American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 12, Episode 3 - Qualifier 3 - full transcript

[exciting music]

♪

- Welcome back to St. Louis.

We're indoors, and it's huge.

It's the Dome
at America's Center,

and this is our home
for this entire season

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everybody,
and thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila,

and, Matt, I am ready
to make some noise tonight.



- Well, we can make
a lot of noise

because, as you can see,
there are no fans

along the course this season
due to COVID safety guidelines.

- Yeah, that's right,
but even without the crowds,

it's a great atmosphere
here in the Dome.

Last week we saw Flex Labreck
set a new record

among women ninjas
when she got her fifth buzzer.

- She's back!

- Nick Hanson conquered
the Mega Wall.

[buzzer blaring] - [screaming]

- And Jake Murray was fearless
on the Power Tower.

- Jake has done it!

And once again the field
for tonight, Akbar, is loaded.

- Yeah, absolutely,
and leading the way



is crowd favorite Jessie Graff.

♪

- She's done it!

- The superhero stuntwoman
is back,

and she brought an impressive
group from the West Coast.

- It's unbelievable
what they can do.

♪

- We've also got the Phoenix,

Philadelphia's Najee Richardson.

- Yeah!

- And he chose
two inspiring rookies

to join him on the course.

- I'm so excited to see these
guys come out and kill it.

- Michelle Warnky
was a warrior last season,

hitting two buzzers.

Now she's got a new name,

and she's bringing two
new faces from her Ohio gym.

- We're all representing
Columbus, Ohio.

We hope to make Ohio proud.

- ♪ Come on and show me
what you got ♪

- Plus the Papal Ninja,

Catholic church worker
Sean Bryan

is back after an injury.

- He dislocated
his right shoulder.

- And he's brought two holy men

to spread some hope
on the course.

- We're all in this together,
and we're gonna overcome.

- Well, one thing
that hasn't changed, Akbar,

our course is still a beast.

For more on that,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Thanks, guys.

As always,
our ninjas are gonna have

to survive six obstacles
on the qualifying course,

but this third one is brand-new,

and it's gonna cause
some major buzz here tonight.

It's called the Beehive,

and competitors have to swing
across the three honeycombs.

That middle one
spins 270 degrees.

Survive that, and our ninjas
will face three more obstacles

before they can hit the buzzer.

[buzzer blaring]

And the night ends here
at the Power Tower,

where the two fastest
will race head-to-head.

The winner gets to bring
both members of their group

to the semifinals.
[buzzer blaring]

All right, these ninjas
wanna get going.

Guys.

- Well, we're gonna get things
cooking Southern style,

because leading us off
is 51-year-old Bootie Cothran

from Possum Kingdom,
South Carolina.

- Oh. Uh-oh, Bootie got TP!

- We'll explain that
in a minute.

You see, Bootie's part of
a fun bunch of characters

with some real Southern charm.

- This year I'm hitching
my Bootie Bandwagon

to Dougie Fresh.

You can't hang around Dougie

without this happy energy
going on.

And we brought along
the Frog Giggin' Ninja,

Ben Whitlow... [frog croaks]

To have some good,
old country-fried fun.

- I got him!

- This year, life on my farm
has been super busy.

We thinned out some trees
we planted 15 years ago,

and we turned them
into paper products.

The timing was pretty good
in terms of, you know,

the world's
toilet paper supply needs.

Business is booming.
[toilet flushes]

You might have
been doing your business

with something
that originated from our farm.

That's two-ply gold, baby.
[cash register dings]

Tonight, I'm having a TP party

on top of the Warped Wall,

and everybody's invited.

I'm hitting that buzzer.

- Well, I got a slogan for it.

That toilet paper,
it's good for your Bootie.

- [laughs]

Well, there he goes,
sharing the wealth.

- And his devoted fans,
the Bootie Bandwagon,

they're here in spirit,

on the sideline with
his two Southern sidekicks

who we'll see run later.

And watching from South Carolina

are Bootie's parents...

His sister-in-law and brother,

and fellow ninjas
Grace and Brett Sims.

- Whoo!
- Yeah, Bootie!

[countdown clock beeping]

- And here we go, 5'6",
105 pounds,

51 years old.

Good agility out of Bootie.

Now the Lunatic Ledges.

Gotta use that first ledge

to swing out
and jump to the second.

- Matt, you know, the last
time I weighed 105 pounds,

I was in the third grade.

- Whoa, whoa, oh, no!
- Oh, no, Bootie!

♪

- Bootie gets flushed
on number two.

- [laughs]

- The Lunatic Ledges.

- Well, that was quick.

Bootie just didn't work up
a big enough swing

to reach that second ledge,

and he goes flat-out
into the water,

his hopes wiped out
on the second obstacle.

- Not the way
it was supposed to go,

but it's all good, baby.

- So now it's the next member
of the Southern squad.

It's Devin Harrelson,
AKA Dougie Fresh.

He's always got some swag,
Akbar.

- He's lighting up the shoes
once again.

- Well, it's been a tough year
for Dougie,

but the ninja community
came through for him.

♪

[cheers and applause]
His best run ever!

- Last year, hands down,

the best night
of my ninja career.

- Matt, he's as lit
as his shoes.

- But then I came home
from Atlanta,

and my world got rocked.

Just never seen something
like this, man.

Who vandalizes a gym?

My ninja gym,

my tattoo studio...

completely wrecked, destroyed.

All the mats are here.
It's crazy.

The insurance we had

didn't cover vandalism,

so I took a complete, total loss

on everything that I built.

♪

It's hard to talk about that.

♪

The next few months,
I was very depressed.

You're supposed to be strong,
and you can't.

♪

[crying]

♪

I had to find a way
to get out of this hole.

Insert the ninja community.

They set up a fundraiser for me,

and one of the competitions
I went to,

they presented me with a check,

and, oh, man,

my heart was
overwhelmed with love.

Ninja community is...

It's a community like no other.

- Dougie, whoo!
- Whoo!

- Let's go, Dougie!
- You've just gotta love

how these ninjas
lift each other up.

And that's especially
what this season's all about.

- Oh, there's
the start line selfie.

Dougie takes one every year.

Matt, how come you and I
don't take selfies, man?

We should take a selfie
just like... yeah,

let's take one in the booth.
- All right, we can take one.

- Let's take one, let's take...
- Socially distant.

- Oh, yeah, socially distant,
right?

[shutter clicks]

All right, that was for Dougie.

- Let's go, Dougie!

- Dougie's gonna have
the whole family watching

back in the Carolinas,

including his two-year-old
twins, his daughter,

and his older son.

[countdown clock beeping]

Dougie's had some good runs,

but he's never hit a buzzer.

Could tonight be the night?

This is where Bootie
just went down,

the Lunatic Ledges.

- And you've gotta generate
a big swing here.

- An easy jump.

- Come on, Dougie.
- Oh, no!

- Come on, man.
- You got this, Dougie!

- Don't be scaring me like that.

- Well, it's another spot
you can get in trouble here.

You need to jump early, before
the ledge loses momentum.

- Yeah!
- And Dougie gets through.

Now facing a brand-new
obstacle, the Beehive.

You have to swing across
those three honeycombs

with only a small area
for your hands.

The middle one rotates
around 270 degrees

and then will lock into place.

- Nice, did you see
how he used his momentum

to turn that honeycomb around?
- And you can see,

you can only grab them from
the backside, and he got it.

- Nice!
Yeah, yeah, he's got it now.

- Great job by Dougie.
He's finding a rhythm.

Fourth obstacle tonight:
the Spinning Bridge.

- Quick, fast steps!

- All different heights
on these,

that's a real challenge
to keep your balance.

- Nice... ooh!
- Oh!

- Oh, my goodness!

- Hard impact!
- He bounced hard!

- But he just shimmied it off.

- Let's go!

- My goodness,
that's a hard impact.

- Getting closer
to his first buzzer.

Dougie now ready
for the Ferris Wheel.

He faced this last year
in Atlanta.

- Well, he fell on it
in qualifying,

but he beat it
in the city finals.

- Has to climb across
the two wheels

using those red handles.

You can go across the bottom

or the top,
like Dougie's doing here.

- And gotta hold on
for this drop.

- Hold on.
- Got it!

- Now needs to reach over
to the second wheel.

- You got it, Dougie. Breathe!

- He's gotta climb up
and then make that transfer.

- There it is.
- Nice.

- Across... will he go
up and over?

- You got it, you got it,
you got it.

- No, no!
- No, not again!

[all groaning]

- No worries, Dougie.
- The grip gave out,

and another run ends
without a buzzer for Dougie.

- Dougie always lights up
the course

with his personality,

and he showed us how to do it
on the Beehive,

survived a face plant
on the Spinning Bridge,

and then just lost his grip
on the Ferris Wheel.

We'll have to see if
that keeps him in the top 12.

- That is very un-Dougie.
That's not fresh, right?

- Tonight, your favorite
ninjas are back,

and they're giving some new
faces a chance to shine.

- ♪ All the stars
are out tonight ♪

- He's a rock and roller
who likes to shred the course.

- [screaming]
- And R.J. Roman's

recruited a band
of Florida ninjas.

- Whoo!
- We got to lift each other up

and help each other out.

- ♪ All the stars
are out tonight ♪

both: Whoo! - And up next...

the Towers of Power
were already too much fun.

Now they've added
a pro wrestler to their group.

- ♪ All the stars
are out tonight ♪

- Three guys broing out...
You can't beat that.

- Hey!

- When "American Ninja
Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to the Dome
at America's Center

in St. Louis for our third week

of competition here
on "American Ninja Warrior."

While we were away,

three ninja parents
with new kids at home

were out to show
that though training

may be
slightly more difficult...

- Hold on tight.
- Parenthood would not

slow them down
on the ninja course.

First up was their leader,
Rachael Goldstein,

one of our top women athletes
who missed last season

while pregnant
with her daughter.

- Finley will be a ninja soon.

- Good girl!
- You got this!

- And with
eight-month-old Finley

watching from back
in Buffalo, New York,

the new mom made it

to the brand-new obstacle,
the Beehive...

- Yeah!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

- Beyoncé ain't seen
this Beehive right here.

Oh, nice!

[cheering]

- Before missing the grab

on the third honeycomb.

Oh! - Oh, no!

And down goes Rachael Goldstein.

- [fussing]

- Sean Darling-Hammond's
another ninja

with a new baby at home,
his son, Kofi.

- Daddy Sean Darling-Hammond.

- And the six-time ninja veteran

had it rolling on the course

and rumbled across
the Spinning Bridge.

- Boy, he landed right
on his piriformis.

What's up, man?

Hey, how come
I don't get the love?

- All day! All day for y'all!

- And after sending us
some love in the host tower,

the Giving Ninja's grip
gave out on the Ferris Wheel.

- Ohh! Love you too, brother.

♪

- Now here comes
the third member

of that ninja parents group

put together
by Rachael Goldstein.

This is Jericho, New York's
Whitney Sigler,

and she's got five kids at home.

- Oh, check that out.

I've got four
and she's got more than me!

- Look at the emotion.

Left her kids a message
just minutes ago.

- Oh, my gosh, I can't believe
this is finally happening.

Guys, I love you so much.

I wish you could
be here with me.

I miss you.
I'm doing this for you guys.

I hope I make you proud.

God, I wanna hit that buzzer
so badly.

I love you guys.

- And in addition to
her husband and kids,

she's got her big extended
family back in Long Island.

- Look at them.
They're going nuts!

- And a special guest.

That's her brother
and sister-in-law.

Yeah, that's actress
Jamie-Lynn Sigler,

who played Meadow Soprano
on "The Sopranos."

- Oh, my gosh,
I'm so excited for her.

- And you can see, Matt,
she is full of emotions.

♪

- Come on, Whitney!

- Be confident! You got this!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Coming out here
as a 39-year-old rookie.

She's taking big strides.

- Yeah!
- Good confidence.

- Oh, I love that.
- Take it here, take it here!

- You got it!

- Get a little lower
on that rope.

- Oh, come on, now.
- Watch the water!

- Come on now.
- Here you go.

- Oh, right on her stomach,
okay.

- Oh, hard impact.
Her kids, the cousins,

everybody loving that save
on the Shrinking Steps,

and look at Jamie-Lynn.

She can hardly take it.

Gets through that first
obstacle and takes a breath.

- She is tough as a mother.

- Come on. Come on, Whitney.

- Be confident and go for it!
Go big!

- Sean Darling-Hammond
says go big.

See what she can do
on Lunatic Ledges.

- Oh, right away!
- Oh, no!

Went for a quick transfer,
Akbar.

Didn't have the momentum.
- Yeah, Matt, you're right.

Instead of building up
some swing,

she just went for that second
ledge and came up short,

but, you know what?

She thrilled her kids
and family.

- Good try, Whitney!
- Good job, Whitney!

- Sorry, guys. I love you.

- Good try, Whitney!
We love you!

- Our next competitor
is a professional wrestler,

and he's such a star,
he's got his own hype man.

- I am the Latin Kraken,
Primo Pulpo,

and today I present my client,

the Chi-Town Shinobi,

the Obliterator of Obstacles,

the Sem-sei,

Sem Garay!

- Oh, tell me
you can't feel that!

- I feel like we don't
need to do anything.

- That's a...
- Primo Pulpo knocked it

out of the park!

- Matt, that is a hell of

an intro right there. - Oh, my!

- And look, he's got the belt!
Oh, boy.

- Well, if it's not clear,

this is pro wrestler Sem Garay.

He's on a squad
from Chicago led by

the Towers of Power,
Brandon Mears and Dan Polizzi.

- They could be
a wrestling tag team.

- Let's go!

- Come on, baby!
- Come on, crush it!

- They train together
in Chicago,

and Sem's got
a lot of other support

back in the Windy City.

He's got his family...
[cheering]

his good friend Joshua...
- Let's go!

- And of course, his manager
and hype man, Primo Pulpo.

- Yes! Come on, let's go!

- Dude's a legit athlete.

He hit a buzzer in
his first time on the course

last year
in Cincinnati qualifying.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Here we go, baby. Here we go!

All: [chanting] Go, go!

- Sem dancing.

- Well, let's see you put your
wrestling move on this one.

- Used to performing
in front of big crowds,

an unusual situation here,

but this guy
always brings the energy,

and a great job
building up that momentum.

- Oh, baby! Come on!

- Now he's gotta
make that transfer.

Nice! - Real good job.

We've already seen
a couple people go out here

on the Lunatic Ledges.

- Oh, but not Sem-sei!

- Let's keep going! Keep going!

- There you see Primo
barking out commands.

- Oh, man.
- Oh, what?

He's bringing on
the old-school dance!

Hey, his buddy's into it too.

- The Towers of Power
getting jiggy with it.

- Let's go, baby.

- Matt, I'm not sure dance
is their thing.

- Sem's gotta get dancing
on the course.

Up next, the Beehive.

Gotta fly through the air.

- Yes.

And you gotta turn 270 here,
270 twist.

Now go.

- Gotta get it north-south,
north-south.

Good job by Sem Garay. - Nice!

I'm impressed! 5'8", 175 pounds,

carrying and catching
his body weight like that

is impressive.

Look at that. With style!

[cheering]

- This dude is legit.

Watch his footwork
on Spinning Bridge.

- These are like
big turnbuckles.

- You can get body slammed.
- Nice, go, go, go, go.

- Oh!
- Boom!

Gets body slammed right there!

- Rolls through it!

Yeah! - Listen!

Come on! Come on, flex on them!

- Yeah!
- Ahh!

- But now he's gotta
bring that power

to the Ferris Wheel.

We saw it with Devin Harrelson;

the hard impact cost him
on the Ferris Wheel.

Will Sem have enough juice
to get through this?

- Matt, let's keep it real.

Sem Garay is
a two-sport athlete now.

He's a wrestler and a ninja.

- You got this, amigo.

You must now focus.

- Having a little trouble
getting that wheel going down.

See, you see what
he's trying to do?

Start it on one
and then go back to

the other handle to be higher.
- Hold on.

Don't get DDT'd!

- Used up a lot of energy,

taking a long time
on this obstacle.

- Matt, he's gotta get out.

He's got a lot of mass,
so he's gotta move quickly.

He can't fool around
on the Ferris Wheel, Matt.

- And you can see,
using his lower body

to build up that momentum.

- Keep going!

- Don't play around!

- Now, you see what he's doing,

using the two handles,
trying to drop.

Going on to the one,
a little safer.

You're gonna have a longer drop.

- Nice!
- Oh!

That drop!

- Body slams.
- Oh!

- It's all right, man.

- The wrestler down for
the count on the Ferris Wheel.

One, two, three! - Two, three!

And you're out!

Sem Garay is a performer,

and he put on a show
on this course,

but he was finally taken down
by the Ferris Wheel.

We'll have to wait and see

if that gets him
into tonight's top 12.

Hey, give me that belt!

You got body slammed.

One, two, three, you're out.

Oh, come on, man.
Give me that belt!

- I'm the champ!
- Oh, he's the champ.

- I love it.
That's what a champion does.

- A wrestler always says that.

- You get pinned,
you're still the champ.

- I'm the champ.
- [laughs]

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior."

Now, our qualifying night
is gonna end right over there

on the 40-foot-tall Power Tower

with a showdown between
our two fastest athletes.

- Matt, it is going to be
big-time primetime on that.

- While we were away,
a trio of Texans

led by ninja veteran
Thomas Stillings

set their sights on our course.

Leading it off was one of

tonight's youngest competitors,

20-year-old Eli Lovelady.

- I'm a little nervous,
but I feel like

I'm gonna crush it.

- All right, let's go!
- Come on, let's go!

- Let's go, Eli!
- The San Antonio

college student trained with
and even lived with Stillings

to improve his ninja skills,

and the work paid off.
- Let's go!

- He is young,
and he is fearless.

- Let's go!
- As the rookie made it

to the fifth obstacle
before his night ended.

- Hold on!

Hold on! No!

- Oh!

- Whoo!

- Next, it was the Golden Child,

San Antonio waitress
Quest O'Neal.

Two years ago,
Quest made it all the way

to the fifth obstacle
in her ninja debut.

- Nice! Oh, my goodness!

[cheering]

- But tonight,
the former basketball player

didn't have the handles
for Lunatic Ledges.

- Oh, rejected!

- Ahh!

- Man, I was coming for it.
I was coming for it.

I was coming.

- So now it's the final member
of this Texas trio.

This is five-year veteran
Thomas Stillings,

taking a moment to enjoy this,

because it has been quite a year

for he and his wife, Zoe.

And there she is,
watching from San Antonio.

Just a few months ago,

they weren't even sure
she'd be alive today.

[melancholy music]

♪

- Zoe and I have been together

for about eight years now,

and we finally got married
about a year and a half ago.

- That's probably
my favorite picture.

- Aww.
- Yeah.

We had just gotten married,
basically,

and I started getting migraines.

It just kept getting
worse and worse.

- It got to that point
where she couldn't take it,

and we just had to go
to the hospital,

and she got a CT scan

which showed us

that she had
a very large brain tumor

and that she needed
to be admitted

into the ICU immediately.

[somber music]

Everything felt...
After that point...

Felt like it was
just ripped from my soul.

♪

They prepped her for surgery,

and I remember Zoe

grabbing my hand
and just saying,

"Everything's gonna be okay."

I didn't know
if that was gonna be

the last time
I saw my wife alive.

[inhales shakily]

When it mattered for me
to be strong for her,

she was strong for me.

♪

And then it was
just the waiting game,

four hours of waiting.

♪

And then the doctor walking up,

and he just opens up with,

"Everything that could have
gone right went right."

[hopeful music]

It's been six months
since she had her surgery,

and she's symptom-free.

♪

We're so thankful.

- Thomas was definitely my rock

through this entire process.

I don't think I could have
gone through this without him.

♪

- Everything I do this season,
every obstacle I complete,

every success I have is for her.

I just wanna make her happy.

♪

[cheers and applause]

- You can just see on his face
how grateful he is

that Zoe's
on her way to recovery.

- Come on, Thomas, you got it.
- Come on, Thomas.

- Also showing their support,

his fellow San Antonio ninjas.

- Come on.
- They could still be alive

if Stillings can get
to that Power Tower.

- Yeah, Matt, he can do it.
Speed is his game.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, Stillings so good.

Four times he competed
on "Ninja Warrior."

Four times he made it
to stage two in Vegas,

and this guy can go fast.
- Yeah, he can, Matt,

almost always among
the quickest to the buzzer.

- And wastes no time
attacking Beehive.

Owns his own ninja gym,

but never faced this obstacle
before.

Real smooth.

- That's what you wanna do.
You wanna be efficient.

- Come on, come on, come on.
- Lock it in; stay tight.

- There we go.
- There it is.

- Come on, get on, get off.
- And he's through.

- Whoo-hoo!
- Now the Spinning Bridge.

This is always
a devious agility obstacle.

- Oh!
- Oh, stumbled.

- A little stumble.

Wow. - You good?

- I'm good.

- Certainly gave Zoe
a scare there,

but now the Ferris Wheel.

No one has gotten past
this tonight.

- Well, maybe the Genie can.

He got the nickname Genie Ninja

because he wore genie pants.

Now he's wearing genie shorts,
and they're working for him.

- Gotta survive this drop.

- Coming down hard
on the Ferris Wheel.

- Right there, right there,
come on.

- And go into
that transition over.

That's a good... good call.

- Oh, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no!

- Will he go under?
Will he go up?

Going up and fully extended.

That grip seems
to be expended, Akbar.

- Yeah, you can see now

he is trying...
He is fighting his way up.

- Keep going. Come on, Thomas!

- Come on, Thomas!

- You got it. It's there.

- Trying to be
the first finisher tonight.

- Don't stop moving.
- Here we go!

And he hangs on.
Now just needs the dismount.

And he's through!

- Come on. Do it for Zoe!

- He's gonna do it!

[uplifting music]

- Genie Ninja gets that buzzer!

♪

And what a moment.

- Oh, Matt, he's in tears.

- Think about
all he's been through,

all that his wife's
been through.

- Hey, Thomas, that's
an emotional run for you.

Tell me why the tears.

- This year has
been just hard for me...

physically and emotionally.

In February, I thought
I was going to lose my wife,

and I didn't know
what else to do.

She's always been
the strongest person in my life

to help keep me stable
and keep me going,

and this win right here,
this was for her.

- That's for Zoe.

- Everything that she's done
to get me here,

this was for her.

I love you so much.

- Just an amazing moment.

Just a reminder, the obstacles
they overcome on the course,

nothing compared to the
obstacles they face in life.

- Matt, this was
a man on a mission.

Had a misstep
on the Spinning Bridge

but came up with a smooth save.

He also had some trouble

getting a grip
on the Ferris Wheel,

but nothing
was gonna prevent him

from hitting that buzzer
and making Zoe smile.

♪

All: Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

- Nick Hanson did it last week.

[buzzer blaring] - Yeah!

Let's go!

- Is anyone gonna take down
the 18-foot Mega Wall tonight?

Come on, you know
somebody wants 10,000 bucks.

When "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior,"

where we just had
our first finisher

in Thomas Stillings.

He hit the buzzer
to cap an emotional run

dedicated to his wife, Zoe.

While we were away,
three-time ninja veteran

Zhanique Lovett led her squad
onto the course.

Lovett, from Visalia,
California,

was back after missing
last season with an injury.

- Mama.
- Let's go, baby!

- And tonight,
with her family watching,

the mom of three
came out strong,

and blasted her way
past the Beehive.

- Magnifique, Zhanique!
- Yeah!

- That was the best performance

by a woman so far tonight,

but then she got bounced
by the Spinning Bridge.

- Light on your feet,
light on your feet!

- Oh, no!
- Boom, shaka-laka.

- [grunts]

- Then it was
her training partner

from Visalia, California...
- Let's go!

- Fourth grade teacher
Brandon Dodson.

- To my students watching,
I love you guys.

Continue to work hard.

- With his students tuned in,

Mr. Dodson hit the course,

and then the course hit him.

- He got hit in the eye!
- Oh, my.

- It is bleeding.
- Despite the injury,

the teacher refused to give up

and battled on Lunatic Ledges,

trying to build up momentum,
going high,

then low, then high again.

After more than a minute,

he made a last-ditch effort
to stay alive.

- Boom, oh, my goodness!

This is like
a heavyweight match!

That is one tough teacher
right there.

- Then it was the third member
of the group, DC Banks,

who calls himself
the Dreadhead Warrior.

- Dreads go up...

obstacles go down.

- The former college
football player

had no problem sprinting
through the Shrinking Steps.

- We know he's in great shape.

- But just like
his buddy Brandon,

he couldn't handle
the Lunatic Ledges.

- Oh!
- Oh, no!

And the dreads got wet.

- That's tough.

- Well, up next is
another rookie, Kyle Wheeler.

He's part of a group
led by ninja veteran

and gym owner
Michelle Warnky Buurma.

She's brought two of her prize
pupils from her Ohio gym.

There's the other one,
Devante Phillips.

But up first will be Wheeler.

A few years ago, when
he walked into Michelle's gym,

he couldn't do a pull-up.

Now he's the head coach.

- Four, five.

Ninjas are always great
about lifting people up.

Come on, Devante. You got this.

- Keep going, come on.
- Come on.

- There you go, there you go.

And it's awesome this year to
bring these two guys with me.

- I'm extremely excited

to have Michelle on my sideline.

- Yes.
- Ready?

- Whoo! Yeah!

- She's definitely
what helped me

get to the point
I'm at right now.

♪

I had always been kind of
a somewhat chunky kid.

Kids would make
little comments here and there

like, "He's definitely gonna
finish that plate of food.

Look at him."

You know, I'm not the only one
that's heard it before,

but it still...
You still feel it.

When I stepped on the scale
and I saw I weighed

over 250 pounds,
something had to change.

I discovered there was a gym
opening up in Columbus, Ohio.

♪

- Oh!

Ooh!

- Kyle came in, just someone

who really wanted
to lose weight,

and then it's been awesome
to see it progress.

Yeah!

The other day when I was
working out with Kyle,

I was just like,
"Man, he looks strong."

You got this!

- You got it, Kyle, come on.
- Whoo!

Both: Yeah!

- Ninja 100% helped me
turn my life around.

I've lost over 100 pounds.

- Whoo!
- Nice, yeah!

- I want to help inspire
as many people as possible

to realize that you can
accomplish your goals

if you're determined enough.

♪

- Come on, Kyle.
- I know this look.

He's in the zone.
He knows his family

is over there, but he's not
even gonna look over at 'em.

- Well, if he did, he'd see
his mom and grandparents

watching from back in Ohio.

- Yeah, Matt, and he's got
his music, listening...

- That's some salad too, Akbar.

He's got some good hair.
- Do it for the kids!

- And he looks pumped.

Let's see if he can
roll through it.

- Okay, Kyle Wheeler,
turn up then!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Kyle Wheeler on the course.

- Probably listening to Drake.
- Yeah!

- And a good start,
gotta feel good,

Get that first obstacle
out of the way,

but no hesitation
into Lunatic Ledges,

getting on the front.

- That's right.
- You got it.

- Whoo!
- Good power there.

He took that first ledge
back to the stops.

- Matt, can you believe
this kid weighed 250 pounds?

And look at him now,
flying across those obstacles.

- Whoo!
- Now only 145 pounds.

Has really found a home
at Michelle Warnky's gym.

Now facing the Beehive.

- You got it, Kyle, come on.
- Whoo!

- Come on. It's gonna spin.

- You got it.

- Makes that catch.
- Nice.

- Now the second part of this,

has to rotate it around,
lock it into place.

- Come on, Kyle!
- There it is.

- Whoo, Kyle Wheeler
buzzing through Beehive!

- You got it, you got it.
- You got it, Kyle, come on.

- Oh, no!
- He missed it!

- He was there.

- Promising run comes to an end,

stung by the Beehive.

- It's all right, Kyle!

- And I think his earbuds
got wet too.

He looked good early
on this obstacle,

but as he goes
for the third honeycomb,

he misses with his left hand

and couldn't hold on
with his right.

- Well, up next,
another fresh-faced rookie.

This is Tage Herrington.

He's part of ninja veteran
Adam Rayl's group

of Arizona ninjas.

- Tage is 19 years old,
but he looks 12.

- Well, his mom calls him
Baby Blue,

which has led
to the nickname Ninja Blue,

and as you can see, he comes
from a very big family.

All: Whoo! - I've got... oh, gosh.

I've got 12 siblings.

[all cheering]

Not everybody gets to be

a big brother to nine kids
at the same time.

Two!

I have my own
special little bond

with each one of the kids.

[cheering]

I've been watching
"American Ninja Warrior"

since season one.

- All right!
- One of my first competitions,

I competed against
Flip Rodriguez, Adam Rayl.

- I remember the first time
I saw him.

I was like, "Who is this kid?

- Atta boy. [cheering]

- I was so nervous.

Then I ended up getting second
in that local competition.

[cheering]

- He's younger. He's 19,

maybe looks even a little bit
younger than that,

but Baby Blue...
This kid packs a punch.

- If I were to hit a buzzer,

I think my mom would
probably start crying,

and my siblings
probably would go crazy.

The lights will not go red
for Ninja Blue.

[cheers and applause]

- It takes two screens
to fit the family in.

They'll be watching
from Surprise, Arizona.

- Let's get it, Tage!
Come on, bud!

- You got this!

- And Adam Rayl
and his other Arizona ninja,

Dom Thompson,
will be on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Just 120 pounds
on that 5'9" frame,

he's a skinny one.

- Through the Shrinking Steps
and right into Lunatic Ledges,

getting a big swing,
and that's the key.

Keep up that initial momentum,

then jump to the next ledge,
just like that.

More than a couple swings,
you're gonna slow to a halt,

but Baby Blue,
he played that perfectly.

Good, confident start, couple
obstacles under his belt.

Now let's see if the college
student can solve the Beehive.

- Work with it. Relax, breathe.

- Come on, keep going.
Keep going.

- A little hung up here.
- Crank it.

- He's expending
a lot of grip strength here.

- Well, he's 120 pounds.

He's gotta use his core muscle

to turn that thing 270 degrees.

Lock it in.

Nice.

- Never played organized sports,

but started climbing
three years ago.

Hopes that grip strength
endures here tonight.

- Nice.
- Got it.

- He just looks like he's got
a plan for this course.

- Come on. Looking good, Tage.

- And he's through.

Well, that was a long time
on the Beehive.

Keep an eye on that if he
makes it to the Ferris Wheel.

But ready now
for the Spinning Bridge.

- Perfect.
- Nice.

Look at that!

He looked like a running back
through there!

- And right into
the Ferris Wheel.

His big family's gotta be loving

what they're seeing
out of Ninja Blue,

trying to be just
our second finisher tonight.

- Show them what you can do,
Tage, come on!

- Baby Boy Blue.
- Look at his hands.

He's all crossed up
but somehow survives the drop.

Now has this big reach
over to the second wheel.

- Looking good.

- And again,
the hands crossed up,

not the usual approach
on this obstacle.

- Oh, he's changing course.
Yeah, started down.

Now he's going up and across.

- And his whole body
seems twisted.

That's the advantage
of being a rock climber

and being 120 pounds.

- And don't forget,
19 years old... he young.

- Here we go.
Hold on for this drop.

- Hold on.
- He's got it.

- Oh, look at this 19-year-old!

- Are you kidding me?

- Matt, he's about to grow
some facial hair now.

- This rookie's getting a shot
at the Warped Wall.

- Go for it! Get that buzzer!

- Loosen up,
soon as you're ready.

Come on! - Get it, get it!

- And Baby Blue, Ninja Blue,
Tage Herrington

gets a buzzer
his first time out!

[cheers and applause]

♪

- Yes!

- Hey, Tage,
you're all grown up now.

You just hit your first buzzer.
- Yeah.

- Man, you made that
look easy, Tage.

So what's harder, this course

or trying to get food
at breakfast in your house?

- Definitely food at breakfast.
[laughter]

- Well, you may have thought

you were watching
"Ninja Junior,"

but Little Boy Blue
just had a big night.

He got twisted up on the Beehive

and the Ferris Wheel,

but Tage kept his cool

and made all 12
of his siblings proud

with his first buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

- Up next, the Phoenix,
Najee Richardson,

is getting warmed up backstage.

We're gonna see his run
when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the Dome
at America's Center

here in St. Louis.

While we were away,
the other two members

of the bro-tastic trio
from Chicago

got their chance on the course.

First up was Brandon Mears...

- Let's go, Brandon!
- Who kicked off his run

with some love for his
two kids and his wife, Erica.

- I love you guys!

Thank you for...
So much for being my rock.

Thank you for letting me keep up

with this crazy hobby of mine.

- The firefighter
made quick work

of the first three obstacles.

- That was easy.

- But in past seasons,
balance obstacles have been

a stumbling block
for the 6'5" veteran.

- Oh, no!

- Tonight, true to form,
he was taken down

by another balance obstacle,
the Spinning Bridge.

Oh, no, no, no!

- Go figure, balance, right?
Come on, man.

- So Mears's fellow
firefighter Dan Polizzi

was the last hope
to hit a buzzer

among the Chicago squad.

- Come on, man, let's go!
- Whoo-hoo!

- He had a lot of success
last year.

Carry that momentum.
[all cheering]

- Polizzi made it to stage two
in Vegas last year.

- Yeah!
- Yes!

- And he came out
blazing again tonight.

- That's that firefighter
skill set right there.

- And even took a shot
at the Mega Wall.

- Go, go, go, go, go, go! Oh!

- Ah!
- Though he came up short,

he still got a buzzer.

[buzzer blaring] - Whoo!

- And gave his bros
something to flex about!

- Hey!
- Whoo!

- Then it was the first look
at the group

led by fan favorite
Najee Richardson.

Leading it off for them

was New Jersey college
student, Ezra Rivera.

Ezra lost his firefighter dad

in an accident three years ago,

and tonight he had
not only his family

but the entire crew
from his dad's firehouse

in Paterson, New Jersey,

watching as he took the course.

- Go, Ezra!

- The 22-year-old
had no problems

on the Shrinking Steps...

- Let's go, baby!
- But took a shot

on the Lunatic Ledges.

- Ooh, he got hit right
in the nostrils!

- Though he tried
to shake it off,

the rookie couldn't recover
and came up short.

- No! all: Oh!

- Lunatic Ledges is taking out
our ninjas left and right.

- Whoo!

- Well, now it's time
for the man

who brought Ezra Rivera.

It's six-time ninja veteran
Najee Richardson,

and the Phoenix is looking
to rise this year

after a subpar season
for him last year.

He failed to hit a buzzer
in qualifying,

in city finals,

and on stage one
at the national finals.

- Oh, no!

- So the 29-year-old
from Philadelphia

is looking to bounce back
in a big way.

And he'll have lots of support,

including his mom,
his grandparents,

and even a great-grandma.

- Oh, wow, that's a lineage
right there.

- Plus, girlfriend McKenzie

and fellow ninjas
Clint Sarion...

- [cheering]
- And Chris Wilczewski,

along with his wife
and new baby.

Here we go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, there we go.
I like them pants too.

Them pants look nice.

- Oh, what an explosive start,

just effortless for Najee.

And this guy,
a high-level gymnast

before injuries
ended his career.

He knows how to fly.

Made it to Vegas last season
but went out early.

Says his head just wasn't in it,

but he's come back this year
with a renewed focus.

- And there's part of it
on his shirt.

Najee has been
one of the leaders

of Ninjas for Black Lives,

using his platform
to promote social justice.

- Well, he's dealt with asthma
and has become an ambassador

for the American Lung
Association,

has done so much
on so many regards, Akbar.

This guy is truly a leader.

- Nice.
- Great hand work there.

- Well, nobody has
better body movement

than Najee Richardson.

- The Phoenix can fly,
but appropriately wary

of this balance obstacle.

- All right, here we go, nice.
- Good footwork.

A little skip! - Oh! Whoa.

Boy, he rolled on that one.

- And gave everyone
a scare there,

but survives with a roll.

[cheering]

- That's it, that's it.
- And now on the Ferris Wheel.

He's not gonna
beat Thomas Stillings

for the fastest time,

but I think Najee
just wants a buzzer.

- Yeah, first time
he's faced this obstacle.

The drop can surprise you
if you aren't ready.

- Holds on.

Going up to get over.

- Yeah, he's gotta pull up.

- Going even
a little higher here.

- Yeah, that's right, and then
when he makes that transfer,

he doesn't have that high to go.

Up, up, up, and away.

- Good power out
of Najee Richardson.

- Doing great, dude.

- All right, here we go.
He's got it.

- All right.

- Can he get this dismount?
- Big lache!

- And he is through it.

[cheering]

What is Najee gonna do?

I think he's going for that 10K.

- Yeah, man.
- And you can see him,

calming his breathing down.

He didn't get it last year
in Baltimore.

Can he do it tonight?

- Beat that wall!

- The two rookies
he brought with him

showing their support.
- Beat that wall!

Beat that wall! - $10,000.

Only Nick Hanson has
done it this season.

- Come on, you got it!
- Fly, homie.

Fly, homie!

- Can the Phoenix rise?

- You know if he hits
that buzzer,

it's gonna turn green,
green for that money.

Fly, homie!

- Come on!
- Fly, homie!

Both: Oh! - Just missed it.

- Oh, man, I thought he had it.

- But he's getting that buzzer
no problem,

Najee Richardson!

[buzzer blares]
The Phoenix is back.

[cheers and applause]

- So close!
- Yeah, I know.

You wanted that one.

You had to run up...
You had it all.

♪

Just look how close he got
to the top of that Mega Wall.

Had his fingers at the top,

but not enough
to pull himself up,

but he got what he wanted,
a buzzer, and he's moving on.

- He's standing by with Zuri.

- Najee, I want to talk
about the Mega Wall

for a second here. - Ohh.

- Walk me through
what was going on here.

- Yeah, my... my fifth step,

I think I just didn't
get enough plant.

It looked like my fifth one
just came out.

That could have been something...

Oh, my God, I was so close.

- Wait, turn...
Turn it off, guys.

Turn it off, guys.
- Oh, my goodness.

- Let's go ahead and check out
where you did hit a buzzer.

- Yeah.

- Oh, my gosh, the glory
in your eyes, I love it.

- I didn't hit one last season.
- I love it.

- I didn't hit a single one,
so that just felt so good.

- Has to.
- Yup.

- Well, we're so proud of you.
Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- We'll see you
in the semifinals.

- Thank you so much.
- Guys.

- Coming up, last year
she battled through blood...

[buzzer blaring]

And busted through barriers.
- Yes, yes!

- And that wasn't
even her biggest news.

- We just never wanted
the night to end.

- Michelle Warnky Buurma
is up next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to St. Louis,

where we're about halfway
through our third night

of qualifying, and, Akbar,

the competition tonight
has been filled with surprises.

- And, Matt, the Lunatic Ledges

are driving these ninjas crazy.

Boom, oh, my goodness.

- It's taken down
ninja favorites.

- Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa!

- Oh!
- Oh, no, Bootie!

- As well as new faces.

Oh, no! - Ooh!

- This second obstacle's
knocking out ninjas

in all kinds of ways.

Oh! - Oh, no!

- And in the past few minutes,
more ninjas

faced this lethal obstacle.

29-year-old Elizabeth Leslie

comes from a famous family
of drag racers,

and she accelerated
past the first ledge...

- Okay! Okay, she needs to go.

She's losing momentum.

- But waited too long
to try the dismount.

- Boom!

- Oh, no!
- Oh, my goodness.

- Show Low, Arizona's
Dom Thompson

comes from a family
of 23 siblings,

but all those kids
didn't get to scream for long,

as he came up well short

and couldn't grab the handle
on the second ledge.

- Oh!

Boom, right on his forehead.

The young kid from Show Low
is a no-go.

- Another 20-year-old,
Ohio's Devante Phillips,

also had lots of support,

including from his mentor,
Michelle Warnky Buurma,

but the rookie got
a little too aggressive,

and though he reached
the second ledge,

he couldn't hold onto it.

No! - Oh!

- Are you kidding me?
- I just slipped.

- So both of Michelle Warnky's
pupils have gone out early,

but now it's her turn.

Zuri, get her going.

- Guys, you know what a fan
I am of this next woman,

and it is not just because
we are both from Ohio.

Last season Michelle Warnky
showed us

the true meaning
of the word warrior

when she became the second woman

ever to finish
a city finals course,

and then she had
another special day.

She married that man
on the right, Joel Buurma.

- ♪ A love always

Ah, the wedding was amazing.

[cheers and applause]

We had a great group
of ninjas there.

We did lots of really fun games.

♪

We just never wanted
the night to end.

♪

I've always wanted a family.

Joel is turning 40

and I am 36,

and so we've talked about it.

- You got it.
- And we're like,

"Well, what if I try to get
one more ninja season in

and then start
trying to have kids?"

So it is very strange to think

this might be
my last ninja season

for at least a while.

But at the same time,

it is super exciting
to have kids,

and so I know it's worth it.

♪

Love you guys.

- Go, Michelle!
- And once again,

there's new husband Joel Buurma

watching with his parents.

- Come on, Michelle!
- Whoo!

- And there's
Michelle's mom and dad,

two of the biggest
ninja fans ever.

- Go, baby, here we go.
- Whoo-hoo!

- Hopefully this won't
be her last run,

but, if it is,
she leaves quite a legacy.

[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's go, Michelle!

- Second woman
up that Warped Wall,

and then, last year
in Cincinnati,

second woman ever to complete
a city finals course.

Part of the women's
Fantastic Four.

She is a legend.

Such a well-rounded athlete,

but has a strong
rock-climbing background.

- Mm, come on, now.

- Grip strength and power,
was a track athlete.

- Oh, Matt, she didn't jump,
and we talked about it.

You start to lose your momentum.

- Oh, no!
- No!

- Oh, what the what?
- Oh!

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

- Oh, man.
- Ugh.

- I think everybody is
in shock right now.

- I should've
gone on the first swing,

and I knew it.

- Well, she's right.

The longer you're on the ledges,

the less momentum you have.

Right here, she starts to jump
but pulls back.

Look how close she was.

One swing later,
she didn't have the momentum,

and she's way back here,

and she just couldn't
save herself.

- Ah.

- You can see, just heartbroken.

Hopefully not the last run
for Michelle Warnky Buurma.

Would be a shame
to end it like that.

- It happens.

- Just shows you, though,

you can't take any obstacle
for granted,

even ninja veterans,

and here comes one of the best.

This is Arizona
concrete worker Adam Rayl.

The last time we saw him,

he was just one obstacle away

from finishing stage three

and moving on
to climb stage four.

He was so close
to winning it all.

No! - No!

Mama!

- Well, there's his mom,
Vicky, his biggest fan.

Can't be on the sideline,

so she'll be watching
from back home.

- Well, that's gotta
be comforting,

to look over and see

your number one fans
on that screen.

- Go, buddy!
[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, Akbar,
this is one of the guys

we expect to see in the finals.

He's definitely a contender
to win that $100,000.

One move onto the second ledge.

- Don't be like
Michelle Warnky here.

Take one swing and off,
just like that.

- Let's go! Come on, yes!

- Well, hopefully other ninjas
were taking notes.

That's how you do it.

Now moving quickly
through the Beehive.

- Get that twist,
get that twist.

- Yay!
- Nice.

- Matt, you know Mama Vicky

wanna see him
on the Power Tower.

- Adam Rayl putting together
a very strong beginning here.

- Go, Adam!
- Yeah, gotta be careful

not to be reckless. - Come on.

- Well, his young apprentice
Tage Herrington

already hit a buzzer.

Rayl trying to join him.

- You see, this has
all come down to technique.

- Oh, my!
- Nice!

- Didn't even breathe.
- Stepped over

the last couple.

And now on to the Ferris Wheel.

And with those powerful arms,

should have the upper-body
strength to get through this.

Thomas Stillings has
the fastest finish so far.

Rayl's got a shot at that
if he keeps up this pace.

And just flying
through the Ferris Wheel.

This is more like
a roller coaster.

- Hold on. Nice! Ooh.

- That grip, it was so strong
to begin with,

worked on it relentlessly
in this off season, going up.

- And I'll tell you just
how strong that is,

because that jolt brought him

and all 175 pounds of him down,

and he held on tight.
- One more time.

Oh!

- No!

- We did not expect that.
- Oh, my goodness.

- Adam Rayl is down.

Looks like he got
his hands crossed up.

- Yeah, that's right.
And remember,

his buddy Tage Herrington
did this on the first wheel,

had his hands
on different handles,

got twisted around, but held on.

Adam Rayl does the same thing,

has his hands separated,
gets twisted around,

and he just couldn't hang on
through the jolt.

- Now he'll have to wait to see

if he went far enough
fast enough

to stay in the top 12.

Coming up, she blasted her way

to a qualifying buzzer
last season.

[buzzer blaring]

Can Jessie Graff make it
two years in a row?

Plus, what happens
when a priest, a pastor,

and the Papal Ninja
walk into the Dome?

We're about to find out

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Hey, ninja fans,

you can now watch full seasons

of "American Ninja Warrior"

on the new NBC Universal
streaming service Peacock.

- That's right, you can see
your favorite TV shows,

classic movies,
and "American Ninja Warrior"

all for free.

While we were away,
the Papal Ninja, Sean Bryan,

led a trinity of holy men
on the course.

First up was
Father Stephen Gadberry

from Batesville, Arkansas,

who offered up
some thoughtful words

for these chaotic times
in our confessional.

- Whenever you can balance
your nervousness and anxiety,

that gets you focused,

so get out there
and focus on life, crush it.

There's greater things to come.

- After a dash of holy water...

- [laughs]

Bless it. Bless it.

- The Father made it across
the Shrinking Steps.

- Nice!
- Confidence! Confidence!

- Two years ago,
the Father made a splash

in his first attempt
at the course.

- Oh, my goodness,
got baptized by the water.

- And tonight, he couldn't be
saved on the Lunatic Ledges.

- Oh! This thing is possessed.

- I just got baptized again.
I should have...

I should have brought my soap.
[laughs]

- Next keeping
the holy spirit alive

was Chicago pastor
David Womelsdorf,

better known as D-Wom.

[cheering]

With his wife and four kids
watching,

the pastor was living
on a prayer

as he sped through
the first two obstacles.

- Pastor D-Wom!

[cheering]

- But when he reached
the Beehive,

he too got baptized.

Oh! - Oh!

- Oh!

- Boom, down goes D-Wom.

- So now it's time
for third member

of this holy trio.

It's the Papal Ninja,
Sean Bryan.

The Catholic church worker is

one of the top athletes
in the sport,

but we weren't sure
he'd be healthy enough

to compete this season.

One year ago
at the national finals,

he dislocated his shoulder
on the Jumping Spider.

- Is he okay?

Ooh. - Oh, he's injured.

And was carried off the course.

♪

- So this is actually
my fourth shoulder surgery,

and you might think
it gets easier,

but it doesn't at all.

It actually gets a lot harder.

Took a long time
to start to be able

to use it in a normal way,
let alone how ninjas use it.

And I'm recovered enough
to do selfies, yeah.

I remember the first time
I did a salmon ladder,

that... my heart was pounding.

♪

Yeah! - Yeah!

Let's go!

[upbeat music]

- It's been a long road
to recovery.

I didn't think
I was even gonna be able

to compete this year,

but, all of a sudden, COVID hit,

and I was able
to actually train,

and I don't wanna
be overconfident,

but I'd say there's a chance

that you'll see me
on the Power Tower.

- A lot of support
for the Papal Ninja,

and, of course,
it begins at home.

His parents have the entire
family over to watch this one.

- Matt, they are all geared up.

- And there's Father John Roche

sporting the Papal Ninja colors.

- He's in the chapel.
He's ready to go.

- All right, Sean, come on!

- Father Stephen Gadberry
and D-Wom.

- Redemption!
- Keep in mind,

if Sean Bryan gets to
the Power Tower and wins,

a higher power could intervene.

They'd all be going
to the semifinals.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, in 1999,

Pope John Paul II
visited this dome.

The Papal Ninja hopes that's
a good omen for his run.

Remember, this guy
was a gymnast at Cal Berkeley.

He is a stud athlete,
so focused.

- And looks so smooth
on Lunatic Ledges.

- But the rehabbed shoulder

gonna be tested here
on the Beehive.

- Yeah, look at
that shoulder stability.

- Good catch.
- But you see how

he's coming in tight
with them Ls?

Keep them Ls, then, if you wanna

take the pressure
off your shoulders.

- A little trouble rotating it,

odd out of the gymnast.

Locked in, got it.

- Oh, he's fighting
with it, okay.

- Good transfer.

- Nice, good.
- Got it!

- And he is putting together
a good pace here, Akbar.

- Light steps, light steps.
- Spinning Bridge, though,

always a coin toss.

- There you go, there you go,
oh, oh, whoo!

Oh, nice.

- Quite a fall, no hesitation.

- Yeah, and he's running right
into the Ferris Wheel.

- We've only had four buzzers
thus far.

Currently the top time,
1:29 for Thomas Stillings.

- You got it!
- But watch the shoulder

on the drop.
- Let's go, let's go.

- Absorbs the impact.

- Well, at this pace
he could beat that time,

but he's gotta move quickly.

- And Sean Bryan,
look at that power.

That shoulder
seems to be healed.

- Don't crash.
- There you go, there you go.

- You got it.
- He's got a shot

at the fastest time, Akbar.

Just needs the dismount.

- Uh-oh.
- Fastest time here.

- Nice.
- Here we go,

and skipping the Mega Wall.
He's going for the team!

- Prayers answered!

- And Sean Bryan is back!

♪

[cheering] - Nice.

- Sean, way to go, whoo!

- Yeah, look at that!
Great job, man.

- Oh, man.
- Sean!

- That's still pumping me.
- Well, we got something

that might pump you up
a little more.

You just got the fastest time
so far, Sean.

- Yeah!

- You might go
to the Power Tower

with the chance
to save your buddies.

That shoulder...
No ill effects, man.

How you feeling?

Oh! - Well, that just...

That just answered
your question.

- Sean Bryan is back,
flying high as ever.

So if these results hold,

this would be
our Power Tower matchup,

Sean Bryan
against Thomas Stillings,

but a lot of
fast ninjas still to come,

including the Godfather
himself, David Campbell.

We'll see his run
when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior"

here in St. Louis.

While we were away,
the final two members

of ninja veteran
Lorin Ball's Colorado crew

hit the course.

First up was Austin Gray,

who donated a kidney
a few years ago

and wears
a "Share Your Spare" t-shirt

to encourage others
to do the same.

- Oh, backflip, okay.

- But this season
the ninja bachelor

shared a different message.

- I already donated my kidney
to someone,

but my heart's still available.

- The woman of his dreams,
hasn't found her yet.

- Well, this is
his dating resume.

- The 24-year-old definitely
looked good on the course.

He's single
and looking for love, ladies.

And he got himself a buzzer

and, perhaps, some new admirers.

Got a message for those ladies
watching, Austin?

- You know, DMs are open.

- Oh, DMs are open, okay.

- Well, next up was Gray's
Colorado training partner,

Lorin Ball, who had some news
about his love life.

- I am no longer
an eligible bachelor.

I have a beautiful fiancée,

and I can't wait to get married.

Let's run this course.

- And with fiancée
Alayna looking on,

the always-speedy Lorin Ball

rolled through
the first four obstacles.

- Somebody's going for
that fast time, Matt.

- Ball's competed on all
12 seasons of "Ninja Warrior,"

but the OG seemed
to run out of gas.

- His left hand's
starting to slip.

No, no, no! - Ooh!

- And he couldn't complete
the course tonight.

- Good job, baby. Good job.

- Then one of the other ninjas
who's competed

in every season, David Campbell,

introduced his group
of NorCal ninjas,

and leading it off
for the Godfather's gang

was the youngest woman
competing tonight,

20-year-old Brittney Durant.

- Whoo, go, Brittney!
- Oh, they're so excited.

- The Vacaville, California,
native was returning

to athletics after an injury

ended her competitive
cheerleading career.

Durant's comeback
started strong...

- Oh, okay!
- Great save!

- Barely made it!
- But then stalled out

on Lunatic Ledges,

where she took too many swings
on the second ledge

and ran out of momentum.

- Oh!
- Oh, no.

- Then it was 38-year-old
rookie Matt Scott,

who calls himself
the Singing Lawyer Ninja.

- [singing operatically
in foreign language]

- The father of four
from Roseville, California,

hit the high notes
on the first obstacle,

but had to take a bow
on the Lunatic Ledges.

Oh! - Oh, no!

All: Aww!

- ♪ Ay caramba

[laughs]

- Well, now it's time
for the Godfather himself,

David Campbell,

who continues to run
with the elite ninjas

at 43 years old.

What's his secret?
Well, there's his training,

his diet, and his unique job.

He's a ninja legend.

It's the Godfather himself,

David Campbell.

- Nice. Nice.

- And the Godfather
delivered once again.

- They call me the Godfather
because I've competed

on every season
of "American Ninja Warrior."

♪

One thing people may not know
about the Godfather...

[doorbell dings]

Hey, how's it going?

Is that I deliver pizzas.
[laughs]

[upbeat music]

During this pandemic,

everybody's ordering out
for delivery.

Hey, did you guys order a pizza?

So I'm a pretty popular guy
right now.

♪

Hi. - Hi.

- I've always enjoyed
delivering pizza.

You're out and about,
moving around.

You're not stuck behind a desk.

Thanks a lot. - Thank you.

All right, have a good one.

Everybody's always happy
to see the pizza guy.

- Wait, do I know
you from somewhere?

- Especially when he's on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- One, two, three. all: Ninja!

- It usually gets me
a little extra tip.

My entire life's focus
is training,

and I found the perfect job
that allows me to do that.

Whoo!

- Okay, keep going. Come on.

- For me, just knowing
that "Ninja Warrior"

was gonna happen eventually...

I had a goal to work towards,

and that really kept
my spirits up

during this whole shutdown,

and, you know, I'm incredibly
grateful for that.

♪

- Everybody loves pizza,
and they love the Godfather.

- Oh, there's
his girlfriend, Claire,

and ninja veteran
Cheyenne Arrington,

plus another ninja,
his good friend Brian Kretsch,

and there's David,
one of his band mates.

The Godfather
also in a rock band.

The dude's a good singer.

- Thanks for watching me.

- Yeah, he's a good ninja too.

Got to the Power Tower
last year in Los Angeles.

- Come on, David!
- David!

- Well, if he can do it tonight,

he might save his buddies,

Brittney Durant and Matt Scott,

from going home.

[countdown clock beeping]

- He's been doing this
for a long time.

- Look at that great agility.

- Yeah, that's it.

- He...
Oh, he's got a pace, Akbar.

- Look at that.

- He's going
for that Power Tower.

- Ooh, he's going
for that Power Tower.

Might also be going
for that Mega Wall.

- Uh-oh,
but having a little trouble

with the momentum here.
- Old Man Campbell's

never had a problem with this.

Come on. - Oh, no, Akbar!

- No, don't lose the momentum,
David Campbell!

- Oh, no!
- No!

- David Campbell, the OG,
hung up.

Can he save it?

- Oh, come on.

- Yeah, we've talked
about it all night.

Once you lose momentum,

it's almost impossible
to get it going again.

- But he's going up higher.
- Oh, to improvise.

- He's gonna go for a long leap.

- Ay-yi-yi.

Whoa! - Oh, my!

- That's the way you do it!

You got stuck? No problem!

[cheers and applause]

Let's check out
the replay on this one.

Out of desperation,
he climbs up,

and look how far that is.

At 43, he just goes for it.

My goodness!

- Excellent problem-solving
by David Campbell.

Still alive!

- That's gotta be
the best move of the night.

Well, let that be a lesson
for the viewers

that, whenever you run
into a problem in life,

there's always alternatives.

- Well, that was very creative.

- That was dope. That was dope.

- We haven't seen a save
like that,

and Campbell now back
in stride, on the Beehive.

Just excellent hand placement,
great hip movement.

Look at that momentum.

- All right, he's back.
He's back on track.

[cheering]

- Watch the Spinning Bridge.

Even the Godfather
has been tripped up

by this balance obstacle
in the past.

- Quick feet.
Keep your feet hot.

Come on.

Boom! - Stumble and a roll.

- Oh, yeah!
- Hey, all right.

- Now the Ferris Wheel.

Campbell perhaps the
first guy ever

to have a backyard ninja course.

He was able to keep training
during the lockdown

when ninja gyms were closed.

- All right, watch the drop.
- Great job.

You see him... reached out
to the lower handle,

then rode up
to the higher one there,

makes this transition
a little easier.

- 5'11", should be
an easy reach for him.

Reach out and touch somebody.
Nice.

- Well, he's the second-oldest
competitor tonight

behind Bootie Cothran.

Campbell looking great.

- Matt, he does.
And he just delivers pizza.

He has a very strict diet,
no gluten, no sugar.

- He's lighter than last season,

and that could help
on this drop.

- Ay-yi-yi.

- He's got it.
Go for the dismount.

- Okay. Get out of there.

- And he's done it.
- Hey.

- He looked dead in the water
on Lunatic Ledges,

and now at
the base of Warped Wall.

$10,000? - Yup, go for it.

- Yes, he's going for it!
- Yes, he's...

- He's going for it!

- You got it, baby.

- Hey, DC, go get that money!

- Come on, Godfather.
- Go get that money, DC!

The Godfather. - 43 years old,

can he make it up 18 feet?
- I want him

to get that money.
I want him to get that money.

Get that money!

- Oh! Oh, my!
- Get that money! Yeah!

- What a save!

- Yeah! [buzzer blaring]

- David Campbell...
Never doubt the Godfather.

- ♪ Only got one chance
to make the crowd go wild ♪

♪

♪ Ain't nothing
gonna hold me back, yeah ♪

- Put that money in the bank.
Congratulations, man.

- Campbell, what was it like
tonight in these conditions?

- Knowing that I'm gonna
be here tonight

is what's kept me going
through the entire shutdown

and kept me positive.

- There you go!
- Whoo-hoo!

- 43 years old, oldest man
ever to get that 10K,

David Campbell!

You still got it!

- After that run, no way

I thought he could get
the Mega Wall,

but look at this,
stumbles on his way up

but still manages to get
his right hand

just over the top,

and we are losing our minds
over in the booth,

and it's 10 grand
for the Godfather.

[buzzer blaring] - Yeah!

- She's the one
everyone wants to watch.

Jessie Graff is headed
to the start line.

- Phew, okay. [laughs]

- We'll see her run

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to the Dome
here in St. Louis.

We're nearing the end
of our third qualifying night

on "American Ninja Warrior."

While we were away,
ninja superstar Jessie Graff

brought her West Coast squad
to the course.

First up was Jenn DeBellis,

who was a college pole vaulter
just like Jessie.

- Go, Jenn! Whoo-hoo!

- DeBellis showed off
her quick feet

on the first obstacle,
but it was her hands

that let her down
on the Lunatic Ledges.

No! - No!

She had the technique
but not the grab.

- That's all right.
- It's all right, Jenn.

- Then it was Los Angeles EMT
Davyon Hancox.

He's been on the front lines
of the pandemic,

so he got a special
Ring the Bell salute

for first responders.

- Whoo!
- Whoo!

- Let's go, Davyon!

- We are so grateful
for our first responders.

- And the 23-year-old
responded as he sprinted

through
the first three obstacles.

- Nice!
- Oh, how sweet is that

on that honeycomb?
Nice transition.

- But when he reached
the Spinning Bridge...

- Go, go, go!
- The EMT's shift was over.

- Oh, no!
- No!

- Oh, my God.

- Well, now it's Jessie's turn.

Zuri, get her going.

- Our next ninja
needs no introduction.

It is our real-life
Wonder Woman, Jessie Graff.

This stuntwoman thrills us

every single time
she runs the course,

and this summer she teamed up

with the biggest action star
on the planet.

Jessie was handpicked by

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
himself

to compete on "The Titan Games."

- I chose Jessie Graff
because she has inspired

a generation of young girls

to become ninja warriors.

- Getting to learn and face
such a difficult challenge...

- There you go.

- Was so amazing.

- Great, great job.

- Thank you.
- I'm proud of you.

- But being back
in the sport that I love,

back on "Ninja," is...

Well, it's just like
coming home.

- The Rock is a fan,

and she's got lots of
other support from her family.

There's her mom with some fans
in North Carolina.

And her dad's got
a group in Pennsylvania.

[cheering]

[countdown clock beeping]

Last year, hit a buzzer
in Tacoma qualifying

and then ended up
third overall in city finals.

- All right, be careful
on these Lunatic Ledges.

- Safely to the second ledge.

- You're doing great.

- Gotta get that dismount,
though.

Oh! - Oh, no, no, no, no, no!

- That was close!
- I was gonna say,

Lunatic Ledges better not
take out my homegirl.

- Well, we've already had
three women

hit a buzzer this season:

Allyssa Beird,
Ashley McConville,

and Flex Labreck.

Jessie hoping to be the fourth.

Right now she's gotta
survive the Beehive.

- Well, we know she's in the
new "Wonder Woman 1984" movie,

and her costume is inspired

by the Amazon women
in the movie.

- Well, with moviemaking
shut down and gyms closed,

she's been working on the
climbing wall at her house.

She's worked on her grip,
and that upper-body strength,

serving her well here
on the Beehive.

- Nice.
- Good power.

- And you see how fluid she is,

making her way from
one honeycomb to the next.

- All right!
- And there's a smile.

And, with that, she's guaranteed

to be in the women's top three,

but you know she wants more.

She's such a competitor.

She was a pole vaulter
at the University of Nebraska,

just missed out on the Olympics.

- But what makes her
so different is

you see the power
of visualization.

Before every obstacle,

she's always seeing it
before it happens.

That's the sign of greatness.

Oh, oh, come on, no, no, no, no!

- Oh, wow!
- Nice... oh, my goodness.

- Yes!
- Oh!

- She was conscious,

didn't use her hands
to catch it.

- Wow.

- She knows how to fall.
- Hi!

What's up, homie?
What's up, homegirl?

[cheering]

- Jessie Graff,
amazing body awareness.

- Yeah, it's a good thing
she has a six-pack,

or that could have knocked
the wind out of her.

- You got this.
- You got it, you got it.

- Closing in on a buzzer,

but now the Ferris Wheel.

She's gonna go the lower route.

That's okay.
Going underneath, more moves

but a little less strain.

- Yeah, there you go.
Keep them Ls.

- Look at her locked off.
[cheering]

Gonna have to go
for the transfer here.

- Come on, girl, come on.

- You got it.
You got it, you got it.

- Nice!
- Oh, my.

- No problem!

- That was amazing.
- You know what?

She's trained for this.

She's prepared for this.
- Come on.

- Nice.

- And you see, you've gotta
get it locked out.

Otherwise you can't make
the transfer

'cause the wheel
will spin on you.

- And now...
- She's going for it.

- She's gonna go for
a low, low dismount here.

- Look at those powerful hips.
- She's gotta get outta there.

Nice! - Oh, saves it!

- Nice!
- Hey.

- Bring it home! Bring it home!

- Jessie Graff back to battle
the Warped Wall.

- Okay, Jessie!

- Well, she has
four buzzers total

so far in her ninja career.

- Beat that wall!

All: Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

- Right now, Flex Labreck

has the record
for women with five buzzers.

- She has an opportunity
to tie her.

- This could tie it up,
14 1/2 feet away.

- Nice.

- And Jessie Graff has done it!

[buzzer blaring]

Her fifth buzzer,
and she earned that one.

[all cheering] - Nice.

- Whoo!

- Guys, I did it!

- We've seen you here
before, huh?

- Well, Jessie,
you continue to deliver

with your image
all around this huge dome.

You deliver when it counts,
Jessie.

Congratulations. - Thank you.

- Great job.
- Thanks, guys.

- Great job.

- Great job, Jessie!
- Thank you.

♪

- She had a couple
of close calls

to make it interesting,
but in the end

Jessie Graff was Jessie Graff,

and she made it to the end
to tie Flex Labreck

for the most buzzers
among women ninjas.

- Let's go to Zuri.

- Jessie Graff does it again.

Yes, I'll do a spin with you.

Family, friends, how we feeling?

How proud are you
of this lady right here?

[all cheering]

Exactly, all of that.

Jessie, what a run.

When you first got
to the starting line,

how were you feeling?

- I just always want
to do my best.

I want to beat the best
I've ever done.

Hard not to be scared
when you want it so badly,

but it's so much fun.

- We are so proud of you.

Congratulations, Jessie,
inspiring us all.

Hey, fam, one more time.
Give a quick wave.

All right, girl, we will
see you in the semifinals.

Great job out there.

- Thank you.
- Guys, take it away.

- He's a rock and roller
who likes to run fast.

- I'm ready to go.
Let's have some fun.

Let's do this.

- R.J. Roman's up next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to St. Louis,

where we're coming to you
from inside the massive Dome

at America's Center.

The Lunatic Ledges
have been the big story,

but every obstacle on this
course can end your night,

even the first one.

Amber Dawkins came to raise
awareness for cystic fibrosis.

[all cheering]

And she threw off the vest

she wears every day to deal with

the life-threatening
lung condition.

- She is a ninja warrior.

- Though the CF Warrior
didn't get far...

- No!

- She still got
to spread her message.

- Just being here is a win.

- Then there was Virginia
college student Ben Whitlow.

He's the Frog Giggin' Ninja,

a country boy who likes to jump

into the water and catch frogs
with his bare hands.

- I got him!

- So when he faced
the Shrinking Steps,

it was a shock when he couldn't

catch the rope
with his bare hands.

Oh, no! - Oh, no, no!

Stay out the water! - Oh!

- Didn't have the hops, Akbar.
- [laughs]

- Then it was Jessica Helmer.

She's part of R.J. Roman's
group of Florida ninjas.

- Here you go, Jessica!

- She calls herself
Jessica Rabbit,

and with her pet bunny Enni
watching,

she came to raise awareness
for rabbit adoption.

- I'm running for buns tonight.

- She didn't run far though.

Helmer had the hops
but not the hands.

- Oh, my goodness,
right in her back.

The bunny run is done.

- Well, here comes another
member of that Florida squad.

It's a blast from the past,

the former King of the Jungle,
Ben Melick.

Tarzan is back,

but some things
are a little different.

- I came into "Ninja Warrior"
in season six as Tarzan.

- He is King
of the Jungle tonight

on "American Ninja Warrior."
[buzzer blaring]

- It kinda empowered me.

It's a little bit of who
I grew up as, climbing trees,

jumping out of stuff.

Back then, I was a celebrity
trainer in Hollywood.

It was great, but I hadn't
been around my family

in almost a decade,

so I decided to move back
to Orlando, Florida area,

where I grew up.

[country music]

My family has a ranch there.

We have cattle,

and we're about
to start strawberries,

so we all kinda pitch in.

You know, going from the hustle
and bustle of L.A.

to the outside of the city
limits kind of lifestyle

has actually been
really good for me.

Moving out here, as opposed
to being inside of a gym,

I had to get more creative.

If you've never dug a hole
with a set of

post hole diggers,
it's quite the workout.

I think it's time
to set the loincloth aside

and just be me for this time,

but the spirit of Tarzan's
always gonna be in me,

and you're gonna see it
tonight on the course.

♪

- Uh-oh.
- Hold on, hold on.

What's this? - Oh, my.

- What's this?
- Oh.

Well, he's retiring
the loincloth.

He's become civilized.
- Let's go, Ben!

- Waves at his girlfriend,
Amber, and her son.

They're watching with Ben's mom.

- Come on, Ben, crush!

- And his Florida squad
of R.J. Roman, who runs next,

and Jessica Helmer,
who just ran,

will be on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- This is his first time
running without a loincloth.

- It's his first time on
the course in three years,

and these obstacles have only
gotten more challenging.

- All right, this is
a tough obstacle today.

- We've seen a lot of ninjas,

a slight misplacement here,
and they end up in the water.

Takes an extra swing
to get that momentum.

- Yeah, climb around.
- I like this, Matt.

He's under control,
and that's what you need.

- Quick turnaround,
and, wow, made short work

of Lunatic Ledges.

Now the Beehive. - Get up there.

- Oh, like that swing.

- Matt, that man is
on a mission.

- Oh, wow, quick transition.

- He's looking like
he's in tip-top shape,

and remember, he's
a three-time national finalist

back in seasons six, seven,
and eight.

He was at his top.
- But having trouble

rotating this honeycomb.

There it is,
locked it into place.

- Yeah!
- Watch it, though,

expending
a little extra grip energy.

- Yeah, he's gotta make
that location and grab.

Nice. - Ooh, good hold.

- Come on, you're out of there.
- You can see that momentum.

- Matt, he moved out the city

and just got country strong
on us.

- 5'10", 165, watch him
on the Spinning Bridge.

- Fast feet, come on.
- Nice, nice.

- Let's go!
- And there it is,

was leaning forward
but stayed upright.

- He may not be Tarzan,

but he can bang on his chest
a couple more times.

Come on.

- There it is.
- Yeah!

Yeah!

He's having fun out here.

We saw him hanging up
a little bit on the Beehive.

Will that come back to haunt
him here on Ferris Wheel?

Not our fastest, but still has
a decent time to this point.

- Oh, my goodness!
- And he's got it.

Looking for that handle
to settle.

- Ooh!
- Oh, missed it.

- Yeah, when that handle
starts going

side to side like that,
it can be very hard.

- It's too long a reach

unless you get up higher
to transition over now.

You know that you're gonna
go to that second wheel.

- Yeah, nice, trying to get
that little momentum.

- He's going up with it.
- And going up.

- You can see
he's crossed over, Akbar.

- Ooh, no, no, no, no, no.

- He's got his hands
twisted around.

- What... what is he doing?
What is he doing?

- And he could be in trouble.

No! - No, no!

♪

- All right, good job, Ben.

- Ben Melick coming out
of retirement

after three years
and just couldn't hang on.

Considering his time way,

this was a pretty good run
by Ben Melick,

but he got crossed up
on the Ferris Wheel.

We'll have to see if
that gets him into the top 12.

- So now it's R.J.'s turn.

He's the last of his crew
of Florida ninjas.

This guy plays bass
in a band called Emuness,

and he's not just a rock star.

He's proven
he's a ninja star as well.

- Just 24 years old,
and he's made it

to the national finals
both years he's competed,

getting to stage two,

and then stage three
last season.

- R.J. Roman looking to shred.

He's got his audience,

the woman who's been his rock,
his grandma, Mary Geddes,

there with his dad, Roland.

- Dad's got his shirt cut off.
He's ready to rock and roll.

- There's his mom,
Michele Geddes,

and his niece, Alena.
- Come on, R.J.!

- Plus the two ninjas
he's brought from Florida.

R.J. can make sure both of them

move on to the semifinals

if he can get
to the Power Tower and win,

but he'll have to beat
Thomas Stillings' time of 1:29

to get there.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And R.J. can do it.

He always runs like his hair
is on fire.

Look at that speed.

- Oh, my.
- You got it, you got it.

- Boy, he is going fast.
Don't be reckless though.

- He's clearly gunning
for that Power Tower.

- Well, he's a rock star,
Matt, and he's been one

ever since coming on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Look at the power he's
generating with those hips.

- Now get those hips
turning the right way

so you can go 270.

- Nice.
- There it is, yes!

- And lock it in. There it goes.

- Breathe.
- Come on, R.J.

- Tough kinda blind hand
placement there, but gets it.

- R.J.'s not playing around.

He's at Spinning Bridge
in a little over 30 seconds.

Wow.

- Yeah! R.J.!

- He's not doing slow jams.

This is speed metal here.

- I told you,
he parties like a rock star.

- Well, his band, Emuness,

just put out their second album.

- Go, R.J.!

- R.J. Roman making short work
of this course,

and, if he keeps up
with this pace, he may

blow past both Stillings'
and Sean Bryan's time

for fastest of the night.

He's putting out
a solo hit here.

- A musician, a writer,

a ninja, amazing.

- Here we go.
R.J. Roman's gonna do it.

- Whoo! [buzzer blaring]

- Yeah!

[all cheering]

[rock music]

- R.J., you're going to
the Power Tower with that run.

- Let's go!
- Oh, my.

- I'm bringing her back in.

You guys haven't seen
what she can do yet.

She's coming back.
- That's right,

you're headed
to the Power Tower,

and you've got a chance to save

your two buddies down there

and get them
into the semifinals.

Well, what
a Power Tower matchup.

It'll be the rocker
versus the religious worker,

R.J. Roman versus Sean Bryan,

our two fastest finishers
going head to head,

and this new Power Tower
is a beast,

with an exhausting climb,

then a slide down
and a run across angled steps,

only to climb back up

and take on
four dangerous swings

across the dropping shelves,

40 feet high,
on their way to the buzzer,

and it's next on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to the final moments

of our third night of qualifying

here on
"American Ninja Warrior,"

and get ready
for our big finish.

We're back at the Power Tower
for another showdown

between speed demons with
the Papal Ninja, Sean Bryan...

Apologies for
calling you a demon...

And the rocker R.J. Roman.

These two are gonna race
as individuals

but they'll have
a chance to save

the two ninjas they brought.

- Yeah, Matt.
Whichever athlete wins

will advance their team
to the semifinals.

Sean Bryan could resurrect
Father Stephen Gadberry

and pastor David Womelsdorf,

and, for R.J.,
his crew from Orlando,

Ben Melick and Jessica Helmer,

would be back in the game.
- Yeah!

- Sean's got his whole family
cheering him on

from Springfield, New Jersey,

and R.J. has his mom watching

from Jacksonville, Florida.

- You got it, R.J.!

Let's go! You can do it!

- You know both these guys

wanna deliver for their team.

- No, no, no, no!
- Oh!

- Ben Melick
just couldn't hang on.

- I really wanted to get
to the Power Tower

to give my teammates
another chance.

- Ooh, an early exit
for Jessica Helmer.

- I'll bring her back.
She'll get her redemption.

So I'm really grateful
that I have a chance

to bring her back
so that she can show people

what she's capable of.

♪

- I have a lot on the line
right now.

Both my teammates
went out early.

- Oh!

- And I'm really hoping
for a little redemption.

♪

Out of everyone running tonight,

the last person I would want
to go against is R.J. Roman.

- This is speed metal here.

- And he's just gonna go
full throttle, 100%,

so I gotta be on my game.

- He is a stud athlete,
so focused.

- Sean comes from a lot of years

as an elite gymnast behind him,

and I have absolutely
no athletic background

before this,

but speed is my thing,

and the Power Tower's
all about speed.

- This is gonna be a sprint!
- You gotta go!

You gotta hustle!

- R.J.'s known as a speed demon.

I guess I'm gonna have
to be a speed angel.

- Time to give him hell.

[tense music]

- You should feel that energy,
that electricity,

coming through
your television screen.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And they're off.
- You gotta calm these...

You gotta calm these... - Oh, my!

- Go ape wall, then! Nice!

[cheering]

- Just head to head, great pace.

- They're neck and neck.
Uh-oh, Sean Bryan ahead!

- Sean Bryan first down
the fire pole.

- Uh-oh, here we go.

- Onto the floating steps.

- R.J. Roman's starting
to catch up!

[all shouting indistinctly]

- And just about dead even here.

But Bryan...
- He's ascending to heaven!

- Flying up to
the dropping shelves!

- Oh, my, but it's R.J.
over there first!

- Oh, head to head,
Bryan, Roman!

- Oh, oh, boy, here we go!
- Bryan just ahead of R.J.!

- Oh, it's back and forth,
back and forth!

Oh! - R.J. to the tower!

- From behind, R.J. Roman
leaps ahead,

hits the buzzer!

♪

- Yeah!
- Wow.

- Yeah!

- My...
- So he, Ben Melick,

and Jessica Rabbit
going to the semis.

What a race!

- Matt, that was a leap
of faith by R.J. Roman.

Check this out!

Sean Bryan jumped out to a lead,

but R.J. Roman made up
some ground on the climb up.

I mean, they were side-by-side
on the third dropping shelf,

and then watch this by R.J.
He just goes for it,

barely stays on the platform,
and gets the win.

- Be careful.

Well, we'll see
both of these two

back in the semifinals... - Yes!

- Along with R.J.'s
two Florida ninjas,

Ben Melick and Jessica Helmer.

Here's who else is moving on.

Behind R.J. and Sean Bryan

Thomas Stillings, Austin Gray,

and the only rookie,
Tage Herrington.

Other finishers include
the Godfather, David Campbell,

and, of course, Jessie Graff,

who tied the women's record
with her fifth buzzer.

Adam Rayl was one
of the three non-finishers

to make it into the top 12,

and joining Jessie Graff
in the top three women

are Zhanique Lovett
and new mom Rachael Goldstein.

That's it for tonight.

Next week, we wrap up
the qualifying rounds

with another star-studded group,

including top ninja
and model Meagan Martin.

- Yeah, and the Weatherman,
Connecticut's Joe Moravsky.

- Yeah!
- For Akbar Gbajabiamila

and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.

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