Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

- "The American Ninja Warrior" finals are here,

and we're making history.

For the first time ever, the best ninjas in the world will

race head-to-head in an epic tournament,

where the winner takes all

with a $250,000 prize on the line.

- We're gonna see some of the fastest ninjas on the planet

doing what they do best.

- Everybody loves a race.

Here we go.

- Ten years ago, I was just a little kid

on a farm with a dream.

And now I'm here on the big stage.

And I'm gonna make it happen.

- Matt, my heart can't take this.

I can't take this type of stress in my life.

- This is something that we've never done before.

It's uncharted waters.

- 60 athletes have qualified for the National Finals.

And they've been seeded and split into 15 groups of four

based on how they performed in the semifinals.

They'll race three times, once against each member

in their group.

And the two with the most wins will continue on.

- I mean, you're gonna see some crazy cool matchups.

- This is ninja chaos at its best.

- Two women going against each other in National Finals.

It's gonna be great.

- Let's go.

- It's Behrends.

- Versus Behrends.

- And may the best bro win.

- It's gonna be me.

- It's the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior."

Let's go.

[upbeat music]

- It's a National Finals like we've never seen before.

And it starts right now on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

We've talked about the past this season,

but now we're looking to the future.

And the future of "Ninja" is fast.

- Absolutely, big man.

We're going racing.

We'll have brother racing brother, men racing women.

It's gonna be insane.

For a preview of tonight, let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Buckle up, guys.

It is gonna be an action-packed night.

And it starts right here on our two-lane course.

The first of our six iconic obstacles

is the Shrinking Steps, which debuted in season 11.

Then it's the Swinging Frames.

Kacy Catanzaro shocked the world

when she became the first woman to conquer

the obstacle 11 years ago.

- Yes.

- She followed that up by being the first woman

to get past the Pole Grasper--

- She's done it!

- --which is our third obstacle tonight.

Up next for our athletes is the "Ninja"

staple, the Salmon Ladder.

That leads to the Floating Monkey Bars,

which first appeared on the course a decade ago.

- Whoa!

- The final test is Piston Plunge, last seen on stage 2

at the National Finals.

- Hold on.

No! [air horn blares]

- Whoever conquers the most obstacles or hits

the buzzer first wins the race.

- Thanks, Zuri.

So much "Ninja" history with these obstacles.

And now we'll see them on this special side-by-side course.

And first to take it on will be this all-star lineup

in group one.

What a foursome this is.

Our first race will feature Taylor Greene versus RJ Roman.

On one side, you've got RJ, one of our top contenders

to win it all this year.

And on the other, it's the history-making Colorado

teenager, Taylor Greene.

RJ, the rock 'n roll musician, is known for speed

and has never lost a race in "Ninja" competition.

But Taylor knows how to run with the boys.

[rock music]

- Taylor Greene rising to new heights.

[buzzer blares]

- To be in the National Finals for the third time

feels really, really incredible and really special

now that it's racing.

- Head-to-head racing, this is what Taylor Greene lives for.

[buzzer blares]

- On "American Ninja Warrior Junior,"

I did lots and lots of races, and the majority of them

were against boys.

- She turns into a different person on the course.

- Taylor Greene gets the win.

- So that part of it doesn't really intimidate me.

When I heard the group that I was in,

I was a little bit blown away.

- He went for the big one.

Two moves.

- I'm excited to race RJ.

He's known to be very fast.

- One of the fastest times we've seen all season.

RJ Roman.

- Yes!

What's up?

- I am gonna try to shred the course faster than he can.

- Taylor Greene is money.

- I've always wanted to race the best,

and that's definitely what's happening tonight.

[cheers and applause]

- Taylor's got family watching back in Colorado,

and her mom's leading the cheers on the sideline.

RJ has his mom and friends watching back in Florida.

- Come on, RJ!

- Yeah!

- Let's go!

- With his speed, most people think of RJ

as a heavy favorite, but Taylor is actually the higher seed.

She finished the semis course and RJ didn't.

Here we go, Akbar.

[countdown clock beeping]

- I think her strategy should be run her race.

Anything can happen in this race.

- And look at RJ. Good power there.

Shifting to the frame. Wow.

Good throw.

- Nice, and right there.

Taylor's right there on the second flight.

- I like it, Akbar.

She's running her race.

She knows RJ is a speed demon, but she is putting pressure on.

- Speed demon

is not even a word that describes RJ.

Here goes RJ.

- On to the Salmon Ladder.

- He's moving now.

Oh, he just skipped a big one.

- Wow.

Two moves on the Salmon Ladder.

On now to the Floating Monkey Bar.

- Oh, watch out. He saw that.

He snatched that one, did it.

- Oh, no.

Oh.

RJ's down.

Oh, my goodness.

RJ's in shock.

Everyone is in disbelief.

- What the what?

- And now the door is open for Taylor Greene.

But she has to complete the Salmon

Ladder and then Floating Monkey Bars to get the win.

[cheers and applause]

- She can take her time, but the path to victory is clear.

This could be a huge upset in our very first race.

This is why the National Finals this year is gonna be special.

All RJ can do is sit and watch.

Taylor Greene has this race in her hands.

- Yes, she does.

And literally she has that pole in her hand.

- Just locking it in, Akbar.

She's one move away from a major upset.

- Oh, my goodness.

- And there it is.

- She did it.

- Taylor Greene with a big win.

She never ceases to amaze us.

[cheers and applause]

Now, she could stop here but wants to keep going

and try Piston Plunge.

She may need the experience for future races.

She got a buzzer in qualifying and semis.

Taylor Greene one obstacle away from getting another buzzer.

- Matt, she wants that buzzer.

That was the look.

Go back and look at her very first look at the start line.

That look was, I'm getting that buzzer.

- And she's getting a free practice on Piston Plunge.

- Oh, she's starting to feel it now.

She's got to throw herself up, Matt.

- Oh, wow.

- I'm looking at her, and she is fighting through pain.

- And Taylor Greene has the buzzer.

Unbelievable.

- Hey, you go, girl.

You go.

Oh, my goodness.

- Taylor, it is a magical season.

What's it like?

You took out one of the all-time greats, a speed demon

in RJ Roman.

- I'm surprised.

[laughs] I didn't expect that at all.

- Hit that buzzer one more time.

And congrats on an awesome win.

[cheers and applause]

RJ was flying through the course

but missed his placement on Floating Monkey Bars

and shockingly went down.

That opened the door for Taylor,

who avoided mistakes and made it all the way to the buzzer.

RJ's still in shock.

- That was crazy.

- But he's got two more races to run.

He's still got a chance to move on.

- And now it's the other two from this group.

And on paper, this looks like another mismatch.

Nacssa Garemore is the number one seed in these finals.

And Zhanique Lovett is the 60th, the very lowest.

- Ah, there it is, keeping it loose at the start line.

- Zhanique's coming in

with confidence.

She got her first buzzer

in qualifying,

but she's 38 years old.

Nacssa, on the other hand,

is just 17.

He had the fastest time

in his semifinals

and has a streak of completing

90 obstacles without falling.

Zhanique's family is watching from their home

in Visalia, California.

Nacssa has got a big group watching from Florida.

And his mom is leading his cheering section

on the sideline.

- This is a tough first race for Zhanique.

[countdown clock beeping]

Nacssa has got 90 obstacles without falling.

That's 91.

- And you can see Nacssa's creating that separation.

- Well, Nacssa always runs with his-- oh, my goodness!

Nacssa is down!

- Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

- His streak is done at 91 obstacles.

And Zhanique Lovett could score the biggest upset in history.

- Are you kidding me?

Did that really just happen again?

- And Zhanique gets the win.

- Yes.

- Our top seed just got beat by our lowest seed.

- No. - This crowd can't believe it.

Well, Zhanique is going to keep going,

get some experience on the obstacles.

But, Akbar, what just happened?

- Well, when you're going fast like a race car,

you'll make mistakes.

Nacssa tried to leap from the back of the second frame

all the way to the third.

That's about 10 feet.

And he came up short.

The Vegas odds were against Zhanique

winning this race right here.

But she beat the odds.

- And Nacssa is still in disbelief.

- Matt, I'm in disbelief.

- The men in these first two races

went out fast and made mistakes.

The women played it smart.

They stayed under control, and it paid off.

- Well, Akbar, this is why we run the races.

both: Oh!

- Out on Salmon Ladder.

But a big win for Zhanique Lovett.

She gets a victory over the top seed in these finals.

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- Zhanique and Taylor Greene are 1 and 0.

Nacssa and RJ Roman are 0 and 1.

But all of them have two more races.

It's not over for anyone at this point.

And we're just getting started.

Tonight, you'll see some of "Ninja's"

best running for their lives.

We'll have beloved "Ninja" veterans

facing rising young stars, "Ninja"

coaches racing their students.

Plus, the first-ever brother versus brother battle.

all: Whoo!

- Two members of the YouTube sensation the Ninja Kidz

have to race each other.

And all season, we've been looking back

at "Ninja's" past,

but we've saved the best for last.

Over the next four weeks, we'll count down

the 20 memorable moments that inspired

us and touched our hearts.

They're the stories you can't forget

on opening night of "Ninja's" National Finals.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas.

During the National Finals, we are counting down the greatest

moments in "Ninja" history.

We'll look back at the 20 that made the biggest

impact, the history makers and those that

inspired countless viewers.

Our first one was life-changing.

In season eight, Kenny Niemitalo

shared the story of his baby daughter,

Hazel, who was in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

- The only cure is a new kidney.

- It just blows my mind that this is reality.

[somber music]

- That story touched the heart of "Ninja" viewer Amy Schlee.

- That's one of the reasons we watch the show is

because we love the stories.

Seeing Hazel really hit home.

I wanted to donate a kidney.

- At that point, Amy amazingly offered her kidney to Hazel.

- It's mind-blowing that some random stranger

would donate a kidney to somebody

that she has never met.

- We have a living child because of it.

- One year later, both Hazel and her kidney donor, Amy,

were on the sidelines.

- "American Ninja Warrior" literally

saved his daughter's life.

What other show is doing that?

- In future seasons, Kenny Niemitalo paid it forward,

using his appearances to connect donors with those

in need of transplants.

- Without this show, my daughter wouldn't even

be here right now.

- That's number 20 on our countdown

of "Ninja's" memorable moments.

- While we were away, round one continued

and another one of our groups started their races.

This foursome features Isaiah Thomas,

Sean Bryan, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson,

and Anabella Heinrichs.

The Colorado hairstylist had to start

things off by facing Thomas, the top seed in this group.

- He can fly, but she can soar, too.

- Thomas, known as "The Flyboy,"

showed why he's one of the favorites to win it all,

jumping out to an early lead.

- He wants this badly.

He's not messing around.

- And he hit a buzzer in just over a minute.

- Let's go!

- Anabella never backed down, making it all the way

to the Floating Monkey Bars.

So it's Isaiah Thomas with the win.

He's now 1 and 0.

The Flyboy is gonna be tough to beat,

so our next two may be battling

to be the second person to move on from this group.

It's Florida teenager Enzo DeFerrari

Wilson racing against the Papal Ninja,

40-year-old Sean Bryan.

A more than 20-year age difference.

But they have one thing in common.

They're both big on social media.

[upbeat music]

- Oh.

- Since I was last on "American Ninja Warrior,"

my YouTube channel has blown up.

- Oh, my gosh. Oh.

* *

People love to watch fails, and some of my fails are crazy.

Whoa.

- Oh!

- I've been getting a lot of views on the internet.

I've been helping my friend, Anton, doing YouTube videos.

- I need overtime.

- No overtime for you.

- Definitely don't try these things at home.

- No, don't touch this one, no!

* *

- I've been getting a lot of views on social media,

but I hope my run tonight breaks the internet.

* *

- These two have huge followings offline as well.

Enzo always has family and friends screaming for him.

And Sean Bryan's got a big group led by his parents.

- Big question here, can Sean Bryan's 40-year-old

legs keep up with Enzo, who's half his age?

[countdown clock beeping]

- Both 5'10", around 160.

Enzo, a slight edge, and watch who finishes first.

In the event of a fall, that's the tiebreaker.

- Link--nice.

Ooh.

That's a great link right there.

That was a hot link.

- Ooh, Enzo an extra spin, though,

and Sean Bryan takes advantage.

- Seanny, he says I got that old-man strength.

You better respect your elder.

Oh. - Wow.

- He's showing that he's still got it.

- And Enzo closes the gap.

He was the first off.

Oh, but he kicked the bar off the cradle.

- Oh, no.

What will he do?

- Still has to finish Salmon Ladder.

Enzo's only hope is to lache through with one bar.

This is gonna be tough.

It's like a mini version of the Flying Bar on stage 3.

- What?

- This is almost impossible.

- How is he doing this?

- Enzo is gonna go for the long dismount and makes it.

- Are you kidding me?

We have never seen anything like this.

- But easily, he could make a mistake.

And Sean Bryan's got his back, and I don't think he's aware

that Enzo is closing on him.

- It's dead even.

Whoa! - He misses.

- Enzo makes the grab, but he's still got to finish.

And he does at the wire.

- Oh my gosh.

- Enzo is in disbelief.

- He's in shock.

- That's why it's never over till you hit the buzzer.

- Sean Bryan was so close to a win.

- Wow.

That was a race right there.

- Enzo kicked the bar out of the cradle

on Floating Monkey Bars, and he was like, what now?

But he figured it out using one bar.

Sean Bryan was one move away from finishing

but missed with his left hand.

Enzo comes from behind for the win.

Enzo, what were you thinking when you lost the bar?

- I thought I was done.

I was like, actually, I practiced this at the gym once,

so I thought in my mind--

- No kidding?

- I knew I had to get out of there.

I got it.

- Yeah, you did.

[cheers and applause]

- Hit that buzzer.

Go celebrate with your family and friends.

[cheers and applause]

- What a race.

Sean Bryan was so close, but it's Enzo

who gets an important win.

[cheers and applause]

Now we'll start with round one races for group three.

Luke Beckstrand is the top seed in this foursome,

but the first race will be between two other

top competitors in this group.

These two can go fast.

It's Massachusetts college student Jonathan Godbout

in his fourth season of "Ninja."

He's facing "The Boss" Elijah Browning.

And this year, the Tennessee teenager is built for speed.

[upbeat country music]

- Over the past year, I've been building

a lot more "Ninja" rigs.

We tore down the course at our house,

then I built a huge course down at my grandpa's farm.

We built that up.

It's bigger than the course I even had at my house.

And I've been coaching kids there.

Yeah, buddy. Get it.

What's awesome with coaching kids

is they're pushing me really hard as well.

But some of my kids are getting good

enough now that I'll set up a speed course,

and we'll both run it.

- You're beating him by so much.

Go.

- Matt, this race is gonna be big time, primetime,

showtime, all time, good time.

Whoo.

And the Boss is back.

Wow, he's about to get another stage 2 buzzer.

- And he is pumped.

- I'm definitely confident going into these races.

I've trained for this my whole life.

I'm very excited.

Now, obviously, anything can happen,

but, you know, I'm definitely one of the guys

that can win this show.

The Boss is ready to race.

* *

- Elijah's mom, Renee, will be leading the cheers for him.

Godbout's got his own side business.

He's a drummer in a heavy metal band.

He's getting support from one of his bandmates,

Evan Lavallee, a ninja who's also made

it to the National Finals.

- Elijah is the 28th seed.

And Godbout's the 33rd.

So this may be a close one.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here we go, Akbar.

And, Godbout, a quick start.

- Yeah, Godbout knows that Elijah Browning

will bring the heat.

Both these competitors will bring the heat.

- Oh, my.

Neck-and-neck.

Neither could link that dismount.

Elijah slightly ahead.

That's huge.

- And the one thing that can be intimidating

is when you have a ninja right next to you

breathing down your neck.

They are facing each other, Akbar.

What an even matchup.

- They are gonna push each other.

Uh-oh, and now Elijah's got separation.

- And it's huge.

Remember, whoever finishes the previous obstacle

in the event of a fall.

And Elijah first on the Floating Monkey Bars.

- He's got a 7-inch height advantage.

He can use those long arms here.

- Uh-oh, but here comes Godbout.

- Oh, this is about to go down.

- And you can see, Elijah first off.

He's right into Piston Plunge, about a half obstacle ahead.

- Very easy to make a mistake here.

Very slippery here on Piston Plunge.

- And you can see Godbout stole a glance.

I think he made a decision, Akbar.

He knows he's not gonna catch him.

Pray for a fall.

- Piston Plunge can make you go plunging.

- And Boss just glanced at Godbout.

- Oh, he's going for it.

And he gets the win.

- What a race.

"The Boss."

Godbout trying to finish.

- Oh.

- Godbout goes down.

He kept it close for a while but couldn't

keep up with Elijah Browning.

The Boss looked good, and he's 1 and 0.

[cheers and applause]

Coming up, they've already got one win apiece.

Now Taylor Greene and Zhanique Lovett go head-to-head.

It's the mom versus the teenager

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

[cheers and applause]

- Welcome back to "Ninja Warrior's" all-racing

National Finals.

Minutes ago, group three finished

up their first round of races.

This was a battle between two prolific "Ninja" families,

Florida's Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright

running against Utah's Luke Beckstrand.

Between them, these families have

produced almost a dozen "Ninja" competitors

over the years.

- Fighting for family legacy here.

- Luke, the 17-year-old high school student,

has been one of the fastest ninjas all season.

And he came out hot again tonight.

- Come on. Are you kidding me?

- Caitlyn kept a steady pace, but no one

was catching Luke, who smashed the buzzer with the best

time of the night so far.

- Yeah.

- Wow.

He just did that in a little over a minute.

- Caitlyn battled to the Floating Monkey Bars.

- Whoa.

- But she's still got two more chances to get a win.

Female competitors have given us many memorable moments,

and one in particular was fantastic.

Before season eight, only a handful of women

had ever gone far enough in qualifying

to make it to the semifinals.

But on a magical evening in Philadelphia,

four women did it on the same night.

It started with occupational therapist Rachel Goldstein.

- You can hear the crowd chanting Goldstein.

all: Goldstein.

- Followed by schoolteacher Allyssa Beird.

- Look at that.

- And recent college grad Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

- Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- Then gym owner Michelle Warnky reached the fifth

obstacle, making it a record-shattering

four women in the top 30 and advancing to the semifinals.

- Michelle Warnky has done it.

- We dubbed them the Fantastic 4,

and their groundbreaking performance paved the way

for future women competitors.

The history-making Fantastic 4 are

number 19 in our memorable moments countdown.

And now we're gonna move on

to start the round two races,

beginning with group one

and a showdown between

the two women who lead

this group at 1 and 0.

Zuri is gonna get them started.

- They've already pulled off two epic upsets tonight.

Now, 17-year-old Taylor Greene and 38-year-old Zhanique Lovett

will have to face each other.

And this race has huge implications.

Whoever wins will be 2 and 0 and

in great position to move on.

- And what a year it's been for these two.

Zhanique, a mother of three, got her first buzzer.

Her family's watching, including her daughter,

who's older than Taylor.

And Taylor Greene's on an unprecedented run

for a female competitor.

She's got three buzzers, one on every course

she's faced this season.

- Come on, girl. Let's go, Tay-Tay.

- Everyone wants to see if she can keep that streak alive.

This is a huge race.

The winner will be on top of probably the toughest

group in the entire finals.

[countdown clock beeping]

Gotta make Taylor the favorite, but never count out Zhanique.

- Very even.

Well, Zhanique got her first-ever buzzer, just

the third mom ever to do that.

And look at this.

She is even with the great Taylor Greene.

- And, Matt, we've seen Taylor Greene here.

She's really good at running her race.

It may not seem like she has a quick pace,

but you better believe she's got a plan.

- But Zhanique was the first to dismount.

- Uh-oh, and she's sliding on Pole Grasper.

She's got to get up higher.

She's gonna lose a lot of time, Matt.

- She is in trouble.

- Oh, boy.

Oh! [air horn blares]

- Zhanique is down, but Taylor still

has to finish the obstacle.

- There she is, navigating through Pole Grasper.

She is one determined ninja.

- Well, there it is.

Taylor Greene takes care of business.

Gets the win over Zhanique.

But Taylor is gonna keep going, see if she can

get a record fourth buzzer.

She got one in qualifying, semifinals, and her first race.

- Let's look at what happened to Zhanique.

She caught that first pole too low

and just couldn't get a good grip

and slid down into the water.

An early exit for Zhanique Lovett, but she

still has one race left.

Taylor Greene is just setting a new standard for women.

She still has not fallen this season.

She's been perfect.

- Well, we've been so impressed with this 17-year-old.

4.0 student.

We saw her on "Ninja Junior" racing,

made it to the final four.

She's collecting her Ws, Matt.

- Akbar, we've never seen this amount of success this early,

and she's all but guaranteed to move on

from probably the toughest group in these finals

with Nacssa and RJ.

- Big reach.

Got it.

[cheers and applause]

And Taylor Greene--

- Nice.

- --just needs the dismount.

- She's getting that buzzer.

She's getting that buzzer.

- And another buzzer for the incomparable Taylor Greene.

[cheers and applause]

Still some races to go, but it looks

like Taylor will be moving on.

She'll be among the final 32 athletes competing

to be this year's champion.

- She's gonna be scary.

- Oh, yeah.

- Up next, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson's

finally met his match.

- Oh, let's go.

Yeah.

I don't think I've ever met anyone

in my life that matches my energy the way that Emily does.

- We'll meet "Ninja's" new power couple when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Round two races got underway moments ago for group four.

It was the Papal Ninja, 40-year-old church worker

Sean Bryan, going up against 20-year-old hairstylist

Anabella Heinrichs.

Both lost their first races, so they were

in desperate need of a win.

- Sean trying to get that first W.

- Bryan, appearing in his eighth National Finals,

used his veteran savvy to pull ahead.

But Heinrichs never gave up.

- That's it, Anabella.

- Closing in on a buzzer, Bryan needed a fingertip

save to stay alive.

- He's on the back end.

He's-- oh, my goodness.

Oh, get out of there.

- He made it through and rolled to the win.

[buzzer blares]

Heinrichs battled to the final obstacle.

- Oh.

- She falls to 0 and 2, while Sean Bryan is now 1 and 1.

Now it's the two others from this group,

both of whom won their earlier races.

- And this should be a good one,

as Enzo DeFerrari Wilson squares off against

Isaiah "The Flyboy" Thomas.

It's already been a good year for both.

Isaiah has three buzzers and earned

10 grand on the Mega Wall.

And Enzo, well, he got a new girlfriend,

fellow Ninja, Emily Gardiner.

- [laughs]

[horn honks]

- Oh, yeah, we're moving now.

My nickname is "Electric Enzo" for a reason.

If you're not careful, it will tip over.

It's a little unstable, you know?

- Tip over?

- I've always been one of the loudest people in the room,

one of the most energetic.

Stop, stop. There's no brakes.

There's no brakes. - Ahh!

- Then I met Emily, and I don't think

I've ever met anyone in my life that matches my energy the way

that Emily does.

- You got it. Come on.

- Emily lives up in New York, and I live in Florida.

- Oh, my gosh.

No way.

Long distance isn't really bad, honestly.

Like, we make it work.

- Oh.

We make sure to call each other every day.

And with trips that we plan, we get to see each other two

to three times a month.

[laughter]

When we see each other, it's always so much fun.

- It's like a little celebration every time.

both: Sunshine State just got a little brighter.

- Hey! - Let's go.

- Yay.

Cheers. - Oh, no.

- Oh, no.

- Come on, Em.

When I'm out on the course, I always

look for Emily in the crowd because I know if she's there

and she believes that I can get through it,

then I can definitely do it.

- Emily will be cheering along with Enzo's family.

You know they'll make some noise.

- Yo, I love y'all.

- And Flyboy will have his mom leading

the group on his sideline.

- Flyboy is the top seed in this group.

He's one of the favorites to win it all.

Enzo's fast, but the Flyboy will be tough to beat.

[countdown clock beeping]

Good start.

Enzo with a slight edge.

- OK, here we go.

- Wow. - Nice.

He's got the reach there.

You can see Flyboy using his reach to extend.

Here we go.

Nice.

And you see Flyboy going up high to make

sure there's no mistake.

- Wow. - Whoo!

- He just flew through that, and Ferrari

is selling out to keep pace.

- Two moves.

- Well, this is gonna be the fastest time we've

seen, barring a fall, Akbar.

These guys are moving.

But can they avoid mistakes when they're going this fast?

- Well, keep in mind, with these fast times,

you could lose this race and still advance

if you can get that buzzer.

Here comes Enzo.

- This is where Isaiah Thomas needs

to have situational awareness.

Doesn't need to make a crazy move.

[buzzer blares] - Yeah, boy!

- Got it. - Whoa.

- And Flyboy crushes the fastest time.

46 seconds.

Are you kidding me?

- And this is big for Enzo. [buzzer blares]

And Enzo gets a buzzer as well.

Two great times.

- You're fast.

- An unbelievable race.

Enzo, I thought I saw you hanging your head.

Don't, baby.

You guys were both flying.

Under a minute through the course.

- Oh, that's good at least. - Yeah.

Heck yeah, that's good.

- So, Isaiah, what did it feel like?

You were pushing the pedal to the metal.

- This guy's electric, so I know I had to go.

I ran my race, and I'm just happy it followed through.

- All right, boys.

We'll see you in the next one.

[cheers and applause]

- We've got two more speedsters about to face

off in our next matchup.

Zuri is gonna get them started.

- Guys, this is a race everyone wants to see,

"Ninja" vet RJ Roman versus his former student,

Nacssa Garemore.

RJ started training Nacssa nearly a decade ago.

Now these two friends face each other.

And both desperately need a win.

[cheers and applause]

- I first met Nacssa when he was about 9 or 10 years old

and half of my height.

There you go. Absorb it.

Up.

Nice.

- RJ Roman was my first ninja coach.

- It was obvious that he was gifted.

- And Nacssa is on a whole nother level right now.

- Everybody knew this kid was gonna go places.

- Whoo!

Oh, my goodness.

- He made that look easy.

- We've never seen that on the Falling Shelves.

- My Ninja career wouldn't have been this good without him.

- Uh-oh.

Still got it.

That was crazy.

- Me and him connect really well.

- We do hang out outside of training.

- Sauce it up. - Mmm-mmm-mmm.

- We'll eat some good food together and sometimes

even go go-kart racing.

[dramatic music]

- Whoa, buddy.

Nacssa went from student to training partner,

and now he is teaching me a lot.

Making me nervous.

- I'm excited to race my teacher.

[upbeat music]

- Well, we got excited when we saw

these two in the same group, but nobody

expected them to be 0 and 1, which

makes this race so important.

The loser will be 0 and 2, and it will be very

difficult for them to move on.

- That's a lot of pressure.

Go hard or go home.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here we go. Whoo!

- They are gonna push each other like they

do in training every day.

- I say, look forward.

Don't look side to side.

You got to cancel out your peripheral vision.

- Each taking an extra swing.

RJ first there.

- Matt, these guys are highly competitive.

- Wow.

- Nacssa is 4 inches taller.

Should have a little better reach.

- RJ staying ahead.

Wow. Did he pull away there?

And Nacssa has got to be feeling the pressure.

Nice. Big move.

A risky move there by RJ.

- RJ onto the Floating Monkey Bars,

but he's a little hung up, Akbar, and here comes Nacssa.

- I think Nacssa is running a very smart race.

He might be behind, but it's not over until it's over.

Oh, a slip.

- RJ onto the Floating Monkey Bars.

And that's a big finish.

- Oh, he's going for it.

- Are you kidding me?

Nacssa Garemore, who started off perfect,

90 obstacles in a row.

- But now he's starting to put it on now.

- Made the final climb twice.

- Oh! - RJ's down.

- Sha-na-na.

- Are you kidding me?

Nacssa has new life.

- Well, it was Nacssa running the smart race.

- On the final move, RJ's down, and Nacssa comes from behind.

[buzzer blares]

A heartbreaking end for RJ Roman.

- I love you, man.

- Matt, my heart can't take this.

I can't take this type of stress in my life.

- We love you, RJ.

- That's why we say it's never over until that buzzer is hit.

- Nacssa, man, you trying to give me a heart attack?

- You know, we both just wanted to clear, honestly.

I love RJ, man.

He taught me everything I needed to know about ninja,

and I appreciate that so much, bro.

- Well, I can tell you, RJ Roman's training paid off.

Well done, man.

That was a great race. - Thank you.

I appreciate it.

- But RJ, who came in as one of the favorites, is now 0 and 2.

He's down with Zuri.

- RJ, now, you know, I think most of us

would have expected me talking to you twice

would be after two wins here. - Yeah.

- Two losses.

Talk to me about what happened.

What went wrong here?

Because you were looking really great.

- Yeah, that was on me.

I definitely ran out of gas on that one.

When I landed, I just ran right into the next one.

I knew if I would have given him a chance to come back,

he would come back, right?

So, yeah, I punked out a little bit,

and it affected my technique, so--

- It's kind of just a reflection

of how good of a teacher you are, if we want to do

a little reframe here, yeah?

- Oh, yeah, shot myself in the foot with that one.

- Well, you still looked really good.

I know you're disappointed with how this ended up,

but it's always good to see you out here on the course.

- You, too. Thank you so much.

- Of course, RJ. Guys, back to you.

- RJ staying positive despite his second straight loss.

- Great job, dude.

- I don't think we expected this group to look like this,

RJ Roman at the very bottom.

He'll have one more shot in race three

to keep his season alive.

When we come back, two more must-see matchups.

It's experience versus youth when

40-year-old Sean Bryan takes on 19-year-old Isaiah Thomas.

And two of Ninja's fastest, Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning, battle it out on the National Finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's the first night of the National Finals,

and the races roll on here in Vegas.

Minutes ago, it was the second round

of matchups for group three.

First up was Luke Beckstrand, who looked dominant

winning his first race,

going against Jonathan Godbout,

who lost his first contest.

With his speed, Beckstrand is a contender to win it all,

but in racing, anything can happen.

- Oh!

- And Luke is out.

- Oh, my gosh.

- Luke tried to make a quick move to the third frame

and came up short.

So a huge upset win for Godbout,

and the drummer got himself a buzzer.

Both are now 1 and 1 and will need wins in their next race.

The group's next matchup featured "The Boss"

Elijah Browning going against Florida's

Caitlin Bergstrom-Wright.

The five-time veteran kept up a steady pace,

but the Boss was too strong and captured

his second straight buzzer.

He now sits atop this group at 2 and 0.

Luke Beckstrand and Jonathan Godbout

are right behind at 1 and 1.

Then we started round three races for group four.

First up was Enzo DeFerrari Wilson

taking on Anabella Heinrichs.

Enzo needed a win.

- Whoo! - That's what's up!

- And he got it, cruising to another finish.

So Anabella is eliminated, and Enzo is sitting at 2 and 1.

His fate now will be determined by this next race.

And it's all in Sean Bryan's hands.

The Papal Ninja needs a win to advance.

Otherwise, Enzo will move on.

But unfortunately, Sean will have

to beat the ninja with the fastest

time tonight, Isaiah Thomas.

the Flyboy is the top seed in this group, and he's 21

years younger than Sean Bryan.

- Come on, Sean.

- Let's go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, Matt, we know the Flyboy Ninja's got

the speed and the swag.

- He can go for broke.

A fast finish will improve his chances of being the top seed

in the next round.

Sean Bryan is a gamer though, and he's

keeping it close, big man.

- Oh, never sleep on Sean Bryan.

We know he always comes ready to play.

Oh, but he's starting to slip.

He's getting a little lower.

- Wow, look at these guys.

Sean Bryan giving it all he got.

But you can just see Isaiah is so effortlessly fast.

- And look at that excellent body control.

- That speed can be hard to keep up with.

- And Isaiah just destroying it.

- Matt, Isaiah is gonna break his time.

He's gonna actually go for the fastest time.

I think he's gonna do it.

- He set the mark at 46 seconds in an earlier race.

- He's got to get off.

He's got to get off now.

- An extra swing.

And he did it.

- Wow.

[cheers and applause]

- He ain't playing.

- Sean Bryan gave it a good run,

but he's not gonna get the win he needed.

- Oh, Sean Bryan.

A flipping dismount.

- This is flippin' crazy! I want to see that again.

Sean Bryan's season is over, but he went out in style.

So for this group, the Flyboy and Enzo are moving on.

We'll see them in the next round in a few weeks.

And now we move on to the final races for group three

and a critical matchup between Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning.

Luke came in as the top seed in this group

and one of the favorites to win it all.

But he's 1 and 1 and needs a win here.

The Utah teenager is part

of that Beckstrand "Ninja" dynasty.

His brother, Kai, another top contender, runs next week.

There on the sideline are Luke's girlfriend,

Payton Myler, one of the Ninja Kidz.

For Elijah Browning, a win would guarantee

him a spot in the next round.

If he loses, it'll come down to the fastest finish.

So big stakes for both of them.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, both these guys capable of going very fast.

Wow.

Oh, boy, this is gonna be a fast one, big man.

- Who will blink?

- And you can see Luke just linking these moves,

but a little hung up, couple extra swings.

- Luke is pushing it.

- Here comes the Boss.

Gonna use those long limbs.

- Matt, these guys are gonna push themselves.

They may come in at 40 seconds.

This is gonna be a good one.

- Oh, my goodness.

Can they keep this pace?

This is so fast, Akbar.

- Yeah, it's too fast to pass up.

Uh-oh.

- It's even.

- Here comes the Boss.

- Oh!

- A little smoother.

- That's it right there.

Using his long 6'2" body there.

- And Elijah just pulled ahead.

That is huge.

[cheering]

Elijah is using his long body.

He's got that bigger reach.

- Uh-oh, but then here comes Luke.

Luke just took a peek.

He just took a peek.

- Luke Beckstrand comes from behind and steals the win.

[cheers and applause]

And he keeps his season alive.

They're hugging.

Their moms are hugging.

That was spectacular.

What a nail-biter.

- Fellas, what a race that was.

Luke, take us through it.

You were behind on that final obstacle.

What happened?

- I knew I had to keep going.

Elijah's tough.

And I just kept working my way through it.

- What happened is he's a Beckstrand, bro.

That's what happened. [laughter]

- Well, Luke, with that win, you're guaranteed to move on.

- Let's go.

- Boss, you're in very good position,

but you've got to wait and see what happens

with Jonathan Godbout in the next race.

Still, a good chance both you guys are moving on.

Coming up, he's one of the best, but he's 0 and 2

and needs the run of his life to stay alive.

RJ Roman's last chance is up next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the semifinals, where minutes ago,

the fate of group three came down to the final race.

Jonathan Godbout needed a win against

Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright.

And he needed to finish faster than Elijah Browning's

time of 58 seconds.

Bergstrom-Wright tried to put the pressure on

but fell behind.

And this became a race against the clock for Godbout.

- He wants an opportunity.

He's got to push it. Nice.

He's got to make a big move.

OK, he skipped a rung.

- The heavy metal drummer went all out,

taking chances on the course.

- He's just got to go for it.

He got nothing to lose.

- He fought to the end and made it close

but came up five seconds short.

[buzzer blares]

So three ninjas finished 2 and 1 in this group.

But Godbout had the slowest finish,

so it's the other two, Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning, who move on.

The fastest third-place finisher on this course

will also move on.

Godbout has a chance to grab that spot,

but he won't know until all races

are completed in a few weeks.

Now it's the final races for group one,

and there's a lot riding on these matchups

as well, starting with our first one.

It features the star of these finals

so far, teen phenom Taylor Greene.

She's got two wins already, and she'll

be racing one of the favorites to win it all,

Nacssa Garemore.

But right now, he's in a must-win situation.

Nacssa bounced back from his shocking loss

to Zhanique Lovett with an impressive win

over his mentor, RJ Roman.

- It was Nacssa running the smart race.

- But without a victory over Taylor,

his season could be over.

- This, I consider, is my last chance.

A piece of me needs to wake up and realize

this could be it, you know?

- Racing Nacssa is intimidating.

People think that he's gonna win it all,

and I wouldn't be surprised if he does.

[rock music]

- It's vitally important for Nacssa to get a win.

For Taylor, it's a chance to continue

her history-making season.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here they are.

They're two of Ninja's best, and they're still teenagers.

Oh, Nacssa, you can see that speed.

He's really moving.

- Oh, he cleaned that up.

And no more problems for Nacssa on Swinging Frames.

You might think he would play it safe,

go a little slower to avoid a mistake.

- Nah, that's not Nacssa's style.

- Both of them part of the very bright future

of "Ninja Warrior."

And now Nacssa Garemore pulling away.

- Wow, I think that first fall for him,

Matt, gave him just a little nasty

taste that he does not like.

- Well, it took some of the pressure off, Akbar,

with that perfect streak going.

- That's exactly right.

- That's 91 obstacles.

- He is moving.

- And he goes right into Piston Plunge, Akbar.

Taylor Greene keeping some pressure on.

Well, we've seen it with Nacssa.

One of the greatest semifinals runs we've ever seen

in that 10-obstacle course.

About as fast as anyone's ever done it.

- Matt, he's going for under a minute.

- And Nacssa gets his second buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

Well, Nacssa Garemore, who thought his season was over

after that first loss, has now jumped ahead of Taylor Greene.

So Nacssa Garemore goes to 2 and 1.

Taylor Greene, at 2 and 1, doesn't get a win here,

but she still finishes the course.

So impressive.

[buzzer blares]

Well, Nacssa, you've come back, two wins.

And with that time, you're guaranteed to move on.

And, Taylor, you're in excellent position.

Congratulations.

Hit that buzzer one more time.

[buzzer blares]

- Whoo!

- Nacssa and Taylor are both 2 and 1,

but with the faster time, Nacssa takes the top spot.

Taylor will also move on

unless Zhanique Lovett, who runs next,

wins her race with a faster time than Taylor.

RJ Roman, who's 0 and 2, is in trouble.

He's about to face Zhanique in the final race for this group.

RJ has only got one chance to move on,

win the wild card, which goes to our fastest third-place

finisher on this course.

Right now, that would be Jonathan Godbout.

RJ will have to beat Godbout's time of one minute,

three seconds, and then hope that holds up

as the remaining groups compete

over the next two weeks.

RJ came in as one of the favorites.

Oh, oh!

But his falls in his first two races

have put him in a dire situation.

So RJ has just got to throw caution to the wind

and try to finish in under 1:03.

And Zhanique also still has a chance,

but she'll need to win with a very fast time.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Anything can happen.

It's why we run the races.

- It's so unpredictable.

You never know.

Well, you know RJ is running with a sense

of reckless abandon.

He knows what he must do.

- All right, that one might have cost him a little time

there, but let's see if he can make

that up here on Pole Grasper.

RJ Roman.

Matt, he is dialed in. Look at that.

- Wow. - Look at his body language.

It says it all.

- Well, it's kind of freeing, Akbar.

You don't have to worry about falling.

- He has to go fast.

- He's got to take some risks.

- And RJ Roman, he can move.

Yeah, this one, you want to hurry but don't rush.

Nice.

- This is what the best ones do.

They come up big in critical moments.

- He's coming in at under a minute.

He knows this.

- He's well ahead of Godbout's time.

Just needs to finish.

This is where he fell last time.

- Nice.

- Well, nothing's guaranteed, but RJ Roman might have

just kept his season alive.

He'll have to wait and find out.

Zhanique Lovett is eliminated, but she still wants to finish.

- Oh!

- Still, a tremendous history-making

season for that mother.

[cheers and applause]

- RJ, we know it was a frustrating start

with those two losses, but a Hail Mary run.

You still could be in line

for that fastest third-place finish.

What was your mindset going into that race?

- Yeah, man, like, it was a do-or-die run for me.

Hopefully it's good enough to keep me moving.

If not, you know, I had a great time out here.

I just wanted to show I still got a little bit left.

- Well, you have to wait a couple weeks

until all the other groups finish their races,

but you've given yourself a chance to move on.

Congratulations.

Hit that buzzer one more time. - Thank you.

I appreciate it. Number 20. [buzzer blares]

both: Number 20. [cheers and applause]

When we come back, a whole new set of athletes

racing on a new course.

- We've got some different obstacles

to challenge our ninjas. [air horn blares]

- And we'll see our first-ever

brother-versus-brother matchup,

YouTube stars Ashton and Paxton Myler,

part of the Ninja Kidz,

will face off in a run their millions of followers

won't want to miss on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to our new all-racing National Finals.

We've now switched over to our other race course.

For a look at what's different, let's check in with Zuri.

- Guys, it has been a blast watching these races.

And a couple of the obstacles

will be different on the second course.

Number two is now The Devil Steps,

a classic that debuted all the way back in season four.

- No! [air horn blares]

- That's followed by The Ring Jump,

which once took out 38 competitors

in a single night.

- Sha-na-na.

- The other obstacles are the same as our first course.

And just like in our first hour,

all four members in a group race each other.

The top two competitors will move on.

- And we'll kick off our round one races on this course

with group seven,

which features a couple of Floridians

and, more notably, two brothers

who will eventually have to race each other.

Leading it off will be Caleb Bergstrom

from the prolific Bergstrom Ninja family.

He'll be battling Ashton Myler

from the YouTube sensation the Ninja Kidz.

- Oh. Ashton Myler trying to take Caleb Bergstrom out

with a roundhouse kick.

- Well, all the Mylers are martial-arts experts.

And this season, they've shown they're

pretty good ninjas, too.

Ashton Myler hits that buzzer!

[buzzer blares]

- Man, I couldn't be more happy making it to Finals.

I also made it with my little bro.

- OK, Paxton Myler, I see you.

- Let's go.

- My family has literally been competitive since day one.

- After round 1, it's all tied up, 1-1.

And we've always been challenging each other,

pushing each other past our limits every single day.

And I'm excited to race and give it everything I got.

- That was amazing.

- Thank you so much.

[upbeat music]

- All the Mylers will be watching this run,

including Paxton, who will race next.

And let's not forget Caleb Bergstrom.

He's one of the sport's best.

He runs one of the country's top Ninja gyms in Florida.

His big family will be watching,

including wife, Ashley, and baby boy, Jason.

Caleb climbed stage 4 twice,

but he's the lower seed in this race

because he failed to finish the semis course.

- I still got to make Caleb the favorite.

He's very good at racing.

[countdown clock beeping] all: Ready, set, go!

- Oh, go time. Whoo!

Look at the Ninja Kid. OK!

- Ashton Myler putting the pressure on,

giving us our first look at The Devil Steps.

That's a 4-1/2-foot gap at the top.

And they are flying!

I love it!

Are you kidding me?

- Oh, Matt, this is a good one. I like this.

- Now onto our other new obstacle, The Ring Jump.

You have to hop the ring to the top

and then slide down the other side.

- This one could be a momentum killer.

You got to get in. It's real technical.

- And it's so hard making these moves.

- And there's Bergstrom.

- Oh, my gosh!

Did you see Myler do that continuous move?

- Oh, boy. Big move there by Bergstrom.

This is what I'm talking about.

- Oh, this is a tremendous race.

And Bergstrom, I don't think, expected

this kind of performance out of Ashton Myler.

He's a little hung up now on The Monkey Bars.

Caleb is catching his breath.

Bergstrom has an edge, but for Ashton Myler--

Oh! - Goodness!

- He's still alive! - He is!

- The bar hit the water, but he didn't.

- I thought he tore his ACL in that fall.

- And he went right into it, putting the pressure back

on Bergstrom.

Matt, he's catching up.

- Oh, my goodness! - Oh, boy.

Oh, boy. This is gonna be the biggest--

Oh, my goodness. [air horn blares]

- Ashton Myler falls on the transfer.

Caleb Bergstrom escapes with the win.

- Wow. - What a race.

- That's what I call big-time, primetime, showtime.

[cheers and applause]

These two were stride for stride at the beginning,

but after falling behind,

Ashton made a long dismount on The Monkey Bars,

hit his arm, and barely reached the pad.

But he bounced up and was neck and neck once again.

Then he slipped off a piston, and Caleb got the win.

- He's one of the favorites.

Caleb Bergstrom off to a strong start.

And now the other Myler brother is up.

16-year-old Paxton will be facing the top seed

in this group, Florida's Luke Dillon,

who's been perfect so far this year with two buzzers.

The 22-year-old recently moved from Rhode Island to Florida.

His girlfriend, fellow ninja Avery Glantz,

will be leading the cheers on his sideline.

- Paxton's a big underdog in this.

He's the 54th seed.

So he's got his work cut out for him.

[countdown clock beeping]

All right.

Oh, look at the Ninja Kid.

- Paxton Myler putting the early heat on Luke Dillon.

Here comes Dillon. - Wow.

Paxton said, I'm not backing down.

But this is where it comes down to experience.

- And Dillon just decimated The Devil Steps.

That was an exorcism.

- Well, Matt, he's a three-time national finalist,

four-time veteran.

He knows what's up.

- He's using a little different technique here on Ring Jump.

Good moves.

- He's got his back towards Paxton.

He said, I ain't worried about you.

both: Oh!

- He airballed.

- Paxton Myler sells out on the Ring Jump, splashes down,

and Luke Dillon has the win.

But he's gonna keep going, try to get a buzzer,

which could be a tiebreaker down the line.

- Well, let's look at what happened to Paxton.

He was starting to fall behind.

So he went for a big move on the second ring

and came up short.

Just got his fingertips on that ring.

Luke Dillon is motoring his way through Piston Plunge.

He's getting experience on these obstacles

for future races.

- He wants to get a buzzer to keep his perfect season going.

- One last move, and he's got it.

- Wow! [buzzer blares]

And a backflip.

- So the Mylers lose their first races,

but one of them is guaranteed to win the next one

because they'll be racing each other.

Coming up, from the beginning,

Kaden Lebsack wanted to be the best.

- Whoo-hoo.

- He's worked hard to make it happen.

His story's just ahead on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We had a flurry of races minutes ago,

starting with group five,

which features veteran James "The Beast" McGrath

and three teenagers.

The Beast led it off, trying to keep up with Jackson Erdos,

the former "Ninja Junior" champ.

- Look at Erdos. He's a speed demon.

We know he likes speed.

- McGrath's one of the older competitors,

but he kept it close,

despite having 20 years over the 17-year-old Erdos.

- It ain't over until it's over.

- In the end, Erdos hit the buzzer to get the win.

- Nice.

- McGrath also made it to the end.

A strong start for both.

Then it was the other two in this group,

a pair of 16-year-old rookies,

Christian Hart and Kenzie Hughes.

Hughes, the high-school flag football player from Illinois,

stayed right on the heels of Hart, who's from Connecticut.

- Oh, yeah, they're fighting. They know what's at stake.

- But as they moved down the course,

Hart began to pull away.

- Look at Christian Hart showing another gear.

- Hughes put up a good effort,

making it to The Floating Monkey Bars.

[air horn blares]

But she wasn't gonna catch Hart,

who got the win and a buzzer in his National Finals debut.

[buzzer blares]

Then it was group nine,

which includes top competitor Kaden Lebsack,

"Ninja" veteran Nick Coolridge,

and two teenagers.

One of them, 18-year-old Austin Baron,

faced Coolridge in the first race.

Coolridge was one of "Ninja's" best when he competed back

in seasons 7 through 10, and he put the pressure

on the teenager early.

- 36 years old. This is just muscle memory.

- But on Ring Jump, the five-time "Ninja" veteran

gambled and lost.

- Oh, he mistimed it! [air horn blares]

- Coolridge tried to make a long dismount

and came up short.

That meant Baron just had to complete

the obstacle to get the win.

The freshman at Notre Dame went on to finish the course

and get a buzzer.

- Great win for Austin Baron.

- Now it's time for the other duo in group nine.

From the small town of Churchill, Tennessee,

it's 17-year-old Hunter Ogden.

And he'll be racing one of the Ninja elite, Kaden Lebsack,

the two-time Last Ninja Standing

from Castle Rock, Colorado.

Kaden makes Ninja look easy,

but he's worked hard to get where he is today.

- I started doing Ninja when I was ten years old.

- Whoo-hoo.

- We saw how good and naturally talented he was at it.

- Lebsack flawless again. [buzzer blares]

- And we wanted him to fulfill his dream.

We were like, OK, can we pull this off?

Can we open up a gym in Castle Rock?

- All right, guys, today we have some rings.

We're gonna work on going quick through them.

We thought it'd be great for our community,

a great place for kids to come and learn and get stronger.

Yeah, good job, Roscoe.

Good work.

- Now it's been nine years.

- My mom and dad have definitely put

a lot of sacrifices into this gym.

I really try to do as much as I can,

especially to take the weight off of my parents.

We have a lot of people coming into Ninja Intensity--

a lot of kids, a lot of adults.

All right, guys, we're gonna start with 100 jumping jacks.

Just seeing all of those different types of age ranges

learning and becoming stronger is so cool to watch.

Great job, great job, great job.

* *

- And Kaden will have a group from the gym

watching his races tonight.

His parents on the sideline,

along with good friend Katie Bone.

Hunter Ogden is definitely the underdog in this race.

The high schooler is facing the pressure of the Finals

for the first time.

His family has come out to Vegas to watch him.

- Yeah, Kaden Lebsack had a fast finish in the semis.

He's the number-9 seed.

Hunter's 52.

So he's got to put in that work.

[countdown clock beeping]

- For 2 years in a row, seasons 13 and 14,

Kaden went farther in the competition than anyone else.

He's definitely one of the favorites

to win it all this year.

But Hunter Ogden, look at him climb!

Wow!

- Hunter Ogden is not gonna back down.

This kid has proved that he is a true warrior.

- Oh, my! And that's got to be disconcerting.

I don't think Lebsack was expecting this.

Look at those moves!

- That's a big move by Kaden, though.

- Wow. - Nice. Great control.

- And look at that, Ogden--

- Ogden's not backing down. - My goodness!

And Ogden off first.

He is really putting the pressure on Kaden.

- No time to rest now.

- Keep in mind, Kaden had falls in his last 2 races

in seasons 15 and 16.

- These ninjas have told us

these final obstacles are pumpy.

We know what that means.

Your forearms are gonna be worn out.

So who's got the strength, endurance?

- Oh, my God, they are dead even.

And Hunter first off, and that's huge.

As Kaden goes right into Piston Plunge.

But Hunter is waiting.

His arms are pumped out.

He's gonna see if Kaden falls.

Kaden must finish this obstacle.

- He said he's put in that extra work, and he has.

You can tell he's put in that extra work.

- And Kaden takes a peek.

- Make this grab to the steering wheel.

He's got to get in the middle, grab on the middle.

Nice. - Got it.

Oh, my, Lebsack gets the win.

- Let's go, Hunter. Come on.

- Hunter Ogden gave him all he could handle.

- He did.

- He's gonna finish the course.

Doesn't get a win but earns a ton of respect.

- Nice.

- That was unbelievable.

What a race.

Even the moms appreciated that.

Kaden's mom giving Hunter's mom a hug.

They were on the edge of their seats for that one.

- Kaden, were you surprised by how much Hunter Ogden

pushed you, buddy? - Dude, he was pushing me.

I kept looking over. I'm like, wow.

Like, I got to step it up a little bit.

- Why don't you guys hit that buzzer one more time together?

[buzzer blares]

Kaden gets the win, but Hunter represented

for his hometown of Churchill, Tennessee.

[cheers and applause]

Our Memorable Moments countdown features

another ninja from Tennessee.

Travis Rosen was a fan favorite.

He started in season two

and quickly became one of the sport's best.

Known as "The Ageless Wonder,"

he was still conquering courses at 43.

[cheers and applause]

But that all changed on stage 1 in season 10.

- Whoa!

He hit that pad hard.

- I knew immediately something was wrong.

- His ankle was shattered, requiring multiple surgeries

and a lengthy rehab.

- I couldn't walk. I couldn't play with the kids.

- A return to Ninja seemed like an impossibility.

But one year later, Travis was back,

with his family and devoted fans cheering him on.

He's through! - Nice.

- This is unreal!

- He conquered the course,

collecting his 10th-straight qualifying buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

Travis Rosen's miraculous return

is number 18 on our countdown.

Coming up, for the first time in "Ninja" history,

we'll see brother racing brother.

YouTube stars Ashton and Paxton Myler go head-to-head.

- Oh!

- Minutes ago, we started the second round

of races for group seven.

First up were Florida friends, Luke Dillon from Orlando

going against Caleb Bergstrom from Largo.

Both are top competitors who won their first race,

and they were neck and neck

through the first three obstacles.

- This is good. This is what it comes down to.

This is what you want in a race.

- But on The Salmon Ladder, Dillon tried to skip rungs.

Oh, no! - Oh!

- Bergstrom got the win.

He already had the fastest time on this course,

and he went even faster.

He's now 2-0 and in a good position to move on.

Dillon is now 1-1

and will face a critical third race.

Wow. This crowd's hyped for what's next.

We've been talking about it all night,

and Zuri's gonna get it started.

- You can be sure this next race will go viral.

It's brother against brother.

From the YouTube sensation, the Ninja Kidz,

it's Paxton Myler versus his big brother Ashton.

These two frequently go at it in their YouTube videos,

and they're super competitive.

- 2, 1, go.

We're the first siblings to ever race against each other

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Oh. - Oh, shoot.

- Oh! Let's go! - Ain't no way.

- I'm glad that I get to go against him.

I'm so glad he made it to Finals.

- Well, he's been putting in some work.

- Solid.

- Go!

- At our gym, we race.

- Come on, Paxton!

- We see who has the fastest time.

- Yes! Let's go! - Whoo!

- I think I'll have a pretty good shot at beating him.

I shared a room with Paxton for years,

and I'm not sharing this title.

- What the? I didn't know he could do that.

- So I'm gonna take him down.

- I might be the little brother,

but I'm gonna come up big.

- I can promise you this, one of the Ninja Kidz

is gonna win this race.

[cheers and applause]

- Millions of their fans are no doubt watching.

And, of course, so are their parents

and the rest of the family down on the sideline.

Well, both these guys lost their first races,

so they almost have to get a win here

if they want to move on to the next round.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Here we go. Let's see.

Wow.

- Strong start for Ashton.

- OK, and Paxton's right behind him, though.

He's not messing around.

- Little brothers are used to chasing their big brothers.

Can he catch him? - Wow.

You know big brother is not gonna let little brother get

into the race.

- Well, both these guys high-level gymnasts,

black belts in martial arts...

viral sensations.

Ashton Myler, steady progress here.

- Some of their videos have 700 million views.

They're social-media stars.

They're trying to be "Ninja" stars.

- And you can see, this Ring Jump

has been eating up these ninjas.

Even though there haven't been a ton of falls,

it's been responsible for a lot of falls, sapping energy.

And Ashton's gonna catch his breath.

- It's such a technical obstacle.

Paxton's really struggling on Ring Jump.

He's letting this get away.

- And Ashton is skipping rungs.

And again.

Paxton's got to get going.

- Come on, little bro.

Matt, I don't about you, but I'm Team Little Bro.

I'm going for Paxton.

- Well, this is a couple of little brothers

up in the host tower talking.

Well, he's got his work cut out.

Ashton almost two obstacles ahead, and Paxton's forearms

have to be burning.

- Big bro's been beating up on him

with pillow fights since they were young.

- He's got a lot of ground to make up, but here comes Paxton.

Ashton's resting his arms.

And Ashton steals a glimpse at his brother.

- No, he said, come on, little bro.

You heard him. He says, come on, little bro.

- Ashton's going to try and close it out on Piston Plunge.

Well, he's already been through five obstacles,

but he fell on this one earlier,

and it all adds up, Akbar.

- Matt, I'm looking at Ashton.

Looks like his grip strength is starting to wear on him.

Oh, boy. Can he make this transition?

Oh!

- Paxton's down.

Ashton gets the buzzer. [buzzer blares]

Big brothers everywhere win again.

[cheers and applause]

- Come on, Paxton.

- Oh, he fell. - Oh, he's in the water.

- Hey, Ashton, why you got to do little bro like that, man?

Why you got to big bro him?

- Well, when we're training,

me beating him is gonna make him better in the long run.

So I can't go easy on the little guy.

- OK, all right. Well, hit that buzzer one more time.

[buzzer blares]

So Ashton goes to 1-1.

He's got a crucial race coming up against Luke Dillon.

For Paxton, his season is likely over.

And now we move on to the second round

of races for group five,

and we're bringing out the young guns--

16-year-old Christian Hart and 17-year-old Jackson Erdos.

Both got wins in their first races.

And Erdos is reminding folks just how good he is.

[cheers and applause]

Erdos blowing the course away.

And Jackson does it!

- I was the "American Ninja Warrior Junior"

season three champion.

I just want the world to know

that I'm coming for Mt. Midoriyama.

- Whoa!

- Well, the forecast for Jackson Erdos is very bright.

[buzzer blares] - Let's go!

My rookie season on "Ninja Warrior,"

I pinky-promised Akbar that I would go all the way.

- You won "American Ninja Warrior Junior."

Are you winning "American Ninja Warrior"?

- I can pinky-promise you.

- [laughing]

[buzzer blares]

- And this season, I'm gonna deliver on that promise.

[dramatic music]

- Jackson Erdos has missed a few seasons.

And people kind of forgot about him,

but he's got the skills to go all the way.

- And look at this, their mothers on the sidelines.

They've swapped shirts.

That's the nature of "Ninja Warrior."

- These two train together.

These guys have competed against each other

in some of the local competitions

[countdown clock beeping]

- Jackson has a perfect season working.

He had the second-fastest time

in his night of qualifying and semifinals,

but he can be reckless.

Got the nickname "Jaccident"

because he got hurt so often doing risky moves.

Erdos a 5-inch reach advantage

but also about 30 extra pounds, a slight edge.

We'll see if that extra weight catches up to him

on the back half.

Good progress. Wow.

- Yeah, this is interesting.

Now let's see if he's got that dog in him to come from behind.

- We know this kid has a lot of heart--big throw.

Erdos about a half obstacle ahead.

But this is where Hart's lighter weight

should give him an edge.

- And, Matt, he's stuck on Ring Jump.

- Finally gets off it.

And that will gas those forearms.

Erdos almost off of Floating Monkey Bars,

while Hart fights his way up The Salmon Ladder.

- Erdos has a chance to regroup,

but he's going right into Piston Plunge, Akbar.

- He does not want to give Christian Hart an opportunity

to get right back into it.

He's got the strength, endurance.

He's got the speed.

- And he's on pace for the fastest time

on this course.

[buzzer blares]

And he does it.

Jackson Erdos is assured of moving on.

And he could do some damage in the next round.

And Christian Hart fighting on The Floating Monkey Bars.

Akbar, you've got to think of those extra moves

on Ring Jump.

- Big move. Ooh...

Ooh!

- Christian Hart splashes down.

Now he's gonna need a win over his hero, James McGrath,

in the next race to move on.

And now our Memorable Moments countdown

takes us back to season four.

That's when 53-year-old Kelvin Antoine

took on the course in Venice qualifying.

Antoine was a super-fit father of two

and a grandfather of six.

His nickname was Grandpa Ninja,

and his run that day in Venice was one for the ages,

as he improbably powered his way

through the first five obstacles.

Wow!

- That is some impressive strength.

- In those days, before Ninja gyms,

The Warped Wall was a formidable obstacle.

More than 50 athletes failed to reach the top that season.

And Antoine came up short on his first attempt.

But on the second...

Oh, my goodness! Yeah!

At 53, he set the record

as the oldest competitor to conquer The Warped Wall.

[cheers and applause]

Grandpa Ninja Kelvin Antoine

is number 17 on our countdown.

Coming up, when we first met Nicholas Coolridge,

he was a dumpster-diving surfer dude.

Now, a decade later, he's a social-media star.

We'll see him race next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Minutes ago, one of our oldest finalists,

James "The Beast" McGrath, took on one of our youngest--

Illinois high schooler Kenzie Hughes, who's just 16.

- Nice.

Kenzie Hughes off to a great start.

- The teenager kept it close through the early obstacles,

trying to keep pace with the 37-year-old McGrath,

who's a 13-time "Ninja" veteran.

- She's in it.

- Hughes remained in striking distance,

as both took on Floating Monkey Bars.

But that's where she lost her grip.

- Oh!

- So "The Beast" got the win,

and he was able to coast to the buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

- Yeah!

- That makes McGrath 1-1,

tied with his former student Christian Hart.

These two will face each other in their final race,

with the winner taking second place in this group

behind Jackson Erdos.

We also just saw another race from group nine.

College student Austin Baron led it off

against teenager Hunter Ogden

from tiny Churchill, Tennessee.

- Ready, set, go!

- The race started fast and ended even faster.

- Oh, no. [air horn blares]

- Ogden never got a good grip on the rope,

and he hit the water on the very first obstacle.

- I didn't see that coming.

- So it was an easy win for Austin Baron,

and the student at Notre Dame

could breeze his way to a buzzer.

He's now 2-0.

Now it's the other two from group nine.

It's one of Ninja's current stars, Kaden Lebsack,

against a fan favorite from the past, Nicholas Coolridge.

When we first met him a decade ago,

he made quite an impression.

- All right, so we're on our way to the dump store...

[laughs]

Where all the food is free-99.

People definitely still remember me

for being the Dumpster Diving Ninja.

That's still a part of my life.

There might actually be something in here.

Just put it in my fridge and save it for later.

- Look who the ninja wind blew in.

- I haven't competed in seven seasons.

- Tarzan still doing it.

[buzzer blares] Nicholas Coolridge is back.

- I get pretty anxious thinking about what's gonna happen,

but I feel like I might have a bit of an advantage,

since they're bringing back

some of the traditional obstacles

from back in the day.

- There you go. That's it.

Almost like riding a bicycle.

- I mean, here I am, National Finals.

I guess I still got it.

[uplifting music]

- This season we invited back several ninjas

from the past who we hadn't seen in a few years.

Nick is the last one still in the competition,

but he needs a win in this race.

Both these guys have plenty of fans to cheer them on.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Pretty similar in size, about a 20-year age difference.

- Nicholas Coolridge putting that pressure early

on Kaden Lebsack. - These guys can both move.

- Yeah, you can only hope that Kaden Lebsack

makes a mistake because he sees Nicholas Coolridge.

- Wow!

- Oh, Nicholas already out in front on The Devil Steps.

- Well, Coolridge got tripped up here on The Ring Jump.

He made a bold, aggressive move.

What will he do this time? - Well, he's learned from it.

And now look at Kaden, trying to make big moves.

- Lebsack a little more conservative going click-clack,

but it's working, and Coolridge launching.

- Aw! - And then hung up.

Oh, The Ring Jump giving Coolridge trouble again.

And Lebsack now has the lead.

And he's already on The Floating Monkey Bars.

Coolridge-- see if he can close the gap

or at least keep some pressure on him.

- Matt, I don't know that he's all the way recovered.

- No! Coolridge is out!

And now Kaden can coast to another win.

- Coolridge was pumped out from The Ring Jump,

didn't give his arms time to rest,

and he just lost his grip.

- Just a couple more moves,

and Kaden will be able to capture another buzzer.

- Yeah, I think for the heavier and older ninjas,

training strength endurance is key.

[buzzer blares]

- Well, Kaden finishes even faster than round one.

Unfortunately, that all but seals

the fate of Nick Coolridge.

Kaden and Austin Baron are both 2-0,

and they'll be moving on to race in the next round.

Want to know what it feels like to be racing

side by side on our course?

Here's a ninja's point of view

presented by the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card,

giving you unlimited access

with this behind-the-scenes look.

And you can see just how difficult it is

to pop up and over on Ring Jump.

- Then you got to jump up the rungs of The Salmon Ladder,

and it takes precision to place the bar in the cradle

on Floating Monkey Bars.

- On Piston Plunge, you may try to take

a peek over at your competition,

but you have to keep going.

You need one more move.

- Oh, no.

- It's not easy to get a buzzer.

Well, now it's time to move on to our round three races.

And who moves on from group seven

is gonna be decided by this next matchup.

Both these guys are 1-1 and need a win--

Ashton Myler versus Luke Dillon.

- All right, brother.

- We know Caleb Bergstrom is moving on.

Which one of these ninjas will be joining him?

All those fans of the Ninja Kidz

probably rooting for Ashton.

[countdown clock beeping]

Good start for Ashton. Wow.

- Oh, wow. Ashton is not playing around.

- Well, he's putting the pressure on Luke Dillon.

- You can only like and subscribe

if you can stick around.

- Wow, look at that descent.

- Nice.

- Ashton is flying onto The Ring Jump.

Here comes Luke, though. - Whoo.

- Oh, good move.

- Man, Ashton is moving around on this course--

- Oh, no! - Oh!

- Ashton Myler's out.

And with that, Luke Dillon gets the win.

- Wow. Wow. - He's moving on.

That's the end of the Ninja Kidz.

But, boy, what a season, especially Ashton Myler.

- He's still in shock. You can see.

Ashton was leading the first part of the race,

but as he slid down on Ring Jump,

got caught up on the lower pegs,

his fingers peeled off, and he just flipped into the water.

- And though he already has the win,

Luke Dillon has not slowed down.

He's about to finish.

He'll be 2-1, and he and Caleb Bergstrom

will be the two moving on from group nine.

[cheers and applause]

- Coming up, it's down to the wire for The Beast.

To keep his season alive, he'll have to beat

a teenager who idolizes him.

That's next on "ANW's" National Finals.

- We're counting down "Ninja's" memorable moments,

and our next one comes from The Cowboy Ninja,

Lance Pekus.

From his earliest runs,

the Idaho rancher has been a fan favorite.

And his wife, Heather, was always cheering him on.

But in season nine, Heather was absent from the sideline.

And at the National Finals, Lance and Heather shared

the heartbreaking reason why.

- Heather got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS.

- I went from trying to run

to a walker in ten months.

[crying] We tried a whole bunch of medicine

and treatments.

- Lance and Heather hoped sharing their story

would help others.

- She said, how can I be an inspiration?

[voice breaking] I'm sick. How--Sorry, sorry.

She's, by far, the toughest person I know.

- Despite a heavy heart, that night in Vegas,

Lance had the run of his life.

- And everybody here is going crazy for the Cowboy.

- He put up the fastest time that night on stage 1.

In the years since, Lance and Heather have used his platform

on "Ninja Warrior" to raise awareness about MS.

And their story is number 16 on our countdown.

We're wrapping up our first night of Finals

with group five.

Minutes ago, teenagers Jackson Erdos

and Kenzie Hughes had fun before their final race.

- Yeah, a little Rock Paper Scissors.

- Oh.

- And it was like a pep rally when they hit the course,

with cheers from Erdos's classmates in Philadelphia

and Hughes's football team in Illinois.

Hughes, who's having an impressive rookie season,

was trying to keep up

with the former "Ninja Junior" champ

but got hung up on Ring Jump.

- Oh!

- From there, Erdos could coast to the buzzer.

It's his third win.

- Nice.

- He'll be one to watch in the next round.

- Yes!

- But who will be joining Jackson from group five?

That'll be determined by our next race

that features one of the all-time greats,

James "The Beast" McGrath,

running for his life against one of his biggest fans,

16-year-old Christian Hart,

who's been on the sideline cheering for The Beast.

Now he might be sending him home.

- James is a legend of "Ninja Warrior."

- Look at the power out of The Beast.

Come on, Beast. Get that buzzer.

- I've known Christian for a long time.

I remember Christian always being, like,

one of the smallest kids in the gym

but always giving his whole heart into it

and doing his best.

Good job, brother.

- He might be able to get it.

Oh, my goodness. - Oh-ho!

- I was on the sidelines cheering for James McGrath,

and now he's gonna be right beside me.

- To see him get to the point where he's at now...

- Nice.

He went from Hartcore to hardcore.

- It's just really cool to see.

- I've admired James McGrath for the entire duration

of my Ninja career.

all: [chanting] Beast, Beast, Beast.

- But tonight I got to slay The Beast.

- "The Beast" has the experience,

but at 37, he's one of the oldest competitors

in the Finals.

Can he keep pace with the teenager?

[countdown clock beeping]

- The Beast is 8 inches taller.

Let's see if that'll help him.

- And The Beast wants to put the pressure on.

Can he use that wingspan?

Look at Hart. - Look at that.

He is not afraid,

and he's facing towards The Beast.

- Oh, nice, and McGrath keeping a slight edge.

No, Hart first off.

- Yeah, Christian Hart looked like he was on the playground

with that one.

- And you see McGrath, a misfire there.

[indistinct shouting]

McGrath just uncomfortable.

- Christian going with the big move.

Nice! And he went with the switch grip.

- Oh, my goodness.

McGrath using the frame, but he is behind.

- Christian Hart is like, you know what?

I got to put the fandom to the side.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, this is when 37 years of age catches up to you.

- But he's got the experience.

He's been doing this for so long.

- When The Beast first competed,

Christian Hart was only two years old.

James is old enough to be his dad.

And you can just see it, Akbar.

Christian Hart, at just 116 pounds,

soaring through The Floating Monkey Bars.

But here comes The Beast.

- Beast is still in it. Nice.

- Christian Hart just keeping that steady pace.

- This kid has got a lot of heart.

He's also starting to grimace.

He's saying, hold on, everybody, just give me that.

He's taking a look back to see how much time he's got to rest.

- Now they're even, but Hart was off first,

so now McGrath either needs to beat him across Piston Plunge

or hope for a fall.

But he's running out of time. The Beast has got to go.

- Don't you blink at McGrath. Don't you blink.

Run your own race, young fella.

- This is the big move.

Got it. - Nice. He can see it.

He can feel it.

- Christian Hart takes out one of the best

to ever do it in James McGrath.

[cheers and applause]

- Oh!

- And McGrath just can't keep up.

- James...

- Hey, everybody, Beast, Beast...

- Oh, look at that. Oh, come on.

That's the guy that he grew up watching.

- So Christian Hart joins Jackson Erdos

as the two ninjas advancing from group five.

And McGrath does have a chance of moving on.

Like RJ Roman on the first course,

he could be a wild card.

He's got the best time

among those in third place right now,

but he'll have to wait and see

if that holds up,

as others race on this course in the next two weeks.

And there are still many talented ninjas yet to come--

Joe Moravsky, Jessie Graff, Daniel Gil, Kai Beckstrand,

and more will be in action next week,

as we race to crown a new champion.

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

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

[dramatic music]

* *