstacle first,
Austin must finish Epic Air Surfer.
Has to hop that board across six ledges of different sizes,
and some of them are lower than others.
This is a challenging obstacle.
- Come on, man.
Come on!
- Oh.
- Makes it to the last one.
But still needs the dismount.
- Watch that left side.
- He's just gonna launch from there.
- Oh, no.
Oh, whoa, whoa.
- Oh.
- Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Can he save it?
Oh!
[cheers and applause]
- Yes!
- Oh, my goodness. - Oh--
- Oh, my goodness.
- --my!
- Oh, my goodness.
Somebody went to church on Sunday.
- By the skin of his teeth.
- I thought it was over.
Check this out.
That board was sliding off the pad.
So he had to rush his dismount.
He didn't get the swing that he wanted,
barely reached the landing pad,
and was hanging on by his fingernails.
Wow. What a great save.
- And Josiah Pippel--
- Distraught.
--heartbroken.
- Austin Gray has the win.
But it's a badge of honor to get a buzzer on stage 2.
So he's gonna keep going.
He'll have to get past this final obstacle,
Falling Shelves.
- Wow.
- Thought his season was over.
- I thought it was over.
- Here comes the blind grab on the final shelf.
And got it!
Austin Gray gets another buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
What a moment.
- Yeah, he wants everybody up here to celebrate.
- Get them all up there. Everybody get up there.
Go celebrate.
- Well, we talk it.
You see one person on the course,
but no one does it alone, and Austin
Gray surrounded by his crew.
One step closer to that million dollars.
[cheers and applause]
Well, if that doesn't get you hyped, our next duo will.
We've got 16-year-old Ben Behrends, AKA "The Hype
Guy," versus a rock-and-roller who loves
to shred the course, RJ Roman.
Leading the cheers for these two
will be their dads, RJ's father,
Roland, and Ben's dad, Scott.
- Yoop. - Yeah.
- Nice.
- My dad, he is my role model.
He's the best guy I know.
- Like that.
Beat that wall. There we go.
Up.
Nice.
Get up there.
- My first time in Vegas, I got to see my dad compete,
season 11.
[cheers and applause]
Come on, Dad!
You got this!
Go, Dad, go!
- Oh, my goodness.
He was amazing.
And now I'm on that big stage.
[cheers and applause]
- Ben still needs a buzzer.
- Yeah.
I need to get my first one.
- Yeah, that's it.
- I've been extremely proud of how hard
he's been working for this.
- Good work, dude.
- Aw, thank you, Dad.
- Come on!
- On stage 1, I had one of the biggest crowds,
but I heard my dad over all of them.
[cheers and applause]
- Growing up, my dad was not really there.
But we've been getting closer over the past few years.
So to have him on the sidelines means a lot to me.
[buzzer blares]
- Yeah!
Hit that buzzer!
Yeah!
- With him, nothing's gonna stop me.
* *
- RJ's dad is over there with a big group of friends,
including Flip Rodriguez, who will run later.
And Scott Behrends leading that impressive crew
of Iowa ninjas.
- Oh, you got to love Ben's little sister.
She's the hype girl.
Them are hype tears right there.
- Ben Behrends only 5 foot 1,
definitely an underdog against RJ,
who's known for going fast.
But remember, he fell on stage 1
and had to use a Safety Pass.
He'll get no second chances tonight.
[countdown clock beeping]
Ben Behrends has got to be running with abandon.
RJ Roman chasing a return to stage 4.
- Ooh.
Ben Behrends is not backing down.
He says, "I don't care."
- Well, he never lets his size hold him back.
- I like that.
Some people want it to happen.
Some people wish it would happen.
Others make it happen.
Ooh, RJ Roman, trying to make it happen right now.
- And Ben Behrends keeping up.
I'm impressed.
We talked about the size of the "Behr" in the fight.
It's the size of the fight in this "Behr."
- This kid is not backing down here.
- Wow.
- He's like, "I'm right there with you."
- He's keeping pace with the speed demon, RJ Roman.
Good leap for the 5'1" Behrends.
- All right.
This is where RJ Roman can make a little bit of a
separation here, but you can't get too aggressive.
- Easy for those boards to slide
off if you're not in control.
- Oh, boy.
- It is like surfing on ice.
- He made some epic moves, too.
- And this is where fatigue sets in,
and you can overshoot or undershoot the landing.
And Ben Behrends keeping pace.
Oh, oh!
- This kid never backs down from a challenge.
Oh! - No!
Well, Ben Behrends really pushed him, but RJ Roman
will be going back to stage 3.
- That's a lot of ninja to go up against, and Ben Behrends,
he brought the fight to RJ Roman.
- And you can see RJ showing respect.
He gave him all he could handle.
And RJ Roman wants to put an exclamation point on it.
He's had a lot of big runs, but this one
is special because his dad is on the sidelines.
- There you go.
- And here's the tricky move, this blind grab
on the last one.
And he gets it.
And, Akbar, this wouldn't have been possible
without that Safety Pass.
- He knows it.
- RJ Roman, one step closer to getting
back to stage 4 for another shot at the mountain.
- Slayed that course.
[rock music]
* *
- And let's not forget the great season
by 5-foot-1 Ben Behrends, giving his family
so much to be proud of.
But this race goes to the veteran,
RJ Roman, one step closer to a rematch on stage 4.
Tonight, only a handful of ninjas remain, all of them
with a story.
- Ahh!
- Jonathan Bange is having a dream
season, dedicated to his dad.
- I know he's up there, screaming, "You did it, son!
You did it!"
- At 34, "Ninja" great Joe Moravsky is hoping his years
of experience can hold up against "Ninja's"
rising young stars.
- This is absolutely the year.
And you're gonna see me on stage 4.
- 10 years ago, Nacssa Garemore
was in an orphanage in Africa.
Now he's closing in on a million dollars.
- I'm having the best time of my life.
- And later, we'll move over to start competition
on stage 3,
all leading to next week's season finale, where someone
will conquer stage 4 for a million dollars
on the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Vegas and the National Finals.
Take a look at this.
That's Hans Hertz and Flip Rodriguez from 2018,
when Hans was just 10 years old.
Hans is now 16, and minutes ago,
he faced off against Flip, who's now 34
and a 13-time "Ninja" veteran.
- Hans Hertz is gonna have to rent some speed to go
up against Flip Rodriguez.
- Flip's been having a career resurgence
in the past few years, and this marks
his eighth time on stage 2.
- No! No! The OG went down.
- But his run tonight was cut short by Jawbreakers,
ending another impressive season for Flip.
And Hertz just had to finish the obstacle to earn the win.
- Oh, my goodness.
- He cruised the rest of the way.
This Colorado high-schooler, unheralded
at the beginning of the season,
has now hit four buzzers-- [buzzer blares]
--and is moving on.
- Wow, this is amazing, in his rookie campaign,
going to stage 3.
- Our next race features two
of our fastest young stars.
We've got Rhode Island's 21-year-old Luke Dillon
going against "Electric Enzo," Florida's Enzo DeFerrari
Wilson, a teenager driven to succeed
by his energetic Italian family.
- This year, me and my family took a really meaningful trip
to Italy, where I got to learn much more
about my Italian heritage.
We went to Rome, Pienza, and Tuscany.
We also got to go to the DeFerrari Winery,
and we met some of our long-distant relatives.
[upbeat music]
[all speaking Italian]
- I have a really big Italian family.
Every single time we come together
for a big dinner or a big event, it's always crazy.
- All right.
Do it right.
- And the star of the show is my grandma's
meatballs, of course.
- Nana's meatballs.
- Oh, yes.
I can't wait to eat this up, and he's looking
to eat up this course himself.
- I think the meatballs might have fueled me on the
course, too.
I felt really strong when I was running.
- And he is electric once again.
[laughs]
- Making it to stage 3 tonight would be...
[speaking Italian]
[cheers and applause]
- There's Grandma on the left.
She's gonna be watching with other family members
back in Florida.
And, of course, he'll have his loud group on the sidelines.
Luke Dillon's also got a big group of Northeast ninjas
over there, plus his girlfriend, Avery,
watching from her home.
- We love you.
- Luke Dillon is the lower seed in this race.
He's an 18, and Enzo is a 7.
But Luke Dillon was the quickest in Qualifying Night.
He can go fast now.
[countdown clock beeping]
You know, Akbar, speed can kill.
Go fast, but stay controlled.
- He missed [indistinct].
- And an extra swing for Dillon.
- Oh, that could be costly for Dillon.
- But we've seen it in racing.
When you're behind, you start to sell out.
- Not when you're behind a Ferrari, especially DeFerrari.
- And Enzo, making the moves on Jawbreaker,
is clocking it in.
- And now he's got a nice healthy lead.
Now Dillon's got to play catchup.
He's gotta turn up.
- Well, you got to run your race.
They say it's tough when you're in the lead
because you have no idea what your opponent is doing.
- Yeah, and you can't look back.
Ooh.
- And Enzo's taking extra time on Swing Surfer.
Losing momentum, and here comes Luke Dillon.
That's how quickly-- - Ooh.
- --it can change.
- Oh, boy!
It is never over here on stage 2.
- But Luke Dillon's still got to make up a lot of ground.
Enzo, the first on the Epic Air Surfer,
giving him the edge.
- Nice.
Here he goes.
- And he's linking every move.
That's impressive but risky.
- Ooh.
- Oh, no!
- He slides off!
- Oh, my goodness.
- Enzo slides off Epic Air Surfer,
and what a turn of events.
Luke Dillon, who trailed the entire race,
now has a chance to steal the win.
But he's got to finish this obstacle.
- And now Luke Dillon can kind of take his time
and make sure he doesn't slide off on this last cradle.
- He could launch it from there, Akbar.
Edging it down, doesn't want to make the mistake
that Enzo just made.
- Wow.
- I think he's gonna launch it from there.
- Nice.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
- What?
- No!
- He went for the big lache, and it cost him.
Enzo's moving on.
- Enzo wins.
- Everybody is in shock.
- Enzo had the lead, but he took a risk linking
his moves on Epic Air Surfer.
And his momentum carried him right off the track.
That opened the door for Luke Dillon,
but he tried a risky long dismount
and came up just short.
So Enzo survives.
And now he can fuel up with Grandma's meatballs.
He's moving on to stage 3.
Coming up, they practically grew up
together in the Atlanta area.
Now good friends Ethan Bartnicki and Vance Walker
have to battle each other.
- Let's go.
- The season's on the line, but I also don't want to knock
one of my best friends out.
- Their race is next when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.
- We about to light this thing up.
- Akbar, you and I have been through a lot in our 10 years
together in the booth.
- I don't want to eat a tarantula.
Yes, we have, man.
We've had a lot of great memories.
We've become good friends.
- We can relate to this next duo.
Zuri's gonna get them started.
- Guys, these next two know each other well.
Vance Walker and Ethan Bartnicki grew up "Ninja"
training together in Georgia.
They've been side by side since they were kids
and have remained best friends.
- But as fate would have it, they
now have to race each other.
- Come on. There you go.
Send it.
- Oh, no.
- That move's so hard.
- I started doing "Ninja" when I was about 12.
And the first friend that I made was Vance Walker.
- Yeah! - Let's go.
- Let's go!
- The great thing about their relationship
is, they really do challenge each other.
And to look back at their pictures
and to see these two tiny kids to look
at them now and see how much they've accomplished--
- Throughout the years.
- --it's been a lot of fun to see them both do so well.
- Nice.
- Let's go.
- I personally think Vance is the best Ninja Warrior.
[upbeat music]
- You got to get this.
- I know that he's 18 and 0 for racing side by side.
It's gonna have to be one of those perfect storm
type of days.
But hopefully, I can make that 18 and 1.
Anything can happen.
- Me and Ethan have been dreaming of this moment
for almost eight years now.
This is gonna be a tough one because the season's
on the line, but I also don't want to knock
one of my best friends out.
He is very underrated, and I'm gonna have to bring my A
game to this course right now.
- We don't make the matchups.
It's based on how they did on stage 1.
But this is gonna be bittersweet
no matter what happens.
- Vance's parents and friends on the sideline,
right next to Ethan's dad and brother.
He's also gonna throw a wave
to his girlfriend, Vivi, who's watching
from her college dorm room.
For this moment, these two have to put friendship
aside and go for broke.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Come on.
- Vance Walker goes fast, which is remarkable
considering he was born with cerebral palsy.
- I'm anticipating a lot of speed for this one, Matt.
- Well, Vance Walker, we met him on "Ninja Junior"
where in two seasons he never lost a race.
Well, Bartnicki's persnickety. He's not gonna be intimidated.
- Oh, my.
Bartnicki makes that first move.
And look at him.
He's linking it.
- Yeah, he's, like, back and forth.
- Wow.
- It's like cat and mouse.
- Bartnicki--
- Wow.
- The music producer hitting all the right notes so far.
He's only 5 feet 4 and 120 pounds,
but he is attacking this course.
- Vance Walker is not a big guy, either.
He's only 5'6".
- And Bartnicki is gonna be the first one to complete it.
We've seen it. That is huge.
Because Epic Air Surfer has been tricky.
Well, Vance Walker knows how to race.
And he just made the first move, Akbar.
Watch that board.
Vance linked it.
But here comes Bartnicki.
These two friends going right down to the wire.
Who will be the first to dismount?
- It's Bartnicki.
This would be Vance Walker's first-ever loss in a race.
- Bartnicki's not letting Vance Walker in this race.
- Oh, my.
- Ooh, boy. Oh, boy.
He barely made that launch.
- Oh, no!
No! - Oh!
- Dual falls!
- Wow.
- Bartnicki was the first to finish Epic Air Surfer.
- Wow.
- He's moving on.
This crowd is stunned.
- Vance had barely pulled ahead on Epic Air Surfer,
but he hesitated on the dismount.
And Ethan Bartnicki surged ahead.
He could have taken his time, but he
rushed it on Falling Shelves and couldn't
make that final grab.
Vance just needed to finish the obstacle,
but he missed on the third shelf.
- This is my boy right here.
And I'm so glad we went out on the same obstacle, same way.
It was perfect.
- But all is not lost for Vance Walker.
Bed of his fast pace,
he's got a good chance of being one of our top four
non-winners who will compete in the runoff
race for the final spots on stage 3.
Well, up next, a couple of guys we didn't know much about
at the beginning of the season,
yet here they are on stage 2 as 17-year-old rookies.
It's Alex Romer from Middleburg, Florida,
taking on Noah Meunier from Lakeville, Massachusetts.
It's been a different path for these two.
Noah Meunier's been perfect, hit three buzzers,
and won a Safety Pass.
Alex Romer has had some good runs.
But he didn't finish the course
in semifinals or stage 1.
Meunier's throwing up the hearts
to his girlfriend, fellow ninja Addy
Herman, who's on the sideline along with his dad.
- Come on, Alex.
- Romer's parents also here.
And he's got more family and friends
watching back in Florida.
Romer's gonna have his work cut out for him.
Noah Meunier has been unstoppable this season.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right.
Here we go.
- Romer has a slight height advantage at 5'11".
3 inches taller than Meunier.
- And now look at this, Alex Romer making his way
up there on the Salmon Ladder.
- On the Double Salmon Ladder, you can see
they changed that top cradle.
And Romer has a slight edge.
- And, Matt, with Romer getting out there in front
it puts pressure on Noah,
but now Noah's coming up from behind.
Noah's not messing around!
- Meunier linking it on the Jawbreakers.
- Oh, man.
We've got ourselves a good race.
[cheers and applause]
- Romer the first off, and Meunier doesn't have momentum.
- Oh, my goodness.
Here we go.
- This is a surprise.
Romer a self-described band geek.
He's a 19 seed, a big underdog to Meunier,
who's been perfect all season.
Meunier's got to get going.
Romer's pulling away.
He just needs the dismount.
both: Oh. - Whoa!
- Oh, my goodness.
He spilled.
- But the pressure's on Meunier.
He still has to finish this obstacle.
And Noah Meunier does it!
He's going to stage 3.
But he wants his fourth buzzer of the season.
- Nice, and here he goes.
- The blind grab on the Falling Shelves.
- Nice.
- Oh!
- How did he get that? [buzzer blares]
- Let's go! Let's go!
- Noah Meunier keeps his perfect season alive.
- Oh, look at this.
Oh, look.
- There she is, Addy Herman joining Noah.
- Let's go!
- Ninja love, big, man.
- You got to feel bad for Alex Romer.
He made a big pass on Swing Surfer
going straight to the rope without an extra swing.
But on Epic Air Surfer, he slid off the left side.
That allowed Meunier to come back and get the win.
[buzzer blares]
- Now, Romer's still got a chance
to be one of our top four
non-winners who will race later tonight
for the final spots on stage 3.
- Let's go.
- Still to come--
- Ahh!
- There it is.
The Bangin Ninja's having a breakout season at 34.
Can he keep his season alive?
He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
[upbeat music]
- We love to dance on "American Ninja Warrior."
And we've seen a lot of our ninjas
show off their moves over the years.
And that includes our next two competitors,
who celebrated their stage 1 buzzers
last week with some style.
These two fun-loving ninjas are
gonna dance their way onto the start line for stage 2.
- A little shimmy shimmy.
- It's "The Cat Daddy," Jackson Twait,
the pet sitter from Iowa a five-time "Ninja" veteran.
He's back on stage 2 for the second straight season.
He'll be facing a rookie, the impressive teenager
from Florida, Nacssa Garemore.
This 15-year-old, the youngest ninja
still in the competition, has hit buzzers on every course
this season.
And he'll have lots of family watching back in Florida,
plus his mom on the sideline.
Jackson Twait's got that big group
from Iowa cheering for him.
- And the Cat Daddy may be a little nervous
about this first obstacle.
Remember, he shockingly fell
on the Striding Steps last year.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Both these guys go fast.
- Here we go. Keep your balance.
- Wow. - Nice.
- And no problem on the Striding
Steps this year for Jackson Twait.
- And it's about running your race
but knowing that you're racing against another ninja.
- Nice. - Wow. Nice.
- I'm telling you-- - And great power, Twait,
an extra move there on the Salmon Ladder.
- Whoo!
And Nacssa, man, he can go.
Once he gets out to the open space, that's it.
- He's not just fast.
He has tremendous strength,
which he'll need to get through
these five upper-body obstacles
here after the Striding Steps.
- And, Matt, you can see Nacssa
already starting to pull away.
Once he gets away, it's gonna be
lights out for Jackson Twait. - And keep in mind
if you don't hit a buzzer, the door is always open.
- Our top four non-winners will be in runoff races
and could still move on to stage 3.
- Here comes Twait.
- Twait is right behind him.
OK.
- Epic Air Surfer, so easy to make a mistake,
and Nacssa about two moves ahead.
Look at this.
He's linking every move.
- O-M-G.
- What confidence out of Garemore.
- Garemore's gone. He gone.
- Well, Twait's gonna need a miracle.
- He's gonna need nine lives and more
than that to catch him. - Wow.
- Whoa! Whoa!
- Oh, my goodness.
- He made that look easy.
- We've never seen that on the Falling Shelves!
[cheers and applause]
[triumphant music]
- Ooh, I see you, Nacssa.
Dance, young fella, dance.
- Jackson Twait is still fighting.
Oh, he's down.
The Cat Daddy just couldn't keep up with the speedy
Nacssa Garemore.
- Hey, Nacssa.
Can I see that dance again?
What was that?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
This was impressive.
Watch him link his moves on Epic Air Surfer
and then do it again on the Falling Shelves.
He finished this course faster than anyone so far.
- He just finished middle school,
but now he's moving closer to that million dollars.
Next up for him stage 3.
- Guys, Kyle Soderman and Caleb Bergstrom
aren't just good friends.
They're teammates.
These two met through Ninja competitions.
But now they're using their speed and agility
on another crazy sport--
World Chase Tag, a high-stakes version of the game
we all played as kids.
- Looking very good.
Tag made!
- Me and Caleb have been great friends
ever since we both started doing "Ninja Warrior."
Me and him both do World Chase Tag together.
And with that sport, it's nothing but speed.
- This is what he does.
He evades.
- Kyle holds the record in Chase Tag for most
evasions ever.
So he's got a pretty big pedigree
when it comes to speed.
He knows how to go fast, and he has great endurance.
But so do I.
- Caleb-- look at the pace he maintains.
- When you go fast, you really have to think fast.
And that's gonna apply perfectly to stage 2
and moving quick.
With both of us having that experience,
it's gonna be a very interesting race.
* *
- Soderman may be the bigger star in Chase Tag,
but tonight Caleb's the higher seed.
He's a 3 while Kyle's a 22.
- Brother. - Brother.
- You can see how close these two are.
Caleb's wife, Ashley, on the sidelines.
This year, she and Caleb were the first married couple
to qualify for the National Finals.
Kyle's fiancée, Megan, also a ninja.
She's leading the cheers on the sidelines.
[countdown clock beeping]
Caleb Bergstrom was very fast on stage 1.
But Soderman has more experience.
He's been on stage 2 the past two seasons.
And you can see both these guys on the bigger side.
- All right, now tagged off to this next one.
Here we go, Jawbreakers.
- And who can link it?
Caleb just starting pull away, but here comes Soderman.
- Kyle Soderman does not give up.
We know that.
- He's so strong.
- Now on to Swing Surfer.
- Kyle Soderman keeping it close.
This one's gonna come down to the final two obstacles.
Caleb Bergstrom's gonna keep his lead
as he gets over the wall.
- And that is big; he was the first to complete
Swing Surfer, giving him the edge here on Epic Air Surfer.
- Come on, Kyle.
[cheers and applause]
- And you saw Caleb Bergstrom steal a glance at Soderman.
But you've got to run your own race.
You can't focus on your opponent.
And that is huge for Caleb Bergstrom.
- Yeah, and you can see Kyle Soderman
still scooting along trying to get his rhythm.
But Caleb is pulling away.
There's no looking back now.
- Caleb Bergstrom just needs to avoid
a mistake here on Falling Shelves,
and he'll be on his way to stage 3.
And he's gonna do it.
[buzzer blares]
Caleb Bergstrom hits the buzzer.
- What a year it's been for him--
hit four buzzers and got 10 grand on the Mega
Wall back in qualifying.
And now he's gonna support his buddy.
- You got it, Kyle.
- Kyle Soderman, though, keep in mind
the top four non-winners will get another shot to race.
- That's exactly right; he's still in it.
- All you have to do is finish!
- And at this point, he's only the second non-winner
to reach Falling Shelves.
So he's got a good chance of moving on.
Can he get the blind grab? - Get it.
Get the grab. Ooh!
- He was so close to a finish.
But as we said, he's still in good position to be one
of our top four non-winners.
We could see him in a runoff race a bit later.
But how about Caleb Bergstrom?
Four members of that family started this season.
Caleb's the only one remaining.
He'll be representing them on stage 3.
Coming up, he's the only dad left in the competition.
Can 34-year-old Joe Moravsky
hold off hotshot teenager Jera Boyd?
- In Vegas, always bet on Joe Moravsky.
- He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's a clear night in Vegas, but a storm is coming.
That's because up next is "The Weatherman," Joe Moravsky.
The 34-year-old "Ninja" great from Connecticut
is gonna be facing the 19-year-old social media
creator from Minnesota, Jera Boyd.
Not only is Joe 15 years older than Jera,
he's also the only dad to make it to stage 2.
[upbeat music]
- So this is my 10th time here in Vegas,
and I'm one of the oldest competitors
to move on to stage 2.
Oh, it's not good.
I'm old.
What is this?
- It looks like the forecast calls for success.
[buzzer blares]
- I started competing on "American Ninja Warrior" when
some of these teens were probably just getting out
of diapers.
So it's tough to have to come out here
and to try to beat these guys that are 15, 16, 17 years old
that have no house, no kids, no wife, no responsibilities.
And that's their advantage.
Where is my advantage?
- What a moment for Joe Moravsky
to get his first buzzer of the season
and the 30th of his career.
- I'm just hoping my experience, because that's
the only thing I have against these young guys,
is gonna be good enough to be able to do
what I have to do to take this thing home
and move on to stage 3.
- Kill it!
You've got this!
- There's Joe's wife, Stephanie.
Their kids are asleep back home in Connecticut.
And Jera Boyd's got his mom leading
the cheers on his sidelines.
- Joe's got the experience, but Jera's coming in hot.
He has three buzzers and a Mega Wall already this year.
[countdown clock beeping]
Joe shockingly fell on Striding Steps two years ago,
but no problem tonight.
Moravsky loves a challenge.
- And, Matt, Moravsky needs to get out there
in front early to put the pressure on Jera Boyd.
Jera Boyd can go, too, now.
- And he's trying to link it.
This is synchronized "Ninja" right now.
- Oh, no! - No.
- Joe.
Oh, my goodness.
- And Joe Moravsky's season is done,
a shocking early exit for one of the greatest
ninjas in history.
So Jera Boyd gets the win.
And he's gonna keep going to try to get a buzzer.
Let's look at what happened to Joe.
- Joe looked good in the beginning,
and he was linking his moves on Jawbreakers.
But on the last one, he just missed on the left side
and bounced off.
- So one of the favorites to win it all is out.
And 19-year-old Jera Boyd can enjoy
the rest of this run.
He's earned his shot on stage 3.
- He took out the OG, Joe Marovsky.
[cheers and applause]
- He's a social media influencer, Akbar,
posts a lot of videos doing ninja tricks.
And I have a feeling this one's gonna go viral.
What a great start he's had to his "Ninja" career.
He's conquered the Mega Wall both seasons he's competed.
Do you know how hard that is?
[buzzer blares]
And Jeramiah Boyd remains perfect,
gets his fourth buzzer,
and does it defeating the legend Joe Marovsky,
and he's getting hugs from his wife.
It just wasn't his night.
But congrats to Jera Boyd
as he moves on now to tackle stage 3.
Up next another hotshot youngster going up against one
of our older competitors.
We've got Montana's 18-year-old Evan Andrews,
who comes in as a number 2 seed,
going against "The Bangin Ninja" Jonathan Bange--
- What's up, my guy?
- Let's go.
- --who, at 34, is having by far his best season ever
inspired by someone special.
[gentle music]
- My dad passed of colon cancer in 2020.
We had a relationship of absolute love and admiration.
And he was brilliant.
- The spirit of your dad is still
living within you, because he just-- he never gave up.
He was quite a man.
Leonard set the bar high for each of his children,
because he challenged them each
and every time to do better.
- My dad wanted our last name to be known.
He would be incredibly proud right now.
I know he's up there screaming, "You did it, son!
You did it!"
- Jonathan is gonna get out there
and represent for his dad.
He's actually gonna bang it.
* *
- I cannot wait to bang that buzzer in honor of my dad,
as well as anyone that's been affected by colon cancer.
* *
- Everybody loves Jonathan Bange.
He's a beloved coach, a member of the Texas Ninja community.
His crew is already banging on the sidelines, led by his mom.
Evan Andrews is about to start his first year of college.
He's the leader of the "Ninja" community in Montana.
He's got his parents over on his sidelines.
Evan Andrews was very impressive on stage 1.
He had the second-fastest time
and earned himself a number 2 seed,
while Jonathan Bange is the 23 seed, a big underdog here.
[countdown clock beeping]
Evan Andrews made it to stage 2 last year as a rookie.
Good footwork.
Oh, I love this side-by-side format
seeing these ninjas push themselves.
- Yeah, great technique there by Evan Andrews.
[cheers and applause]
Nice. Ooh. - Oh, no!
- He missed it.
- Evan Andrews, shockingly, is down,
the number 2 seed with an early fall.
And now Jonathan Bange can pull off a huge upset
if he can complete this obstacle.
Unbelievable.
Now just one move away.
And he's done it!
Jonathan Bange is going to stage 3.
[cheers and applause]
Well, this is why we run the races.
And you can see a crestfallen Evan Andrews still trying
to figure out what went wrong.
- Matt, he had the lead.
But going into Jawbreakers, he missed with the bar
on the left, and the number 2 seed is out.
- And how great is this for Jonathan Bange?
He's coached some top ninjas
but has never had this kind of success
himself until this year.
And you can see on the sidelines
the camaraderie, the support.
The Flyboy Ninja, tears in his eyes--
his coach is going to stage 3.
- Jonathan Bange started from the bottom.
Now he's here.
- Long dismount.
What does he have left in the tank?
Oh!
The biggest of underdogs closing in on a buzzer.
You know his dad would be proud.
- Keep banging on them.
I see you, baby. - [laughs]
- Hey, you can see his friends are ready.
Everyone, the family, they're all coming
to meet him at the buzzer.
How amazing is this?
- Well, this would just be a storybook finish.
- A flying grab here.
- Can he pull it off?
- Go get your family.
Go get your family. - Oh!
[horn blares]
- Well, he splashes down, but it
doesn't change the fact Jonathan Bange
is going to stage 3.
[together] Bang!
- He wanted to honor his dad, and Jonathan Bange is
having his best season ever.
The Bangin Ninja was beaming as he charged through stage 2.
He made his dad, his mom, and all his ninja brothers proud.
- Getting hugs from his crew, and this crowd
appreciates the effort.
Let's go down to Zuri.
- Jonathan, that was an incredible job out there.
- Zuri! - What's up?
How you feeling?
You feeling good?
- I'm feeling pretty dang good right now.
Hard work pays off.
I've got a great community around me.
I got a loving family.
With that, anything's possible.
With that said, hey--
last year, hey, wouldn't it be crazy if all three of us
made it to stage 1 in Vegas, and wouldn't it
be crazy if we got to stage 3?
- And look at this.
Look at this.
Well, you've got your chance.
You have earned it.
We cannot wait to see you on stage 3.
Congratulations.
Celebrate. - Hey, what's up?
What's up? What's up?
- Guys, back to you.
[together] Bang!
- Stage 3, baby.
What? - Let's go.
- Still to come, Kaden Lebsack's
the reigning king of "Ninja."
And he's never fallen on our course.
- High time, showtime, all time, good time!
- But tonight, he faces a new challenge, a head-to-head
race against his best friend.
That's coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "ANW's" National Finals.
- Tonight it's a stage 2 like we've never seen before.
For the first time in Vegas, our ninjas
are racing head-to-head.
We already had 10 ninjas earn a trip to stage 3,
including 3 rookies.
[upbeat music]
- Well, now we've got a couple of Texans
ready to race for their shot at stage 3.
It's one of the all-time greats,
eight-time Ninja veteran Daniel Gil,
facing one of the top young stars,
"The Flyboy," 17-year-old Isaiah Thomas.
[indistinct chatter]
- Stay focused. One obstacle at a time.
- You can hear the mutual respect these two have.
They know each other so well.
Daniel Gil continues to show
why he's considered one of the best.
- I've really looked up to Daniel Gil
over the past years.
He was the guy that, every time I saw him at a competition,
I would get a picture with him.
And I can't wait to test myself
to one of the greats of the sport.
- And The Flyboy ninja's gonna do it,
and he is pumped.
- I've seen this kid grow up for years.
I used to be taller than him, if you can believe that.
And now this guy has grown up
not just to be a tall, fully grown man
but an incredible ninja.
So, as much as I love Isaiah Thomas
and the incredible athlete he's becoming,
I owe it to him to give him the race of my life.
[dramatic music]
[cheers and applause]
- Daniel's wife, Abby, will be cheering
him on from the sidelines.
And Isaiah's got his mom over there as well,
along with his coach, Jonathan Bange, who just
punched his ticket to stage 3.
- Oh, my God! This is awesome!
- Bange is right. This is gonna be fire.
Everybody and their mama wants to see this one.
[countdown clock beeping]
Ooh, look at this. Oh, wow.
- Oh-ho!
Isaiah Thomas, a 5-inch height advantage.
- Ooh.
- And look at that.
Isaiah--good job staying calm on that Double Salmon Ladder.
Gil, a slight edge.
Oh, no!
- What?
- Isaiah Thomas is down, and Daniel Gil gets the win.
He's going back to stage 3 for the first time
since season 11.
[cheers and applause]
A shocking early exit for The Flyboy,
and his promising season is over.
- Like the others who fell on Jawbreakers,
he got the bar in on one side but missed on the other.
Ugh!
Oh, man.
That's gonna haunt Isaiah Thomas for a long time.
- Daniel Gil's gonna keep going.
He's at Epic Air Surfer.
He's got the win, but he wants to get that buzzer.
Didn't compete last season,
but he hasn't missed a beat in his return.
Remember, last time he was here in Vegas,
he made it all the way to stage 4
and was just seconds away from winning a million dollars.
Watch that right side.
You can see that bar a little skewed.
- It's getting me a little nervous, Matt.
- But he gets the dismount.
He's got a smile on his face.
He wants to finish strong.
- It's great to see Daniel Gil flying
through Falling Shelves, his hair flying back...
looking confident.
Believe, baby, believe.
- Oh! - Oh!
- Splashes down on the Falling Shelves
but not before taking care of business.
He's now the 11th ninja guaranteed
to move on to stage 3.
And with only one more race to go,
here's where we stand among the non-winners.
Vance Walker, Kyle Soderman, and Josiah Pippel
are guaranteed to be in the Runoff races
for the final spots.
Alex Romer's on the bubble.
His fate will be determined by this last race.
For that, let's go down to Zuri.
- They're good friends and two of the sport's
biggest young stars.
Now 24 seed Elijah Browning will have to face
the top seed, Kaden Lebsack.
These two have similar styles.
They've both got the backwards hat and the long hair.
And their bonds run deep.
- When I found out I was going into stage 2,
I was absolutely so stoked.
- Kai does not want to go down.
- There goes Kaden!
- Oh, my goodness! [shouting indistinctly]
[buzzer blares]
- And then I found out I was racing Kaden Lebsack,
who is one of my best friends,
but he also happens to be the two-time Last Ninja Standing.
[horn blows]
- He's gonna have to console himself with $100,000
for the second year in a row. - Wow.
- I met Elijah
at the second Ninja competition I ever went to,
and we've been best friends ever since.
We travel together.
We train together, compete together.
- [shouts] - Yes!
I'm better than Kaden! I win!
- Wow.
- Browning is cooking with high heat now.
- Me and Kaden are friends off the course.
But on the course, we're gonna be going at it.
I've never made it to stage 3 before.
I want to make it so bad, and I know this year is my year.
- Kaden Lebsack is about as close as you can get
to a sure thing in Ninja.
- Hitting the buzzer and moving on
to stage 3 at the expense of Elijah,
It's gonna be really sad.
But that's now the name of the game.
- Wow.
- The fastest time of the night
and barely broke a sweat.
- At the end of the day,
there's only one person that can win it all.
- These two are so close.
Their moms are holding hands to watch the run together.
They're like family to each other.
[cheers and applause]
- Elijah Browning barely got here,
snuck in as the 24th seed after falling on stage 1.
Now he's got to face the number-1 seed
in Kaden Lebsack, who's never hit the water
in his Ninja career.
[countdown clock beeping]
The one advantage Elijah Browning has here
on Striding Steps--he's 6'1".
He can use those long legs to stride across.
- Lebsack, an early edge.
Oh, my.
Well, Kaden said he didn't like speed,
but he is moving fast.
- Well, he knows, because Elijah Browning can go.
- Can he link it?
He can link it.
- Yeah, he's using those long arms.
- Look at this!
- Oh, The Boss lost his hat.
Hair's flying in the wind, and he's flying in the wind.
- And Kaden gets that edge, completing the obstacle first.
Elijah Browning is not looking like the 24th seed.
He's right on the heels of Kaden Lebsack.
- Keep in mind--even if he loses, he could still advance
as one of the top non-winners.
And Boss keeping it close!
- Ooh. Yeah, they're neck and neck.
- We've seen a lot of falls here on the Epic Air Surfer.
- Wow, I like this. Browning just staying calm.
I like it.
He's not over-pushing it.
- And you see Kaden being very methodical, watching--
- Ooh, right on the edge. Watch out, Boss!
Oh, boy. - Who can get out first?
Oh, no! - No, no, no, no!
Kaden Lebsack is out!
- Oh, my goodness!
- For the first time in his Ninja career,
Kaden Lebsack is down.
- Now can Elijah Browning get the dismount?
Yes!
He has defeated the number-1 seed.
What an upset.
And it's just a shock to see Kaden Lebsack in the water.
The Boss is going to stage 3.
- Wow, no one saw that one coming.
- It happens to every ninja, as we saw with Joe Marovsky.
Kaden can only watch.
- Wow. Kaden Lebsack was a Vegas favorite to win it all.
- And the Boss delivers! [buzzer blares]
[triumphant music]
- It ain't easy being a Ninja mom.
You go through a lot of emotions.
- Well, Elijah Browning, who was the last man
to make it to stage 2, defeats the reigning king of Ninja
to move on to stage 3.
- Kaden was building up a big swing for his dismount,
and the board just slipped off.
It's the first time he's ever hit the water
in three seasons.
That allowed Elijah to dismount and get the win.
And look at Elijah's face on that last shelf--
It's a big moment for The Boss.
- Boss, you got your stage 2 buzzer.
What's it mean going to stage 3?
- Dude, I'm so honored. I'm so excited.
This means the world to me, so thank you so much.
- Hey, Boss, I know someone who wants to celebrate.
Why don't you go hug your mom? - Let's go.
- Elijah Browning, and this is Ninja.
For Kaden Lebsack,
a remarkable streak comes to an end.
And, unfortunately, his time to Air Surfer
was not fast enough to be one of our top four non-winners.
So his season is officially over,
which means we'll have a new champion this year.
And we're set for the four
who'll be racing in our Runoff.
Stuntman Kyle Soderman
will face New Jersey teen Josiah Pippel,
and former "Ninja Junior" champ Vance Walker
will try to outrun rookie Alex Romer.
That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We're getting closer to that million dollars.
So far tonight, we've seen 12 ninjas
win their races on stage 2.
All of them will now move over
to tackle the even tougher stage 3 course.
But two more ninjas have a chance
to join this group right now.
Our top four non-winners are gonna compete
in our Runoff races.
Whoever wins moves on to stage 3.
First up, Kyle Soderman taking on Josiah Pippel.
Soderman's the stuntman now living in Texas,
while Pippel is a high schooler from New Jersey.
These are two top ninjas.
Both have been to stage 3 before,
and Josiah went all the way to stage 4 last year.
- These two are on the bigger side for ninjas.
Both are at least 6 feet.
But Kyle's 30 pounds heavier and 11 years older
than Josiah.
- Well, plenty of pressure for this one.
The winner goes on to stage 3.
For the loser, the season is over.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right. Green light means go.
- Well, they've had some experience on this.
Let's see if they learned from their first race.
Josiah fell on Epic Air Surfer,
while Soderman went down on Falling Shelves.
- Kyle looks a little bit more measured than Pippel.
- And Pippel pulling away, linking it on the Jawbreakers.
- Nice.
[cheering]
- And Pippel now jumps out to a full-obstacle lead.
Well, Kyle Soderman has to be aware--
keep running your race.
It's never over till the buzzer's hit.
Pippel's back at Epic Air Surfer.
In his first race, he fell at the very beginning.
[cheering, shouting]
Soderman struggling for momentum.
Oh! - Whoa, he's at the bottom.
- Barely makes it.
- Josiah's pulling away.
- Oh, no! Pippel is down!
He's in the water!
- Oh, my goodness.
- And Kyle Soderman just now seeing that Pippel is down,
he's got a chance to pull off a huge come-from-behind win,
but it's all gonna come down to Epic Air Surfer.
- You got it, Kyle!
- Well, Josiah Pippel had his second chance.
That's got to hurt a lot.
Now Kyle Soderman has this opportunity.
Take your time here.
- Control that board.
Keep it even.
- Yeah, this is the name of the game.
- Locked in.
Getting closer.
- But you know he's feeling it, knowing that he--
Ooh. Come on. Come on. Take your time.
- Good correction. Just needs a dismount.
- Watch it.
Not a heavy swing, not a heavy swing
because you don't want to peel off.
Boom. Nice. - Soderman does it!
It looked like all hope was lost.
Got another chance on stage 2
and just edges out Josiah Pippel.
- Whoo!
- It came down to the final move on Epic Air Surfer.
Josiah was linking moves,
and his momentum just carried him right off the end.
Kyle was able to take his time, inch till the end,
and then make a big dismount.
Folks, he's going back to stage 3.
- And now our second Runoff race--
a showdown of Florida teenagers.
We've got Alex Romer,
a saxophone-playing high schooler
who's planning to join the military like his dad.
He's going against Vance Walker,
a former "Ninja Junior" champion and a top competitor.
But he lost his race earlier to his good friend
Ethan Bartnicki, who's down with Vance's family.
Alex Romer has been a big surprise,
making it to stage 2 as a rookie.
We expect big things from Vance Walker.
He made it to stage 3 as a rookie two years ago.
[countdown clock beeping]
- It is win or go home.
Ooh. both: Look at Romer!
- What footwork. - Boy!
Oh, my goodness.
- You can just see Vance Walker defying gravity
on the Double Salmon Ladder.
Vance Walker had never lost a race
on "Ninja Junior" or the big show until earlier tonight.
But here comes Romer!
- They're going back and forth.
Romer's not backing down.
- Walker, the first one off.
- Oh!
- And Alex Romer splashes down.
- [laughing] Wow.
- Vance Walker's going back to stage 3!
Well, credit to Romer.
He was pushing the pace, keeping it even with Vance.
- I got a lot of respect for Alex Romer.
He did not back down.
Earlier tonight, he was the only ninja to go for the rope
on the first swing, and it gave him the lead.
This time, I think he was trying to make
that move again, and it cost him.
- And Vance Walker's gonna keep going.
After falling in his first race,
he wants to show he can finish stage 2.
Gets through Epic Air Surfer.
He's taking advantage of this second chance.
What a journey it's been for Vance Walker.
Born with cerebral palsy.
Doctors said he'd never be an athlete,
but look at him now.
The comeback kid saves his season
in this Runoff race.
- Nice.
- Well, what a confidence boost for Vance Walker,
going back to stage 3! [buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, look at that.
They're rushing the stage, Matt.
They're rushing the stage.
A second chance, and he delivers.
- So that wraps up the action on stage 2.
But we're not done.
When we come back, we're heading
over to the legendary stage 3!
- It's one step closer to that million-dollar prize.
- That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"
where we've now moved over to the stage 3 course.
For the details on this unrelenting gauntlet,
let's go down to Zuri.
- Guys, stage 3 is legendary.
It is an upper-body test that only
a handful have ever conquered.
And tonight it's got some new twists.
First, our ninjas will have to learn the ropes
on Patriot Pass,
then navigate across the Hanging Stalactites.
Fan-favorite Slam Dunk is making its debut on stage 3.
The iconic Ultimate Cliffhanger
is back in the number-four position,
followed by another returning obstacle, Pipe Dream.
Then it's a brand-new one, Pressure Cooker,
where ninjas have to slide the handles
on and off the poles.
The course ends with another new one,
Road Signs, a diabolical two-handed test
which leads to the buzzer.
Guys?
- Leading us off on stage 3 is
"Electric Enzo," Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.
This Florida teenager knows
how to get this crowd fired up.
- Yes. Let's go!
[cheering]
Stage 3! Let's go!
- Matt, this kid's future is so bright.
His future's so bright, I got his glasses on.
- We got to put it on.
And his mom, Christine, she needs glasses.
She needs some oxygen.
His dad, Mark, also loud and proud.
They're leading that big cheering section
on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
No time limits on stage 3-- you just have to finish.
And the first test is Patriot Pass
with these three ropes.
These are like camshafts.
When one rope drops down, the other one pulls up.
- These first obstacles may not take you out,
but they will wear you down.
- A couple extra swings here, and it adds up.
- Yeah, so that's why it's important.
You have to be efficient with your movement--
no wasted movement here on stage 3.
- Up next, the Stalactites.
He'll have to work those handles
in and out of the slots.
And look at him getting locked off.
- Yeah, you can see him really coming in tight
here on Stalactite,
really trying to make move and make a plan.
Uh-oh. - Uh-oh.
- And that extension means he has to curl back up.
Now he's starting to use extra muscles.
Remember, extra movement, that's bad here.
- Those lock-offs require the whole body...
and now he extends--a little smoother there at the end.
Well, not the most efficient start.
Now got to climb up to the third obstacle,
Slam Dunk, which is making its debut on stage 3.
He's got to jump with that ball, land it in the hoop.
- Nice. - Good job absorbing it.
Those balls weigh 8 pounds, and he's carrying them
across the 3-1/2-foot gap.
Watch these transfers to the next ball.
- Nice.
- That's the tripping point very often.
Real good. Well, that was smooth.
He needed that one.
[cheers and applause]
Now heads over to start the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
[crowd chanting "Enzo"] You can hear the "Enzo" chants
as he starts on this fourth obstacle.
Got to work his way across the pool on these thin ledges,
which are only an inch deep.
- Well, the advantage for DeFerrari Wilson
is that he's 145 pounds,
so that's less weight to carry.
This obstacle is a little easier for the lighter ninjas.
- This pool is 55 feet across, all on your fingertips.
It's not easy no matter what you weigh.
Here's the tough move--
has to jump back across to the other side.
- Here we go.
Nice! - Got it!
- Hey, look how thin the ledges are.
I mean, you're throwing your entire body weight
onto these thin ledges.
Can you imagine?
[cheers and applause]
And look at the fans with their "Electric Enzo" shirts.
Look at that. They're pumped.
- Well, he's past the halfway mark.
Now has to go up onto that wall
to launch into Pipe Dream.
- This is probably the calmest we've ever seen Enzo.
Enzo is typically a high-energy kid,
but he knows he has to reserve that energy
because the 7 brutal obstacles here on stage 3,
it will humble you.
- Especially these final obstacles,
including this next one, Pipe Dream.
Has to work his way across the pipes.
- Ooh, ooh, little slip-down. - Uh-oh.
[crowd shouting]
- Like the extension, like the power.
- Nice. - Locked in on the drop.
Should have the length to do the splits--
Van Damme this transfer.
- Yeah, you see it right there.
Nice. - Got it.
- And because the circumference
of this pole is so big,
he's using a lot of muscle,
a lot of energy to stay engaged.
- Well, that's the key.
Try to use the lower body where you can.
And Enzo survives Pipe Dream.
- This is where you start to feel the pressure.
Remember, you get through stage 3,
you're climbing for a million--a million dollars.
- Two more!
[all shouting]
- Dad says two more obstacles to go,
and they're both brand-new.
This one's called Pressure Cooker.
You have to slide those handles on and off the pipes.
The only thing keeping them up is the pressure
on the end of the handles.
If you come up on the weight, they will slide right off.
This is about control.
Real nice. - Nice.
Ooh, boy, OK.
He didn't waste any time making the third transfer.
- Hold on tight.
- And you can just see... - Mm.
- Hard to control your momentum, spinning around.
Got to reach out.
- And the longer you spin, the longer you're hanging.
And that hurts.
- Well, we talked to the ninjas, though.
When you're straight on, it is a little easier.
- Matt, take a look at his right hand.
That right hand is starting to get a little gassed.
- Doing a good job progressing, though.
- Nice.
- Well, it looked like a rough start on stage 3,
but Enzo finding his way, and he's looking winded.
What does he have now? - Yeah.
Matt, he's trying to figure out which way he's going.
- Oh, my! - Oh, boy!
Now-- Oh.
- Got it! - Nice!
Look at how calm he is. This high-energy kid is calm.
I've never seen him this calm.
- Going for the dismount, got it!
- Oh, my.
- One obstacle between Enzo and stage 4!
- Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
[all shouting]
- Enzo, take your time!
- Take your time, Enzo! - Take your time, Enzo!
- His dad is pumped.
- Oh, my God!
- And his sister Valentina already has tears in her eyes.
She's so nervous. One more obstacle to go.
And it's Road Signs.
He's got to grab the posts in front of him.
When he does that, the sign will pop up...
- Ooh. - Just like that.
Has to kick up to the sign.
- And that's an intimidating sign right there--
"Falling Ninjas." - Got it!
- He said, I ain't falling, not on that one.
- Come on!
- That sign is not telling him what to do.
- Back and forward.
No! - Oh!
- No! No! No!
- A heartbreaking finish for Electric Enzo.
He was so close to the end,
a few feet away from climbing for a million dollars.
But Enzo's season ends on the final obstacle of stage 3.
- He made some extra moves on Stalactites
and later on Pressure Cooker.
And that may have been just enough to pump those arms out.
He couldn't hold on when he reached the second sign
and slid right off.
- But what an impressive effort by Enzo
and a great start to stage 3.
[crowd chanting "Enzo"]
- Coming up, he just finished middle school.
Now Nacssa Garemore takes another step closer
to a million dollars.
He is next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- His rookie season has been perfect--
four straight buzzers,
and he's not even old enough to drive.
- He is living up to the hype so far.
- At just 15, Nacssa Garemore
is the youngest athlete to ever reach stage 3.
And for a kid who started his life in an African orphanage,
this moment is nothing short of a miracle.
[soft music]
- This has been a dream for me since I came to America.
I'm having the best time of my life.
- Look at that one.
We just got off the airplane...
- Yeah. - From Guinea-Bissau.
Adoption is something
that my husband and I have spoken about for many years.
We were working with the orphanage in Guinea-Bissau,
and we ended up bringing home Nacssa December of 2012.
- Nacssa's on a whole nother level right now.
- This is what he's been working for for so long.
- Nacssa getting his second buzzer!
- It's incredible that he is here in Vegas.
[buzzer blares] - What a run!
Nacssa Garemore is dancing at the buzzer!
- Nacssa is here to make a statement
and show everyone what he can do.
- What confidence out of Garemore!
- Garemore is gone. He gone.
- I'm definitely excited about stage 3.
I can't believe how far I've actually made it.
Like, this is what Ninja is all about.
- Oh, my goodness! - Whoa. Ooh!
- Wow! - He made that look easy!
- At 15, he's competing at this level.
Ah, it's wild.
- Nacssa Garemore.
* *
And he'll have lots of friends and family
watching back in Florida
and another big group on the sidelines,
with his mom and his coach, RJ Roman.
- You got this, bud. - You got it.
- Let's go, Nacssy! [countdown clock beeping]
- And charging right into Patriot Pass.
Nacssa's a few months younger than Kaden Lebsack
when he first attempted stage 3.
- And Kaden was the only one
to conquer this course that year.
It can be done.
That's one down.
I like his approach.
He's going right into Stalactites.
Get on the obstacle, be as efficient as possible.
Preserve that grip strength
'cause these seven obstacles are just unrelenting.
- Man, you're so right,
because it catches up to you when it catches up to you.
- And a miss there--that'll slow him down a little.
He's now gonna have to generate swing again.
That's just extra time hanging on those arms.
That can catch up to you later on the course.
He's got it.
- I love how calm he stays.
15 years old, Matt-- I'm losing my mind.
[cheers and applause]
- And now the challenge is to elevate--
got to climb up to start Slam Dunk.
RJ said this about Nacssa.
He's fast, but he is strong.
He said he can hang forever.
- Super strong, super strong.
I've seen some of his workouts, Matt,
and I can attest, this kid's got
some out-of-this-world strength.
- Well, in addition to Ninja, he does play basketball
and he's having no problem here on Slam Dunk.
[cheers and applause]
And there's a smile.
[indistinct shouting] - Go, Nacssa!
Come on. - You got it!
- Now the Ultimate Cliffhanger--
got to move his 150-pound body across these tiny ledges.
- There was a time when this obstacle used to end
a lot of runs on stage 3,
but these ninjas today, they practice it almost every day.
They've gotten so good at it.
- He is just flying through, Akbar.
I love it.
- He just completed the eighth grade, Matt.
Think about that. - [laughs]
- And how great would that be, going to high school,
knowing, I'm a freshman
with the possibility of getting a million dollars.
- Well, don't you think the coaches in his high school
are gonna search him out?
What sport? I don't know, but you're an athlete.
[cheers and applause]
RJ saying that was easy.
Trust us. It's not easy.
None of these obstacles are easy,
including this one, Pipe Dream.
What a special young man he is.
- If he wins a million dollars,
you know how many kids
are gonna want to do Ninja after that?
- Well, you have to earn that million dollars.
In 14 seasons, we've only had 9 finishers on stage 3.
And if you do, you still have to climb stage 4.
- And you can see stage 4 looming behind him.
It's crazy to think that this kid was in an orphanage
in Africa 10 years ago
and is now that close to a million dollars.
- RJ is continuing to coach him,
even though RJ's got to run this course, too.
He's helping someone who could beat him
to the million dollars.
[cheers and applause]
- Uh-oh. Whoa. I saw a grimace.
That's the first time I saw a grimace out of him.
- Nacssa, you got to be patient with this one.
- You heard RJ telling him to be patient
on this new obstacle, Pressure Cooker.
But when you see him, he does not look 15.
- No, he doesn't.
- You see the man on the course right now.
- Nice. OK.
- Stay calm. This is gonna be a test.
RJ said he can hang forever.
- Yeah, this is right at home for Nacssa.
- He's under pressure now.
- Keep breathing, Nacssa. - Come on.
- You can just see the challenge there,
trying to control your momentum
as those handles start to spin.
- Boy, this kid understands the assignment.
- Get up higher. Good job.
- Come on, Nacssa! - Come on, Nacssa!
- No cap--
he has a legitimate shot of getting a million dollars.
- Extra swing, got it. - Nice.
- Great correction.
You could see him speed himself around
to get to that next move.
- Stay with it, Nacssa.
Got a couple more. You got it.
- Oh, buddy.
Oh, buddy.
- You're good. You're good.
- And using a long reach there.
- Ooh, get it up higher. - Oh, my!
- One more, let's go! - One more!
- He is testing that power, using it, relying on it.
Does he have enough?
- Nice.
Made that look easy.
- One more obstacle!
[cheers and applause]
- Come on, Nacssa!
- Matt, he'd be the youngest ever to make it to stage 4.
That would be incredible.
- But first, he has to get
through this difficult final obstacle--
Road Signs.
- All right, here we go. Oh, boy.
Nice. - Look at the power.
Using the hips to get that power launch up.
- I'm sure Nacssa can feel it now.
- Oh, my!
- He can smell the buzzer at this point from here.
- Just one more sign! - One more big move!
- Got it! Needs the dismount!
- He knows he's got it!
Get out of there!
- And he's done it. [buzzer blares]
At 15, he'll be climbing for a million dollars.
[cheers and applause]
[triumphant music]
* *
- Oh, this one's a tear-jerker.
Look at that. What a moment for this family.
- 15-year-old Nacssa Garemore will be
the youngest athlete ever to climb for a million dollars.
[cheering]
* *
- Hey, Nacssa, man, hey.
I know you got to be excited, man.
For me, as a first-generation Nigerian American,
this is the land of opportunity.
You're having a shot for a million dollars, man.
How exciting is that? - Very exciting.
My dream's coming true, finally.
- Yes.
I got to ask you, Nacssa, how fast can you get up that rope?
Give me a time.
- I don't know.
I want to finish it in, like, 3 seconds.
[laughter] - Got to love that confidence.
Well, you'll get your shot next week on stage 4.
You're climbing for a million dollars!
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
- Yeah!
- And what a night that'll be.
Nacssa and anyone else who conquers stage 3
will be climbing that tower on our season finale.
You don't want to miss it.
- Minutes ago on stage 2, Austin Gray
had to claw his way to an epic save and win...
- Yes! - Oh, my goodness.
Oh, my goodness!
- That brought him one step closer to the million dollars.
Austin Gray has been the runner-up
twice in his Ninja career, and now he is back on stage 3.
- The 26-year-old Ninja veteran
made it here two years ago.
And this time he's coming in with a ton of momentum.
He's hit four-straight buzzers this year,
and he's throwing up the goggles to his sidelines,
which include his girlfriend, Jaelyn,
and good buddy Nate Hansen.
Austin cheered for Nate on stage 3 last year.
Now the roles are reversed.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Matt, he is tired of finishing second.
He wants to be number one.
He wants that million dollars.
- Learned a lot from his last trip here back in season 13.
[cheers and applause]
Was the runner-up that year to Kaden Lebsack.
Now, shockingly, Kaden Lebsack not here on stage 3.
But Kaden is on the sideline supporting Austin.
They trained together in Colorado.
- Austin's one of the most sought-after Ninja coaches
in the country.
He's worked with so many ninjas,
including two top female competitors,
Taylor Greene and Katie Bone,
who are also on his sideline.
[flames roar]
[cheers and applause]
Now climbing up to take on Slam Dunk.
- You're getting there. Settle in.
- Come on, Austin! - Come on, Austin!
- He's always wearing that shirt--"Share Your Spare."
We told his story--
donated a kidney to an elementary-school friend
and has inspired so many others to do the same...
truly saving lives, Austin Gray.
[flames roar]
[cheers and applause]
- Breathe! Heart rate down.
- Good. Right there.
- Shaking out the arms
before he starts Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Austin Gray has been training so hard for this season--
doesn't want to end up second again.
5'10", 155, good reach--
looking so efficient.
Fell on stage 1 last year.
Thought about hanging it up and calling it quits,
but he's come back this season with a renewed spirit.
Has to transfer to the other side.
- He's got this big move here.
Nice.
- Austin Gray looking in complete command so far.
- Nice, dude. [cheers and applause]
- He's been so efficient
through the first part of this course.
Three obstacles to go-- now taking on Pipe Dream.
Smooth, now on to that cat wall.
These ninjas make it look easy.
- Yeah, looked like Spider-Man with that landing.
- Nice, Austin.
- Got good reach and got good length.
- Keep it up, Austin! Come on!
- Come on, Austin!
- And, Akbar, I love it.
When he's on the obstacles, so efficient.
Did you see?
He locked his lower body in
to absorb the drop.
- Yeah, and that really does help.
And you can see, 5'10", it's easy
for him to just stretch out.
Wow.
- He just flew through that.
Austin Gray, two obstacles away
from his first stage 3 buzzer.
- It's Pressure Cooker now.
Last time he reached this point,
he fell on the obstacle Eyeglass Alley.
- Yeah, babe!
- Pressure Cooker has been a challenge.
So hard to control it. You end up just free-spinning.
But he's not, Akbar. He's using it.
You can see he's staying fully extended,
but going for another spin.
- Ooh. Wow. - Got it there.
That's just precision.
- Yeah, and it's very important not to over-grip.
- Wow. - There you go.
- Real good job there.
- Oh, boy.
- Trying to get-- - Uh!
- Stay focused, Austin!
- Well, you can just see him staying calm.
That's a skill in itself.
- Yeah, it is-- ignoring the pain,
because you know they're all feeling it.
- Wow.
- The ninjas are feeling the pain, the burn.
- Well, you saw he used that wingspan there
to make the reach--didn't have to be lined up as precise.
And Austin Gray, one obstacle away from meeting stage 4!
- Come on, Austin! - Come on, Austin!
- Now he's just got to finish the assignment.
Here we go.
- Austin's been so close--
twice been the runner-up, never worn the crown.
Those vertical grips are such a test on your grip strength.
- Yeah, here you go.
You got to throw 155 pounds onto this road sign
on the outside.
Nice.
I like how he got up high.
You see how high his hands are?
- Oh! - No!
Oh, my word.
- Austin Gray comes close but just misses out on stage 4.
- This is what stage 3 does.
It wears out your upper body on the early obstacles.
And when Austin got to Road Signs,
his ran out of gas.
Instead of going straight ahead, he went straight down.
- A solid season for Austin Gray.
Comes up just short of reaching stage 4.
- He's one of the few ninjas
that's finished stage 3 before.
Can Daniel Gil do it again?
He is coming up next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We've had 1 ninja conquer stage 3 tonight.
So he'll be climbing for a million dollars
in our season finale.
Hoping to join him are the remaining competitors,
who will get their shot at stage 3 next week.
But we've got one more ninja great to try it tonight.
Daniel Gil is only 29 years old,
but he's a grizzled veteran compared
to some of these young ninjas.
And he may have an edge.
He's been to stage 3 before.
And he not only conquered this course,
he was seconds away from winning it all on stage 4.
- Daniel Gil.
- He's got to battle for all 80 feet.
- Back in season 11, I was 3 seconds away
from beating Mount Midoriyama.
[alarm blaring]
- Oh, the clock running down!
[horn blares]
- Oh! - Oh!
- So close.
- Coming 3 seconds short
hurt a lot more than I thought it would.
Lord willing, I make it back to that rope climb
and go faster than I did last time.
[dramatic music]
- The Kingdom Ninja has been close,
and he is hungry this year.
- As always, his wife, Abby, will be cheering him on,
along with a big group of friends.
[countdown clock beeping]
- There's an advantage to having been to stage 3 before.
Now, even though many of these obstacles are different,
he knows what's up.
- He's quickly through the first one.
Well, one of the things we've learned about Daniel Gil
is he loves to rise to the occasion.
But watch the efficiency here.
And you can see him going fully extended, Akbar,
trying to minimize the strain on the whole body.
- Ooh! - Ooh, boy!
That type of inefficiency can cost you
when you get to the back end, if you get to the back end.
- But look at how smoothly he recovered.
- The smile on his face--
he is not spooked by a little error.
- Well, just 5'9"-- we're gonna see how he dunks.
- Yeah, all right.
[cheers and applause]
He's got to get some big air here.
Nice.
- And look at that, just throwing himself back
and making it one fluid movement.
I'm liking the efficiency out of Gil.
- And I like the pace here.
All right, big space jam here.
Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- On to the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Well, season 8, this took him out, bested it in season 11.
- He's put in a lot of work since then.
That was several years back.
And, look, we know he's stronger.
He's older. He's wiser.
He's one of the top ninjas in the world.
- Well, he's 29 years old, and this'll blow your mind.
He's the second-oldest ninja out here on stage 3.
- Wow, how fast-- - But look at the efficiency.
Look at how smooth he is.
- Yeah, look at this. Nice.
And look how quickly he made it
through Ultimate Cliffhanger.
That might've been the fastest time so far tonight.
- Minimize your time under tension.
[cheers and applause]
- I don't know how you smile on stage 3.
We haven't seen any of the ninjas come out here
and smile.
- Watch him on to this cat-grab wall.
This is all about controlling your momentum,
landing atop it like a feline.
Let's explain something about Daniel Gil.
He is a ferocious competitor,
but he is so grateful to be out here doing what he loves.
[crowd shouting]
- Nice. Ooh, ooh-ooh, get it, get it, get it.
- Relying on those shoes and the flexibility.
- Ooh, look-it, he's got the flexibility, now the gripping.
- But you can see the challenge.
The poles bend.
He's trying to go up higher.
- Now he's got to just make a transfer.
Nice. - There it is.
[cheers and applause]
- It's easier, more efficient
to make the transfer like this.
- But you can see how that pole bends.
Really getting it locked in, shaking out those forearms.
Well, it adds up. - Yes, it does.
You want to make a smooth transfer
by extending your leg out.
He's making his wife very nervous right now.
Well, it wasn't easy, but he's gonna get through Pipe Dream.
Five obstacles down.
But you saw how he locked in his lower body.
He may not be looking at it,
but out of his peripheral vision,
stage 4 is right there, two obstacles away.
- Oh, boy.
- Here we go.
- He crushed the Pipe Dream and going
right into Pressure Cooker.
- There you go!
- This is a ninja that does not break under pressure.
He is so calm.
In fact, he smiles under pressure.
- Good.
- Let it bring you around. - There it is.
- Good. - Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, and you can just see the challenge.
As you start to spin, you really struggle to control it.
- Yeah, and the longer you hold on,
the more you're just taxing the grip strength.
And now look at him.
Oh, my goodness-- his shoulder flexibility.
- You're good. - Good.
- And that is just trying to stay calm.
Keep it fully extended. - Nice.
Get it up there and then leverage against it
so you can make that transfer.
- Oh. - Ooh.
And now you got to take an extra spin.
Ooh, look at the-- The wrist is twisting.
- Yeah! [cheers and applause]
- Whoo.
- Stay in it. - Right there, right there.
- Stay in it.
- Gil does it!
One obstacle away from a rematch on stage 4!
And he's smiling.
- He wasn't smiling on Pressure Cooker.
- But this last one, Road Signs,
requires moves we've never seen before
on a Ninja obstacle.
To throw back and launch yourself forward--
- Forward, got to go up. - Got id.
- That's about three moves for one sign.
- Oh, and the tax on the grip.
- Nice! All right, straight ahead.
Straight ahead. Look straight ahead.
There you go! - One more sign!
- Oh, boy.
And that sign says "Mount Midoriyama, this exit"!
- Can he get the dismount?
- Oh, here we go.
- Daniel Gil is going back...
- He's going back, baby. - To stage 4!
- He is going back.
- Well, we've said it.
The Kingdom Ninja is risen.
Here comes his wife, Abby, and everyone else.
He wanted a second chance on stage 4,
and he's gonna get it next week.
- Yo, Daniel! - My man!
You're going back to stage 4!
[cheers and applause]
- Are you ready to get that million dollars
there on stage 4?
- I am.
- Go celebrate, buddy! [cheers and applause]
We know we're gonna have at least two ninjas climbing.
Who will join them?
This is gonna be a heck of a finale.
Next week, we'll finish up here on stage 3.
- And then we're headed to stage 4,
with a million dollars on the line.
- Can't wait for that.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."