American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 11 - National Finals #2 - full transcript

Forget the casinos,

the best action tonight
in Vegas is right here,

as we start night two
of the National Finals

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone,
and thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, can you feel it?

It is getting hot out here.

And it's not because
of the Vegas heat.

It's because we are getting
closer to that million dollars.



Absolutely, big man.

Tonight, we're gonna
move over to stage two.

But first, we've got
to wrap up the action

right here on stage one.

Let's go down to the third
member of our team, Zuri Hall.

Thanks, guys.

Our first runner's motto
is "living wide,"

and he has done
that all season.

Christopher Harding
Jones has been

unstoppable, hitting buzzers
in qualifying and semifinals.

This is so surreal.
Let's go!

You can feel his passion
and see there on his shirt,

the motto his father coined
after doctors

told him he only had
a few months to live.



He encouraged people to
live life to the fullest

and to pursue their dreams
while they still could.

And Christopher has taken
the message to heart,

achieving all his
ninja dreams while spreading

his dad's powerful message.

He's going to have his
mom, sister, and other family

and friends on the sideline,
plus lots of friends

watching back in Georgia.

Eight obstacles on stage one,

with a 2 minute, 50 second
time limit.

And you can see, he is
running with an urgency,

running with a purpose.

Ready for this new obstacle,
Three Ring Circus.

Well, Matt, so far
he's been outstanding.

Just levitates there.

All right,
control that body. Control it.

Make sure you go
in the right direction.

Good.

You can hear the
"living wide" chants

as he steps up
to Giant Roller Coaster.

Well, Matt, with that hair
flying all around the place

on a hot, windy
night here in Vegas,

you just hope his hair
doesn't get in his way.

Nice.

Good transfer there.

Nice.

Just got to find
the landing pad.

And he does.

Now, it's the Jumping Spider.

5'11" (180cm), got those long limbs.

Needs a good jump.
Just lock it in.

Get in there.
Got it!

Nice.
What a journey it's been

for this 18-year-old.

He was struggling in school.

But it all changed
when his dad

built him a ninja course
in the backyard.

And ninja really
changed his life.

He went from a C student

to a straight-A student.

Watch the hair.

It might be
blocking his vision.

A problem you and I don't have.

All right, Topher,
let's go.

Facing Tetherball, another
new one here on stage one.

Just very calm.

You can see him
not breathing hard,

not letting the moment
get to him.

Topher so focused, and this
is what I love about him.

This is what we saw in the
qualifying, the semifinals.

The only rookie to hit
both buzzers this season.

When he's locked in,
there is no stopping this kid.

Now, very important for him
to start to make his way down

on the rope, just like that.

Great control.

Ah!
Oh, needs an extra push.

Watch those long legs.
Come on, come on.

That rope's getting
closer to the water.

Ooh, nice.
Great job.

Way to stay calm under duress.

Little over a minute left for
these final three obstacles.

Winding up here
on the Warped Wall.

All right, just reach up.

Oh.
No problem.

And he's reached
Split Decision.

High Road, Fly Hooks.

And he's not even
hitting the High Road.

Not even thinking about it.

Trying to keep his
perfect season intact.

You've gotta go!
Keep your chest forward!

Go, go, go.
Dip with it, dip with it.

Nice!
40 seconds to hit a buzzer

and extend his magical
"living wide" season.

The Fly Hooks here--you
can see that hook right there.

That means that ring's got
to go up before you go out.

Yeah, Matt,
the hair is in his face.

He's trying to wiggle
his head and get it out.

Oh!

And this is what we
were talking about,

having trouble with that move.

You've got to keep it up.
You've got to keep--

Oh, boy.

Uh-oh, we've got
a problem here in Vegas.

Oh, no.
You can do it.

Nice!
There it is.

Whoa! Okay!

Got to pace up
because that cargo net's

gonna sap the time.

Go for it, Christopher.

Go for it, buddy.

Oh, no!

A low throw on the net.

Come on, man, keep going.

You're so close.

What a run.
But he's gonna time out.

It was the extra swings
on the Fly Hooks.

Well, a lot of moments
to look back on that run.

But hold your head up high--

two buzzers
in his rookie campaign.

Christopher Harding Jones
was definitely living wide.

And hopefully we'll see
him back here next year.

Up next, another ninja who's
had an outstanding season.

This is 17-year-old music
producer Ethan Bartnicki.

Whoa!
He's flipping out.

And so are we listening
to some of his music.

I'm liking it.
This goes hard.

This--I like this one.
Let's go, Ethan!

This kid's talented
in music and ninja.

And he gives a lot
of credit to his parents.

Guys, come on, we're
gonna have dinner.

Oh, great, thank you.

I'm one of three kids.

There you go.
Ah, looks good.

Thanks, brother.

Me and my oldest brother
were adopted.

And my middle brother
was biologically born

in our family.

Can you give everybody a cup?

My three boys definitely have
special bonds with each other.

We let everybody pursue
their own interests.

It helped them feel confident

and gave them their sense
of worth.

It's been nice to
see the three of them

stick together,
support each other.

They always feel like
there's--

somebody's got their back.

It's a little unfair, Luke.

You're like a foot taller
than Ethan.

Growing up, they
were very competitive.

And Ethan, who
is the smallest--

I call them Small,
Medium, and Large--

he always tried to keep up
with his older brothers.

He found ninja,
and lo and behold,

he is better than
any of my other boys.

They're very proud of him,

but grumbled a little bit
as well.

A little jealous.

There's definitely
some competition

between the brothers.

Let's go.

My brothers have definitely
been an inspiration to me.

Oh! He gets it over him!
Take it.

They just look out for me.

And they support me
in both ninja and music.

It's definitely helped pave
a path for where I want to go.

And those brothers
have his back tonight.

Hey, good luck, Ethan.
Large, that's Luke...

Let's go.
And Medium, Adam...

Yeah, let's get it.
Will be cheering

from back East.
You got this kiddo,

you got it!

It's really amazing
what this kid can do

when he's only 5'4" (162cm)
and 114 pounds (51kg).

Good start right there.

All right, he's gotta
fly on this one, though--

Three Ring Circus.

Makes that blind grab.

Came out here as a rookie
and got a buzzer in qualifying

and made it to the
9th obstacle in semifinals.

There you go.
There you go.

There you go.
This little kid fly.

Wow, good power out there.
Just so much confidence.

Should have fun
going for a ride

here on the Roller Coaster.

Yeah, what kid doesn't like
going to the amusement park

and getting on
a roller coaster?

This is that ninja
Roller Coaster.

Okay.

And got it in the cradle--
Bartnicki's smooth.

But with his size,
gonna need a big leap

to land in the Jumping Spider.

Get in that chute!
Nice!

Really launched it.

He's going to college this
fall to study music producing,

but he's already making money
selling some of his beats.

His music career and his
ninja career, taking off.

Whoo!

His big brothers
are loving it.

Good job, bro.
And now to Tetherball.

Believe it or not,

this came from our
Obstacle Design Challenge

submitted not by a kid,

but a 50-year-old,
New Mexico's Stacie Harris,

who loved tetherball
growing up.

It's so unique, we've made
it this year's winner of

the Obstacle Design Challenge.

Hey, and congrats to Stacie.

Tetherball's knocked
out a lot of good ninjas.

And Ethan Bartnicki's
struggling right now.

Kind of out of position,
though, Matt.

Oh, no.
And Little Dolla's

in trouble.
Stay calm, say calm.

He may need to pull up.
That rope's getting down.

Right there--nice!
Good job.

Got through it.

And because of the good pace,
still has a minute left here,

but that took
a lot out of him.

No problem on
the Warped Wall.

Will he go High Road?

Hit the button,
but he's not gonna chase it.

Gotta be careful.
It's okay, it's okay.

Nice, nice, nice.

No problem for Bartnicki.

Now, he's gotta go
with the Fly Hooks

with the clock ticking, gotta
get that ring up and over.

This is difficult,
especially for a rookie, Matt.

It's easy to eat up
a lot of time.

Bartnicki lands
the first one.

30 seconds left.

Now, here's the key,
he needs to throw himself

high up on the cargo net
to give himself a chance.

He's got 22 seconds,
plenty of time.

Well, let the beat drop.

He may be the smallest
in the family,

but Ethan Bartnicki just
came up big on stage one.

Let's go! Let's go!

Let's go!

Yo, let's go.

Whoo! Let's go!
He did it!

Ethan Bartnicki's
going to stage two.

It's night two
of the National Finals.

Let's go!
Let's go!

We've got our final athletes
on stage one,

including Gnarly Nate Hansen.

Then we'll move over to
the even tougher stage two.

Who can keep their
million-dollar dreams alive?

No, he didn't!

Yes!

It's gonna be
another unpredictable night

in Vegas...

Yeah, baby!

On "American Ninja Warrior."

While we were away,

Vance Walker took on
stage one,

looking to bounce back

from what's been a
disappointing season for him.

Last year, the two-time
Ninja Junior champion

made it all the way to stage
three and hit four buzzers,

but this season,
hasn't hit one yet.

So much pressure
he put on himself

after having
an amazing rookie campaign.

The 5'5" (165cm) teenager
had no trouble on stage one

last year, but tonight
was a different story.

All right,
you've got to stick it.

Oh!

And his season
was shockingly over

on just the fourth obstacle.

Wow.

Then, one of the Iowa boys,
Levi Enright,

got his shot at redemption.

Last week, he fell
on the Dipping Birds

and had to use the Safety Pass
he earned back in semifinals.

Guess we're going back at it.

Tonight, the 22-year-old who
won 10 grand on the Mega Wall

and had the fastest time
in his semifinals

looked confident in his
second chance on stage one.

Nice.
He made that look easy.

But when he got to
the Dipping Birds...

No!
Oh, no!

History repeated itself,

ending a breakout season
for the Iowan.

There are horses for courses,

and the Stallion,
Mike Silenzi,

had the ponies running wild

at the start line
and the sidelines.

Oh, this is amazing.
Mike Silenzi.

The eight-time ninja
veteran from Chicago

is having another
stellar season.

All right, here we go.
Hold your horses. Nice.

And he galloped all the
way to the Dipping Birds

before a slight stumble.

Whoa!
Giddy up, horse.

And he got up.

The 35-year-old
swung his way

to his third buzzer
of the season.

We'll see him later
on stage two.

Then it was the
Stallion's buddy,

the Swan, Ethan Swanson,
who had his own flock of fans.

Come on, Swan!

The 31-year-old has
never fallen on stage one

in his three
previous attempts.

Yeah, and he's flying
through this course.

Look at the time.

And the nine-time
veteran showed

he's still got some moves.

Great execution there
by Ethan Swanson.

Even though he had plenty
of time on the clock,

he still went
for the High Road.

He wants the easy ride in.

Yeah!

Go, Swan!

Which helped him fly

to the fastest finish
on stage one so far.

And we've got
another run under way.

This is the final woman
to take on stage one,

Abby Clark.

We haven't had any woman hit
a stage one buzzer this year.

Can Abby be the one
to break through?

Way to really throw
her body into it.

Now to carry the bar over.

Oh, man,
handled that impact well.

And she's got it.

Abby's dad
and her boyfriend Joe Capo

are cheering her on tonight,

as well as fellow Jersey girl

training partner,
Rachel Degutz.

Now facing the Jumping Spider.

And at 5'3" (160cm),
this could be a challenge.

5'3" (160cm), Matt,
it can be pretty challenging,

but it is doable.

Dear Abby's gonna
write about this one.

Write it, write it.

Nice.
Oh, my!

She had to lean forward,

but had the core strength
to control herself.

I see you, Abby!

Almost flipped
right through it.

But she's hanging on,

having a little trouble
getting traction.

But she wants it badly.

She wants it badly.

And she's getting closer
to the Warped Wall,

which has been her Achilles
heel the last couple of years,

after clearing it
back in Season 10.

And unable to get up the
wall the previous three times

she's faced it, but right now,
facing Tetherball.

Only got a minute left,

she would really have
to hustle to have a shot

at finishing the course.

But you know Abby
wants that Warped Wall.

She gets emotional
just talking about.

I know I can do it.

And I've seen myself doing it.

I visualize myself doing it.

And I just--I just wanna
get to that wall.

And you can see,
using that lower body,

trying to control the momentum.

Make sure your oval will take
you to that landing platform.

Get on it right there.
Get on it.

Good job.
Nice.

Probably not enough
time to finish.

But if she can get up the wall,
that would be a huge victory.

Beat that wall!
Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

It's a shorter run up
to the wall in Vegas.

She's gonna make
sure she's ready.

Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

Come on, girl.
Go, go, go, go, go, go!

Oh!

The Warped Wall nightmare
continues for Abby Clark.

Come on.

She's got time
for one more shot.

And she did it!

That's a victory!

I like it, Matt!

Ran out of time, but
never ran out of courage.

Abby Clark kept fighting
the whole way.

Abby Clark has got
a lot to be proud of.

Finally!

At just 5'3" (160cm),
the former gymnast

stuck the landing
on the Jumping Spider.

And then at the last second,
she got what she wanted.

She conquered the Warped Wall.

Didn't get a buzzer,

but a great run
for Abby Clark.

Well, our final runner
on stage one

is also looking
for redemption.

It's crowd favorite,
Gnarly Nate Hansen.

He's pointing to the
patch on his shorts

where his Safety Pass
used to be.

He had to use it when
he fell last week.

He's 5'2" (157cm), so he
needed a perfect bounce

to stick his landing
in the Jumping Spider.

Oh, no!
And it didn't happen.

But his Safety Pass
gives him another run tonight.

Nate earned that Safety Pass
by beating his roommate,

Austin Gray,
on the Power Tower.

Austin's on the sideline,
along with Nate's family.

Gnarly Nate!
Gnarly Nate!

And you can hear
the Gnarly Nate chant.

This 5'2" (157cm) underdog wins over
more fans with every run.

And it's actually two
years in a row he's fallen

on the Jumping Spider.

That's gotta be in his head.

Let's see if he can get back
there and get that revenge.

Well,
he is having maybe the best

season of any ninja this year.

Had the fastest
finish in qualifying,

the second-fastest
in the semifinals,

and then won his race
on the Power Tower.

I don't know that anybody

has been working harder
than Nate Hansen.

This guy is so gnarly
in his preparation.

Well, Matt, I think we do
know one thing about this kid.

He is very resilient.

At 21 years old,
5'2" (157cm), 135 pounds (61kg),

the Gnarly Ninja
has overcome so much.

Now let's see if

he can finally get through
the Jumping Spider.

Just needs that dismount.

And here we go,
a chance for revenge.

Bitten by this twice.

Matt, you go ahead and do it.
I'm not a gambling man.

But I'm putting my money
on betting on Gnarly Nate.

Needs a big jump here--
just 5'2" (157cm)

Get it, dog, get it.
Yes.

Put my money on him.

I put my money on him!

And his confidence
just skyrocketed.

I like it!

That Safety Pass
was so worth it.

But now you've gotta
finish it.

Yes!
He's pumped.

Okay, Nate!
Okay, Nate dog!

Do not relax.

Don't take your foot
off the accelerator.

Now he's gotta go.

Go, Nate!

Let's go!
Come on, Nate!

This new obstacle Tetherball
has ended the seasons

of many good ninjas
here on stage one,

most notably Nate's training
partner Austin Gray,

who's hoping his friend doesn't
make the same mistake he did.

Here we go.
Get that dismount.

I see the location.
Drop-off right here!

Oh!
Come on!

Oh, extra swing.

All right, here we go.
Come on.

Drop it like it's a package.
Oh, no.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, boy.

And Austin Gray's got to
be just shaking his head.

There we go!

Okay, he's got enough time,
but he's gotta hustle.

Get outta there!

Gotta get going.

He's gonna need
the High Road, Akbar.

There's no two ways about it.

Oh, he's wasting
too much time.

He's gotta go.

He skipped it.

He skipped the High Road.

He's putting so much
pressure on himself.

At 5'2" (157cm), he may be worried
about the Dipping Birds.

Oh!
Okay, he's gotta go.

Gotta be perfect.
He's gotta fly!

Matt, it's one swing and go.

And get out of there.

Oh, no.

And this is a nightmare
for Nate Hansen.

Nice.

He's got to get on that net
in about 14 seconds.

Get up!
Launch up high!

It's gonna be a race!

He's gotta race up there!
Oh, my goodness!

I'm not sure!

Never doubted him
for a second!

Come on! I bet on you!

Nate does it with
two seconds left!

Yes!

Three left, baby!

Three buzzers to go!

Oh, boy!

Gnarly Nate! Gnarly Nate!
Gnarly Nate! Gnarly Nate!

Gnarly Nate!
Let's go!

Man, I'm sorry I doubted him.

Gnarly Nate.
And that could've been

a million-dollar Safety Pass

right there.
Wow.

So let's look at all
those moving on to stage two,

including those
ninjas whose runs

we weren't able to show you.

There were three rookies
in the top five,

including the 16-year-old
James Sannella.

Yeah!

And 18-year-old
Jeramiah Boyd.

Wow, okay.

Jay Lewis, who still
has his Safety Pass,

rounded out the top ten.

A collection of rookies
and veterans in the top 15,

like Lucas Reale,
Cam Baumgartner,

and former ninja Junior Champ,
Jackson Erdos.

Let's go!

Others heading
to stage two include

Massachusetts'
21-year-old Matt D'Amico.

Rookie year,
and he's going to stage two.

And Jackson Twait's
last-second buzzer

rounds out the group of 25.

So that wraps it
up for stage one.

Now it's time to head
over there for stage two.

It's one step closer
to the million dollars,

but the course is even tougher.

And we'll see it next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

Welcome back.

We've now moved over
to the stage two course,

which has fewer obstacles
than stage one,

but it is much more difficult

with mostly upper-body
challenges.

Matt,
only 25 ninjas are left.

They've still got a shot
at a million dollar prize.

For a preview of stage two,
let's go down to Zuri.

Guys, stage two
is so tough,

some our best ninjas have
never gotten past it.

Take a look at what
they're up against.

It starts
with the Striding Steps.

Ninjas will swing right in
to the Double Salmon Ladder.

Then, it's one of the toughest
obstacles from qualifying,

Piston Plunge.

Ninjas will have to survive
the big swings

on Hammer Drop at number four.

Hornet's Nest is an even
meaner version of the Beehive.

Ninjas will have
to lache across

and grip
inside the honeycomb.

The course ends
with the Falling Shelves

and the blind grab that took
out so many ninjas last year.

No!

They'll have four minutes
to complete the course.

All right, guys, let's get it
going on stage two.

Well, we're gonna
kick it off

with the Flamingo Kid,
Owen Dyer,

wearing his trademark
flamingo hat.

This teenager
is having an amazing year.

He's got
three buzzers already.

He comes from
Bentonville, Arkansas,

a town famous for one thing--
well, now maybe two.

Welcome to Bentonville,
home of Walmart and me.

It's kind of a split
between farm town,

and there's also
a lot of the city.

The original Walmart is
actually on the main street.

That's where it was started
by Sam Walton.

So it brings people
from all over the world,

but it's still a small town.

Get up that wall!

There he goes.
Owen Dyer.

After my rookie year, I think
I got everybody's attention.

What a moment for this kid

and the folks back
in Arkansas.

Hey, tell me, what's
making you so emotional?

This is a dream come true.

As a father, it's been a lot
of fun watching the community

celebrating your child.

People are coming up

and getting pictures
and autographs.

And when you see their
dreams coming true,

I mean, it's--it's amazing.

People are like,
what in the world?

We have a kid that's

gonna be
on "American Ninja Warrior"?

So just before I came to Vegas,
my local news crew came out

and did a piece on me.

Here's a familiar face.

We've got Owen Dyer
back with us.

Man, it's so great to see you.

Hey, it's so great
to see you guys, too.

Never even expected
to have so much support.

My town's starting
to really get behind me.

17 years old.
What a great kid he is.

Still don't even
believe it's real.

I mean, I've pinched myself
multiple times a day

thinking this is a dream.

Dreams come true
for Owen Dyer. Wow.

People have said,

"You're a great role model
for my kids."

Hopefully we'll see
a lot more young ninjas

coming up and trying it out.

He's got a bunch of folks
watching back in Bentonville,

including his family.

Let's go, Owen!

And his dad's
on the sideline

with some of the other
teenage competitors.

Come on, Owen.

I can do this.

You heard that.
He says he can do this.

I love that attitude.
As a man thinketh, so is he.

A four-minute time limit
on stage two.

You got it, dude.

Come on, Owen!

First up,
the Striding Steps,

the only balance obstacle
on stage two.

Nice.

Rolls right into
the Double Salmon Ladder.

Gotta hop it up,
then jump to the other side.

Be careful.
That's opened at the top.

And just locked in.
Very effortless at Owen Dyer.

Yeah, come on, Owen.

Up next is Piston Plunge,

a very tough obstacle
back in qualifying.

That's right, took out 60%
of the ninjas who tried it.

Gotta lache here.

It's all about
hand placement here as well.

Nice.

Each piston moves in tandem
and drops when you grab it.

The stage one was all about
the agility,

stage two, upper body.

And another one
here onto the steering wheel,

a drop on the bungee.

Ooh.
You got it, Owen.

It's all you, Owen.
It's all you, Owen, all you.

And he's through.

You got it, dude.
Come on, Owen.

Now heads over
to take on Hammer Drop.

Got to jump
on the big cylinder

and hang on
with arms and legs.

You have four
points of contact,

all points of contact.

This is the scary one
right here.

Dad says
this is the scary one.

And he's right.

They don't sell this
at Walmart.

But he's not home free.

Now has to work
his way around,

climb his way
to the top of the cylinder.

He'll get a couple
extra swings here,

try to figure out how
to get on top of the hammer.

And, Matt, you can feed
the advantage of being 5'10" (178cm)

and having the long arm reach.

He's got his arms all
the way around,

being able
to get both handles.

And he's celebrating
a little bit,

and I think he's glad
that's over with.

Oh, yeah.

But now comes another part
of this obstacle--

has to stand up and then
jump out to catch the rope.

You've got it.
All you got.

Two feet and jump.
Come on, Owen.

Good jump.
140 pounds.

When he tries to jump,

it's gonna move
that hammer.

But he got it.

Does a great job of getting
on the high part of that rope.

We only had four ninjas

make it through stage two
last year,

but Owen Dyer is now
just two obstacles away

and he is showing
how it's done.

Let's go.
Whoo!

They're starting to get
excited back in Bentonville.

And there it is.
Look at the smile.

That was a little bit
of a nervous smile, though.

Oh, boy.

Well, that's because this
next one is intimidating.

It's the Hornet's Nest,
a super-sized version

of the Beehive obstacle
we had a few years ago.

This Hornet's Nest
will sting you.

Has to swing over and
land inside the honeycombs.

Ooh!
Nice move.

Hanged into it.
Good catch.

Has to climb up and reach
over to the third one.

And he said it at the start.
I can do it.

If you think you can,
you will.

You've got it.

You have to understand,
at 140 pounds,

throwing too much force
into it can throw you off.

And using that long frame.
Control.

Nice.
Wow!

He could have caught that
with his teeth.

He's getting close.

One more honeycomb to go.

I love the
airtime that he had,

giving himself
the time to find that grab.

Perfect.

Just needs to get
off this final one.

But you can see it in his face.
He is struggling.

Get out of there, Owen!

Let's go.
There you go.

Oh, no!

Whoa.

Not the ending he wanted,

but Owen Dyer can head back
to Bentonville

with his flamingo head
held high.

Hey, great season, son!
Let's go, Owen.

He was looking good till
he got to the last honeycomb.

As he wound up
for that big dismount,

his left hand just
slipped right off,

and he does a big spin
right into the water.

I cannot believe
I made it this far.

I'm so proud of how
my season went.

A major improvement from last,

and I pray I can come back
and do it again next season.

Welcome back to night two
of the National Finals.

We've got one of
Vegas's legendary acts,

the Blue Man Group,

keeping the party going
on stage two.

It's a blue-tiful night
here in Vegas.

Moments ago, the
Classy ninja, Donovan Metoyer

took the stage
dressed for success

and ready for redemption.

Last year on stage two,
the seven-time veteran

who always wears a suit
when he runs

went out
on the very first obstacle.

Oh!

He missed the rope.

Tonight, the rope
on the Striding Steps

wasn't a problem.

Got it.
Nice.

Yes, yes!

And he went on to clear
the second obstacle,

the third,
and part of the fourth.

Nice.

But once again,
he was done in by a rope.

Get up high on that rope.

Oh!

This time on
the Hammer Drop.

Oh.

Our next athlete's story is
brought to you by NerdWallet,

the smartest decision for
all your financial decisions.

This is Tyler Yamauchi.

He's our oldest athlete

to make it
to stage two this year.

He actually turned 37
last night.

And the former gymnast
showing he's still got it.

Only 5'1" (155cm), but his
nickname is Muscle Ball.

That's what it says
in Japanese on his shirt.

Tyler's Japanese American.

There are his parents
on the sideline.

And in the last few years,
this father of three

has really started
embracing his roots.

As a kid, I grew
up in Houston, Texas.

And at that time, there was
really no Japanese culture.

I always knew that
I wanted my kids

to have a little more culture.

In Chicago, because
there's more Japanese people,

we have plenty
of Japanese gardens.

Original teahouse, 1910.

Pretty cool, huh?

We go to festivals.

We even do the Shishimai,
which is a cultural lion dance.

The Shishimai I do originates
from Okinawa, Japan.

And it's used to, like,
scare off demons.

My kids love the Shishimai.

They love anything
that's Japanese.

And my daughters
can speak Japanese.

So how do you say
"within the mountain"?

So it basically took me
to be a grown family man

for me to go back to my roots.

This'll be my third year
at stage two.

Never beaten it.

Hopefully at the end,
my kids will be saying,

"Yatta!"

Which means,
"Yay, you did it."

And there,
his wife and kids watching

back in the Chicago area.

He was right here
on stage two last year

and fell on Hammer Drop.

That's gonna be another
tough one for him tonight.

So strong and powerful
for his size.

Four-time All-American
in gymnastics

at the University of Illinois.

Nice.

Gets through
Salmon Ladder quickly,

and moves on to Piston Plunge.

I'll tell you what's so
impressive about Yamauchi.

He's a father of three
and a physical therapist.

Doesn't get to train as much
as some of these younger guys,

yet, he's right here
on stage two.

Boom.

Well,
moving really efficiently.

Yamauchi seems to have
a new lease on life.

Yeah!
One more, one more, one more!

Nice and easy.

Watch it here
on this handle.

A little drop
with the bungee cord.

You've gotta
anticipate that drop.

Nice.
Great job.

And he gets through.

And now, it's the rematch.

Back to Hammer Drop,
where he fell last season.

Matt, he's got to bear hug
the heck out of Hammer Drop,

squeeze with not only
his arms,

but his legs as well.

Go, Tyler!

Here we go, the moment
of truth for Tyler Yamauchi.

Stick on like Velcro!
Velcro!

Oh, my!

And you can see that left
hand isn't even on a handle.

It's not.

And he's really relying
on the right one.

I don't even know
how he did that.

How did he do that?
That's amazing.

What?

That's some
Velcro in there,

some old-school stickum.

Watch the leap
to the rope here.

Nice.

Timed it well.

Really was riding
that hammer well.

I like it.

That's the advantage of age.

Work smarter, not harder.

Yamauchi doing just that.

Well, yeah,
look at that grab again.

He completely missed
the handle with his left hand.

He was just squeezing it.

And he was totally
relying on his right hand.

I don't know how
this brother held on.

But he's the shortest athlete
to ever take on stage two,

and he's getting
closer to a buzzer.

Just two obstacles left,
but this one,

Hornet's Nest,
just looks so difficult.

Parallel throw here.
Nice.

Has to climb up and across
to the third one.

Once you're on this obstacle,
those forearms get no rest.

Very efficient, though,
really moving well.

Yeah, now you've gotta
throw yourself into it--nice.

Locked in, getting
those honeycombs moved.

He's really controlling
with that lower body.

Yeah.
Breathe through the pump,

because you
know at this point...

Wow!
He's feeling the pump.

Just needs one more big
swing for the dismount.

Yes!

His kid's gotta be saying,
"Yatta!"right now.

That's Japanese for
"you did it."

But now he's the first to
face the Falling Shelves.

And it's that blind grab
that ended the run of so many

on that fourth and final X.

Ten ninjas reached
this point last year.

Only four survived.
He can taste it, Matt.

So close.
Wow. And I love it.

This is the gymnast,
really able to fly.

Can he get the blind grab?

There's that blind grab,
means you gotta

take your hands
and take 'em into reverse.

Reverse! Oh!
No!

Just couldn't
get the purchase.

The Muscle Ball foiled
on the Falling Shelves.

The gymnast looked perfect
on the early shelves,

was landing softly,
but for that last one,

had to reach his hand to
the backside of the shelf

and just couldn't hang on
with that right hand.

Was so close.

Up next, ninja favorite
Flip Rodriguez has already

had a remarkable season.

Let's go!

Now he'll try
to do something

he's never done before,

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

Welcome back.
Minutes ago, Tyler Yamauchi

made it to the last obstacle

on stage two, only to see his
run end

on the final move
of the Falling Shelves.

No!

That's giving us déjà vu
because the Falling Shelves

were also the
final obstacle last year.

Blind grab, blind grab!

Oh!

Top ninjas fell,
one after the other...

Oh!

All of them
at the same spot.

Reverse--oh!

In all,
six of the ten ninjas

who got there
fell there.

This is the move right here.

Will the Falling Shelves

be the roadblock
again tonight?

Ohh!

Oh, so close!

This crowd knows
who's up next.

He is one of ninja's
biggest stars.

But despite all of his success,

Flip Rodriguez has
never hit a stage two buzzer.

It's a big gap in an otherwise
stellar ninja career.

This season, he brought
back his signature mask

to the start line, and it
seemed to change his luck.

So maybe this is the year
to end the stage two curse.

I've been competing
for 12 years.

I've been in National Finals
eight times.

I've got to stage two
six times,

but never been able
to get to stage three.

Oh!
Flip is out!

I've always just come short,

and it drives me insane.

No!

The last time I was there,
I timed out.

And time runs out

just feet away
from the buzzer.

I don't know how much closer
I can get without

actually clearing this course.

No.

But this year
is gonna be different.

My mental game has shifted

for this season dramatically.

Bringing back the mask struck
a big confidence boost in me.

I've put in the hard work.

Ah!
Oh, had it!

I've been going to Orlando
every week to train with R.J.

I'm R.J. now.

Who can't teach
a old dog new tricks?

Ah, okay, buddy, listen,
33 is not old.

He's been pushing me
really hard,

and so far, paying off.

Flip is going back to Vegas!

Let's go!

Let's go!

It's been three
years since you've made it

back to stage two.

Did you have any
doubt that you were

hitting this buzzer tonight?

No, sir.
No room for doubt in here.

When you fail, and you fail,
and you fail again,

you've just gotta
keep wanting it.

You never fail until you quit.

And I have not quit yet.

Flip's taking off the mask.

But he's hit two
straight buzzers

since he started wearing
it to the start line again.

He's got a big group
on the sideline,

including R.J. Roman, who he's
been training with a lot

these past few years.

Some other friends
watching from home,

including Jody Avila,
who timed out last week.

Stay focused, focused,
focused. Let's go.

Telling Flip,
stay strong mentally.

And that's the key for Flip.

He's got the
physical tools,

just has to lock it down
mentally.

Let's go, let's go!

Top stuntman in Hollywood,
a ninja, author, inspiration.

33 years old,
his seventh time on stage two.

And he told us after he hit
that stage one buzzer,

he said, this is the year
I break that curse.

Yeah, I truly believe it.
I want this so badly.

Matt, personally, I want
this for Flip Rodriguez.

And you saw him take a look
at his hand there

May have hurt it on
the Double Salmon Ladder.

You got this, you got this.
But you know what?

Flip Rodriguez has fought
through a lot of pain.

Well, he's a stunt man,
so you know he's tough.

His body takes a beating.

But stage two is not a good
place to have a hand injury

with all these upper-body
challenges.

And you don't wanna spend
a lot of time hanging there.

And a little awkward
here on Piston Plunge,

but locking it in.

On the single-hand transfer,
you see him coming

up and over, just like that.

That's exactly right.

Now anticipate the drop--good.

Yes, let's go.

And he's through.

There's Jordan Carr, one of
the ninjas Flip has coached.

She and the others
on that sideline

so want to see Flip
get through this.

He's taking a long
look at that hand.

That might be a blister.

That could be a problem
here on Hammer Drop.

Jump right into it.
Yeah.

Look at that--
going for a ride.

You can smell it in the air.

170 pounds,
he's the heaviest

we've seen so far out here.

Let's go!

Looks so lean,
but that's a lot of mass

to carry through stage two.

He's only 33,

but he's one of the older guys
on stage two.

Only a few older than 30.

And grabbing this
rope could be difficult

with an injured hand.

Get that leap.

Remember, this hammer's
gonna push away from you.

Hold on.

Yes, got it.

And now that's where that
hand's gonna be tested.

Not sure what's going on.
Looked like that right hand.

Let's go!
He's checking it again.

Let's go!
You're good! You're moving!

Not a time to
have hand issues.

Looks like a blister.

He's biting that thing off.
Oh, yeah.

Yeah!
He's come too far

to not go all the way here
on stage two.

You're good! Let's go
You're good! Let's go!

He's gonna need his hands
to fit into the honeycombs

here on Hornet's Nest.

But with the clock ticking,
has to keep it moving.

Let's go.
Come on!

Let's go!

And he's talked about
overcoming adversity--

wrote a book about it.

This is nothing
compared to what

Flip's dealt with in his life.

Dude is an overcomer,
and I suspect

he is not about
to get stung by this obstacle.

Well, it looked like
it was in the palm,

so hopefully the fingertips--
this is gonna be

the big test here,
this 10-foot lache.

Well, I'm sure there's
no pain greater than hanging

up here on the Hornet's Nest.
170 pounds--oh, that's

a lot of mass to catch.
That's a lot of weight.

He's gotta have some hang time
here to give himself

enough time because that's
a lot of force coming into it.

Okay, Flip!
Come on, Flip!

Man, he's got everyone
here rooting for him.

You got it.
Come on, get out of there.

Get out of there!
Yes!

Nice! Flip that thing around.

Flip it around!

Can he land the dismount?

Oh, just barely

Heck yeah! Let's go!

Checking the hand.

His sideline yelling
their support.

Jordan Carr, R.J. Roman--they
want him to get through this.

And Flip says, "I got this."

Listen to R.J.
Listen to R.J.

He's checking the clock.
He knows it.

I want this for you badly.
Let's go, Flip!

Calming himself down.
This is it.

He's under 30 seconds here.
He's got it, he's got it.

He's got this.

Come on, Flip.
Nice.

Okay.
All right.

Watch that right hand. Nice.

This is it, the blind grab,
the big test

for Flip Rodriguez.

Breathe, baby, rock with it.

Rock with it, baby!
Yes!

Nice!
Under ten seconds. Get off!

Get out of there!
Get out of there, Flip!

Yes, go get your buzzer!

Yes! Yes!

Flip Rodriguez

gets his first
stage two buzzer.

Matt, I've got chills, man!

I've got chills.
Flip Rodriguez saying,

"I ain't done yet, young guns."

He had an injured hand,
but nothing was gonna stop

Flip Rodriguez tonight.

He pushed through the pain,
made the big moves,

and got that buzzer that
eluded him for 12 years.

And his training partner,
R.J. Roman, and the others

couldn't wait
to share the joy.

Wow, that's what it's
all about right there.

Flip, congratulations, man.

That was incredible.

What was different this year?

What made it happen?

I changed my environment.

I changed the things that
I consume on a daily basis.

And R.J. is a fantastic
person to train with.

He won't let me outdo him.

When you have people like that
around you,

it's hard to fail, you know.
Yeah.

And you are living
proof of that, man.

You are not failing.
You are flipping lives

into positivity.

We love to see it.
Congratulations.

We'll see you on stage three.

Awesome job.

Guys, back to you.

Well, we just watched
his buddy Flip deliver.

Now, Orlando musician
R.J. Roman

gets his shot on stage two,

next,
on "American Ninja Warrior."

Welcome back to Las Vegas
and our National Finals.

We are now on stage two,
and this course is a killer.

Pennsylvania's Jackson Erdos
is the youngest competitor

to ever make it to stage two.

Just to give you
a little perspective,

three years ago,
he was in elementary.

The former ninja Junior
Champion got into

the National Finals
as an alternate.

And he made the most of it,
hitting a buzzer on stage one.

But tonight...

No!

His season ended
at Piston Plunge.

Another alternate who took
advantage of his opportunity

was 16-year-old
James Sannella.

Let it go. Let it flow.
The New Jersey teenager

had the third-fastest
finish on stage one.

And he made some big moves
on Double Salmon Ladder.

Wow!
James Sannella,

killing it
on the Double Salmon Ladder.

But he, too, ran into
trouble at Piston Plunge.

No!
Oh!

Sannella has got to
be sick right there.

The Country Boy Ninja,
Josiah Singleton,

still had a Safety Pass,

since he didn't have to use it
on stage one.

With his Lynchburg Loonies

screaming on the sideline,

the 25-year-old grad student
came out strong.

Yeah!

If there was a time
to be country strong,

it's on stage two.

But once again,

Piston Plunge
proved to be a roadblock.

Ooh!
Oof!

But thanks to
his Safety Pass,

he'll get another
shot at the course.

It's okay...

'cause I'm coming back.

Well, up next is
a rock-and-roller

who's been on a roll.

It's Orlando musician,
R.J. Roman.

He's hit all the
high notes this year

with three straight buzzers,

and he credits his musical
background for his success.

R.J. Roman has spent
the off-season

building near-perfect replicas

of the obstacles used
at our National Finals.

Using those obstacles,
the five-time veteran

and his training partner,
Flip Rodriguez,

have spent hundreds of hours

creating circuits
of the grueling courses

they'll face here in Vegas.

Whoa!
Oh!

R.J. says the key
is that his training

is just like making music.

There's a certain
structure to writing a song.

And there's a certain structure
to each course.

So I've been able to
figure out the structure,

train it, and replicate it.

I'm one step ahead of
you guys, at least.

Let's go, R.J..

Well, the training's already
paid off for Flip.

He got a buzzer minutes ago.

Now, it's R.J.'s turn,

with many others ready to
watch R.J. shred stage two.

We love to watch R.J. Roman.

He runs like his
hair's on fire.

This dude is going all out.

Gets a little hung up on
the rope but throws it aside.

This is one of the obstacles
he's practiced in the gym.

To now, big move.
Whoo!

Wasted no time on the
Double Salmon Ladder, Matt.

Just looking
efficient, looking calm.

This rock star is ready for
the spotlight here in Vegas.

Yeah, and Piston
Plunge is right

where you start to feel the
buildup of that lactic acid.

You want to be efficient.

Don't rush through here,

especially on this one
right here.

Flip's coaching him up.

He got through
this minutes ago.

Pull. You got it.

Pull... bring it up.

He's got to
see that angle.

Nice.

And R.J.'s through.

Yes!

Now sizing up the
fourth obstacle, Hammer Drop.

R.J.'s 5'6" (168cm).

Whoo, almost lost it
there on Hammer Drop.

Wasn't sure he had that
lower body on, but he's alive.

Yeah, four-point contact
so crucial on Hammer Drop.

Now turned around, wrestling.

Got his hat on
backwards still, too.

Nice ninja swag.

All right, now
you've got to fly.

I know it's a little
windy here, too.

Nice.

R.J. Roman continues
to progress,

looking to get that
return to stage three.

And there's
been a lot of buzz

about R.J. Roman becoming the
next "American Ninja Warrior."

Absolutely.
Well, he and Flip

really did take
their training

to the next level this year.

And that got Flip to stage
three for the first time ever.

Let's see how far it takes
R.J.

This guy has such power,
can really fly here.

Nice.

Well, he just jumped
that third one

instead of climbing
up to it.

That's the first
time we've seen that.

This five-time veteran is
having his best season ever.

Launch it up here
to that fourth one.

Whoo! Boy, he almost
hit his head

on that one, though.
Look at how quickly

he regrouped his momentum.

Yeah, you gotta see--
him making the eye--

great eye discipline there.

Turn it around, and now just
got to make the dismount.

R.J. Roman continues
to shred here in Vegas.

Plenty of time on the clock,

and only Falling Shelves
to go.

Yeah, you see that?
He says, I only got one.

Just one more obstacle to go.

The crowd sensing
something special.

He built the replica of the
Falling Shelves in his gym.

He's ready.
Go get it.

Here we go, R.J. Roman.

And he said, could be the
one to win it all this year.

Just got to survive this race.

One more move,
the blind grab.

Blind grab--here we go.

You own this.
Swing.

See those eyes locked in.

Nice!
And you saw him slow it down.

Didn't want to over-shoot it.

R.J. Roman shreds stage two,

one step closer
to the million dollars.

Oh, no--yes.

R.J. Roman reigns supreme.

It was just like he
trained for at the gym.

He was ready for
the Shrinking Steps,

for that Double Salmon Ladder,

and especially that Blind
Grab on the Falling Shelves.

He knew he had it,
then was rock-star cool

as he hit the buzzer.

So both R.J. and Flip
are moving on,

showing that hard work
has paid off.

Coming up, we've got
the savvy veterans

and the talented teenagers.

Who's going to stay alive for
the million-dollar jackpot?

It's Vegas, baby, on
"American Ninja Warrior."

Welcome back to Las Vegas.

While we were away,
two more ninjas

tried conquering stage two.

One of the biggest surprises
of the National Finals

has been 23-year-old
rookie Grant Nguyen.

He was in a bike
accident a few weeks ago

and wasn't sure if
he'd even compete.

But last week on
stage one, Nguyen

had one of the most exciting
runs, taking the High Road,

and getting a buzzer
with seconds to spare.

Oh, my goodness.

Tonight, with the
scars from the accident

still on his face, the
college student moved quickly

through the early obstacles--

Okay, I see you.

--And made his way
to the Hammer Drop.

So he's going to have to
throw his whole body into it

and hold on tight.

Nguyen, who has
a climbing background,

was able to scratch
his way to the top

but couldn't handle the rope.

Oh, rope burn!

It is over.

Ninja veteran Lucas Reale

has been on stage two
twice before.

With a big group
of his students

watching from back
in Massachusetts,

the five-time veteran quickly
made it to the Hammer Drop.

Ooh, uh-oh, great save.

Not only did he
make a great save

at the start of the obstacle,

he had another close call
at the end.

Whoo, you know his
upper body's on fire.

And all that wear and
tear seemed to catch up

with him on Hornet's Nest.

Now you've got to
throw yourself into it.

Oh!

He's the second ninja
tonight

taken down by the obstacle.

Well, our next athlete's
about to start his senior year

of high school.

This is 17-year-old
Evan Andrews.

And he seems pretty
impressed by his highlights

from this season
playing on the screen.

Well, we're pretty
impressed by them, too.

Well, this Montana kid came
out of nowhere this season.

And now, he's on stage two
with the sports elites.

Excitement--yeah.

When people think about
huge ninja communities,

you know, Texas--

Go get 'em, go
get 'em, go get 'em.

Yes.

--Colorado--

--Florida--

Oh, yeah.

Oh.

--Montana hasn't
made that list ever.

But I don't need
a huge facility

to train in "Ninja Warrior."

I don't need training
partners.

I don't really need coaches.

You can replace those
resources with dedication.

And you can make an
impact because of it.

This one's for Montana.

Wow,
he made that look easy.

Oh, my goodness.

Let's go!

Evan Andrews, our only
finisher of the night.

After semifinals, kids
in Montana were blown away.

People reached out to me,
wanted to train with me.

A few years from now,
they'll be talking

about the Montana ninjas.

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Yes!

Textbook.

What I want people to
take away from my season

is no matter how little
resources you have...

you can do great things.

And you know all of Montana
will be watching Evan tonight

and his parents
who cheered him on

from down on the sideline.

And I loved what he
said after stage one.

It ain't about where you
train.

It's about the discipline.

And this kid has
put the work in.

You can see that nice
soft landing.

Wow, flying through
that Salmon Ladder.

His semifinals night was
loaded with top ninjas.

But he was the only one
to finish the course.

But lost his Power Tower
race, so no Safety Pass.

If he falls, it's over.

We told you his story.

He had ninja dreams
but no ninja gyms near him.

So he and his family
built one in their garage.

But think about
how many times

he must have imagined
his garage was Las Vegas.

And here he is.

He is just annihilating the
early part of this course,

but doing it in such
an effortless way.

5'7" (170cm).
Has the wingspan.

Got to lock it in on Hammer
Drop, avoid the mistake.

Ooh, didn't get the legs in.

Oh, uh-oh, come on now.

Come on.

Ooh, he is putting a lot of
pressure on that upper body.

And he survived.
Ooh, hold on.

But he's hanging up again.

Oh, my.

Ooh, he's got to make sure
he doesn't get dropped.

Hammer Drop has been a
nightmare for Evan Andrews.

And he looks shocked.

Regroup.

Yeah, stay calm.

But look at that smile.

The teenager's having
a blast out here.

But he's got to be
exhausted after that.

Can he make the
leap to the rope?

Yes--able to hang on.

Still alive--
Evan Andrews bought himself

room for a mistake,
you can see there.

Yeah, he's going to
have to shake it off,

like Taylor Swift.

Oh, his parents
are feeling it.

Evan Andrews--this
is the first time

we've seen him shaken.

That took a lot out of him.

You got it, bud.

You got it, Evan.

Mom shouting encouragement,
and it's working.

He seems back into it.

Now he's feeling it.

Yeah, shaking it up.

Shake it off.

Get the crowd involved.

What does he have
left for Hornet's Nest?

I'm so impressed with the
ability of these ninjas

to handle the adversity,
these young athletes.

Nice.
17 years old,

and his ninja life
flashed before his eyes

there on Hammer Drop.

Yeah, he's put in a lot of
work to get to this point.

All those hours of
training in his garage,

it's for this--being able
to push through on stage two.

Having a little trouble
here getting rotated around.

He said he's focused
on being productive

instead of busy.

After just a flawless
first three obstacles--

Nice.

--He's really struggled
on the second half here.

I'm concerned about
this next transfer, Matt.

Four to five.
Oh.

No!

Well, it started
on the Hammer Drop,

and it ended there
on the Hornet's Nest.

But what a season
for Evan Andrews.

Yes, it was, Matt.

He started strong,
but on Hammer Drop,

he had to save himself
not once but twice,

using only his hands.

And that caught up to
him on Hornet's Nest.

You can see that hand
slipping off right there

as he swung for that
last honeycomb.

Coming up, they gave us a
nail-biter on the Power Tower.

Oh, my God,
and Jay Lewis wins it.

That was so close.

And now, Jay "Lache"
Lewis has a Safety Pass.

He and Josiah Pippel
take on stage two,

next on "American Ninja
Warrior."

Welcome back to
Las Vegas, where

we've had two thrilling
finishes here on stage two.

How many more will
we get tonight?

Moments ago,
stuntman Kyle Soderman

tried to finish
for the second year in a row.

Ooh, nice high on the rope.

Last season, the 27-year-old
was one of only four ninjas

to hit a buzzer on stage two.

With his fiancée
Megan Johnson watching,

he came out strong
again tonight.

All right, send it,
Soderman.

At 180 pounds, Soderman's
one of the heaviest of the

elite ninjas.

And the upper-body obstacles
seemed to take a toll.

That's just more weight and
more taxing on his forearms.

But he kept fighting
and made his way

to the final honeycomb--

This one's making me
a little nervous.

Knocked down!

--Before his season
came to an end.

We've got another
one underway.

Nice.

It's Jay "Lache" Lewis.

A lot of people think this
18-year-old could win it all.

He's looked so solid
on stage two so far.

Gives a little thumbs up.
I think he heard you, Akbar.

And his parents and East
Coast ninjas on the sidelines.

He's got a Safety Pass
on his shorts.

So if he falls,
he'll get another chance.

Jay starts college in
a few weeks at Syracuse.

And he's got the school
mascot, Otto the Orange,

cheering him on.

Right now, he's going to
give it the old college try

here on Hornet's Nest.

Confidence--let's go.

Well, you can see,
once he gets gone,

he really is efficient.
Ooh.

Ooh.

And you could see
his direction wasn't great.

That was a good save
with the hand placement.

Well, Matt, when
you're that light,

sometimes you lose
control of the body.

So he has to have
enough air time.

This is where on this big
one, this 10-foot lache,

he's got to have some hang
time so he can adjust the box.

Perfect.
Nice.

And watch it,
this side-to-side,

this was the one
he had a little

trouble with we just saw.

Nice.

Throw himself into it--good.

Good correction--learning
in the middle of the course.

This is his bread and
butter.

This is what he
eats at lunchtime.

Nice.

And Otto's cheering like
it's March Madness.

Under a minute, here we go.

Do those forearms
have anything left

here on the Falling Shelves?

Nice.
Good throws.

And this one will
continue to spin.

Ooh! Nice.

This is it,
the blind grab--

Come on!

Yes!
Wow.

And look at the
smile on Jay "Lache."

He's going to stage three.

Look at that, didn't
even need the Safety Pass.

Yeah!

Oh, they're dancing
in Syracuse.

And look at that.

Here comes the
family to celebrate.

What a beautiful moment.

Jay "Lache" lived up to his
name on these final obstacles.

And he was smiling when
he got to that last shelf.

He's our third
finisher tonight,

and he's down with Zuri.

Okay, Lache.

You're headed to stage three,
and you're headed to college.

How excited are you about
the future right now?

The future's looking
pretty bright right now,

so I'm pretty excited.

Well, we're
excited to watch it.

Congratulations on everything.

Can't wait to see you
kill it on stage three.

Give it up for Jay, y'all.

Awesome job.
Guys, take it away.

Well, up next is
the ninja Jay "Lache" beat

to earn that Safety Pass.

It's 16-year-old

New Jersey high school student
Josiah Pippel.

With no Safety Pass, a fall
tonight will end his season.

And he's got history
here on stage two.

Not only is he explosive,
he's making it look easy.

Stage two last year,

I made it all the way
to the last move,

the undergrab on
Falling Shelves.

This is the big move--

blind grab, blind grab.

Oh!
Oh!

I knew that if
I get back there,

I don't want to fail this.

I need to train this
as hard as I can.

Pretty much as soon as I got
back from Vegas last year,

I built Falling Shelves.

I've done it every
way possible.

And I even did it blindfolded.

Whoo!

Yeah.

I'm going to get back there.

I'm going to get it, and
I'm moving on to stage three.

Josiah's mom
and siblings will be

watching back in New Jersey.

And his dad down
on the sidelines,

along with some of the
ninjas he trains with.

We've talked about what
a Renaissance man he is--

collects reptiles, loves
Formula One racing,

even taught himself
how to play piano.

He's a man of many talents.

But his best talent is ninja.

This kid could go all the way.

He's had an amazing
season already--

three buzzers and won
10 grand on the Mega Wall.

Well, Matt, that
$10,000 on the Mega Wall,

he'll never have to ask
for lunch money again.

Cannot say it enough
how these young ninjas,

the poise they have out
here, and the maturity,

the plan of attack
that they're executing.

Yeah, you can see it's
a little windy out here.

So the Piston Plunge are going
to be swaying back and forth.

You can see Josiah's Afro
blowing in the wind.

6 feet tall,
got those long arms.

And the nice hair,
too, long hair.

I like that 'fro.

I used to have one
when I was a kid.

Well, take a look
at my baby picture

if you don't believe me.

You were looking
good back then.

And Josiah Pippel looking
good so far on stage two.

But now it gets tough.
On now to the Hammer Drop.

Should lock it in
here with those big arms.

Make sure you get the legs in.

Ooh, get your legs in--nice.

Cradle, hug it, love it--nice.

Good job getting four points
of contact, trying to be

as efficient as possible.

Yeah, that four point
of contact

a lot easier
when you're that long.

He's still an elite athlete.

He's got to get it
pumping again.

All right.
But once again,

you've got
to get the momentum going

because when you
push on that hammer,

it will pull away from you.

Isaac Newton explained it.

Nice.
Whoo!

High on the rope.

Didn't have to
climb up that much.

Josiah Pippel--we
saw him on "Ninja Junior,"

and, my, how he has grown.

He comes back next
year, could be 6'4" (192cm).

Let's go, Josiah.

And he's given himself
a good amount of time,

2 minutes, 20 seconds,
to get through this

and the Falling Shelves.

Yeah, Hornet's Nest
is one of those ones

you've got to really map
out, one of the two.

So you have to realize,
you know,

with the different distance,

that's an 8-foot lache
right there.

Good throw.

Having a little trouble with
the hand placement there.

Well, he should have
it right here because

he's 6 feet tall, long reach--

nice.

And here's the thing,
you have no time

to rest on the Hornet's Nest.

Now, here's the big one--
10 feet.

Whoo!

Did you see how high up
he got?

Nice.

Arms getting fully extended.

And, Matt, too, when
you get that high up,

it gives you a little room
to make the correction.

Perfect.

Well, here it is, lining
up for his rematch

with Falling Shelves.

He was one of the many who
fell on that final shelf.

The blind grab.

Nice!
Getting a chance

to avenge it.

Matt, did you see that?

As soon as he laid it,
he was mad-dogging

the Falling Shelves,
like, what?

This is a moment
he's been waiting for.

Well, what a sense of
déjà vu it has to be.

I can't imagine
the number of times

he's replayed the Falling
Shelves since last year.

He can literally do
it blindfolded now.

Just looking effortless
so far.

Here it is, though.

He's flying through
the course,

his Afro
flying through the course.

Got it!

And there he is, nodding.

He's nodding, yeah.
Pippel knows it!

He knows what's up.

He's going to stage three.

Whoo!

And the teens continue
to destroy this course.

Gets his revenge on
the Falling Shelves.

And he's our fourth
finisher on stage two.

That's as many as
we had last season,

and we're barely halfway
through the field.

Coming up,
he may be a little older,

but the Swan can still fly.

He's flying
through this course.

Look at the time.

Ethan Swanson put up the
fastest time on stage one.

Now, he'll take on stage two,

next on
"American Ninja Warrior."

Welcome back to
Las Vegas,

where a couple of Windy City
ninjas

got their shot
on stage two minutes ago.

When the Stallion Mike Silenzi
galloped to the start line,

there was the usual
stampede on the sidelines.

Yee-haw! Okay!

The 35-year-old has had
a career resurgence,

with six buzzers
in the past two years.

Giddyup, cowboy.

He made it to the
final obstacle on stage two

last season but got hung up
on the third one tonight.

He's spending way too
much time on Piston Plunge.

He needed a little bit
more horsepower!

Danggum!

Then another Chicago ninja,

Cam "The Bomb" Baumgartner,

tried to blow
through the course.

Yeah!

But he was also slowed
down at Piston Plunge.

Uh-oh, that's a long time
to be hanging.

Go for it, Cam.

Oh.

Come on!

But after that, the
gymnastics coach exploded--

Ooh, I know it's burning.

--Flying through
the back half of the course

and he made his way
to the Falling Shelves.

You've worked hard for this.
Come on, Cam.

First time.
Yes!

And got his first
stage two buzzer,

becoming
our fifth finisher tonight.

He almost went
off the platform!

Oh, man, that's a big moment.

Flying to the start line
next

is another from
that Chicago crew

doing his signature move--

flapping the wings
and getting the crowd going.

It's the Swan, Ethan Swanson.

This veteran had the
fastest time on stage one.

But this will be his
first time back on stage two

in a few years.

And the competition
has gotten a lot younger.

He's flying
through this course.

Look at the time.

I had the fastest time on
stage one by 8/10 of a second.

With the fastest time

of the night!

It's good to know
I can still hang.

His fourth stage one buzzer
in a row.

It's been a couple years
since I've been in Vegas.

And there's a whole
different level

of competition here,

these young kids
that are monsters now.

I think they're going
to surpass the mark

that they set from last year.

Next up, 24-year-old
Ethan Swanson.

But I've been here before.

This is my ninth season.

I know what it takes.

I've been to stage two
a bunch of times.

I know what to expect.
I know how to prepare.

You got it.

Yeah!

Stage two is so tough.
You're up super high.

You're doing these
crazy moves.

You've got to make sure
you don't get too dizzy.

There's so many risks.

Nice!

But before I was even

doing Ninja,
I was a daredevil.

I was a stuntman.

I feel like I'll make
some of those decisions

and some of those
moves that maybe

some other athletes won't.

This old guy's still got
a couple of veteran tricks

up his sleeve.

Everybody's gonna be
flapping their wings,

including all
his Chicago Ninja buddies.

Come on, Ethan!

They say
it's a young man's game.

But Ethan Swanson
trying to show

you better respect
your elders.

Well, he crushed stage one.

But stage two is a completely
different animal.

These courses keep
getting more difficult.

Nice.

He knows...
exactly what to do.

Let's go.
Last one.

Come on.
Come on, Ethan.

Come on, Swan.

Well, loves to fly,
is a daredevil,

is a guy who's done some
insane high-flying stunts,

an acro-dunker for the Bulls.

He used to create
YouTube videos

where he would hang
off skyscrapers

all across Chicago--
kind of the same thing

he's doing here
on Piston Plunge.

And you know what I
love about daredevils?

They have no fear.

Got to be efficient here.

Nice transfer,
nice and easy.

And you can usually tell
by the transfer

how much gas
these ninjas have left.

And Ethan Swanson looks like

he's got plenty of energy
left.

Well, now it's Hammer Drop.

Time for the 5'9" (175cm) Swanson
to show off that wingspan.

He has got to bear hug
the heck out of Hammer Drop.

He's got to throw his
body and squeeze tight,

squeeze with not only his
arms but his legs as well.

Good job getting
four points of contact,

trying to be
as efficient as possible.

Oh, and a little
slip there,

having trouble
getting on top of it.

Breathe!

Come on, get power.

This is where it gets
a little scary here,

even for the Swan.

Spread those wings.

Fly, fly!

Ooh.
Ooh-hoo.

Well, we've had
five finishers so far.

Flip Rodriguez
is the only one over 30.

Ethan Swanson at 32 trying
to join Flip

and represent
for the old guys.

Two obstacles between him

and his second date
on stage three.

And he's having
a good time out here.

Yeah, he's having fun.
He's having a lot of fun.

He's still
entertaining the crowd,

but what does he have
left in those arms

for the Hornet's Nest?

Matt, I can
guarantee you, his arms

are about to start stinging,
if they aren't already.

All right, right here.
All good.

His body's
all over the place.

Whoa!

Keep moving.
Keep moving.

Well, Matt, on this next
transfer from three to four,

he'd better make sure
that he doesn't have

that same type of throw
on that first lache.

And just looking
real awkward there

on that third honeycomb.

He needs more body control.

Body control--get up
so you can control.

Nice.
Ah, just hanging on.

Ooh, barely made it.

Does he have anything left?

Look at his face, Matt.
He's fighting it.

Come on, you got this!

Launching--

No!

Ethan Swanson looked
so good on stage one.

Had the fastest time.

But stage two is an
upper-body killer.

This course
will wear you out.

The Swan used up
a lot of strength

on these early obstacles,
so at Hornet's Nest,

didn't have enough left to
grab that last honeycomb.

These kids are so strong.
They make it look so easy.

For me, it's not.

Coming up,
12 months ago,

he was the last ninja
standing,

the only one to conquer
stage three.

Can he do it again?

Kaden Lebsack runs next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

Welcome back to night two

of the National Finals.

While we were away,

a couple of recent
high school graduates

took on stage two.

Minnesota's Jeramiah Boyd

was the captain
of his school's track team.

And he came out of the
blocks quickly tonight.

Hurry, but don't
rush--that's the key.

With his mom
cheering him on,

the 18-year-old had
a hiccup on the Salmon Ladder.

Uh-oh, uh-oh, come on, now.

But he quickly recovered.

Ooh, nice!

This rookie has had an
impressive campaign,

with two buzzers
and a Mega Wall.

But his season ended tonight
on Piston Plunge.

No!

That's a tough one, Matt.

Max Feinberg was in his
school's marching band.

And he hit all the
right notes in his run.

Be clean, be solid,
and be confident.

He quickly made it
to Hammer Drop,

which ended his season
last year.

All right, I'm sure
he wants that revenge.

But this time,
he was able to hang on

and swing his way through.

Got it!
Got the revenge!

The incoming freshman at
the University of Denver

made the Hornet's
Nest look easy--

Boy,
this kid is just flying.

He is a-Maxing!

And survived the blind
grab on Falling Shelves--

Nice!
Allowing him to hit

a buzzer and become

the sixth finisher
on stage two tonight.

Let's go!

Well done.

Yeah!
Yeah!

Already on the course
is Max's good friend.

He's a pretty good ninja, too.

The defending
last ninja standing,

16-year-old Kaden Lebsack.

He's Special K!

His parents and friends,
including Max Feinberg,

are over on the sideline.

Watch it here on
the Hammer Drop.

You better hug this like
a prom date, just like that.

Ooh, oh, boy.

Right to the face.

Yeah,
and he is going for it.

He's the reigning
king of ninja,

went farther than
everyone last season.

Got to $100,000
last year.

Like to move that
decimal point over.

Ooh-hoo!

And this is going to come
down to technique, Matt,

and a little bit of science.

I'm sure he's doing
well in science class.

Understand that hammer's
going to push away.

There we go.
Nice.

His mom's
always so nervous,

even though Kaden's never
fallen in the water.

You've got to wonder, will
the pressure ever get to him?

I gotta know the secret
of how this kid

stays so calm
under so much pressure.

And the pressure
of the Hornet's Nest--

this is a wicked obstacle.

This guy knows.

He has what it takes
to get that $1 million.

16 years old, and just
handles everything

this course throws at him.

And he's throwing
himself into this obstacle.

Nice.

And you can see
how efficiently

he's moving the honeycombs,
rotating them around--

great use of that lower body.

Yeah, you can
see great control,

great mastery of the body
and spatial awareness.

I think that's
what he does well--

spatial awareness,
great adjustment.

What I love here, too,
the ease with which

he floats into it.

Makes those grabs
so easy for himself.

Just needs the dismount.

Got it!

Mom says,
one obstacle to go.

And he's got a real shot
at the fastest time.

This is all you, Kaden.

Going for his fourth
buzzer of the season.

Now the Falling Shelves.

He's one of the
few who survived

this obstacle last year.

Nice.

Three more moves.

This is what the new gen
of ninjas look like--

it's Kaden Lebsack!

Here comes that blind grab.

Come on, Kaden.
Come on, Kaden.

All right, here we go.
See it.

Nice!
Got it!

There is a smile.

Yes!

Kaden Lebsack's going
back to stage three.

And he's got the
fastest time of the night.

Well, he went face first
into the Hammer Drop--ooh.

But that wasn't going
to stop Kaden Lebsack.

He sailed through stage two
for the second year in a row.

He even cracked a smile at
the end 'cause you know what?

He's going to stage three.

So Kaden Lebsack

keeps his perfect sophomore
season going.

He may be climbing for
$1 million once again.

Up next, the last
of the Iowa ninjas.

Whoo!

Let's go!

It's the fun-loving
24-year-old from Des Moines,

Jackson Twait.

He barely survived stage one,

had less than a second
to spare.

So he's trying something
new for stage two,

and it's going to be spicy.

This is my first
time on stage two,

and I'm going to
make it count.

In the past, we've seen all
the pyrotechnics on stage two.

And so I needed to
get used to the heat.

So naturally, I thought,
salsa.

Mm.

I love salsa,
put it on everything.

And it's a key component
of my ninja training.

We start mild after
the first obstacle...

Then maybe bump it
up a little bit.

By the end, we're
doing ghost pepper.

Ooh, nope, oh, my God.

Mm-mm!
Oh, so hot!

All this added kick I've
been getting from the salsa

is gonna pay off here
on stage two.

There are the two other
Iowa ninjas

who made it to
the National Finals.

They went out on stage one,
along with

a big cheering section
for Team Twait.

And after all that salsa,

you know this run's
gonna be spicy.

Well, he's always
entertaining.

And there're the flames
he talked about.

Oh!
Oh, holy guacamole.

That is a shock.

A strong season
for Jackson Twait

ends on the first obstacle
here on stage two.

Jackson Twait
thought he could

take the heat on stage two.

But look, as soon as
the flames came up,

he started leaning right,
and he could never recover.

Ooh, so much for
that salsa diet.

Well, I guess I need
some spicier salsa.

I gotta get used to
the heat a little more.

He's got a master's degree
from Harvard.

But he has yet to
master stage two.

Ooh!
Ran outta grip strength.

Now, Josh Levin is
out to change his luck.

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

Whoo!

Here we come.
Get out the way.

Get ready for the beat.
Yeah, it's time to play.

An entire season
comes down to one night.

This is what it looks
like to never give up.

Our National Finals
conclude

as our remaining competitors
take on stage three.

He's got a shot
at the million!

And a record-breaking
number of ninjas

climb stage four
for $1 million.

Season 14--history is made.

He might have a shot.

It's going to be
a night like no other,

on the season finale of
"American Ninja Warrior."

Well, we're not done tonight.

Moments ago,
two hotshot rookies tried

to keep their seasons alive.

Matt D'Amico came out
looking confident.

Okay.

Let's go.

The 21-year-old from
Billerica, Massachusetts,

has had an outstanding
season.

And with his girlfriend
cheering him on,

the rookie went to work.

And he is moving.

D'Amico's motto, which
he wears on his shirt,

is Every course
is a speed course.

And he lived up
to that tonight.

Whoa.

Even after taking
time to talk to us--

Hey, what's up, man?
You good?

--D'Amico still had
enough time to fly through

Falling Shelves
and hit the buzzer with

the fastest finish so far.

Let's go!

He's going to stage three
in his very first season.

Wow, look at that.
Mic drop.

Then it was another
rookie,

baby-faced teenager
Ethan Bartnicki.

All right,
just bouncing through.

Look at that bounce.

At only 114 pounds,
he's the lightest athlete

still in the competition.

Matt, he's so light, the
Hammer Drop barely moved.

The 17-year-old floated
through the Hornet's Nest.

And the budding music producer
got the crowd hyped up.

I'm giving it up
for Ethan Bartnicki.

It all came down to
the final Falling Shelf.

This ain't a blind date.

It's a blind grab.

Come on.
Whoa.

And the Georgia teen got his
second buzzer of the night.

Oh, my goodness,
he is pumped.

So he and D'Amico become
just the seventh and eighth

rookies ever
to reach stage three.

Our final runner of the night
is 28-year-old engineer

Josh Levin.

When he debuted back
in season eight,

this world-class rock climber
was considered a threat

to win the $1 million
as a rookie.

Yeah.

And he hit buzzers on
the first three courses

he ever faced.

A rookie with three buzzers?
Get it!

But his first season
ended on stage two--

2-foot lache here.

Ooh, ran out of grip strength.

--As did his second--

Ooh, oh, no.

--And his third.

Ooh, stage two again?

Knowing that this
one stage has just

been my downfall every single
year definitely eats at me

and is in the back of my mind.

This is almost like
a mental block for me.

Levin stepped away from
Ninja for three years

to pursue a master's
degree from Harvard,

and chased his dream of
making the US Climbing Team

for the Olympics.

But he's got one more
mountain to climb.

Being able to
be back on stage two

and have another chance
at it, I'm so excited.

If I'm able to hit
that buzzer,

it will mean so much to me.

And there are some of his
fellow Harvard grad students

down on the sidelines,
along with other ninjas

and his parents.

Well, came out just
short in his dream

of making it to the Olympics.

Could he realize his dream
of winning $1 million?

If there was a time for his
rock-climbing experience

to help him out, it'd be on
this upper-body-intensive

stage two course.

He was a world-ranked
speed climber.

So you know he just wants
to get a shot on stage four

because I don't know
that anybody could

keep up with him on a rope.

I'm gonna tell you, you
put Josh Levin on stage four,

oh, he's got it.

Just needs to get
through this course tonight

then take on stage three,

which should really play
to his strengths.

No mistakes.

Look at that.

Look at his
rock-climbing technique.

Look how strong he is.

This dude can climb for days.

He's a speed climber, a
rock climber, and a ninja.

And just look at
his core strength

as he moves through
these pistons.

This dude is ripped!
Look at those muscles.

Is that what all the engineers
who went to Harvard look like?

I don't know.
I don't think so.

He's got friends
and supporters

all along the rails watching.

They know what finishing stage
two would mean to Josh Levin.

And gets through
Piston Plunge.

But Hammer Drop
is a wild card.

It's so hard to practice
for this.

5'6" (168cm), 150 (68kg).

Ooh,
Using those arms and legs

like a vise grip.

Now needs to wrap around and
get on top of the cylinder.

Well, with that
engineering degree,

you know he understands
the angles.

This dude always has a plan,

and he understands
physics, believe me.

He did not hesitate--
just stood up and jumped.

He's talked about
being Josh 2.0--

more aggressive
and taking chances.

And he is living up to it.

And he's now two obstacles
away from

that first
stage two buzzer.

Up next, the Hornet's Nest,
and this has been trouble.

Ended the seasons
of five ninjas tonight.

Josh working through
his moves.

Let's go, Josh.

Let's go, Josh.

Let's go, Josh.

Shaking it out
because once you are up,

those forearms get no rest.

And wow, just crisply locking
those honeycombs into place.

Trying to be our 10th
finisher tonight on stage two.

Nice.

In past seasons, this
is about where he would fall,

on this fifth obstacle.

That's got to be in
his mind right now.

He wants to conquer
stage two so badly.

Watch this.

This is a great angle
to see that 10-foot lache,

and sideways, too.

And they have to
make the adjustment

and turn in mid-air.

Look at that!
Perfect.

That's not easy.
Now watch those hips.

You want to make sure those
hips go right parallel.

This is a
multidirectional obstacle,

twisting and turning.
Got it.

Just needs the dismount.

Can he hang on?
His heart's gotta be pounding.

Got it!
Levitating in the air.

One step closer to
going to stage three.

But it is the Falling
Shelves with the blind grab

that's ended the season of
so many ninjas in the past.

He's visualizing his move.
He knows he's so close.

Let's go, Josh.
Let's go, Josh.

Let's go, Josh.

Takes a deep breath.

Here we go--
clock ticking down.

All right, watch this one.

And look at the
efficiency here.

We got some Gs
going to stage three.

And this is an OG.

But this is it--
the blind grab.

There's a lot of blind
grabs in rock climbing,

so he's used to it.
And look at him.

He's locked in, dialed in.

Got it!
10 seconds.

He's good.

Josh Levin--he's done it!

He broke the buzzer!

And you can see the joy.

He broke the buzzer
and broke the streak.

He finally completed
stage two.

You did it, dog.
You did it.

Yes.

And we have never seen
Josh Levin this emotional.

He just ran off the stage.

Oh, he's going nuts.

Well, that run right
there, that might've

just won him $1 million.

Thank you, baby!

Stage two was the one
mountain this top climber

hadn't conquered.

But he made all
the right moves,

including on Falling Shelves.

And he was so excited,
he broke the buzzer.

Oh, look at this,
real emotion.

It meant so much to him.

And now he's going to be tough
to beat for that $1 million.

Well,
that does it for tonight.

Next week, we move on
to our season finale.

And, Matt, these ninjas
look so strong.

I think one of them
is going to take home

a million-dollar prize
next week.

You don't want to miss it.

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

We'll see you then on
"American Ninja Warrior"!