Original subtitles

- Welcome to Las Vegas and the final night of qualifying

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone. Thanks for being with us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, what a season it's been already.

History-making women, lightning fast speeds,

and a new crop of Ninja stars.

- Absolutely, big man.

And this special season features iconic obstacles,

iconic athletes, and iconic moments

from "Ninja's" past.

Zuri's got a preview of what we'll see tonight.

- You guys know some crazy things

can happen on this course, and tonight

we're reliving the wildest ones.

- He better get out of there.

- Across 17 seasons and thousands of runs...

- Oh, no!

- You'd think nothing could surprise us.

- That dude is sharp.

- But there are a few moments we never saw coming.

So we're counting down the wackiest moments

from "Ninja's" past.

Guys?

- Well, we're gonna start things off with a sister act.

Heading up to kick things off is Nikki Zink.

This smiling 27-year-old physical therapist

from St. Louis has one of the most unique cheering sections.

Her sister, Allison, is a nun,

and she's coming to us with her sisters in Vatican City.

- All the way from the Vatican?

That's a first.

Maybe the Pope will drop in to watch with them.

- Nikki's made these nuns converts.

They're now religious viewers of "Ninja Warrior."

[uplifting music]

* *

- Keep going, keep going, keep going.

- Everyone in the sisterhood,

they're really big fans of the show.

all: * Go, go, go, Nicole *

* Nicole, you are our Ninja Warrior *

- After just a couple seasons of me competing,

the whole sisterhood, they have the Ninja bug now.

- How am I doing? - You're doing--

- You're doing fine.

- Go, go.

- They're devoted to a life of service,

but they're embracing fitness a little bit more,

too, which is awesome.

It's a huge blessing to have the whole sisterhood

supporting me.

The sisters are definitely my biggest cheerleaders.

all: Go, Nicole!

- Go, Nicole!

- The nuns who work with Sister Allison

who aren't at the Vatican are watching

at their normal home in Connecticut.

And the mom to Allison and Nikki

is watching on the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

Nikki's sister's at the Vatican as part

of a two-year-long theological studies program

but never misses Nikki's runs.

Bounding through the Quad Steps.

[cheering]

I've actually heard the Pope himself,

big fan of "Ninja Warrior."

- Yeah, the Pope said he's gonna come out here one day

and run the course.

- Lunatic Ledges can be diabolical.

5'8", 145.

Tallest woman we're gonna see on here tonight.

- All right, commit to it now. This is it.

This is your time.

You are 5'8". Just drop on it. Nice.

- Got some momentum.

Now you try to get off on this second swing right there.

- Ooh! - Hard impact.

- Oh, okay.

I thought she was gonna fall. You good. You ready.

- She passed the test on Lunatic Ledges.

Now for the real one, Log Runner.

- This balance obstacle has been

knocking out a lot of good ninjas all season long.

both: Ooh!

[air horn blares]

- Wow. Ugh.

- Nikki's prayers not answered on Log Runner.

[applause]

- She had a rough landing on Lunatic Ledges.

And then on Log Runner, she just overshot the third log

and had a brutal fall.

She may need some prayers after that one.

Ouch.

- It's okay. It was still fun.

Still fun.

- You guys, the pride of Possum Kingdom, Bootie Cothran,

is retiring this year after ten seasons.

So all of his fans, the Bootie Bandwagon,

are sending him off in style.

You guys ready?

One, two, three.

all: Let's go, Bootie!

[applause]

- Well, if this is the 56-year-old's final run,

he's gonna go out with a lot of love.

The wiry pine tree farmer is a true character

from South Carolina and has an army

of purple-shirted fans here tonight.

- Let me hear you, baby!

- Bootie's had many memorable runs,

and he's put his hometown of Possum Kingdom on the map.

[upbeat music]

* *

- Hey, y'all, welcome to Possum Kingdom.

Possum Kingdom is a beautiful piece of heaven

out here in the upstate of South Carolina.

You can't even find Possum Kingdom on a map.

The actual boundary is a little bit of a mystery.

I can tell you, it does exist.

I'm not at liberty to discuss its actual location.

I moved out here a little after 2000.

I enjoy living off the land, hunting for my meat,

cutting firewood to stay warm, growing some of my own food.

I got a couple of roommates, little fuzzy fellas.

I love my macho stuff out here,

but nothing melts me like a little kitty cat.

I enjoy the hunting.

We got all kinds of animals out here--deer, wild pigs,

wild turkey, raccoons, rabbits, and coyotes,

and possums, of course.

You can't forget the possums.

But I think I might be the wildest animal

in Possum Kingdom.

* *

- Besides the big crowd here in Vegas,

he's got his brother and sister-in-law

watching back in Georgia.

[countdown clock beeping]

At 56, Bootie's the oldest athlete competing tonight.

- At 108 pounds, the lightest too.

- Our courses this year feature iconic obstacles from the past.

Bootie's faced this one, Lunatic Ledges, before.

Five years ago, had his earliest exit ever

on this obstacle.

Bootie would like nothing better than to get

his revenge tonight.

- That was five years ago.

Let's see if he learned from his mistake last time.

There he goes. Okay.

You gotta get it now.

He was not messing around.

[cheers and applause]

- Bootie plops down, avoiding the water, but now Log Runner.

Failed on the Spinning Log before, a variant of this.

- Come on!

Nice!

Wow.

- Bootie staying clean.

- Yes!

- If this is his final run,

he's going out in a blaze of glory.

He's reached the fourth obstacle.

[all chanting "Bootie"]

- Matt, Crank It Up should be fun for him.

He's only 108 pounds.

You can see, very thin.

- Well, Bootie has put on about 10 pounds of muscle

since we first met him, Akbar.

- Is that right?

- I think he's ready to put some power on Crank It Up.

- Okay, you see 10 pounds of muscles, huh?

- He's gotta be like JLo and crank up that booty.

- He's country strong, Matt.

He gets that from chopping wood.

- There's that power, Akbar.

- Yeah, get that technique. Throw yourself.

Nice.

- 56 years old and still out here cranking his way

through a Ninja course.

- You can count him out if you want,

but he has got a lot of fight.

- I think everyone's getting on the Bootie Bandwagon.

- All right, come on now.

Put your back into it.

Come on.

Nice. - Oh, what a save.

- Matt, it's always entertaining when you've got

Bootie Cothran on the course.

- I gotta say, this run has been Bootie-licious.

- He's only hit one qualifying buzzer in his 10-year career.

How sweet would it be to get another in his final season?

- There it is, Bootie.

- I see you, Bootie. - Come on, Bootie!

V Formation.

Gotta slam the triangle up to the top,

then hop down the Vs on the backside.

- Ooh. - Good power, Akbar.

- Bootie came here with a purpose.

- Can your booty do this?

- [laughs]

Oh, boy. - Nice!

Bootie has to be careful because here with the Vs,

it gets a little jiggly.

- At 108 pounds, well, Bootie knows

you gotta put both hands on it to control it.

Come on, Bootie.

- Get going.

Oh, Bootie is starting to get pumped.

Oh, he's starting to get pumped.

- Come on, Bootie.

- Come on, Bootie, fight.

Come on, push.

Push hard.

- Oh!

- Oh, man.

- He gave it everything he had on what could be his final run.

We'll have to wait and see if that

gets him into the semifinals.

56 years old, and he left it all on the course.

Survived Log Runner

and cranked his way to the fifth obstacle,

but he just didn't have enough left for V Formation.

Ooh. And his arms gave out.

And it's a standing ovation for Bootie.

If that's his last run, it's one to remember.

[cheers and applause]

Tonight, young stars and old favorites

will battle for the final spots in the semifinals,

including the man with more buzzers

than anyone, Joe Moravsky.

And he's not the only Moravsky we'll see.

- The Adonis is back.

- He gave us one of Ninja's most

memorable debuts a decade ago.

- Rob Moravsky's shirt is coming off!

- Now the Adonis, Rob Moravsky, has returned.

Plus, social media star Bob Reese

pulls off outlandish stunts

and collects millions of views.

And he's got something special planned for the course.

And up next, one of the most inspirational athletes

you'll ever meet.

- The tremors in his arms,

something he lives with every day.

- Jimmy Choi is battling Parkinson's disease,

but he's back for another run

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

[cheers and applause]

- All season, we're reliving "Ninja's" past.

And tonight, we're counting down the wackiest moments.

The Geriatric Ninja, John Loobey,

likes to poke fun at his age.

- Get off of my lawn!

- And during his seven seasons,

he's planned some elaborate entrances,

including his latest run just last week.

- Uh-oh, somebody needs to help this young man.

Are you kidding me?

- But number five on our list

is a moment he didn't plan for.

- Come on.

Loobey, Loobey do!

Loobey, Loobey do.

- During season 9 in Daytona Beach,

Loobey put together the run of his life.

- What the--what the--

oh, my goodness.

- At the age of 65, the window washer from Tennessee

made it to the third obstacle.

- Can your grandpa do that?

- Heck no, my grandpa can't do that.

- Oh!

And looked like he might finish it.

- Come on, Loobey.

Oh, my goodness.

- Loobey left it all on the course,

including his dentures.

- I think his teeth fell out.

He's going down for them.

[cheers and applause]

Oh! He found 'em!

Went right back in his mouth.

- There's only one John Loobey.

But we had some other runs to sink our teeth into

while we were away.

Things got hot when Steven Peters walked up.

He's a firefighter and a drill sergeant

in the U.S. Army Reserve.

So his nickname's "The Fire Drill Ninja."

- I like that. That's custom.

- He had his whole fire station watching

back in Quincy, Illinois.

- That's right!

Yeah!

Whoo!

- The fiery 41-year-old Ninja rookie

marched across the Quad Steps.

- Left, right, left.

- He looked in command on Lunatic Ledges

until he went airborne.

- He hit the water! [buzzer blares]

- Both feet hit the water,

and the drill sergeant was done.

* *

Well, we've told some good stories over the years, Akbar,

but I don't know that anyone can top this.

It's 50-year-old Jimmy Choi,

who's battling Parkinson's disease.

Jimmy bravely took on the course a few years ago,

but retired when the tremors got so bad

he didn't think he could do it anymore.

Now he's come out of retirement to run

with his daughter, Karina.

[cheering]

- There you go.

[uplifting music]

There it is!

Karina got me into "American Ninja Warrior."

Nice job.

Dad, you can do it. You can do it.

Can you hit that mark right there?

Ooh.

- Yeah.

- She has never known her dad to be without Parkinson's.

[somber music]

I was diagnosed 22 years ago, in 2003.

The hardest time for me every day

is when I wake up because there's very little

or no medication in my body.

It really is a chore just to change my shirt,

put on my watch, throw on my socks, for example.

Exercise is the only treatment proven to slow progression.

All right, are we racing? - Yeah.

- Training with Karina is a lot of fun.

Go.

[uplifting music]

She stepped away from "American Ninja Warrior"

so she can focus on playing softball at a very high level.

She was offered to play in Division-I softball.

And then she's like, Daddy, before I go, maybe we can take

one more shot, come back to "American Ninja Warrior"

'cause this is where it all started for her.

- Go lower.

- I've always said if there's an opportunity to come back

to "American Ninja Warrior" when I turned 50,

and if I'm still capable, despite Parkinson's,

I'm gonna give it a shot.

If I can inspire one person out there,

it would be a win for me.

* *

- Karina is gonna be watching nervously with her brother

and Jimmy's wife, Cheryl.

And there's so much love for Jimmy.

His training partners from Chicago are here for him.

And look at all the folks watching back in Illinois.

[cheering]

- Love you guys.

- You can see the tremoring there.

- Let's get this done.

- Jimmy takes medication before each run to try to control it,

but it's really part of his everyday life.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And, Akbar, I know it's a personal story for you.

- Absolutely.

My father has Parkinson's, and Jimmy Choi has really,

really not only inspired me, my family,

but really just showing the entire community

that with Parkinson's, there's still a lot of hope

and a lot of life.

- Trying to plan out his moves for Lunatic Ledges.

Likely gonna be a challenge

for him to get a grip.

There's just no quit in this man.

He raises money and awareness

for the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

You can see the Fox Ninja on his shirt.

It's gonna be tough to grab this handle.

- But he does it.

Now, can he make the dismount?

Yes!

And Jimmy Choi--

- Look at him.

[cheering]

- In five previous seasons,

he's never made it past the third obstacle

but has reached it tonight,

the always dangerous Log Runner.

- With Parkinson's, of course, balance can be a big issue.

I'll tell you right now, he gets through Log Runner,

Matt, that's the win there.

For so many reasons, people who suffer with Parkinson's,

they know, you start to do the shuffle.

It can be hard to pick up your feet.

- Jimmy Choi used to defying the odds.

- Come on, just do it.

I think he's thinking about it.

He's just gotta approach it.

- Here we go.

- One moment in time.

Just go for it.

Holy moly! - Yes!

Jimmy Choi!

[cheering]

- Hell yeah!

- What an inspiration.

- Hell yeah!

- This man... - Okay!

- Refuses to accept limitations.

- Take a moment and take that run in.

That's a big deal.

There's one thing to do upper body stuff.

But now to get out here and conquer Log Runner?

Come on.

- And for the first time, he's staring down

the fourth obstacle.

50 years old, battling Parkinson's.

And it's the best run of his career.

What does he have left for Crank It Up?

- He's 180 pounds.

That's big for a ninja.

This is gonna be tough.

- And what upper body power he has, Akbar.

But now has to make a big lache

over to the second set of handles.

Long throw here.

- Nice. - Got it!

- Matt, he's in his element now.

There's a huge surge of just energy

and confidence that went through him

for accomplishing Log Runner.

- Jimmy Choi, the Fox Ninja.

- That was an adrenaline rush.

Come on. Get it.

[audience groans]

- The grip gave out, but still, one of the greatest

runs you're gonna see in "Ninja Warrior."

This is why we love Jimmy Choi.

- With his Parkinson's, every one of these obstacles

was a challenge.

He battled all the way to the fourth one

and looked like he might conquer it too,

but just couldn't hold on to the last bar.

- Oh, my gosh, you had us on the edge of our seats.

This is the farthest you have ever gone in the course.

How are you feeling right now?

- I feel great. - Yeah.

- 22 years ago, when he told me,

sitting in my doctor's office

telling me that I had Parkinson's, and you tell me

that 22 years later, I'd be doing this?

I feel great. Come on.

- Yeah.

I mean, we all feel great watching you.

You're such an inspiration.

What would you say to the folks watching at home

who see you and are inspired?

- First of all, don't compare you to anyone else.

We're all dealing with our stuff.

The next thing is, educate yourself, learn how

to fight back, and then dedicate, be disciplined,

and you can get there.

- Amen.

Thank you so much for just inspiring us.

We love you. - Thank you.

Thank you for having me back.

- Of course.

It's our honor, our privilege.

Guys, back to you.

Great job.

- Well, Akbar, there are more ways

to win on "American Ninja Warrior"

than just hitting a buzzer.

- Absolutely, and for Jimmy Choi,

he is speaking to an entire community.

He did that.

He represented at 50 years old and a man with Parkinson's.

Looks pretty good.

- Coming up, he conquers obstacles every day

delivering food in New York City.

Now this rookie is gonna try to skate through the course

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- We just witnessed one of the best moments of the season...

- Just go for it.

Holy moly! - Yes!

- Yeah! Hell yeah!

- As Jimmy Choi, who's living with Parkinson's,

gave us an emotional run

that had his daughter, Karina, in tears.

And while we were away, Karina got her shot at the course

with Jimmy and her family cheering her on.

The 17-year-old is a high school softball star

back in Illinois with highlight reel catches.

Her teammates were watching as the center fielder

was able to slide in safely after Lunatic Ledges.

- Whoa.

[cheering]

- She's known for her speed on the diamond,

but she couldn't leg it out on Log Runner.

- Oh, oh, oh!

- Then another Chicagoan, Michael Vasilevich,

hit the stage for his debut.

He's a dancer who hopes to make his way to Broadway

once he graduates from Western Michigan University.

But tonight, the early reviews didn't look promising

for his performance on Lunatic Ledges.

- That was it right there.

- For almost a minute, Vasilevich

just swung back and forth.

- Get off. Get off.

- It's starting to get a little cray-cray

here on Lunatic Ledges.

At some point, you gotta commit.

- Finally, he faced his stage fright.

- Ooh, went for it face first.

Oh, my goodness.

- And the show went on.

Then Main Stage Michael brought the house down

when he danced across Log runner.

- Okay, you're on the main stage now.

- But on Crank It Up, the curtain finally came down.

- Oh!

- Well, rolling to the start line now is a rookie

from New York City, Sebastian Ramos.

And this 23-year-old doesn't just

ride his skateboard for fun.

It's how he makes his living.

[upbeat music]

* *

- There you are.

- Thank you, sir.

- I've been doing online food delivery

for a couple years now,

but my mode of transportation, it's a little different.

I drive around the city, not just on a regular skateboard,

but on an electric skateboard.

* *

I've delivered food throughout the five boroughs.

Your pizza.

- Thank you.

- Downtown Manhattan, Harlem, Brooklyn, Bronx.

Even sometimes Staten Island when I'm around there.

For Kyle?

All right. Yeah.

All right, have a good one.

It's crazy out there.

I'm watching someone cross the street,

and a cab just tries to cut me off right there.

[horn honks]

I'll move out the way, then there's a pothole.

I gotta go the other way.

And then a person comes. It's all over the place.

I just gotta be quick on my feet,

focusing on getting my food where it needs to go.

On the course, I think my reflexes

if anything happens, I'll be ready, get right through it.

I'm gonna deliver on this course tonight.

- And before his run, Sebastian dropped off some food for us.

- Matt, this is the first time we've been in the booth

and we've had...

- We have a delivery.

- An online food delivery service come up to us.

- Now we gotta wait till he's done

so we don't talk with our mouths full.

- Sebastian's got a loud cheering section.

That's his very excited girlfriend,

Angelina, on the left, along with Sebastian's family.

[countdown clock beeping]

- You know, he's gotta be fearless if he rides

that skateboard through the crazy traffic in New York City.

That's a real obstacle course.

- He was a college track star, was a sprinter

and threw the javelin at Stony Brook University.

I think he's gonna go fast on this course.

- Sebastian Ramos looks hungry.

He wants a buzzer.

- Deliver a quick transfer here.

Got great footwork from working on the skateboard.

[cheering]

- Right here, he's gotta make a mad dash across Log Runner.

Okay.

Oh, he's serious.

- He's going for a tip, Akbar.

- He's about that business.

[cheers and applause]

- Time to Crank It Up.

Looking good for his first time on the course.

Only 20 from tonight will move on.

Well, he's been training Ninja for six years

at three different New York City gyms.

In addition to track, he was also

a star football player in high school.

[cheering]

This kid's an athlete.

- That's where he got that little sprint

from on Log Runner.

- 185.

Gonna be one of the heavier athletes out here.

- He's the youngest of seven kids.

I'm right there with--with him.

- Big drop.

- I'm number six of seven.

[cheering]

- His girlfriend, Angelina, is letting him hear it.

She's enjoying this.

That Warped Wall is in sight.

Just gotta get past V Formation.

He gets through this obstacle, Akbar,

he's getting closer to a five-star rating

for this delivery tonight.

- I can't wait to eat it.

He's hungry for a victory.

We're hungry for some food.

- 23 years old.

This is not an easy course with all these throwback obstacles.

Let's see if he can handle this descent.

- This is where you gotta man up.

23 years old.

You gotta deliver.

You gotta deliver here on V Formation.

- Going to three.

- Here. Get it, get it.

Nice.

- This is it, Akbar.

- Matt, he's not just a delivery guy.

He's delivering on this Ninja course.

Nice.

Okay.

You see him pointing up.

- The skateboarder's gonna try to glide up the Warped Wall.

all: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- 14 1/2 feet from becoming our first finisher tonight.

Sebastian Ramos, the rookie.

- Okay! [buzzer blares]

[cheering]

- Delivers in his first time on the course.

[cheers and applause]

- Oh, that was fun.

- Fun.

- Hey, man, you got here so fast, man.

The food is still hot. - Yeah.

Eat it up. Eat it up.

- Well, he's eating.

Listen, I think it's pretty clear,

you just got a five-star rating on that run.

- Let's go!

- Hit the buzzer one more time.

Go celebrate with your crew. - Let's go!

Let's go!

[cheering]

- Coming up, fifth grade teacher Allyssa Beird

is out of the classroom and back on the course.

The Ninja trailblazer has recovered from injuries

and is ready for her comeback

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to Vegas and the final night of qualifying.

Minutes ago, Scott Bishop started his run

with a motorcycle helmet,

the same one that saved his life in a crash years ago.

[cheering]

The 39-year-old father of two

had to learn to walk again after his accident.

So he celebrated surviving the first two obstacles.

Bishop first ran the course four years ago

and was knocked out by the Log Runner.

- Oh! Hang on.

Oh.

Splish splash.

- Tonight, he was hoping for a better result.

- Nice, nice, nice.

Oh!

- But it didn't happen.

[upbeat music]

Fan favorite Jamie Rahn, AKA Captain NBC,

hit the course for his 15th season

and had his green-haired family watching.

- Yay, Daddy!

- Over his many years of competition,

Rahn has faced every one of the obstacles

on the course tonight--

except V Formation.

- Set!

- That's a big move right there.

He saved a move.

- It was a struggle.

But the 36-year-old from Missouri finally got through.

[cheering]

- That was a primal scream because he knows

it has been three years

since he's hit a qualifying buzzer.

- But Captain NBC came through.

- Nice!

[cheers and applause]

- And hit his 20th career buzzer,

his first in three years.

- It's been a long time.

- And he's moving on to the semis.

Jamie's had some wacky moments on the course,

like when he lost his shoe on Stage 1

and had to finish the course barefoot.

- Yeah, take it off then.

Stay closer to your roots.

No shoes, no problem.

- Number four on our countdown also involves fancy footwork.

Chris Cambre was a fishing shop manager

more at home wearing shrimper's boots

than athletic shoes.

And he chose to run the course in the bulky boots.

- This is nuts.

This course is hard enough in regular shoes.

- In season 10, he made it through four obstacles

before falling.

- Now, boots might not work on the Tuning Forks.

What you say? Etouffée!

[cheering]

- But in multiple runs on the course

could never make it past the fifth obstacle.

- Oh!

- Gotta dump the water back in, leave it for the rest of them.

- Then in season 11 semifinals,

the Bayou Ninja broke through.

[cheering]

We're gonna see those shrimp boots

on the Warped Wall for the first time.

- Traction is so important.

There is no way he can get up the wall in rubber boots.

What? - Ooh.

[cheering]

- Sassy boy!

- The boots!

- That's number four on our countdown.

And now it's the return

of one of the top women athletes in Ninja history,

Massachusetts schoolteacher Allyssa Beird.

The eight-time veteran has been rehabbing a shoulder injury

and missed the past two years,

so she's anxious to get back on the course.

- All right, please stop where you are.

- Allyssa's been sharpening students' minds

at Burkland Elementary in Middleborough, Massachusetts,

for over a decade.

On the Ninja course, she's been at the head of the class.

- Okay, Ms. Beird.

- As a rookie, she was a member of the Fantastic 4,

the first time four women from the same competition

advanced to the semifinals.

The following year, she became the second woman

ever to complete Stage 1 in the national finals.

- That's my fifth grade teacher!

- It's been really cool to be a role model as a female ninja,

not just for other women my age,

but especially for young girls who just are looking

for that hero, that little bit of a confidence boost

to try something new and take a risk.

- In recent years, she's battled a different obstacle:

a tear in her left shoulder.

But after missing the last two seasons,

she's ready for a comeback tonight.

- It has been quite a road to recovery

through PT visits, MRIs,

and then a long road of physical therapy after that.

But I feel just as good

as when I got my first-ever buzzer,

and tonight, another one's coming.

Love you guys.

- Her fiancé, James "The Beast" McGrath,

and her mom, Daria, here to cheer her on.

And one of the other Fantastic 4 members,

Michelle Warnky Buurma,

is leading the ninjas on her sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

She's 31 years old.

We last saw her in season 14.

She injured her shoulder,

had a dislocated bicep tendon, torn rotator cuff.

Had to go through surgery.

But that man, James "The Beast" McGrath,

had gone through a similar procedure.

So her fiancé knew how to help her fight through PT,

and now Allyssa says she's stronger than she's ever been.

Has four career buzzers, tied for third among the women

in a group that includes Michelle Warnky Buurma.

Was just the second woman ever to complete Stage 1.

Jessie Graff, Jesse Labreck the only other two to do it.

And a lot of extra swings here, Akbar.

- Oh, boy.

- And no matter how strong that shoulder is,

that's gotta sap your energy. - You gotta jump!

- Come on.

- But she's through.

[cheering]

The last time she competed back in season 14,

she fell on a balance obstacle.

You know that's on her mind.

- Nice.

Great technique. That's big.

- That's so cool to see that.

- She's very familiar with tonight's

fourth obstacle, Crank It Up.

Six years ago, she failed the first time she faced it.

She ended up figuring it out in the semifinals,

but it's been several years.

This is a good test of that

surgically repaired shoulder, big man.

- It's been a couple of years since we've seen Allyssa Beird.

Remember her background.

She spent 12 years in USA club gymnastics.

- Was a state champion on the uneven bars.

- Well, they don't get more uneven than this.

- Come on, Allyssa!

- Tremendous athlete, good strength.

And there's a test of that shoulder.

- She's got power.

We've seen it in the past.

- Come on. There it is.

- Side to side. Side to side.

- Side to side.

- Akbar, she's struggling to get through.

And you think back to those extra swings on Lunatic Ledges.

- Come on, get it.

- Remember, the top five women tonight

will advance to the semifinals.

Get past this one, Allyssa's got

a much better chance of being one of them.

Big drop here. Another shoulder test.

- Come on. Ooh. This one's a 3-foot drop.

both: Oh!

- Well, goes out on the fourth obstacle.

But after all she's been through,

so great just to see her back on the course.

- She was really struggling to get through Crank It Up.

That may have burned out her arms.

When she went for the final bar,

she just couldn't grab it.

Coming up, he didn't just hit buzzers.

He broke 'em.

- Let's go!

- Now, after a four-year absence, Amir Malik is back,

and he's cooking up something new

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Two East Coast Ninjas hit the course moments ago.

Albany, New York's, Jenson Little

came out waving the transgender pride flag.

The trans athlete was competing

for the fourth time on "Ninja Warrior."

The previous three times, he'd fallen on the second obstacle.

- Oh!

- Tonight, the physical therapist

was hoping the fourth time would be the charm.

- This would be big for Jenson.

Oh!

Okay, Jenson.

- He tried to keep it going on the third obstacle.

- Oh, oh, oh, oh!

- Though he came up short, it was still a victory.

- I beat the second obstacle.

That feels good.

- Then it was New Jersey's Brandon Singletary,

who did get past Log Runner.

The three-time Ninja veteran

got his first-ever qualifying buzzer last year,

and he looked confident again tonight.

But at V Formation, the car salesman

couldn't close the deal.

- Big drop there.

Oh.

- Still, it could be good enough

to advance to the semifinals.

Our next competitor was one of our most

exciting young ninjas a few years ago,

but he took some time away.

Now Amir Malik is back,

and the 24-year-old from Vermont

is cooking up something new.

- I've always loved baking ever since I was a little kid.

Now I work at a real bakery.

I have to wake up around 5:00, be here at 6:00 a.m.

before the coffee shop opens.

And, you know, I have to make cookies, scones, croissants,

loaf breads, danishes, make sure they're all ready

for when we open at 8:00.

[upbeat music]

When I see somebody trying something that I bake

and enjoying it, it makes me happy.

- This is Amir Malik.

- My rookie season was crazy.

Coming from Vermont, just a small little state,

nobody knew who I was.

Hitting the buzzer is still crazy to me.

It gives me goosebumps.

- He broke it.

- He broke the buzzer. - He broke the buzzer.

- Ah! - [laughs]

- After season 13 that I was last on,

I just took a little bit of a break to myself.

Pressure was a big one.

Dealing with some anxiety.

I had to do what was best for myself.

But hey, I'm back, and I'm ready.

Tonight, I got all the ingredients for success.

- And luckily, he brought us some of his cookies.

And we would be rude to not at least take a bite.

- Yeah, we gotta at least try it right now, right?

- Oh, boy.

- Yo.

- Amir will have support here tonight.

His girlfriend, mom, brother, and other friends

are on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Attaboy. Get there, buddy! Come on.

- His nickname is Sonic.

When he competed before,

he ran like the famous hedgehog.

He was fast and a lot of fun to watch.

- He was a rookie sensation when he debuted in season 12.

He actually finished fourth overall that year.

- And Amir's not a big guy.

5'6", 120.

Well, in both seasons he competed previously,

he completed the qualifying course.

- Are you commentating with your mouth full?

- Well, I'm just chewing a little bit here.

Right through there.

- There's Amir Malik.

It's good to see Amir Malik back on the course.

- Well, he exploded onto the scene, Akbar.

- Who could forget?

- So much power, so much promise.

- And, Matt, he looks to be in good spirits too.

- Had some anxiety issues, so he took a couple years off.

So many of our ninjas so courageous

talking about dealing with mental health issues.

And Amir--Sonic is bouncing.

[cheering]

- I see you, man. - What's up, Sonic?

- It's good to see you again, man.

Yeah, you're back.

- Good to be back.

- Here he is on V Formation.

- Matt, you know he wants it.

Nice.

- So much power.

Strength to weight through the roof.

- There's just something a little different

about Amir Malik.

- But you really have to be precise

coming down on V Formation.

He's going to the big move to the third handle.

- Cautious. - Good job.

- That's the hardest part about V Formation.

Those V bars move.

They wiggle.

He's got control.

- Amir Malik.

- He's back. He is back.

- And he's gonna go three for three on qualifying courses.

- Don't break the buzzer this time.

Don't break the buzzer.

- Yes! [buzzer blares]

Yes!

[cheering]

I'm back, baby!

[upbeat music]

- What's up, Sonic?

You got into making cookies, huh?

- I made those.

Yeah, all the way from Vermont.

- These are amazing. - Bro, these are good.

Notes of oatmeal.

Notes of sugar.

- Definitely sugar. - It's good. It's good.

- I tell you what, Amir.

We'll keep eating.

You keep hitting buzzers.

Hit it one more time and go celebrate with your crew.

- Amir Malik.

This is the way you celebrate a run right here.

- There you go.

- You celebrate a run eating cookies.

- Well, we'll see what Amir Malik

can serve up in the semifinals in a few weeks.

Coming up, his stunts get millions

of views on social media.

And he's got another trick planned for tonight.

- Yeah! - Oh, my God!

- Bob Reese runs next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're halfway through our final night

of qualifying here in Vegas.

- There are six obstacles on this course,

and any one of them can get you.

Social media influencer Yari Breunig was livestreaming

her walk to the start line.

She's gonna get a lot of follows for this video.

The mother of two has more than half a million

subscribers for her YouTube fitness videos.

The 38-year-old was able to survive

a rough landing on Lunatic Ledges.

Look at that save.

[cheering]

But on Log Runner, the influencer had to log off.

- Oh!

- I should have trust my gut and just kept going.

- New Jersey's Rachel DeGutz

let out her signature scream at the start line.

- Whoo!

- DeGutz is a five-time Ninja veteran

and one of the top women competitors.

And she got support from fellow Jersey girl Abby Clark.

- Come on, Rachel.

- The middle school science teacher became the first woman

tonight to solve Crank It Up.

- Unreal. - Great strength.

She was powering through V Formation

and looked like she might be our first female finisher.

- Oh!

- Even though her hand slipped off, she's in good position

to move on to the semifinals.

Things were buzzing from the start

for chainsaw salesman Micah Skinner.

The 30-year-old trains for obstacles

by lifting logs and scaling trees all around Iowa.

On the course, the lumber lover

had no problem with Log Runner.

- Let's go!

- Micah Skinner!

- He powered through Crank It Up.

- Skinning this course alive.

But the rookie was finally cut down by V Formation.

Oh, timber!

We're counting down our wackiest moments tonight.

- Oh, and he just did a flip.

- And YouTube star Bob Reese

has given us many unexpected twists

and turns over the years.

- What?

Another flip!

- Number three on our list is Reese's run

at the Jumping Spider.

The obstacle is one of Ninja's toughest.

- Oh!

- And hundreds have fallen here over the years.

- No!

- But in season 14, Reese decided

to try a front flip into the obstacle,

hoping it would go viral.

- No, he ain't.

No, he ain't.

Oh!

Reese's Pieces.

- It didn't work.

But Reese was undaunted.

He came back in season 15 to risk it all once again.

Oh, my goodness! - Oh, my goodness.

Are you kidding me?

- This time, it worked.

And that clip has garnered millions of views online.

And it's number three on our list.

And Bob is back tonight, and he's hinting he may have

a new trick up his sleeve.

- Okay, he's warming up.

- The social media star from South Carolina

has millions of followers, and as his shirt suggests,

he's got a new co-star in his viral videos, his son, Story.

- Filming with a one-year-old has its challenges.

Oh, my gosh.

You're getting all noodly on me, kid.

He can be tired and just, like, fall asleep while filming.

This dude is out cold.

He could have any problem, you know?

And he's gone.

Ah! Ooh.

Bro, you can't tackle.

This is basketball, not football.

Catch!

But Story is a ham.

[laughs]

One of my videos with Story got 63 million views.

How many babies can hold my weight?

One baby.

Ooh.

Don't worry, folks, it's not a real baby.

It's just a baby doll.

It's fake.

I am absolutely ready to go viral again tonight.

[upbeat music]

- And you know Story wouldn't miss this.

He's watching with Bob's wife, Ashley, back in South Carolina.

[cheering]

Some of Bob's South Carolina Ninja friends

will be cheering from the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, he did break his ankle last year

doing one of his stunts, and wow, bounds right through it.

- Coming off an injury,

you might think Bob would play it safe,

but I don't think Bob Reese knows how to play it safe.

He is one big show.

He's a human highlight reel.

- 6 feet, 185.

It is crazy, the stuff he's doing.

- Well, now Bob's a little more risk averse

now that he's a dad, though.

- Two moves.

You gotta follow this guy's videos.

Just insane, the stuff he does.

Big throw.

What the?

- What did he just do? - What was that?

- Are you kidding me?

- He flipped! - Come on.

I'm blind.

I can't believe what I just saw.

What? What did he just do?

- He did a flip into the handles on Crank It Up.

One of the greatest moves we've seen on "Ninja Warrior."

- I'm done. I'm done.

I can't even--

I can't even think.

Hold up, wait a minute. Rewind that.

He did a flip and then found the handles.

Are you kidding me?

- Listen, we know that is going viral.

- I did it.

[cheers and applause]

- Bobby!

- Come on, dawg.

- That move right there slaps.

- I think he doesn't even know what to do with himself.

- I don't know what to do. We don't know what to do.

- That was insane.

- That right there is the most impressive move

I've seen in a qualifying round.

He risked his whole season to pull that off.

- I gotta say, that was insanity.

Bob Reese. - Wow.

Matt, I don't even think any of these other obstacles

are that important.

- Brace for it.

- You got it.

- Nice.

- Did what he wanted to do,

create a moment that'll go viral.

At this point, a buzzer would just be icing on the cake.

- Ooh, he's starting to feel it.

He's shaking his head. - You got it, Bob.

- Come on. You got it.

You did that flip.

Come on. Flip mode.

- Yes!

[cheering]

- He's gonna do it!

- Yeah, you did.

- Bob Reese!

- Let's go!

Yeah!

- Primetime, showtime, all time, good time.

[cheering]

- Bob Reese,

you are a wild man.

- Hey, hey.

We're not worthy. - Come on.

- Take me back through this one.

What possessed you to do that?

- That was my main goal for this season.

I already feel like I won the whole show.

- We couldn't even commentate anymore.

We were flipping out.

- I gotta say, Bob, you know

how to make a viral moment, my friend.

But more importantly, I know for you,

there's someone who's gonna watch that move someday.

And what a story you'll have to tell your son, Story.

What are you gonna tell Story so he knows

just how insane his dad is?

- Hey, if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything,

even if it looks impossible.

- Well, impossible is nothing to you.

Great job.

- Hey. One last thing.

You gotta come up with something now

for the semifinals course, Bob.

- Yeah, I don't know what I'm gonna do,

but, you know, I'll figure something out.

- All right, go celebrate with your crew, buddy.

Well, Akbar, it's a season about looking back,

but I'm looking forward to what Bob Reese

has in store for the semifinals.

[cheering]

all: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

- Oh, my gosh, I did it!

- Still to come, he's got more buzzers

than any ninja in history.

- Look at it. That's how you do it.

- The Weatherman, Joe Moravsky,

kicks off his season.

And he's not the only Moravsky running tonight.

After a memorable debut a decade ago,

The Adonis, Rob Moravsky, has returned.

It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- They call themselves Strong Island Ninjas,

and the two athletes from Long Island

hit the course minutes ago.

Photographer Ace Pritchard hails from Baldwin, New York,

and he came camera ready.

The 28-year-old rookie was looking picture perfect

as he powered his way through the first two obstacles.

- Show me how strong you are.

- But on Log Runner, he wound up taking

a different kind of shot.

- Whoa. Oh!

That was a hell of a fall right there.

- Then it was another Long Islander,

Luke Lowell-Liszanckie, AKA Triple L.

- Okay, Triple L.

- The rookie works as a dockhand

at a marina on Shelter Island and was able to navigate

his way through the course.

- Wow, big up, big up.

Nice.

- The 22-year-old was voted

most likely to compete on "Ninja Warrior"

in his high school yearbook.

So it was only fitting

he ended his Ninja debut with a buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

- I see the emotion, man.

Where's that coming from? - I never really fit in.

I was always doing the stuff

that no one else thought was cool.

And now this is it.

This is the best thing that could ever happen to me.

[cheers and applause]

- We've got a lot of fan favorites back this year,

but none made a bigger impression in their debut

than our next athlete.

It's the Adonis, Rob Moravsky.

His intensity on the course made him a memorable character,

but a lot has changed in the last ten years.

[upbeat music]

- When I first competed in season 6,

Matt Iseman coined me...

- The Adonis.

- Ladies were interested.

They were paying attention.

[laughs]

It fit.

I had the long hair at the time.

You know, it kind of stuck.

Even ten years later, people are coming up to me,

and they're like, were you on that show?

I was like, yeah. It's like, take a picture?

I was like, yeah, of course, we'll take a picture.

Back in the day, it was fun turning heads.

I'm still turning heads

but in a different way.

Hey, how's it going?

Good. I'm headed there right now.

I'm a real estate agent in Los Angeles.

Amazing location.

About 5,000 square feet, four bed, five bath.

From Pasadena to Malibu,

multi-million dollar properties.

Driving around LA, I see nothing but opportunity.

I look at it as an obstacle,

and I approach it the same way.

Yeah, baby!

Yeah!

I miss "Ninja Warrior."

It was a lot of fun.

It was exciting.

I still have the competitive spirit.

Being in the gym is second nature to me.

If it's not seven days a week,

maybe now it's five days a week.

I've gotten a little older, but I try to keep up with it.

I came way too far not to hit a buzzer.

I mean, it was a 30-minute flight,

but you know what I mean.

Am I gonna make this look good?

Absolutely.

The Adonis is back.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, he's a little older now,

but still got swag, though, Matt.

- His cousin, Joe Moravsky, is on the sideline.

And, of course, lots of fans, including some friends from LA.

Here we go.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Matt, I'll never forget the iconic line that you said.

He looks like a what?

- He looks like a villain from an '80s karate movie.

But he backed it up, Akbar.

Got a buzzer in his very first run.

[cheering]

- But he's a little bit more mild now.

He's a professional.

- He's still in there.

I just think you need to spray a little

Drakkar Noir to unlock the Adonis.

He is a big boy.

6'3", 215.

Biggest athlete we'll see tonight.

- Matt, the last time we saw him was season 7,

and you wonder--

both: Oh!

- Come on!

- Ugh.

- We were cheated. - Oh.

- He didn't even have a chance to take off his shirt.

The Adonis out on Lunatic Ledges.

[applause]

The Adonis still has the intensity,

but he rushed it going to the second ledge.

Didn't get both feet on it and missed the grab.

- Rob, it's been a long time since

you were here on the course.

You finally made your return.

What happened here?

- Uh...

I fell. That's tough.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

- Do you know what happened exactly or--

- I don't. I don't. I blacked out.

- Okay, all right.

Well, now that you've gotten back in the groove,

could we see you in a future season?

Is the bug back?

- I think so.

This was a lot of fun, yeah.

Upset that I fell but a lot of fun.

The atmosphere, everyone involved.

- Yeah. - It's a lot of fun.

- All right, well, there it is.

Hopefully we'll see you back. - Yeah.

- Good to see you. Absolutely.

Guys, back to you.

- Our next athlete is 65 pounds lighter than the Adonis.

This is 21-year-old Travis Nguyen.

- Okay.

- Though still in college, he's already

started his own business, running a summer camp

in his home state of Connecticut.

[yelling]

- Combo Camp is the camp that I started.

It's called Combo Camp because it's a combination

of a lot of different things--

parkour, calisthenics, and Ninja training all together.

The kids were aged 8 to 12,

and it was one of the most rewarding feelings of my life.

Come on, come on.

When I was teaching the kids, I wanted them

to learn these obstacles as much as I did.

And that's when I decided to apply

for "American Ninja Warrior."

I'm super grateful for that.

And I'm gonna enjoy the moment as much as I can.

[upbeat music]

- Travis comes from a huge Vietnamese family.

Many of them traveled out to Vegas

to see him compete tonight.

all: Let's go, Travis.

Let's go, Travis.

- Matt, he started his own business with the Combo Camp.

He's a really smart guy,

a finance major at St. John's University.

- Only the top 20 from tonight will advance to the semifinals.

Probably needs to get at least

to the fifth obstacle, V Formation,

if he wants to be in that group.

Moving quickly so far.

- Come on. Keep going.

Keep going.

Nice.

- Whoo!

Come on, boy.

- His girlfriend's fired up.

Was a track athlete in high school.

Needs to sprint across Log Runner.

Oh. - Whoa.

Wow.

- Skips the final log.

- Wow. I wanna see that one again.

- He took off like a rocket

and leapfrogged over that last log.

He cleared about 9 feet with that one.

I've never seen that before.

That's a first.

- You gotta get 1% better every day.

That's his motto.

- Oh, yeah, he did.

That was more than 1%.

- Well, this guy believes in calisthenics.

100 push-ups, 50 pull-ups, 50 squats every morning

starting his day.

- Well, that's why.

I mean, 'cause that was an explosive move.

Nice.

audience: Let's go, Travis!

- And this rookie, he seems to be relying on his power.

His technique can use a little polishing.

audience: Let's go, Travis!

- Looking solid, Akbar, on his rookie effort.

- All right, here we go.

That's a 3-foot drop coming all the way down.

He's thinking about it.

Nice.

- Great job absorbing,

and that's those 50 pull-ups every morning.

Oh! - Okay, all right.

All right, now he's just having fun.

[cheering]

- On now to V Formation.

This obstacle is such a challenge.

You need power, you need precision,

and you need endurance.

- Well, all of his daily routine,

from the push-ups to the squats, all of that,

that's all gonna get tested right here.

This is it. One more kick stand.

- This is not an intuitive move,

but--oh, he's running out of power.

- Yeah, you can start to see it.

It's all in the body movement.

[cheering]

- Ooh!

A hard fall, but he made it to V Formation.

A strong debut by this rookie.

And he's in good position to move on.

- It's the last night to take down

the 18 1/2 foot Mega Wall.

Is anyone taking home 10K?

We'll find out tonight.

Plus, more of our countdown of crazy moments.

[upbeat music]

What's gonna be number one?

When "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- We're counting down "Ninja's" wackiest moments.

And over the years, we've had some unexpected visitors

to the course.

Back in season 8, a T-rex took on our obstacles.

- Oh, he just cleared it.

He just cleared it.

- And the dinosaur delivered, making it to the Warped Wall.

audience: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- I don't know if the fans are saying eat that wall

or beat that wall.

- But with those short arms...

both: Oh!

- It couldn't reach the top.

In season 9, a mysterious 81-year-old

named Arthur Hickenlooper hit the course.

- Yeah, old man!

- His surprising run became a viral sensation

with more than 25 million views.

- He's fallen, but he can get up.

- Though some are skeptical of his identity...

- Ooh!

- He was definitely entertaining.

Look at that.

In season 11, when "Ninja" went to the Pacific Northwest,

there was a Bigfoot sighting.

- Look at that.

Matt, this Yeti is ready.

[cheering]

- Conspiracy theorists are still talking about that one.

- Oh, my goodness.

Matt, this is absolutely crazy.

[buzzer blares]

- But number two on our list is the streaker

who raced across the course way back in season five.

- Somebody call the cops.

- His revealing run has been viewed

more than 80 million times over the years.

- I am blind. I can't see.

- That's number two on our wackiest moments countdown.

Brett Sims has been around for all of those runs.

He's a 13-time veteran and has a stripe on his arm

for every year he's competed.

- Hey!

Say hey, Daddy.

- With his pregnant wife, Grace,

and young daughter watching from South Carolina,

the 38-year-old made quick work

of the first two obstacles.

- Get off, dismount.

Nice.

- Sims has made it to the national finals five times.

So what happened next was a shock.

- Ooh!

My goodness.

- It was one of the earliest exits of his career.

- That was a hard fall. [laughs]

- Before her run, JoJo Grubesic got a shout out

from her high school track coach...

- You got this.

- Olympic gold medalist Dan O'Brien.

- Show 'em what a track athlete can do tonight.

- Grubesic is a pole vaulter back in Phoenix.

And besides O'Brien, she also got encouragement

from her boyfriend, top competitor Josiah Pippel.

- Let's go. Come on.

- But her track skills didn't help her on Log Runner.

- Oh!

- It was so much fun running the course.

It was awesome.

- Matt D'Amico's motto is

every course is a speed course.

So everyone was expecting a fast run.

- Speed is his game.

- The 24-year-old gym owner had his students

cheering on the sidelines...

- Big drop off. Nice.

- And back at his gym in Massachusetts.

The three-time veteran did not disappoint them.

He put up the fastest finish of the night so far.

[cheering]

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- D'Amico is co-owner of that gym in Massachusetts

with our next ninja, Lucas Reale.

- Let's go!

Come on!

- The 26-year-old is back for his sixth season,

but this year, he's got a renewed love for Ninja

thanks to the kids he coaches.

- Nice. Come on, Julia.

Lock it in, kid.

Let's go, Julia.

Attagirl.

Nice work.

Good job.

I'm incredibly grateful to be able to coach

so many talented athletes.

Link it.

Link it. Link it.

I started watching "Ninja"

when I was about ten years old.

And now that's the age of most of the kids

that I teach at my gym.

Yeah.

It feels full circle.

[soft music]

I think the best part about being a coach

is what you can learn from your students.

I'm becoming such a better ninja myself

just by breaking this down to other people.

Once you guys get to here, you can either rotate under

or you guys can just reach with the front hand

and spin once you get onto there.

There was a period of time where I was doing Ninja for me,

and now I'm just trying to show them they can do it

and to try and inspire them so they can

get to where their dreams are.

Come on, Kyle.

Yeah, dude.

Yeah, Josiah.

Having them out here cheering me on,

giving me coaching tips,

I'm definitely gonna be channeling their energy

as I tackle the course tonight.

all: Vegas, here we come!

- Let's go.

[cheers and applause]

- How impressive that all those kids and their families

have come out to support Lucas, as well as Matt D'Amico.

- Hey!

- And there's a whole nother group watching back

at the gym in Massachusetts.

- Look at that.

That's one of the biggest cheering sections

we've had all year.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Back in season 10, when we lowered the age to 19,

Lucas was in that first wave of young guns to compete.

- And what a rookie season he had.

Made it all the way to Stage 2.

[cheering]

- Now 26 years old, no longer a young gun,

but still a top competitor and moving like

he doesn't wanna disappoint all those kids.

- Now that's it. Nice.

- Lucas Reale really flying.

5'8", 160.

This guy likes to go fast.

He hasn't competed the last two seasons,

but he has come out tonight with a vengeance.

He is running hard.

- It's been a few years since he hit a buzzer.

He'd love to get one tonight in front of all these kids.

- Wow.

- Love to see that smile on his face.

You can tell he's energized this season

but faces a tough test here in V Formation.

[cheering]

- Wow. He pumped up in two moves.

- His business partner, Matt D'Amico, got a buzzer.

Reale trying to match him.

Oh, he kicked one of the Vs.

Has to stop it from spinning.

- Well, he's gonna go for that big move there.

- Goes from the first to third V.

- Come on.

- Got it.

Lucas Reale.

- Ooh.

- Just a little slip.

He just kind of laughed as he looked at the sideline.

Gets two more attempts.

Lucas Reale.

- Oh.

- And he's down to his final attempt.

- Wow, this--

I think we're all shocked because this is an obstacle

that he's done so many times.

all: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Final attempt.

- Here we go.

- Come on. You got this.

There it is.

- Let's go!

- What a smile.

His first buzzer in three years.

[cheering]

- Yes!

[upbeat music]

* *

Yes! Yes!

- Yo, you were down to your last attempt, Lucas.

- Were you scared a little bit that you might not

make it up the Warped Wall?

Just a little bit?

- I--I had it.

- Yeah, I know you did.

- Lucas, always so joyful when you're out here competing.

You seem particularly pumped tonight.

Been a while since you hit a buzzer.

But what were you feeling? What were you thinking?

- I don't really compete for myself anymore.

I compete for these guys.

- Go celebrate with them, Lucas.

And these kids have both their coaches

heading to the semifinals,

Matt D'Amico and now Lucas Reale.

- Some of those ninjas, we'll be calling their runs

in a couple of years.

Remember this day.

- Up next, years ago, Xavier Dantzler

got a helping hand from Joe Moravsky.

- Come on, X.

- Now Xavier's paying it forward

and giving another young ninja a boost.

- I told him, I'm gonna get you on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Their story when we come back.

- A couple of our smaller competitors

with big personalities hit the course moments ago.

At 4'11", Olivia Keyes is the night's shortest competitor.

[cheering]

The 23-year-old grad student is an elite gymnast,

who was a two-time state champion in Massachusetts.

[cheering]

- She's got this.

She's got this, Matt.

- But Log Runner has taken out more ninjas

than any other obstacle.

- Oh, oh.

- And it ended her season tonight.

- Then it was one of the smaller male competitors...

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- 5'3" Ben Behrends.

[cheering]

Behrends is known as the Hype Guy

because of his boundless enthusiasm on the sidelines.

But he's delivered on the course as well.

He's made it to the national finals the past two seasons.

- Nice. He's hyped.

- His younger brother, Jason, hit a buzzer a few weeks ago.

- Matt, he is doing big things.

- And tonight, Big Ben did the same.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

That's how we do it!

- You gotta tell me, man, why you so hyped?

- I don't know, man. I'm just loud.

[laughter]

- Flashback now to a moment four years ago,

when we first met 16-year-old Xavier Dantzler,

a high schooler from New York

who was making his "Ninja" debut.

- Nice.

- X, as he's known, regularly traveled two hours

by train from his home in Queens, New York,

to Connecticut to train with Joe Moravsky

and considers Joe a mentor.

- Okay. Okay.

- And now X, like Joe, is playing mentor

for another young ninja from New York.

This is Brandon Griffin, a lifelong Ninja superfan

who wouldn't be here without the help

of his friend, X.

- I'm Brandon Griffin.

I'm 16 years old.

I'm from New York City, and this is my application

for "Ninja Warrior" season 17.

- Great. Perfect.

- My whole life, I've been an athlete.

[upbeat music]

- Whoo. Yeah.

You got some height there.

- I started off with gymnastics

and moved on to tumbling, rock climbing,

jiu jitsu, karate, fencing.

But I've loved Ninja ever since I can remember.

Watching this show would get me so pumped.

I set up my entire house like Ninja.

I had pillows on the ground, a rope swing on my bed.

I had all the different things set up.

- There you go.

The first time I saw Brandon Griffin enter the gym,

it was insane.

Holy moly.

It just gave me flashbacks of my younger self.

Oh, my goodness.

And I told him, I'm gonna get you

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Every time I try Mega Wall, I get it, like,

first or second try now.

X is kind of like a big brother to me.

He taught me everything I know.

He's trained me. He's pushed me through.

- All right, stop.

Look at the city.

All right, and keep on walking.

- X is absolutely a gift to our family.

He makes these dreams happen.

I can't even put into words what that means.

- I'm telling you, man, if we get something like this,

you better not fall here.

- No, no, no, no. Yeah, no, that looks hard.

- That sucks.

I think he's honestly better than I was at his age.

I'm not doing that.

- X said he'd get me on the show.

Here I am.

- Uh-huh. There you go.

There it is.

This is good. This is good.

He's just the most awesome kid,

and I cannot wait to see how he does.

* *

- X and Brandon's mom, Karen, are leading the cheers

on the sideline, along with a big group

of friends and family.

[countdown clock beeping]

Just 16 years old, a high school student

at New York Harbor School.

- Oh, you can tell he's got a lot of spring,

a lot of bounce in him.

- Well, X said it was his athleticism

that really caught his eye.

And his mom said this kid was never

someone who used equipment the way it was used to.

He would always find new ways to make it more challenging.

Good throw.

- Yeah, his mom, Karen, says he's freakishly athletic,

and we can see that already.

- And look at that, right into Log Runner.

That's confidence.

- Matt, he was not intimidated.

Typically, especially with rookies,

there's a little bit of pause at Log Runner.

He was like, this ain't nothing.

- Well, you saw his smile, Akbar.

I think he's starting to feel it.

Three obstacles in, and he's like, I can do this.

- Yeah, this is it.

Once you get to about that fourth obstacle,

you start feeling, going, you know what?

I'm in control.

- 5'5", 128.

- And so many people underestimate him

because of his size.

He loves surprising people with his skills.

- And you can see, he's generating a lot of movement

but not getting a lot of movement on the handles.

- All right.

- Not being terribly efficient here, Akbar.

- And this comes with being a rookie,

trying to navigate an obstacle.

Sometimes it's not about athleticism.

- Well, this is something I think

you get away with on a six obstacle course but--

- Whoa! Wow.

- Whoa.

- Well, this obstacle, he is gonna be lucky to escape.

And he does.

- His athleticism helped him out that time.

[cheering]

- That sapped a lot of upper body energy.

Well, what do you always say, Akbar?

It catches up to you.

- It catches up to you when it catches up to you.

- Breathe. You got it.

Breathe. You got it.

- What does he have here on V Formation?

- And this is where his mentor, X, fell in season 13.

- And so you see, this--this way the Ninjas using their hips

and kicking on the back. - Nice.

- They feel it gives them more power.

- One more kickstand. Nice.

- He's gotta get one more.

There we go. - One more. There it is.

- Well, again, Akbar, I think he's relying on his youth here.

Let's see if that grip strength has enough in reserve.

- Yeah.

Well, my concern is his fatigue, not his athleticism.

He's clearly talented.

Oh!

[air horn blares]

- It's okay.

- Just like X's rookie season,

Brandon Griffin out on V Formation.

X and Brandon really are alike.

Four years ago, X tried going from the first V

to the third and couldn't hang on.

Tonight, Brandon went for the same move

and had the same result. - Oh, you're wet.

- Brandon's now in good position to move on,

and we'll see X run when we come back.

Coming up, she just had

her best season ever on the course.

And Abby Clark's got something else to celebrate.

- The biggest comment we got was definitely it's about time.

- Her big news is next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We showed you how Xavier Dantzler's

been a mentor for Brandon Griffin, who ran minutes ago.

And while we were away, Xavier, the 20-year-old coach,

got his turn on the course.

- X gonna give it to you.

- The four-time veteran came out blazing,

looking like he wanted to go fast enough

to earn a shot at the Mega Wall.

- Oh, Matt, he wants that $10,000.

That's what he wants.

- To do it, he needed to finish

in under 1 minute 10 seconds.

And it came down to the wire.

- He's got a real chance!

He's got a real chance!

He's got a real chance!

- He missed the shot at the Mega Wall by 3/10 of a second

but still the fastest run so far tonight.

Then it was Pennsylvania's

Corine Capriotti, who's a triplet.

And she had her two sisters cheering for her.

The 16-year-old rookie gave her siblings a good show

as she made it to the third obstacle.

- Ooh. Big ups.

- But the high school track athlete

didn't have the right footwork on Log Runner.

- Oh!

- So fun. Just so fun.

- Our final female competitor tonight

is also a track athlete.

It's New Jersey's Abby Clark.

She got a qualifying buzzer

and had her best season ever last year.

Now her fiancé, Joe Capo, has given her

something else to be excited about.

- So the big news is, I'm engaged.

Joe finally proposed.

We hiked one of the ski mountains

that I grew up skiing at in New Hampshire.

We were just taking some pictures.

I was ready to go back down.

I was freezing.

It was raining and cold.

Then all of a sudden, he just turned me towards him

and went down on one knee.

Yay.

It was a complete surprise.

I did not expect the response that we got

when we posted about it.

Thousands of likes and everyone was reaching out, commenting.

It's been 12 years, so the biggest comment we got was

definitely "it's about time."

It was an awesome surprise, and I love the ring.

He did a great job. [chuckles]

He put a ring on it.

[upbeat music]

- Well, big congrats to the happy couple.

- That smile says it all, Matt. Bling, bling.

- The groom-to-be will be watching along

with the other Joe in her life, her dad.

Her Jersey girl training partner, Rachel DeGutz,

is also on the sideline with some other Ninja friends.

[countdown clock beeping]

Abby and Joe started out as college sweethearts,

met at Springfield College in Massachusetts,

where they were both on the gymnastics team.

- Come on, Abby!

- She was an All-American gymnast twice

and won the national title on the balance beam.

- She's gotta be feeling confident.

As we mentioned, had her best season ever last year.

Nearly finished Stage 1.

Only Taylor Greene went farther among the women.

- Nice.

- Looking very comfortable.

And she's through two.

She also ran track back at Springfield College.

Right now needs to sprint across Log Runner.

And she does it.

[cheering]

The fourth obstacle is one she knows very well, Crank It Up.

Abby Clark failed this in the Baltimore finals

back in season 11.

Worked her way to the end but missed

as she went to the final bar.

Her Jersey girl buddy, Rachel DeGutz,

is the only woman who's gotten past it tonight.

- Come on.

- 5'3", 130.

Akbar, this requires so much power.

- It's power. It's movement.

- And those power moves, though,

those are stressful on the forearms.

- Yeah, because on the back swing,

you also have to make sure that you give it enough oomph

to be able to get that thing cranked.

- And that's such a tough transfer.

- Come on. Start cranking.

- Yes. - Let's go, Ab.

- That's it. Just like that.

- Great job fighting through it.

But this is where she fell before.

Well, here we go.

Big drop down.

- Whoo. - Got it!

Gets through.

And that secures her spot as one of the top five women.

So she's moving on to the semifinals.

Now gonna try to finish this course.

Taking on V Formation.

No woman has ever gotten through this obstacle.

audience: [chanting] Abby! Abby! Abby!

- Oh, nice.

Look at the power.

- Wow. - Two moves.

A good ad for the gym she and Joe Capo run.

- All right, this is it right here.

You can see her locking in, getting close.

- This is where it really gets tough,

making these precision moves with tired arms.

We've seen a lot of top ninjas fall here this season.

- Nice!

- Well, Abby Clark got her first buzzer back in season 10.

Got her second last year.

And Abby Clark about to get her third.

- I'm about to jump out this booth.

Come on, girl. Come on.

- Yes!

- Uh-huh! That's what I'm talking about!

- Abby Clark, the first woman ever

to get through V Formation.

Looking for her third career buzzer.

But it's not a given.

Though she's conquered the Warped Wall three times,

she's also failed on three occasions.

- All right, generate the power there.

- 5'3". - Power, power, power.

both: Ooh.

- Okay, that's one.

She's got two more.

I'm pretty confident she's gonna get it.

audience: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Don't overthink it. Paralysis by analysis.

Go. You got this. Come on.

Yes! - Got it!

Her third buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

[upbeat music]

* *

- Abby Clark!

Abby, the women are having so much success this year.

You're now the ninth woman to hit a buzzer this season,

but the only one to do it tonight.

You got your ring.

You got your buzzer.

Hit it one more time and go celebrate.

We'll see you in the semifinals.

[cheering]

- He's a fan favorite and has more buzzers than anyone.

Joe Moravsky runs when we come back.

It is gonna be a race to the finish

on the final night of qualifying

here on "American Ninja Warrior."

- All night long, we've been counting down

some of our wackiest moments.

I think his teeth fell out.

Over 17 seasons, we've seen a lot.

- I am blind.

I am blind. I can't see.

- And now it's time to reveal our number one.

It comes from season eight,

when the unpredictable Jake Murray

hit the Stage 1 course wearing a fanny pack.

- Turn that fanny pack and get busy.

- Murray was a top competitor, so it was no surprise

he put up the fastest time of the night.

The surprise came after he hit the buzzer.

- What's in the fanny pack?

He's got goggles.

He's going swimming.

With a corn dog? - Oh!

- Get your ketchup ready

'cause he's all about that business, baby.

- We relished the moment.

Jake Murray's corn dog surprise

is our number one wackiest moment.

But we're not done.

Minutes ago, it was a flag waving affair

as Deren Perez carried the colors

for his homeland, Guam.

Perez not only represents for Guam,

he's an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard

and is on the poster for recruiting.

- Now hiring.

- With his fellow officers cheering him on,

the five-time veteran had the best run of his career.

He conquered obstacles that had taken him out before.

Crank It Up...

- Nice.

- And V Formation.

- Okay!

- And the 40-year-old hit his first-ever buzzer.

- Let's go!

Let's go!

Whoo!

It felt amazing!

Yeah.

- Then it was a ninja 21 years younger,

19-year-old Noah Meunier.

The three-time veteran made it all the way

to Stage 4 the last two seasons.

And he started red hot again this year.

- He has got a pace on him.

- With his girlfriend, Addy Herman, on the sideline,

the Massachusetts electrician lit up the course...

- Oh, boy.

- And put up the fastest time of the night.

[buzzer blares]

That earned him a chance at 10K on the Mega Wall.

- Generate power. It's power, power.

Drive, drive.

- Oh!

He came up short, but with his speed,

he's a threat to win it all this season.

[cheering]

So we're down to our final athlete tonight,

and he can bring the thunder.

Zuri, get him going.

- He's got more buzzers than anyone in "Ninja" history,

but last season ended on a heartbreaking note

for Joe Moravsky.

He came up just a few feet short

of making his first attempt at Stage 4.

It's really the only thing missing from his Ninja résumé.

The 35-year-old has the most buzzers in "Ninja" history

and is tied for the most Mega Walls.

- Hey, guys. Mwah.

- Joe's wife, Stephanie, watching back in Connecticut

with two of their three kids.

- You got it, Joe. Come on.

- His cousin, Rob, who ran earlier,

is part of the big group of friends down on the sideline.

- Come on, Joe. Come on.

[countdown clock beeping]

- How fitting in this special season as we look back

to have the final athlete in qualifying

be the one who's hit more buzzers than anybody else.

35 years old.

You know, ninjas that age, they have to wonder,

are their best days behind them?

- Well, Matt, he's been having a hard time.

As a family man, it's becoming more and more difficult

to be able to balance work life,

family life, and training.

- Well, he faced this in Baltimore,

and Moravsky making short work of it.

Well, only one athlete, Noah Meunier,

has had a shot at the Mega Wall.

And if Joe keeps this pace up, he'll be the second.

- He thought about that dismount.

- Yeah, he did.

But he has been one of the most consistent ninjas

we've ever seen.

- He's already hit his spot in the semis

with his race to this point.

So all that's left for him to do, Akbar...

- Whoa. - Is get to that Mega Wall.

- Big move.

Boy, Matt, he could do it.

He could do it. He could do it. - Joe Moravsky!

- He has an opportunity!

- Joe Moravsky!

- That's what I'm talking about.

- That's how we do it!

[cheering]

That's how we do it!

- Adds another buzzer to his record.

That's 35.

[cheering]

- Whoo!

- Joe Moravsky!

- Joe, you know, man, I gotta say,

you're one of the most consistent ninjas

on the planet.

You just put up the second fastest time of the night, man.

Congratulations.

- But you're not done tonight.

In history, Kai Beckstrand, Daniel Gil,

Caleb Bergstrom, and you have gotten three Mega Walls.

You have a chance right now to break that record.

- Don't quit. Do it.

- Don't quit. Do it. - Let's see it, Joe.

If he gets up the Mega Wall, he'll take home $10,000

courtesy of the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card.

The Active Cash credit card earns unlimited 2%

cash rewards on purchases. Terms apply.

audience: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- And Joe Moravsky, a chance to make history,

become the first ninja with four Mega Walls.

- You got this. You've been practicing.

Come on.

- With his kids at home, Stephanie watching, here we go.

- Oh, he needs it.

He's got the energy.

He's got everybody behind him. $10,000 could go a long way.

- For a record fourth Mega Wall.

- Oh!

[cheering]

- Doesn't get it, but gave it a great run.

- Yeah, it was a good run, and take a look.

He came close and was less than a foot away.

- But the Weatherman is still moving on to the semifinals.

And the 35-year-old veteran ends up

with the second fastest time,

just behind teenager Noah Meunier.

Among the other finishers is the king

of viral videos, Bob Reese.

We had 13 ninjas hit the buzzer tonight,

including the newly engaged Abby Clark.

All 20 of these athletes move on to the semis,

which get underway next week.

And the semis this year are gonna be something special.

- No!

- We're bringing back more of the iconic obstacles

from the past, and they'll make your head spin.

- Nice. Whoa.

- It's a grueling ten-obstacle course,

and only the best will finish.

- Hold on! No!

- And it all begins next week.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.

We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."

[dramatic music]

* *