[tender pop music]
- * I took the road less travelled *
* Yeah, choose my battles *
* *
* Oh, you know that's who I am *
* *
- I've been watching the show since I was a little kid,
and now, getting to live out all my dreams
is just such an incredible experience.
- * Come with me *
* And we will fly away *
- It's been a dream of mine since I started
seeing the show on TV at 9 years old.
* *
- I've been dreaming about total victory
for the last 12 years.
- * This is the moment *
* *
* This is the moment *
- I've heard the view is beautiful from up there,
but I think it's a lot better
when you've just won $1 million.
- What a historic moment.
* *
- And the last four years specifically have been
solely focused on this one dream.
That could be the million dollar investment.
- $1 million richer!
- * This is the moment *
- Stage 4 is going down.
- * This is the moment *
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Welcome to Las Vegas, where the entire Ninja season
comes down to one big night, the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, and thanks for being with us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, the next two hours are going to be nail-biting.
The slightest mistake could cost these ninjas $1 million.
- So we'll start with our remaining competitors
here on Stage 2, then move on to Stage 3,
and hopefully Stage 4, where someone
could become our new champion.
- Just two ninjas in history have won
the $1 million on Stage 4,
but this may be the strongest field
we've ever had.
Only 12 ninjas are still alive,
including two who still have to get past Stage 2,
and up first is the Country Boy Ninja,
Josiah Singleton.
He's got a spot on his shorts
where his Safety Pass used to be--
had to play it last week when he fell on Piston Plunge.
So if he falls tonight, his season is over.
This fun-loving graduate assistant
at Liberty University trains back
on the family farm in Virginia.
[cheering]
And he's got one rowdy cheering section,
the Lynchburg Loonies.
They've been his good luck charm all season.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go, six challenging obstacles
on Stage 2, and you only have 4 minutes
to get to the buzzer.
- And sprints across the Striding Steps.
- Whoa.
- Now onto the Double Salmon Ladder.
What a year this has been for Josiah Singleton.
In his third season, he got two buzzers so far
and won a Safety Pass on the Power Tower.
- Come on, Josiah. Whoo!
- And he's through the Salmon Ladder.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go.
- Hurry. - Hurry up.
- You've got this!
- [chuckles] The Loonies are fired up
for the season finale.
- Well, this is where he fell last time, Piston Plunge.
- All upper body.
- Right here, right here. - Ain't no fried Oreos here.
Ain't no fried corn dogs here.
[cheering]
- Ooh, just fighting those fingertips there,
trying to lock it in.
- All right, come on, Josiah Singleton.
Come on.
- He is country strong, but this is
really testing that grip.
- Yeah, they don't got this in the country, I'm sorry.
Ooh.
[air horn blares]
- [groans]
- And the Safety Pass can't save him this time.
Country Boy Ninja's out.
[cheers and applause]
- Piston Plunge got him again.
This obstacle will wear out your grip.
He made it to the end, but as he grabbed the steering wheel,
the shock as it dropped threw him off,
and his season is over.
- We love you, baby. - We love you, Joe.
- But what a year it's been for Josiah Singleton
and the Loonies. - How'd I do?
- Our last competitor on Stage 2
has been amazing all season.
Can he do it again?
It's Gnarly Nate Hansen.
He also had a Safety Pass that he had to use
when he fell on Stage 1,
but he conquered that course on his second attempt.
At 5'2", he's always an underdog,
but never count him out.
[upbeat music]
- I've had some extreme success this season.
- I tell you, every time he comes out here
you know he means business.
- Had the fastest time in qualifying.
[buzzer blares]
Let's go!
The second-fastest time in semifinals.
[buzzer blares]
That's right.
Won a Power Tower.
- Nate Hansen is gonna do it.
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
And now I'm headed to Stage 2, and I'm going
to hit that buzzer as well.
- * Anything's possible *
* From under deep, deep water, lionhearted, an overcomer *
- A lot of people say that I'm at a disadvantage
because of my size,
but I don't think I should be underestimated.
- You've got socks on, bro. You're about to die.
- These last few years of Ninja training
have been solely focused on this one dream.
- * Anything's possible *
- Get it, dawg. - * Invincible *
- I put my money on him. I put my money on him.
- You know, I've sacrificed a lot.
I put my education to the side.
I put work to the side to make sure
that this season I would do
the best that I was capable of.
- Gnarly Nate always comes up big.
[buzzer blares]
- * Invincible *
- The sacrifices that I have made,
those could be the million dollar investment.
- * Anything, anything's possible *
[cheering]
- And he has become so popular.
- Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate!
- The crowd already chanting Gnarly Nate.
He's got a big group on the sidelines that includes
his parents and brothers and his good friend
and training partner, Austin Gray.
all: Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate!
[countdown clock beeping]
- All he has to do now is just trust in his skillset,
and he's got plenty of it. - Great balance.
- Nice.
Went to work here on the Salmon Ladder.
- 5' 2", 135--
always comes up big.
Good control there.
- You can tell, so focused.
Nice.
That's pretty epic right there.
You tell me that doesn't give you enough energy.
The crowd chanting Gnarly Nate.
I love it.
- The Loonies and everyone in this crowd cheering for Nate.
Right now facing Piston Plunge.
- This right here is the beginning part of taxing
the upper body strength.
- But look at how calm he is.
You could just see him trying to stay relaxed,
not to over-pump. - Nice. Ooh.
- Using the feet, palming it--
just great technique out of Nate.
- You could see the little isolation going,
one arm over the other.
- Here comes the drop.
Got it. - Nice.
- And he's through.
[cheering]
- Yeah, Gnarly Nate, yeah!
- Well, here's the biggest challenge
right now, trying to make sure you can
hold on to the Hammer Drop.
- Doesn't have the long arms and legs to wrap around,
so it's gonna be a bit more of a challenge.
- You've got to give this thing a Valentine's hug.
I mean, hug it with everything you've got.
Hug it! Love it, nice.
- And we have learned, you don't underestimate
Nate Hansen. - Yes, Matt.
At 5' 2", he gave it everything he had on that one.
Ooh, boy.
- And a little struggle getting on top here.
There it is.
- Yeah, turn around.
One slight mistake, and that could be it.
- And watch the leap.
Here, again, that hammer goes away from you
as you push to the rope.
You really have to anticipate it.
- Get up high, too, to give yourself
the ability to recover.
Nice. [cheering]
Great job.
Oh, man, that's a big moment.
- That was the obstacle I thought
would be toughest for him.
Just over 2 minutes left for the final two obstacles,
and he's going to need every second.
[cheers and applause]
This is where it really starts to get hard,
here on Hornet's Nest.
all: Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate,
Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate!
- Going to need some big throws on this obstacle.
Hornet's Nest knocked out top veterans Ethan Swanson
and Kyle Soderman last week.
- All right, this is an 8-foot lache here.
Nice.
[cheering]
- And the fixed wheel here--
this is lining up for the big one
from this third honeycomb here.
- Matt, that's right.
The third to the fourth is a 10-foot lache.
That means he's got to generate enough force,
but all of that force is going to throw him
into that fourth honeycomb,
and that could bounce him off.
- Watch that. Use the upper body.
Use the wax to absorb it.
- Whoa, OK, nice!
- Nate Hansen going to be closing in
on a minute here soon.
- Come on!
- Come on, Nate! - Nice.
[cheering]
And Nate Hansen another step closer.
Under a minute.
- Never underestimate Nate Hansen, Matt.
- Look at this.
[cheers and applause]
Everyone here on their feet wanting
this 5' 2" underdog to finish this course.
- Breathe.
- Austin Gray reminding him to breathe.
Austin finished Stage 2 last year.
If Nate finishes, this place is going to erupt
like a slot machine!
- He's got to be aware of the clock.
- Gnarly Nate has got to hustle.
Locks in.
- The swing will keep rotating--
little easier to absorb.
- And you know he's feeling the pump.
- But here it is, the Blind Grab.
[cheering]
- Get it, Nate, dawg. - Yes!
- Get it, Nate, dawg! - 10 seconds!
Nate Hansen's going to do it.
[buzzer blares]
* *
- * Invincible *
* Anything, anything's possible *
[cheers and applause]
- Come on!
- Man, you love to see this, for Gnarly Nate to be able
to come out here and crush these six obstacles.
Well done.
[buzzer blares]
- Whoo!
- * Invincible *
- He never lets his size hold him back.
Nate Hanson made the big moves
needed on Stage 2.
And even the blind grab at the end
wasn't too gnarly for Nate.
- Right now, he's down with Zuri.
- This is your first time on Stage 2,
and you absolutely crushed it.
How did it feel?
- You know, it felt really good.
You know, I've spent a lot of this year
really dedicating myself to doing really well on the show,
and I'm seeing the results pay off.
All that hard work and discipline
is really coming into play here,
so Stage 2 got me all warmed up,
and we're headed to Stage 3 gnarlier than ever.
- All right.
[cheers and applause]
- So Nate becomes our 11th ninja
who'll move on to Stage 3.
Let's take a look at the others.
There are five teenagers in this elite group of ninjas.
All of them have a shot to win $1 million.
- So now we're on the move.
We're heading over there to Stage 3.
- Yeah, this is where ninja legends are made,
and I can't wait.
* *
- * This is how our story goes *
- What a night it's going to be.
Can the teenager Kaden Lebsack get redemption on Stage 4?
- Go! - Oh, my gosh!
- Will Jay "Lache" Lewis keep his perfect season going?
- Let's go!
- Or will another teenager take home the $1 million?
- * This is the moment *
* *
- And after 12 years...
- * This is the moment *
- Flip Rodriguez gets his first shot at Stage 3.
- * This is the moment *
- And he's up next on the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior's"
season finale.
We've moved over to Stage 3,
a step closer to the $1 million prize.
- And, Matt, Stage 3 is where legends are made.
Only a handful of ninjas have ever conquered this course.
- Now, for a look at what our ninjas are facing,
let's go down to Zuri.
- Guys, Stage 3 is always an upper-body gauntlet,
and this season there are new surprises for our ninjas.
They'll have to learn the ropes
for the new first obstacle, Patriot Pass.
Stalactites is back at number two,
and then they'll tackle another new one
called Chop It Up.
As always, the Ultimate Cliffhanger
is the fourth obstacle, followed by Pipe Dream,
and the return of Eyeglass Alley.
Finally, they'll have to survive Flying Bar
if they want to reach the buzzer
and have a shot at the million bucks.
[buzzer blares]
All right, guys, let's see what happens on Stage 3.
[cheering]
- And this crowd is on their feet
for our first Stage 3 competitor.
It's Ninja legend Flip Rodriguez.
He's returned to wearing a mask to the start line
to raise awareness for child abuse,
and the mask has seemed to bring him good luck.
He's had an outstanding season,
and that includes his first time ever
on Stage 3.
[dramatic music]
- It just feels so good for the curse
to finally be broken on Stage 2.
* *
- Oh, yes! - Oh!
- Oh, so--got it!
- Nice, go get it! Go get it.
Yes! - Go get it!
- Yes. [buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
Flip Rodriguez gets his first Stage 2 buzzer.
- Took 12 years for me to get to Stage 3.
It's just--I can't help but get emotional
because I put in the work,
and I am just so happy that it's paying off.
Uh-oh, looks like a little injury there.
- I ripped my hand on Stage 2,
but on Stage 3, it's not going to matter.
And if I have to lose a little blood for it,
it's time to fight.
Let's go.
[buzzer blares]
[yells] Let's go!
It's not over until I'm looking
on the top of Mount Midoriyama
at the Las Vegas skyline.
Stage 3 is about to get crazy.
* *
[cheering]
- You can see the bandage on his right hand.
Injured it on Stage 2.
We'll see if that affects him.
- Down on the sideline, Flip's student Jordan Carr,
the youngest woman to get up a Warped Wall,
and training partner RJ Roman,
along with some other ninjas,
everyone pulling for Flip tonight.
[countdown clock beeping] - Let's go, Flip.
- Go, Flip. - No time limit on Stage 3.
You just have to finish.
- Here's the brand-new obstacle, Patriot Pass.
Climb out, and now start pulling that rope down
to try to minimize the drop that you're
going to experience. - Ooh.
Yeah, and that drop can wear you out.
- Another one here.
Avoid that big drop.
- Yeah, kind of balance it out-- nice.
- Because you can see, that's coiled up.
- Patriot Pass--pass the test.
[cheering]
- Let's go, Flip! - Let's go.
Come on!
- And Flip makes it look easy.
On now to Stalactites.
- And you can see that hand taped up.
Well, it's going to be tested here.
- Yeah, for this one, you have to swing
through and slide those handles
inside those small slots.
It's important to get through it quickly.
You really want to just try to use
that momentum, swing into it, get that cradle hooked.
- And look how calm he is.
You know that was easy.
That right there is an example
of how calm he's been all season.
[cheering] - Yes!
Let's go, Flip!
- It's a brand-new obstacle-- Chop It Up.
That is a big bar.
You're going to have to wrap around with both arms,
and then hang on for three big drops.
- Here we go.
That drop goes from 1:00 to 3:00
It's time to go to work.
All right, let's go.
Let's chop it up then.
- And you can see the challenge trying
to build up the momentum wrapped around it.
Hard fall-- taking a blow to the chin.
- Don't talk about it. Be about it.
And Flip Rodriguez is about that life.
- And he's through.
And Ultimate Cliffhanger is next.
And Flip's just going to rip that bandage off
to get ready for it.
[cheering] - Let's go!
- I think he's afraid the bandage
would interfere with his fingertips
on the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Oh, he's flashing the horns over to his buddy RJ.
- Yeah, he's talking about he's going to rock it.
- Let's go, dude.
- So here we go with the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Over the years, this has ended many runs on Stage 3.
These ledges are only an inch wide.
- The key is use that lower body
to build up momentum. Carry it up.
Lock in the fingers.
- I'm pretty confident that Flip Rodriguez
is going to dominate here on the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Oh. - Oh.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
[audience groans]
The grip gave out.
- Oh, no.
Are you kidding me?
[applause]
- It's all good, Flip.
- Good job, Flip.
- Well, Flip took some hard blows on Chop It Up.
Those will definitely rattle you.
And when he got to Ultimate Cliffhanger,
that injury on his hand may have been a factor.
His fingers just slipped off as he reached up.
- Well, he's disappointed,
but overall, a great season for him.
And he's with Zuri in our NerdWallet post-run interview.
- Flip, this is your first time on Stage 3.
What did it feel like to get to this hallowed ground?
- It felt good. I felt really good, amazing.
I'm happy with my accomplishments,
and I just hope to impact people with my performance,
my life story, and continue to have
these supporting, amazing people around me
because without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.
all: We love you, Flip.
- Well, that's exactly what you're doing.
Keep inspiring us, Flip, truly.
I'll see you next season. Guys, back to you.
- This post-run interview brought to you by NerdWallet,
the smartest decision for all your financial decisions.
Coming up, he's been unstoppable all season...
- Let's go!
- Including a win on the Power Tower.
- That was so close.
- Now, Jay "Lache" tries to keep
his perfect streak alive,
next on "American Ninja Warrior's"
season finale.
- Welcome back to Las Vegas and the last night
of the "American Ninja Warrior" season.
Next up on Stage 3 is 18-year-old college student
Jay "Lache" Lewis.
You can see he still has his Safety Pass.
He didn't have to use it
because this guy's been on a hot streak.
[upbeat music]
Jay Lewis has a perfect season going so far.
- Boom, just like that.
- Let's go!
[cheering]
- Oh, yeah!
- Only three ninjas have ever completed a season
without hitting the water.
- Jay "Lache."
[buzzer blares]
Didn't even need the Safety Pass.
He's going to Stage 3.
- It's truly been incredible.
Not getting wet this season is always amazing.
It's one of those things that you always dream of having
kind of that perfect season.
So far... [buzzer blares]
Mine has stayed perfect.
And I really feel like Stage 3 is the one
that I shine the most on.
I feel like my endurance is really going to show,
and I'm really feeling confident going into it.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- It's a big moment for Jay.
And watching back in Connecticut
is his buddy Joe Moravsky. - Let's go, Jay!
- Joe had to bow out because of health protocols,
but still showing support for his training partner.
And Jay's got a big group of East Coast ninjas
on the sideline, along with his parents.
[countdown clock beeping]
And he's off.
And what makes Jay "Lache" unique is his size,
just 5' 4" and 115 pounds.
- No Safety Pass for Stage 3.
You've just got to pass the test.
First one, Patriot Pass.
- All right, work it down, work it down.
- Here we go. Whoa.
- Joe Moravsky was the one who
first told us about Jay "Lache."
- Good. Yes.
- Joe's been training with Jay for a while,
and he's been telling us just how good Jay "Lache" is.
- Second year on Ninja, and he's on Stage 3.
It's amazing.
I mean, think about how long it took
so many of our veterans to make it to Stage 3.
Some have never made it to Stage 3.
- Making quick work of Stalactites,
and he's through. [cheers and applause]
- On now to Chop It Up.
Make sure those arms are really locked around,
and anticipate that jarring drop.
- Yeah, this is where weight-room muscles
could help out.
All right, he's nice and light.
Watch out for the spinning log.
Ooh, he came in there real tight.
- Well, if you don't have weight-room muscles,
it's nice to be 115 pounds. - That's true, Matt.
That's true.
All right, here we go.
Throw yourself into it. - Ooh.
- Nice. - Nice.
Great job.
- He's like, "I might be 115, but I can hold my own."
[cheering]
- A little confident now.
- [clapping] Come on.
- And now, he'll get his first shot
at the Ultimate Cliffhanger,
an obstacle that's ended so many ninja dreams
over the years, including Flip Rodriguez minutes ago.
Has to navigate his way across these tiny ledges.
- Well, good job using that lower body.
You can see it rotating up, carries him
right to that next cleat.
- Look how fluid he is.
This looks very nice and easy for him.
- Got it.
- I mean, he's not even grimacing.
- Got to make this 6-foot jump to the other side.
- Yeah. - And he gets it.
Wow, the Ultimate Cliffhanger
used to be a road block for ninjas.
Jay Lewis just cruised through it.
- Let's go. [cheers and applause]
- Stay cool. Come on, you've got this.
- You're good, buddy, you're good.
- You got this.
- Now he'll be the first tonight to try Pipe Dream.
First has to swing up to that platform.
- Good job. [cheering]
- Real smooth there.
Has to work his way through these vertical poles.
You'll see ninjas try a few different techniques.
- Oh, looking like Spider-Man.
Whoa, hold on now. Watch that slide.
Nice recovery.
- Now getting to the tricky part.
These thicker pipes drop down.
- He's got to swing over and bear-hug that thing.
- And he's so light, Matt,
it's just like he's got to stick.
- 5' 4"-- there it is.
Had enough legs to make that reach.
- Yeah.
- And, wow, really efficient right there.
That was beautiful.
[cheers and applause]
He's now two obstacles away from a buzzer,
but this is where his buddy Joe Moravsky's
run into trouble.
Joe's reached this point and fallen in season 6...
- No!
- Season 9... - No.
- And again in season 11. - No!
Oh, my gosh.
- Can Jay do what his mentor Joe has only dreamed of?
- Come on. Hit it for me, man.
- But Eyeglass Alley is a tough one.
He has to maneuver the metal eye frames
to land on the hooks.
- He's going to need 20/20 vision here.
[cheering]
Nice.
- And I just love it, arm over arm--
such efficiency out of Jay "Lache."
- Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Little struggle.
You can see it pivoting, having trouble controlling it.
- Oh, backwards then-- do it backwards then,
do it backwards then. - Oh, this is trouble.
- Big boy's giving it to you.
Whatever is given to you, take it.
- What? - Nice.
- Are you kidding me?
- Out of nothing, he made the adjustment.
He didn't fight it. He just went with it.
- Improvise, adapt, overcome.
- Nice.
- Jay "Lache" totally in focus here.
Oh, my goodness.
[cheering]
- Let's go, Jay.
- He's now reached the Flying Bar.
Only seven other ninjas in history
have reached this point.
Even the great Joe Moravsky never got here.
- Let's go!
- But the Flying Bar is difficult.
He's going to have to jump this bar across the five cradles.
- Here we go.
115 pounds should be pretty nice and light to fly through.
- Whoa.
- How great is it, in the final obstacle
you're going to live out your name?
Jay "Lache"-- two more moves.
- All right, he's got this. - One more move.
- He's got this.
Get it! Come on!
- Lache!
- Oh, my God. - Yes.
[buzzer blares]
* *
[cheers and applause]
For the fourth time in history, we're going to Stage 4.
[cheering]
- Whoo, let's go.
- What a moment.
His parents are joining him.
The tears are flowing.
- Oh, man, just crying in his mom and dad's arms.
Look at that.
Oh, my-- oh, my gosh.
- Jay "Lache" was almost flawless on Stage 3.
He gave us a scare on Eyeglass Alley,
but he improvised and survived,
did what his mentor Joe Moravsky never did--
made it to the end of Stage 3.
And he's going to climb for $1 million.
- Well, this incoming college freshman
is certainly having a sophomore season
to remember on "Ninja Warrior."
- Coming up, while these teenagers
battled through Ninja courses, their moms
were battling cancer--
the story of this lifesaving friendship next
on "American Ninja Warrior."
[cheers and applause]
- Welcome back to Las Vegas where $1 million
is up for grabs tonight.
Teenager Jay Lewis took a step closer to that jackpot
by finishing Stage 3 minutes ago.
[dramatic music]
And while we were away, another teenager
got his shot at Stage 3.
17-year-old Ethan Bartnicki was one of two rookies
left in the competition.
- Oh, he just chopped it down.
- The aspiring music producer
used to go by the name Little Dolla
back when we first saw him on "Ninja Junior."
- Little Dolla going for $1 million.
- At just 114 pounds,
he's our lightest remaining competitor.
And it paid off, as he was able to glide
across Ultimate Cliffhanger.
- I think we've got another Ninja star on our hands.
- He made it to the fifth obstacle,
Pipe Dream, but that's where
his impressive rookie season ended.
- Whoa. - Oh, no.
[air horn blares]
* *
- That was the most fun I've ever had in the course.
Let's go.
[cheers and applause]
- And the other rookie who made it to Stage 3
is on the course right now.
This is 21-year-old Matt D'Amico.
This gym owner from Billerica, Massachusetts,
has been one of this season's biggest surprises.
First time at the National Finals,
and he had the fastest finish on Stage 2.
- We didn't know much about Matt D'Amico coming in,
but he's opened up some eyes this season.
- All right, here we go.
Little awkward there, but staying alive.
- OK, see it.
[cheering]
OK, there he is.
- Great job.
- Survives the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
[cheering]
- He's got a big group on the sidelines,
including his girlfriend Kelsey.
At just 21, he runs his own gym back in the Boston area.
And look at some of the kids he coaches
watching from back at the gym. He's their hero.
- Let's go, let's go.
- 5' 8"-- should have the wingspan here
to be comfortable on Pipe Dream.
Did seem to be a challenge though.
- Did you see his girlfriend Kelsey?
She's on the edge of her seat. - Oh, yes.
Come on! - Nice.
- Great move there.
- Wow, I liked the soft landing there.
That's not easy. Nice.
Hold on to that pipe.
- Matt D'Amico moving efficiently.
- Come on, Matt. One more, one more.
- Use your legs, use your legs. - Get through it.
- That's good. Way to ride that drop.
- Let's go! Let's go.
- And he is through Pipe Dream as quickly as anyone tonight.
[cheering]
- You can do this.
- And family hanging on every move.
- And he's now just two obstacles away
from the buzzer, would be only the second rookie
ever to do it.
Kaden Lebsack was the first last year.
I'm starting to notice that the ninjas
are using a different technique from last year.
They're grabbing the top of the eyeglass
for better control. - Get it up.
Place it right there. Nice. Nice.
[cheering]
- Matt D'Amico continues to impress.
Just powers it in.
- Yeah, he says, bump that.
Get in there.
- It is not supposed to be this easy.
- And, Matt, he's got plenty of strength left.
He's just got to be accurate. Nice.
[cheering]
- Matt D'Amico-- oh, you're kidding me.
- Yeah, he can see it now.
- Let's go!
- Flashes a smile.
He knows he's only one obstacle away
from climbing for $1 million.
- Oh, my gosh, he's so close. He's so close.
- Breathe, breathe.
- His rookie year, his rookie year.
- A hard-working 21-year-old gym owner--
$1 million would change his life.
- Squeeze. - Whoa.
- D'Amico. - Yes.
- Squeeze.
- Three more moves. Two more moves.
- Almost there. Come on.
Come on, rook.
- No! - Oh!
- Right off the--ah! You were--ah!
- Hey, we love you, Matt.
- Peels off with one move left.
- Matt D'Amico doesn't get a buzzer,
but what an impressive run.
- Oh, he was so close,
just two cradles away.
We haven't had a fall on Flying Bar in years,
since Ian Dory fell here in season seven.
- Oh!
- Tonight, D'Amico started losing his grip
as soon as he touched the bar.
And by the last move, he just couldn't hold on.
- That was so close.
- Was so close to his dream.
He'll be thinking about that one all year.
- Oh, you did so good. - So proud of you.
[cheers and applause]
- Up next on Stage 3 is 17-year-old Max Feinberg.
He's taking a look at his highlights on the screen,
but his impact goes beyond the course.
Through Ninja, he became buddies with fellow ninja
Kaden Lebsack,
and that friendship brought their families together
and helped save a life.
[soft dramatic music]
- I'm so excited.
You are in Castle Rock. - I know.
[chuckles]
- Over the past year, my family has become
very close with the Lebsacks.
Most people didn't know that when Kaden was competing
on season 13, like my mom, his mom
was also fighting breast cancer.
* *
- In October of 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer,
and I was on a mission to make sure
that all of my close friends were up to date
on their annual mammograms.
- I had this fun idea that I was going to get my mammogram,
wrap it up to her, and be like, "Here you go."
And about a week later, I got the call
that I had breast cancer.
* *
- The whole time I was competing last season,
I was always thinking about my mom.
- [tearfully] But I'm just so proud
he's living out his dream, and he's worked so hard.
- What helped take my mind off it
was kind of just distracting myself with Ninja
to take out all the negative thoughts.
- It was awesome having Max with me
when my mom was going through it.
He was always there for me, and it was nice to have
someone to talk about it with.
- Max and Kaden were meant to be friends,
and because of that, I am now cancer free.
* *
[cheering]
- That's for you, Mom. That's for you.
- "That's for you, Mom." what a beautiful moment.
- As I watch our kids go through
"American Ninja Warrior," they see the obstacles
that we went through.
- Max, what does it feel like
having your mom on the sidelines?
look at the smile on her face.
- To make my mom proud is just the biggest--
the most I could ever ask for.
That buzzer's for you, Mom.
[cheers and applause]
- They have given us strength as our kids.
And I hope that we have given them strength
to get through that course.
[buzzer blares]
- He is a-max-ing!
He's going to Stage 3.
[triumphant pop music]
* *
- Our moms will never give up, and neither will we.
* *
[cheers and applause]
[countdown clock beeping]
- Incredibly emotional story, and as always,
Max will be wearing a pink ribbon on his shirt
to raise awareness for breast cancer.
- Let's go, dude, you got it. - Oh.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, didn't really control the rope there.
- Yeah. - Survived that one.
- Well, there's not a lot of history lesson
on this one because it's a brand-new obstacle.
- There it is, dude. You got it.
- All right, good.
- There we go. - Yeah.
[cheers and applause] Let's go.
- Has to survive six more obstacles,
starting right here, Stalactites.
- Come on, Max. Breathe, dude.
- Well, we saw him on "Ninja Junior."
He impressed us-- growing up before our eyes,
heading off to college right after this.
- And, Matt, he's going to be studying marketing
at the University of Denver.
This is Marketing 101--
how to market your Ninja skills.
- Going to be pretty cool sitting in your dorm room
as a freshman going, "What'd you do this summer?"
- Yeah.
"Oh, yeah, well, I had a shot at $1 million."
- Line it up. - Line it up.
- Very efficient.
- Very.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, dodged a bullet on Patriot Pass.
Be careful here on Chop It Up.
- All you, dude. - You're secure.
- Lock those arms.
- All right, this young kid from McLean, VA.
All right, boom-- ooh, wow, took
one straight to the kisser.
Boy, you saw the head go back, a little whiplash.
- Whoa. - Oh, no.
[audience groans]
- Max Feinberg chopped down.
- The logs spun out on him. Watch this.
His head got rocked on the first one.
And then on the second one he took another shot.
His glasses somehow stayed on, but Max couldn't.
- To spread my message on a stage this big--
oh, it means the absolute world to me.
[cheers and applause]
- His season cut short here on Stage 3,
but what a remarkable run out of Max Weinberg.
- Coming up, Josh Levin's a world-class rock climber.
Will those grip and agility skills
give him an edge on Stage 3?
And we'll see him next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the most exciting show
on the Vegas Strip tonight, the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."
We know at least one ninja's going to climb
Stage 4's tower for $1 million.
And Zuri's going to get our next athlete going.
- He is a world-class rock climber
and a Harvard grad.
Now, Josh Levin is hoping to add "Ninja Warrior" champion
to his résumé.
He's a 19-time U.S. champion in climbing.
And he's done pretty well in Ninja, too,
with 12 buzzers in his four seasons.
[cheers and applause]
- And he looks so confident.
He knows stage three plays to his strengths as a climber.
- And he's got a big group down on the sidelines,
including his parents,
who never miss one of his runs.
[countdown clock beeping]
- First up is Patriot Pass.
- Control these ropes.
Reach out to that second one.
Advance it down.
- And he's got to get through the red,
white, and blue Patriot Pass.
[cheering]
Climb it up.
Repeat again here.
Good job controlling the descent.
- Well, this is a nice warm-up to the pump-out.
[cheers and applause]
- He's got his master's from Harvard,
and he already had an engineering degree.
So you know he's got every one of these moves
plotted out on this course.
Up next is Stalactites.
- Just such a tight--
you can see, he's got to take the handles
and put it into those tight little keyholes.
- You got it, Josh. - You got it, Josh.
- Oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- And a little spun around. - Josh Levin--
- Easy, buddy.
- Well, again, "Ninja Warrior"
is very different than climbing.
He has the grip strength.
- Yeah, you can see, and he's trying to get that back hand
out to the front part. - There it is.
- Nice.
- Good job using the momentum, staying calm.
He regrouped. - Got it.
- Well, that would get the heart rate going.
- Yeah, it got my heart rate going,
and I'm not even on it.
- Good job.
- He's taking a slower approach.
No time limit on Stage 3, you just have to finish.
- On now to Chop It Up.
- You just saw Max Feinberg go out here.
This isn't about the grip. This is upper body.
You've got to wrap those forearms
around to try to hold on--
just a different move than you do in rock climbing.
- All right, come in tight when you grab that log.
Nice.
- Ooh, and you can see, he took that to the chin.
- That's it, that's it.
- This course is fighting back.
- And you can see him throwing himself into it.
Nice. - Got it.
- Ooh, boy.
[chuckles]
- Once again, and this is sapping that upper body,
believe me. - Yes, it is.
Yeah, he took that one
straight to the pectoralis major.
[cheering]
- Lots of support in this crowd for Josh Levin.
And you can see that smile. He's staying loose.
And this next one, Ultimate Cliffhanger,
should be right in his wheelhouse.
- All right. - Let's go, Josh.
- Levin almost made it to the Olympics for climbing.
He's been hanging off real cliffs
since he was a kid.
He's got this one.
- Well, when your Olympic dreams don't work out,
this is a nice fallback plan.
- Yeah, I don't know if this is a fallback plan.
I don't think you can get $1 million rock climbing.
- Well, here it is, the big transfer--
a 6-foot transfer. Got to fly here.
This is a dynamic move.
And watch him use the upper body to absorb it.
- Yeah, this is his bread and butter.
He's got this.
Nice. - Great job.
[cheering] - Nice.
Look at-- come on, you didn't have to do the one-handed hold
right there.
Come on, Josh Levin.
[cheers and applause]
- Look at this one again--
made the big move across,
and then celebrates like a world-class climber
by just hanging with one hand.
Come on, that's too cool.
- But here he is now on Pipe Dream.
- Match it up.
Get that balance. - Nice.
- Got it. - Great balance.
- Now, you can see on these poles, got to jump out,
spread the arms, and hold on.
Holds on to one--look at that.
- Yeah, dancing on that pole.
- He's just skipping the other one.
Long split there, 5' 6"--
got plenty of leg span.
Now, these final two, they will drop.
Get up high.
Hold on.
- Ooh, nice, all right, throwing himself into it.
- And look at that leg lock.
He's feeling it, Akbar.
And we talked about it.
He is a speed climber. He wants a shot on that rope.
He doesn't think anybody can keep up with him,
but you've got to get there. Watch it.
This one will drop as well.
Spreading out when he gets his weight onto it.
Watch the drop.
- This Pipe Dream is about to be a reality for Josh Levin.
- He's definitely taking a much slower approach
than Jay Lewis.
And though there's no time limit on Stage 3,
the faster finisher will go last on Stage 4,
so this slower pace could cost him strategically
if he makes it that far. - Nice.
He's done it.
[cheers and applause]
- Just two more obstacles to go,
and he could be climbing for $1 million.
- Eyeglass Alley-- so difficult, Matt.
You've got to have the right technique.
And you talked about focus--
he's got to be bi-focused on Eyeglass Alley.
- And you could see it in there.
Use that right hand on the ring.
Control it. Place it.
- Nice. - Good job.
- All right, there's that move.
- And this one pivots.
You can see those rings pivoting.
Go down and under.
He's struggling.
Locked the ring-- that was close.
- All right, that's the second move.
Here's the third. - Oh, my.
- Three moves.
- Now, this, you've got to use it like a salmon bar.
Got to get both of those rings hooked on.
Otherwise, you will peel off and splash down.
- Aw, Matt, hey, he's starting to say
that he's feeling it, Matt. You can see it on his face.
- This is such a tough move, especially when
your arms are totally drained.
all: Let's go, Josh!
Let's go, Josh! Let's go, Josh!
- Got it. - OK.
[cheers and applause]
Oh, my, Josh Levin... - Whoa.
- In rare territory.
He's waving to us.
[cheers and applause]
- One more obstacle on Stage 3, Flying Bar.
- All right, five cradles, a 6-inch drop
on each one of these.
5' 6", 150 pounds.
All right, here we go. - Going with that switch grip--
I like it. Try to avoid peeling off.
You've got to be precise. Don't overshoot it.
- Yeah, and if you come in tight,
it takes a little bit of the absorption off.
Nice. - Great job.
- Great technique.
- And look at him repositioning that bar.
- I know he wants to get out of there.
He's probably feeling the pump.
Nice. - How could you not?
- Nice and tight-- coming in nice and tight.
- One more cradle. - One more move.
- One more cradle. The rock climber.
[cheers and applause]
- Get out of there. - One more.
He's got a shot at the million.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Josh Levin does it.
And that might have been
to the million-dollar move there.
[upbeat music]
- Wow. Wow.
- Our second finisher on Stage 3.
That equals the most we've ever had.
- His climbing skills definitely helped
on these final obstacles.
He rested on Pipe Dream, had to work Eyeglass Alley,
but by Flying Bar, he knew he had it.
And now he's got a shot at a million bucks.
So right now, it's going to be a climb-off
at the end of the night between Jay "Lache" Lewis
and Josh Levin.
But we've still got more top ninjas to come
who could join them on Stage 4.
- Coming up, Flip Rodriguez's run ended in heartbreak.
[audience groans]
Now, his training partner, RJ Roman,
runs for the both of them.
He's next on the season finale of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Some great ninjas have come out of Chicago,
but Stage 3 has been a roadblock.
The last three to make it here,
Ethan Swanson,
- Michael Torres... - [screams]
And Chris DiGangi... - Oh!
- Have all fallen on the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
And we've got another Chicago Ninja
taking on Stage 3 right now.
This is Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner.
He's having an amazing season, with four buzzers already.
- Cam real efficient on Chop It Up.
- That's his parents on the sideline, along with some
of the other Chicago Ninjas. - Let's go, Cam.
You got this.
- On now to the Cliffhanger.
- And, Matt, this is the one obstacle no one from Chicago
has been able to conquer.
Can Cam Baumgartner be the one to break through?
- Look at the efficiency.
Big reach up, crossing over--wow.
- Matt, he's moving fast, so the pump-out
doesn't catch up to him.
- Wow. - Making it look easy.
- He's trying to get out of there, launching--
- Whoa. - Launching.
- Yeah.
[cheers and applause]
Chris DiGangi's watching from Chicago.
This is where he fell three years ago.
- Yes.
[cheering]
- Cam is blowing up, like I thought he would.
[cheering]
- Here we go, Cam, come on.
Boom--blow up that course.
Come on, let's go.
- And he's now gone further on Stage 3
than any Chicago Ninja.
Going to try to keep it going on Pipe Dream.
- Launch it up.
Keep in mind, this wall will swing back if you
don't control your momentum. [cheering]
- Wow, it looks like Batman there.
- Yeah, he did a little superhero landing.
That's kind of cool.
- He's a gymnastics coach.
And he looks right at home on these bars.
- Whoa.
- Spinning around, OK.
- Use your legs! Use your legs!
- But this is where it gets tougher.
- Now, these will drop. Lock it in.
- Nice.
[cheers and applause]
He is holding on to that pipe. He is locked on.
- Doing that figure-four leg lock, giving
that upper body a little rest.
- Yeah, of course.
He's a--he was a wrestler in high school,
so he knows about that figure-four leg lock.
- Yep, get 'em up. - Keep moving!
- That's it. There you get it.
- Well, last year had that early exit on Stage 1,
and it clearly motivated him even more.
- Yeah, he's 5' 5", Matt, so he's going
to have to struggle.
That's a reach, so he's going to have
to turn around and jump to it. - Going to be a big drop.
- Whoa.
- Just couldn't do it.
And the Pipe Dream comes to an end for Cam Baumgartner.
- Wow. - All right, Cam.
Whoo!
- Well, he set a new standard for Chicago Ninjas
on the Ultimate Cliffhanger,
but on Pipe Dream, that's a 6-foot gap to the next pole.
Tried to straddle it, and that didn't work.
So he jumped and just couldn't hang on.
- But what a great season--
four buzzers for Cam "The Bomb."
Up next is Ninja's resident rock star, RJ Roman.
The heavy-metal musician is having his best season ever.
And he credits much of it to the extra work
he's done with Flip Rodriguez...
- Come on, baby, let's go.
- Who's over on the sideline with some
of the other ninjas RJ trains.
This 25-year-old success is all the more remarkable
considering where he started.
[dramatic music]
- Yes.
This is an unbelievable performance.
- RJ Roman shreds Stage 2.
- When I was a teenager I did not think my life
would be going this way.
* *
I grew up in lower-income areas,
where drug and gang activity was pretty frequent.
Luckily, my grandma stepped up
and took care of me.
A lot of my friends didn't have someone positive
in their life,
so they went towards that direction of drug abuse.
* *
If 25-year-old me was in a room with 16-year-old me,
I would tell myself, "Your life is what you make of it."
For me, I've had music and scootering and Ninja.
Whoa. - Ooh.
- But I had to explore before I found those things,
and you're not going to explore
when you're taking negative routes.
* *
- Yeah.
- Stage 3 is not ready for RJ Roman.
- This is going to be my second time on Stage 3.
- Wow, super power there.
- I don't fail the same stage twice.
And I'm absolutely ready to shred Stage 3.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- And RJ's parents are a big part of his life today.
They're watching from home with one of his cousins.
- Let's go!
[countdown clock beeping]
- What a stud of a young man RJ is.
5' 6", 145, professional musician,
gym owner, second time on Stage 3.
- He fell early here three years ago,
but you heard him.
He's never fallen on the same stage twice.
- I believe him. I got faith in RJ Roman.
- And he's quickly through Patriot Pass.
- Time to shred it. - Go ahead, RJ, let's go.
- But Flip said, RJ is his pick to win it all.
- He's known for his speed, but his grip
is going to be tested on this course,
including right here on Stalactites.
- I think he understands what's at stake here.
You can go fast, but you want to make sure
that you don't rush.
- Long reach there.
Got it. - Nice.
- Smooth. - Let's go!
Yes! Yes.
- No problem so far.
Now has to climb up to take on Chop It Up.
- On Stage 3, it's the cumulative effect.
All these upper-body obstacles take a toll on you.
[cheering] - Great job.
Really good job absorbing that violent fall.
- Wow, he's chopping it down, and really efficient.
- Great. - Nice.
- Oh-- - Lost the hat.
- Lost the lucky hat. That's all right.
[cheering]
- Lost the hat.
- That's some nice Ninja swag in the water there.
- This is where his buddy Flip went down
on Ultimate Cliffhanger.
- All right, come on. Rock on with your bad self.
RJ Roman--good long reach.
- Great power.
- Proving that he belongs here.
He belongs with the elite ninjas.
- I love the efficiency here on Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Not a wasted move, executing it just like
he planned it in his head.
- Oh, almost peeled off on that one, Matt.
Nice.
- There it is, good adjustment.
- Wow, that could have been disastrous.
[cheering]
- Yes!
- He's got to be thinking about all those hours spent
in the gym in Orlando,
he and Flip going back and forth,
pushing each other.
Let's see how he does here on this mount onto the wall.
- Nice move.
- On now to Pipe Dream.
And you can see that wall shaking--uh-oh.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, little wobble.
Uh-oh, whoa, keep your balance.
- Yeah.
- Makes the grab, with the first sign
of any trouble for RJ Roman.
- Yeah, you want to try to get through here--
no mistake.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh, it's
got to be so nerve-racking.
- Taking some risks here.
- Yeah, he's just trying to get out of there.
- He wants to lock in. - Yeah.
- Lock in.
- He's starting to feel the burn.
So typically, that gets you to try to want to hurry up.
He's trying to find a resting place.
And it's very hard here on Stage 3--
no real resting place.
- Watch this drop.
Hang on.
- Nice, got it.
All right.
- RJ Roman at Eyeglass Alley.
And look at Flip. - Let's go!
Let's go! Let's go!
- Let's go!
- RJ Roman on Eyeglass Alley, looking like, look at me now.
- RJ Roman has been focused all year long,
anticipating this moment, wanting to get to Stage 4,
just give himself a chance to climb for $1 million.
Whoa, a little struggle.
- Uh-oh, come on.
- Got it.
- Take it.
- Just fighting it.
- So close.
Ooh, I know it's burning. - Come on.
- Come on, RJ. - Dig deep.
- Come on. - Come on.
- Nothing you can't handle.
- And those forearms, you could see anything left,
this is going to be a big jarring move.
- Hold tight.
OK, he's going to reach out, get wider.
- Come on, RJ. - Yeah.
[cheering]
- You see he screamed through it.
You know it hurts.
- Fighting, wants it,
does the grip have anything left?
And look at him using that lower body.
Those arms are spent.
[cheering]
- Well, Matt, you could tell he wants it badly.
That scream, that lets you know he's feeling it,
but he's not willing to give in.
- 30 feet for a shot at $1 million.
Can he gut his way through it?
- Pain is temporary,
but the success you get here will be forever.
- Are we gonna see a third on Stage 4?
- Come on, we've never seen that before.
- Two more laches.
- Oh, but his grip is giving out.
Can he hang on? - Come on.
Go for it! Go for it!
[cheering]
- RJ Roman...
[buzzer blares]
Has done it!
* *
[cheers and applause]
And for the first time ever, we're going to have
three ninjas climbing on Stage 4--
Ninja history.
Season 14, history is made.
- [screams]
- Let's go. - [yells]
- Let's go!
- And look at that moment, Flip Rodriguez
and RJ Roman embracing.
- Well, RJ hit the buzzer, but nobody does it alone.
- Let me tell you, it wasn't always pretty.
He almost had a miss on Pipe Dream.
He had to shake out his arms on Eyeglass Alley,
had to regrip on Flying Bar,
and then just barely reached the landing pad,
but RJ Roman found a way.
- That was a fight.
- I just heard you say, "That was a fight."
- Oh, yeah.
- I thought you were done on Eyeglass Alley.
Where did you find the strength to survive?
- Man, honestly, my brother Flip right here.
I know if he had another chance,
he would've done it.
So I felt like I was his second chance,
and I had to do it. I couldn't let him down.
- Well, I'll tell you, man, that right there is moving.
You completed Stage 3, man.
You've got to celebrate and hit that buzzer one more time.
All together.
- Well, there it is.
Nobody does it alone. [buzzer blares]
- Community, yes.
- And that is "Ninja Warrior" right there.
[cheers and applause]
What a beautiful moment.
- Thank you.
- Up next, New Jersey teenager Josiah Pippel
tries to keep his buzzer streak alive
on Stage 3.
And later, it's going to be a history-making night
on Stage 4, with more ninjas than ever
climbing for $1 million.
It's a season finale like never before
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's a night like no other on "American Ninja Warrior."
We've already had three athletes
conquer Stage 3, the most in our history.
They're going to climb for $1 million in just a bit.
And we've got more talented ninjas who could join them,
including our next competitor, 16-year-old Josiah Pippel.
He's the youngest to make it to Stage 3,
and he's having an amazing year.
He's collected four buzzers already
this season, seven since he made his ANW debut last year.
He's got a lot of folks watching back in New Jersey,
including his mom and siblings.
He's got his dad and grandma, along with
some other East Coast ninjas.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go, man!
- Here we go.
Pippel's on the bigger side--
6 feet tall.
- And a threat to go all the way.
- Ooh.
- Ooh, hit that rope,
and it's swinging a little bit.
- There you go. - Stay calm.
- Nice. - Yeah.
- Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- Calm under pressure at 16.
Saw him on "Ninja Junior."
And he has grown up so much since then.
- I was doing something else at 16.
[chuckles]
- I got nervous if a girl looked at me at 16.
- I was worried about the homecoming dance.
- I've seen you dance. I know why.
- [chuckles]
- And Pippel looking very cool here on Stalactites.
- Easy.
- Wow. - Great efficiency.
- Nice. - Nice.
- Here we go on Chop It Up.
It has that 1:00 to 3:00 drop.
Got to watch out for that rolling log there as he throws
6 feet, 150 pounds into it.
- Watch it here. - Ooh.
- Whoa.
- Ooh, nice, ooh, whoa, you can see the whiplash.
- 1:00 to 3:00 rock. Nice.
- Wow.
You see the way he's attacking this course--
what confidence at 16.
- Come on, Josiah. - All right.
- Hold on. - All right, nice.
- Yes.
Let's go. - Josiah, Josiah.
- And you can see, and there it is.
[cheers and applause]
- He just breezed through the first three obstacles.
What's he going to do at Ultimate Cliffhanger?
- He was 8 years old, started training in his gym
- half his life ago.
Here he is on Stage 3.
- Been working on finger strength.
Taught himself on YouTube how to play the piano.
- Nice.
- These young kids are so impressive.
- Yes, they are.
They can teach themselves whatever.
They can do Ninja.
What can't they do?
- Yeah, got it. - Nice.
- Now the big move to the other side.
- Let's go, Josiah. - Let's go, Josiah.
Come on. - Ooh, banged back.
- Whoa. Was OK, though.
Good focus there-- not to be thrown off.
You could see that impact in his back swing.
Didn't phase Pippel.
[cheers and applause]
Stage 3 is not easy.
Going into this season, only five ninjas
in our history had finished it,
but these ninjas tonight are crushing it.
Josiah Pippel just making it look like a walk in the park,
swinging up to take on Pipe Dream.
- Yeah.
- Real smooth. [cheering]
- You got this, Josiah.
- 6 feet--long reach here-- no problem.
- Going onto the single pole.
- Nice.
Ooh, watch those feet.
- You can see, a dry, dusty night,
and he's really recalculated.
Looked like he had three different approaches here.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Try to figure out how to navigate through Pipe Dream.
- Come on, Josiah.
- But be careful here.
These final two drop. - Come on, Josiah.
- This is the first obstacle that's given him
even the slightest bit of trouble.
- Tight squeeze-- tight, tight, tight.
- Nice. [cheering]
- Did you see how he-- I loved that.
That was a big homecoming king type of hug.
- Yeah. - Whoa.
- Well, get off of this one.
This has not been his obstacle.
But he survives it. - Yes, he did.
[cheers and applause]
What does he have left here on Eyeglass Alley?
16 years old, $1 million in his grasp.
- Hot out here on a summer night in Las Vegas,
and this kid is just cool, calm, and collected.
So important to be efficient here on the transition,
get up a little bit more. Nice.
- Good job.
- And you could just see, getting onto the ring--
good job, using the leverage, controlling it.
These ninjas have really figured out
Eyeglass Alley in its second season
here on Stage 3.
- Yeah, and he has a bigger body, so he wants
to be efficient through here so he's not spending
too much time on Eyeglass Alley.
- Come on. - You've got this, Josiah.
- All right, here we go. - Come on, dude.
- Come on.
- You've got the prescription for success on Eyeglass Alley.
[cheering]
This is unbelievable.
- Are we really going to get another finisher on Stage 3?
- Well, Stage 4 is getting awfully crowded.
- Is there room for one more?
[cheers and applause]
- Good job, papi.
- For a teenager this close to $1 million,
he looks way too calm.
- Well, here we go, one obstacle
between Josiah Pippel
and a date with destiny.
This is it, Flying Bar. Fly high, young fellow.
- Come on. - Fly high, young fellow!
- You got it.
[cheering]
- How sweet is it to be 16?
Sweet 16, baby.
- And he's our fourth finisher.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
[dramatic music]
* *
The biggest night in Ninja history
just got bigger.
Four ninjas are going to be climbing on Stage 4,
and two of them are teenagers.
- This teenager was calm and cool
through the whole course until he reached the buzzer.
Look at that emotion because he knows he's now
just 75 feet away from $1 million.
- So we've got four finishers already
and more ninjas to come, including Gnarly Nate Hansen.
He's next on the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior's"
season finale.
all: Gnarly Nate. Gnarly Nate. - You can hear the chants
all the way down the Vegas Strip.
This crowd knows it's time for the Gnarly One.
And Zuri's gonna get him started.
- Guys, one thing we've learned this season
is, you should never underestimate
Gnarly Nate Hansen.
He stands just 5'2", but no one has
come up bigger on the course.
A few years ago, he was just a fan.
Now, he's a fan favorite.
- Growing up, I watched the show
and I looked up to all the superstars.
And it's crazy that now I am that superstar
for a lot of people.
And it's been really cool to meet kids
around the country who look up to me
as their inspiration...
There you go. Nice. You got it.
'Cause that's what inspires me to continue doing
"Ninja Warrior" every single year.
- Ooh! - Ooh, save it.
Nice save.
Because I know that I'm changing their lives forever.
[cheers and applause]
- He's got a big group in the stands
and big group on the sidelines.
That's his family on the right
and training partners Katie Bone
and Austin Gray on the left.
- Matt, this crowd loves Gnarly Nate.
[countdown clock beeping]
- The shortest ever to take on Stage 3.
- This kid has been doubted for so long in his life.
And look at him, on Stage 3 here in the Finals.
- Good job controlling it.
He has worked so hard for this moment.
But having trouble with the rope.
Same thing happened to him on the Power Tower.
- 5'2"--he doesn't have that reach to reach over.
So now he's gotta kind of control
and take a swing into it rather than trying to reach.
Nice. - Staying calm.
And he's through.
- But Austin Gray knows
mistakes on these early obstacles
will catch up to you later on Stage 3.
all: Gnarly Nate. Gnarly Nate.
- Well, the Gnarly Nation is fired up.
What a performance he's had.
all: Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate.
- Such confidence.
Wears 12 on the back of his shirt.
That's how old he was when he was diagnosed
with a growth hormone deficiency.
It changed his life, but he hasn't let it define him.
- Come on, Nate! - Let's go, Nate!
- And nice control there on Stalactites.
- Come on, Nate, let's go.
- Great job. [cheers and applause]
all: Gnarly Nate, Gnarly Nate.
- The crowd's hanging on every move.
- On now to Chop It Up.
- He's gotta hold on tight.
And remember, it rolls on you.
It's not stable.
[cheers and applause]
- And just looking calm out there.
- Ooh, he's gotta be careful here on this third one.
That one-to-three drop here for Gnarly Nate.
- Got it. - Nice.
- Yeah, come on, Nate!
[cheers and applause]
- Only 5' 2", not much reach here.
Ultimate Cliffhanger, really gonna need
to generate a lot of power.
And the key is, once you get up, get going.
Be efficient. - Yeah, that's right.
Don't mess around.
Nice. Good. Yeah.
- Great power out of Nate Hansen.
- Use that body and the momentum
to power himself up like that.
Rather than trying to reach, power up.
- Well, there he goes. Long throws.
- But now, as he makes his way,
he's gotta make this big transfer.
Nice. - Ooh, barely got on.
- Yeah. - He's going.
Now the 6-foot transfer.
- Throw yourself into it, Gnarly Nate.
- Got it. - Nice.
- He is indeed Gnarly.
What an effort out of Nate Hansen.
[cheers and applause]
- And how fitting is it? He's staring at Pipe Dream.
- Stay high.
Don't lose height.
- Austin's telling him to stay high.
It's more efficient.
He'll spend less time climbing up the poles.
- All these obstacles are a little more difficult
when you're his size.
But he never backs down, never makes excuses.
Nate Hansen is about to conquer this obstacle.
This duded is a Ninja star.
He really is a Ninja star.
Oh, nice. - Nice spin.
- A little twirly.
- Trying to stay high, like Austin suggested.
Has to go over to the bigger pipe.
- Lock those legs in. There it is.
- Nice. That's all right.
- You saw Cam Baumgartner struggle
with this reach earlier.
- Yeah. - Said he couldn't get
that lower body locked in.
You know Nate was watching.
These ninjas learn from the runs before them.
- You might have to jump.
- Well, he doesn't have the reach.
Don't even try.
You gotta just go out and shoot off of it
and grab that pipe.
- Having trouble getting traction.
- Push. - Well, look at that.
- Oh. Oh, excuse me.
Oh! - Oh, no.
- Uh-oh.
It's kind of hard, Matt, because he doesn't have
the grip strength to hold himself on the front end of it
as he's trying to reach.
I think the best move here
is to make a flying grab.
- Gonna make it dynamic.
- Oh, oh, oh.
- You can see, he's peeling off.
both: Oh, no. - Oh, this is trouble.
This is trouble. He's sliding down the pipe.
- But no quit in Nate Hansen.
- He's going-- - Can he find a way?
- He's going back and forth on the pipe.
He's gotta hurry up and get off
before he does an early release.
all: Gnarly Nate. Gnarly Nate.
- May just have to launch it. Here we go.
Nice. Yes! - Whoa! Whoa!
- Hang on, Nate!
- My goodness. - Hang on, buddy!
- Oh, man, he was-- - Wow!
- He was not going out like that.
- But he has spent a lot of time
fighting to stay alive on this obstacle.
Needs to get off of it, but can he reach that bar?
- Oh, boy. Oh.
Whoo! - Come on!
Are you kidding me?
Are you not entertained?
- I'm entertained, Matt. I'm entertained.
- Well, Nate Hansen coming up big,
as he has all season long.
- Heart rate down.
- Austin Gray's run ended here
on Eyeglass Alley last season.
Can Gnarly Nate get through it tonight?
He's now just two obstacles away from a buzzer.
- Matt, the only one concern I have is,
how much energy did he waste fighting there on Pipe Dream?
- Well, we saw those extra moves.
And believe me, those unexpected moves,
those really shock the system.
Under. Around.
- Oh, oh, oh. - Fight it in.
- Had to go back. - Regrouping.
- Doing a lot of hanging.
- Uh-oh. - Oh.
- Well, this looks eerily familiar
to Austin Gray last year.
- Yes, got it. - Got it!
- Got it. Way to stay calm under duress.
- Oh, my! How is he still up there?
- I have no idea.
This dude has got--
clearly got grip strength for days.
- This is in--
both: Oh! [air horn blares]
- No!
- And peeled off unexpectedly.
And the amazing run of Nate Hansen
comes to an end.
Didn't get a buzzer,
but he did not disappoint his fans.
- Nate Hansen had a miss on Patriot Pass
and spent a lot of time on Pipe Dream.
And I think it just caught up to him on Eyeglass Alley,
when he slipped right off the bar.
- But what a year it's been for him--
defied all the odds, got four buzzers,
and almost conquered Stage 3.
[cheers and applause]
And this crowd's letting him know it.
They love Nate Hansen.
Coming up, he was the only one
to finish Stage 3 last year.
- Total pandemonium! [buzzer blares]
- But no one's ever done it twice.
Can 16-year-old Kaden Lebsack make history?
He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- After going farther than anyone last season,
Kaden Lebsack was rewarded with a banner
hanging among the ninja greats this season.
And after hitting a buzzer in Qualifying,
he had one request.
- Can I have my banner?
- Of course you can have it.
- Let's go!
- And a few weeks ago,
we surprised him with a copy of that banner
for his gym in Colorado.
- Big me.
- Now Kaden Lebsack's stepping up to Stage 3 again,
trying to be the first to finish it
two years in a row.
His parents, as always, will be on the sideline.
- Come on, baby.
- Lots of other supporters on the sideline,
including good friend Max Feinberg,
who fell on Stage 3 earlier.
He's also got family and friends
watching around the country,
including another teen competitor,
Elijah "The Boss" Browning.
- You got this, Kaden.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Last season, he was the only ninja to attempt Stage 4.
Already, four athletes have punched their ticket.
Can Kaden Lebsack join them?
- We've never had a repeat Stage 4 guy.
Wow. - Yeah!
[cheers and applause]
- Kaden Lebsack in such a short amount of time--
- 16! - Oh!
- 16, just making history.
Earned $100,000 last year
and wants to shift the decimal place.
- That's just simple high school math right there.
- Can Kaden Lebsack join that climb for $1 million?
These fans know this 16-year-old
is something special.
- Let's get it, dude.
- Comes in much better prepared this year
to make that climb on Stage 4.
Said he's trained relentlessly.
Last year, made the mistake, didn't use the lower body.
- Well, he's got to use the upper body
here on Chop It Up.
He's gotta throw his body into it and make that hook.
- Geez, you could see the power there,
giving himself plenty of time
to get those arms locked around.
- Boom! Well, you can see it.
That's 155 pounds he's throwing into it.
- This obstacle's been beating up ninjas all night.
Knocked out his buddy Max Feinberg earlier.
But it's not gonna get Kaden Lebsack.
His mom's always nervous on the sideline.
Last season, she was battling breast cancer
while Kaden was battling his way to Stage 4.
Now he's trying to get there again.
- Matt, I can't believe we already have
four ninjas going to Stage 4.
And Kaden could be the fifth.
This is crazy!
- It is a loaded field.
And what a climb-off it is gonna be.
Just flying through Ultimate Cliffhanger.
Look at the progress out of Kaden Lebsack.
- Breathe. Come on, Kaden. - Yep, yep.
- Look how far he's gotta traverse
on this Ultimate Cliffhanger.
- And anything can happen.
It's so easy to make a mistake.
And Stage 3 is unforgiving if you do.
- Well, Matt, you're right. Anything can happen.
But the only thing that's gonna happen for Kaden Lebsack
is a buzzer.
I'm fully confident of that.
[cheers and applause]
- Three more obstacles to go,
starting with Pipe Dream.
Well, he's gotta be confident because he has faced
all three of these obstacles
and conquered them all.
- Nice.
- Just breathe, Kaden!
- Just breathe. - Nice, Kaden.
- Well, again, in two seasons, he has been perfect.
Hasn't failed an obstacle.
Only ran out of time last year on that climb.
- Yeah, he's been dialed in.
Kaden Lebsack, he knows what's up.
- Well, he is flying through this course.
- He's gonna have the fastest time here on Stage 3.
- Well, Jay "Lache" has that mark right now.
And whoever has the fastest time on Stage 3
gets to climb last on Stage 4.
And that could be an advantage.
- You're killing it, Kaden!
- We'll run Stage 4 in reverse order.
- And that milly could come down
to who climbs the fastest.
- Kaden Lebsack still looks so calm on these obstacles.
He knows how to get through them.
Just has to execute the way he's done all season long.
- The pivoting hooks right there,
that can make it a little challenging.
But he got it.
- Let's go! Get over there!
- All right.
- This is the big move.
This is where we saw Nate peel off.
- Come on, Kaden.
- Just watch him throw himself up high.
Nice.
- Well, he is just destroying Stage 3 once again.
- Let's go! - Yes! Yes!
Let's go! - One more.
- He could be the first athlete ever
to take on Stage 4 twice.
- That's not luck.
That's hard work and preparation.
- Come on, bro.
- Oh, this is it. It all comes down to this.
- Kaden Lebsack-- watch that bar.
- Nice. - Got it.
Are you kidding me, Akbar?
- He's not rushing.
He sees it.
He knows it.
[cheers and applause] Now he's smiling.
- The fastest time of the night.
[buzzer blares]
The first time in history a ninja will take on Stage 4
for the second time.
- He doesn't need a prom.
He doesn't need a homecoming.
All he needs is "Ninja Warrior."
Super K showed he's only gotten stronger
since his rookie year.
He just beat Stage 3 a minute and a half faster
than he did last season.
And just like on Stage 2, he cracked a smile
on his final move before the buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
Kaden, you've just made history.
You made it back-to-back to Stage 4.
Congratulations.
[cheers and applause]
- Hey, Brandi, I gotta ask you,
what's it like having your son out here
living out his dreams?
- It's unbelievable.
It's what every parent I know here wants.
And it's just amazing to watch.
- Well, we can't wait to watch him climb
for $1 million on Stage 4.
Hit that buzzer one more time, Kaden.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
And what a finish it's gonna be.
The Final Five, the history-making group
of five talented athletes, are gonna climb
Stage 4 for $1 million
next on the season finale of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Las Vegas and our season finale,
where it's already been a history-making night.
For the first time ever,
five ninjas have reached Stage 4.
Now, before tonight, we've had five ninjas total
get here in 13 seasons.
- It's unbelievable.
And now all five of these competitors
have a chance to win $1 million.
That's life-changing money.
- Well, no matter what happens,
just climbing Stage 4 is what every ninja dreams of.
Last season, Kaden Lebsack became
the youngest ever to attempt the 75-foot Rope Climb.
And he's up.
But using only his arms,
he burned out early and came up short.
- The 15-year-old's motor has found its limit.
- All of tonight's contenders have been working
on their rope-climbing technique,
training wherever and whenever they can.
- I go to the 60-foot-rope we have here in Orlando.
With 60 feet, I've gotten it in just under 15 seconds.
- We have what's called an infinity rope.
What it is, is it's a 100-foot rope
that you feed through a system,
and you can just keep climbing.
- I've been learning a J hook.
It's a technique that gets your feet
a little bit more involved.
- It's you versus the rope, but most importantly
you verse everybody else on the rope.
To win the show, you have to be the fastest.
- Getting up 75 feet of rope will be a pure test
of strength, speed, and determination.
And I think my skills as a speed climber
will definitely help me take on Stage 4.
- Josh Levin, you're up first.
His parents and friends, some of them from Harvard,
will be watching.
Keep in mind, if more than one ninja beats the climb,
it comes down to whoever does it fastest.
- So speed is so crucial.
- 30 seconds on the clock, 75 feet away.
all: Josh, Josh, Josh.
- Yes, let's go!
- Josh Levin, the first to make the Stage 4 climb.
- Godspeed, Josh Levin.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go. - And Josh Levin is up.
- Yes, he is. And Levin is levitating up.
And here we go.
- And he's got those ankles taped,
but the legs don't seem to be locking in, big man.
- Matt, he's gotta go.
It's temporary pain for some long-lasting money.
- And he's about halfway up there
and halfway down on his time.
[countdown clock blaring]
- Oh, my goodness, he's gotta keep going.
- And Josh Levin, the speed climber--
- He's at 60 feet.
- He's coming up just short.
And that is shocking. - Oh, wow.
Oh, wow.
- Disappointment for Josh Levin,
but he still wants to get to the top and hit the buzzer.
If no one finishes in under 30 seconds,
then whoever had the fastest time
becomes the Last Ninja Standing
and wins the $100,000.
all: Josh, Josh, Josh.
- World-class climber had high hopes,
but just ran out of gas about halfway up,
fighting all the way to the top.
But you can see the disappointment
as Josh Levin finally hits that buzzer.
- With that climber's grip, he got off to a fast start.
But when you're climbing up 75 feet,
you gotta use your legs too.
Josh never got into a rhythm with his lower body.
So no $1 million, but he's still got a shot
at 100 grand.
- Josh, man, you put up a fight.
So close. What was it like up there?
- It was such a cool experience.
Climbing Stage 4, Midoriyama,
is what every ninja, including myself,
has dreamed of since the very beginning.
But the cool thing about "Ninja Warrior"
is that it's not about one ninja.
It's about all of us together versus the course.
- Yeah. - And tonight we still have
more chances to see total victory.
I'm really looking forward to seeing
all my friends out here, the Final Five,
getting to the top of that tower.
[cheers and applause]
- As Josh said, we've got four more to go.
Next up, our rocker, RJ Roman.
The heavy-metal musician from Orlando
has his Florida crew on the rail,
including training partner Flip Rodriguez.
- Throwing up the horns. He's ready.
- What a year he's had.
Already won 10 grand
on the Mega Wall back in Qualifying.
He could earn 100 times that much tonight.
He's got his game face on.
5'6", 145 pounds.
- Here we go.
[countdown clock beeping]
You get one moment like this,
you have to seize the opportunity.
Oh, boy. - And just trying to lock
those feet in, trying to be explosive.
- 30 seconds can either feel like a lifetime
or is gonna be lightning fast.
- More than halfway, and he's got about 15 seconds left.
- He's gotta keep going.
Keep going.
[countdown clock blaring] I don't know.
- Oh, no. - Oh, boy.
- And the time is running out on RJ as well.
[air horn blares]
The 30 seconds runs out, but...
he can still finish faster than Josh Levin.
If no one beats the 30-second clock tonight,
he could still win the $100,000.
Finishes at 44 seconds, better than Josh Levin,
but still a disappointment.
- Good job, RJ!
- Still such an accomplishment to make it to Stage 4.
And he's not out of the running
to be the Last Ninja Standing.
[cheers and applause] - We love you, RJ.
- And there it is, still rocking.
- What a start for RJ.
Just 11 seconds in, he was already halfway up.
But like Josh Levin, he started to feel it
around the 60-foot mark, where he slowed down
and couldn't get to the top in time.
[air horn blares]
- Well, another great effort, but the $1 million
is still safe, for now.
- Yeah. - Three more ninjas to go.
[cheers and applause]
Next up, Josiah Pippel.
The New Jersey teenager has his dad
and grandma on the sideline.
And watching from back home, his mom, siblings,
and other friends.
Pippel's also had an amazing year.
He's got five buzzers overall.
- Well, at 6 feet tall, Matt, the one advantage he has,
he's got a long reach.
That might come into play here.
- And look at that face.
We saw his intensity on Stage 2,
but this is another level right here.
Here we go, third ninja
trying to get that $1 million.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Life-changing money. Go for it.
Everything you've got, put it into it.
- And a great job using the lower body.
Really rocking.
- Matt, he's got a great pace going right now.
- Josiah Pippel-- but it ain't how you start.
Can he finish it?
- Yeah, you've gotta have the energy,
the strength endurance, the speed endurance.
- Come on. Oh, my.
- Oh, boy, he might have a shot, Matt.
[countdown clock blaring] He might have a shot.
- And Pippel...
so close.
Oh, my goodness, gotta be within just a few feet.
[air horn blares]
- Keep going. He's gotta keep going.
- But the best effort we've seen of the night.
16-year-old Josiah Pippel... [buzzer blares]
Finishes in 37 seconds and change.
Gave it everything he had.
What an effort.
Josiah Pippel, the fastest climb
we've seen thus far.
- And, Matt, he put everything into it.
- The crowd salutes.
And still quite an accomplishment
for this 16-year-old to climb Stage 4.
And that effort may have just earned him 100 grand.
[cheers and applause]
So now, only two ninjas are left,
Jay Lewis and Kaden Lebsack.
It's gonna come down to the wire on Stage 4,
on the season finale of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."
We're on Stage 4, climbing for $1 million.
Up next is 18-year-old Jay "Lache" Lewis.
He's got lots of supporters here tonight,
including his parents.
Training partner Joe Moravsky
watching from back in Connecticut.
5'4", 115--
he's the smallest athlete here.
- Matt, he's got the ideal strength-to-weight ratio.
It's a great opportunity for Jay Lewis
to get $1 million.
- Walking onto campus next year as a millionaire
would definitely be incredible.
And it would be a very good start to my college career.
- Here we go.
[countdown clock beeping]
He's at least 30 pounds lighter
than every other competitor.
Will that be a factor?
- Oh, boy, Matt, he's going fast.
Look up, climb up, and never give up.
- Well, locking those feet, and great job
using the lower body.
- Oh, boy, Matt, he's got a real chance.
Oh, boy. - Keep going.
- You talk about the strength-to-weight ratio--
he can make it happen.
[countdown clock blaring] - It's gonna be close.
- Oh, boy, he's getting so close.
Make it happen, Cap'n.
- Oh, no, right there!
- Oh, no. [air horn blares]
- But now still racing
to beat Josiah Pippel for fastest time.
And it's gonna be close.
[buzzer blares] Oh, my goodness.
Beats Pippel by less than a second.
So he could still win 100 grand
as the Last Ninja Standing,
a little consolation.
And the trend continues.
They keep getting faster,
but still not fast enough for the $1 million.
- Check out the different techniques we're seeing.
Josiah Pippel used a hook method
to wrap his foot around the rope.
But Jay is straight up pinching the rope
between his feet.
And it was working.
He was 2/3 of the way up in only 13 seconds.
But he hit the wall on those last 10 feet,
and look at the reaction as the time ran out.
- Jay, you were absolutely flying up that rope.
I mean, so ahead of the pace
for the first 50 feet of that climb.
Walk me through it. How were you feeling?
- I felt really good through the first 50 feet.
And I felt really strong through my arms.
And then I got very tired.
I really felt in the last probably 10 or so feet--
that buzzer felt a lot farther than 10 feet.
- Look, I've got some good news for now.
You're the fastest ninja of the night.
One more runner, of course, but $100,000 on the line.
We'll see, OK?
- Thank you so much. I can't believe it.
- So now there's only one athlete left
with a shot at the $1 million.
It's 16-year-old Kaden Lebsack.
And he's the first athlete in history
to get a second chance to conquer Mount Midoriyama.
- Not a lot of people get that type of opportunity.
- I'm gonna make sure what happened last year
doesn't happen again.
I've been training hard the past year,
and I think I'm ready for it.
- He will have to be Super K to get that $1 million.
- You got it. all: Kaden, Kaden, Kaden.
[countdown clock beeping]
- And he's up.
And, Matt, he's already off to a blazing start.
Watch the lower body.
That's what betrayed him last year.
And he's changing his technique.
It's great technique.
It's like he's climbing up a wall.
- Unbelievable. Does he have enough?
- Matt, will he get the million?
- Oh, it's gonna be close. Oh, my.
- Oh, my gosh, he's getting there.
- And Kaden running out of steam
for the second year in a row.
[air horn blares] both: Oh.
- But he could still get the fastest time.
He's gotta keep pushing.
It's gonna be close.
[buzzer blares] And he does it,
by 4/10 of a second!
Kaden Lebsack is the Last Ninja Standing
for the second year in a row.
[cheers and applause]
Doesn't get the $1 million, but 100 grand is
pretty good for a 16-year-old.
- Kaden definitely got his legs more involved.
At one point, it looked like he was running up that rope.
But like the others, the arms just wore out
as he got near the top.
And he didn't beat the 30 seconds,
but he did have the fastest time
by less than a second.
- Kaden Lebsack, congratulations.
You're the Last Ninja Standing, buddy.
[cheers and applause]
That wraps up an incredible season 14.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next year on "American Ninja Warrior."
[cheers and applause]