American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 9, Episode 15 - Las Vegas Finals Night 2 - full transcript

.

- It all comes down to this.

- We've got $1 million
up for grabs.

- ♪ Here we go,
here we go ♪

♪ It's my time
to make history ♪

- Three more to go.

- Tonight, the top ninjas
in the world

vie for a chance to make
history.

- Season seven the ninjas
beat the mountain.

- A showdown on stage four.

- Whoo!



- Season eight the mountain
beat the ninjas.

- No!
- He lost his grip!

- This year, that mountain's
going down.

- Passed stage two,
you had a good year,

passed stage three,
you had a great year,

and if you make it
to the top of Mount Midoriyama,

your life changes.

- Whoo!

- ♪ Here we go,
here we go ♪

♪ When I'm gone,
they're remember me ♪

- These courses
favor my skills.

I'm stronger, I'm smarter,
and if I get to stage four...

I'm coming for you!

I can climb that rope.



- ♪ Bang, bang ♪

♪ Bang, bang ♪

♪ Bang, bang ♪

♪ Don't stop till
we're legends ♪

♪ ♪

- The "American Ninja Warrior"
season finale

starts now.

- My calling is to be
courageous

and to finish this course.

- His prayers
have been answered.

- If you think I'm a normal
fifth grade teacher,

I've got a few lessons
to teach you.

- Go, Allyssa! Go, yes!

- I can't be the first
American Ninja Warrior,

but I want to be the best
American Ninja Warrior.

- Get it, get it.
- And he's got it!

- Nice!
- Whoo!

- ♪ Don't stop
till we're legends ♪

- I absolutely want to be
the first woman

to get to stage three.

- It's about to go down.

- I will be back every year

until I get to
the top of that mountain.

Yeah!

- He's pointing to stage four.

Welcome to Las Vegas,

a city of bright lights
and high stakes,

and that's exactly
what we've got tonight

on the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Well, this is it.

We're thrilled you're with us
as our entire season

comes down to one night
in Vegas.

- I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila,

and this, Matt,
is going to be fun.

Before the night is over,

someone could be
a million dollars richer.

- Well, a record 41 athletes
got through stage one,

but now they face
a much tougher stage two.

Whoever survives
moves on to stage three

and perhaps after that
stage four for a shot

at the million-dollar prize.

- And only the best are left,

but this is who
I've got my money on.

Let's start with the only

two guys who finished
stage two last year,

Connecticut's Drew Drechsel

and Houston's Daniel Gil.

- Kingdom Ninja does it!

- But we've got other
top contenders

like the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky...

Oh-ho-ho!

And the Philly Phoenix,
Najee Richardson.

- Ah!

- And there's one woman
still in the competition,

fifth grade teacher
Allyssa Beird.

- What a run
out of Allyssa Beird.

The action tonight
starts on stage two,

and for a look at what
the athletes will be facing,

let's go down
to Kristine Leahy.

- Thanks, Matt.
- Stage two is made up

of six punishing
obstacles over water

and blazing fire
in every direction.

Our ninjas will have
just four minutes

to complete
this difficult course.

It starts with the very tricky
Giant Ring Swing.

Competitors will have to
swing out and snag their ring

on a hook, leap a 7-foot gap,

then swing 18 feet
to the narrow landing pad.

Then they'll face an iconic
obstacle

with a tough new twist

at the Criss Cross
Salmon Ladder.

Finalists have to jump
the bar up eight rungs,

changing sides twice
on their way to the top.

The Wave Runner is back.

Athletes need a vise-like grip
and perfect balance

to work their way across two
odd-shaped pivoting boards.

If they survive, they'll face
the brand-new Swing Surfer,

a 13-foot vault
onto a swinging pendulum

followed by a 12-foot jump
to a rope on the other side,

but the toughest test is still
to come down Wingnut Alley.

It's a series of four rotating
bars that swing side-to-side

and require laches up
to 12 feet.

With the clock ticking down,

anyone still standing needs
to push past the Wall Flip.

This year the panels weigh
100, 125, and 150 pounds.

If they make it to the top
and hit the buzzer

in under four minutes,

they're advancing
to stage three.

Guys?

- Well, this crowd can't wait
to get things rolling,

and coming up the ramp to
kick things off on stage two

is a guy who's gotten closer
to that million dollars

than any of the other
athletes tonight.

This is Colorado rock climber
Ian Dory.

He came within inches
of finishing stage

three two years ago,

and he's one of the favorites
to get back there.

And there's his wife, Jessica,
holding their baby, Olivia,

only a couple of months old,

and Ian's mom has their
two-year-old son, Pax.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

- All right, here we go.
- And you'll see that clock

in the corner counting
down the four minutes.

Ian Dory is a guy a lot
of people have picked to go

all the way to stage four
this year.

- But he needs to use
his climbing skills right here

on the Giant Ring Swing,

needs to grab that middle ring
and jump it across.

- It's important to get
through this obstacle quickly

without using up
a lot of time or strength.

You can see how high
those hooks are,

and now has this 18-foot
swing to the landing,

and he's through.

- Whoo!
- And there's Meagan Martin,

one of Ian's Wolf Pack
training partners.

- You got this, Ian!

- And now it's this redesigned
Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.

They have to jump the bar
up eight rungs

but also go back and forth
across the two sides.

- Dory's real dope on this.

He's gonna show us
how it's done.

- Now has to turn around
and jump to the other side.

Got it.

Oh, the bar's uneven.

- Uh-oh, check it out.
- A rare misstep for Dory,

now has to turn around
and go back to the other side.

- He's using up a lot of time
though;

he needs to pick
this thing up.

- Well, now he's through, and
there's no rest in between,

has to work his way over

to the next obstacle,
the Wave Runner.

- Come on, Ian.
- Come on. Come on.

- Ooh, and this was a tough
one last year,

knocked out more competitors
than any other.

It even took out Joe Moravsky
and Jessie Graff.

- You have to grab
the sides of the board

and work your way across,
and those boards will tilt.

- This is gonna test
the core as well.

- And you go from wide
to narrow.

- Yeah!
- Got it.

Such a challenging obstacle.

- Yeah, and keeping that core
tight is the secret

to getting it going.

- And Dory gets through.

- Come on, Ian!
- You got it!

- That clock is
tick-tick-ticking.

You only have four minutes
to get through stage two.

- But up next,
a new challenge.

It's the Swing Surfer.

You got to take a flying leap
out and land on that pendulum.

- That's a 13-foot jump
to get out there.

His climbing skills
can't help him here.

- Oh, no!
- What?

Are you kidding me?

- Well, what a way to start!

Ian Dory,
one of the top competitors,

knocked out by the fourth
obstacle, the Swing Surfer.

- This Swing Surfer is like
jumping off a rooftop.

WATCH THIS: You have to be
fearless,

and you have to be
precise.

That ledge has only about
a foot wide.

Dory had the distance
but was off-line.

Only one foot landed,
and his season is done.

- Oh, I don't know. I just
jumped, and I was off angle.

Then boom, gone.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- Well, here comes another
ninja favorite

ready to take on stage two.

This is the Cowboy Ninja,
Lance Pekus.

The rancher from Salmon,
Idaho, is taking off

the hat and shirt
for this test.

He's coming off
an emotional run on stage one

that he was able to share
with his family back home.

Lance Pekus blowing away
this course.

- Being able to have my wife
and kids watch me

run stage one on FaceTime
was amazing.

- And a little cowboy hat
for the buzzer.

- I was super proud of him.

I wish I could have been there.

- Heather, in her early 20s,
got diagnosed

with multiple sclerosis.

It's gotten bad. It's been
hard for her to travel.

- He's been amazing,

and I'm really glad
he's strong.

If I'm not feeling well, he can
just throw me over his back

and give me a piggy ride.

- You know, with the lot
of struggles

she's been having lately,

to have something positive
like my stage one run

and for her to watch it
in excitement

was... it's just great.

- Heather will be watching
once again on FaceTime,

and that's Lance's entire team

FROM "SPARTAN: Ultimate Team
Challenge,"

Kevin Bull, Meagan Martin,

Maggi Thorne,
and Michelle Warnky.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

Well, the Cowboy Ninja
has only made it

to stage two
once in his career,

and that was two years ago,
came close but did not finish.

- Wow.
- Nice.

- Real smooth, great power.

- Yeah, Pekus is 5'7",
160 pounds of country muscle.

Now for the dismount.

- Oh, whoa, he almost went off
the landing pad.

- Good save, good save.
- Now the man from Salmon,

Idaho taking on
the Salmon Ladder.

- This crisscross version
requires a lot of precision

to jump back and forth
across the rungs.

- Wow, up and over two rungs,

Lance Pekus moving quickly
through this obstacle.

- Check out those muscles.
- Beef does the body good.

- I promise you.
- And makes it to the top,

now reaches over
to start the Wave Runner.

- And he is really moving;

he hasn't even used up
a minute yet.

- Pekus was the fastest
in Kansas City qualifying

and had one of the fastest
times on stage one.

Pekus a little uneven here,
good transition.

- Yeah, every time he little
hops across these boards,

that takes up a lot of energy,

and this is where
the pump starts

to happen for these ninjas.

- And he is through,
setting a very fast pace,

already to the fourth
obstacle.

- Now the cowboy's got to fly

if he wants to reach
the Swing Surfer.

Come on, surfboard.

- Got it.
- Nice.

Whoo! I see you, Cowboy.

- Now has to jump to the rope.

Well, after the year that
Lance and his wife, Heather,

have had,
it would mean so much

to get to the buzzer
on stage two;

something
he's never done before.

- He's gonna need everything
he's got to get

through the back half
of this course.

- And look at those
fans respond.

They love Lance Pekus.

That made Heather
and his kids smile.

Yeah, it looks like
Gracie's watching.

I think Grayson is passed out
in the background,

doesn't know that Dad's
having a great run here.

ALL: Cowboy! Cowboy! Cowboy!

- Pekus is gonna give us
our first look

at this scary new obstacle,
Wingnut Alley.

This is an extreme version
of the Wingnuts

we had in Daytona this year.

- This is gonna be
a challenge,

four wingnuts
10 and 12 feet apart.

- This is the fifth obstacle,
and two years ago,

this is where Lance
went out on Roulette Row.

Pekus having some trouble
finding his rhythm.

- You have to generate
that side-to-side swing

and launch yourself over

to that other wingnut.
That's it.

- There's the power.
- I know he can line dance.

Look at that.
BOTH: Oh!

- And the Cowboy Ninja bucked
off in Wingnut Alley.

- Take a look at Lance going
for that second wingnut.

He lands both hands on it,
but there's such force,

first his right hand,

then his left hand slide
right off.

- Right now Lance is down
with Kristine.

- Lance, Wingnut Alley,
what do you think happened?

- I was feeling good.

I felt like I had got there
with plenty of time to rest,

and maybe the technique
wasn't quite there

and just didn't have
enough, you know,

grip tank to hold on.

- Heather was watching
on FaceTime tonight,

not able to be here in person.

What does her support
mean to you?

- Oh, her support means
the world to me.

Even though she couldn't
be here in person,

just knowing she's there,
be able to watch,

yeah, means the world.

Love her to death,
so it's great.

- Well, Lance, we love
watching you guys and Heather

and her support for you,
so thank you so much.

- Yeah, thank you.
- Guys?

♪ ♪

- The entire season
of "Ninja Warrior"

will be settled tonight.

- ♪ Here we go,
here we go ♪

♪ It's my time to make
history ♪

- As the remaining competitors
take on stage two.

And if they stay alive,
they'll take on stage three

and then stage four
for a million dollars.

- Whoo!

- This night
is gonna be awesome.

- 40 men and one woman...
- Allyssa Beird...

have a chance
to change their lives.

- I got three buzzers down
and three more to go.

Whoo!

- It's all coming up
on the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- Whoo!
- ♪ Bang, bang ♪

♪ Won't stop till
we're legends ♪

- The Internet is
about to blow up!

- Last season Jessie Graff
was the first woman

to finish stage one.
She's done it!

Then two weeks ago
Marlborough, Massachusetts'

Allyssa Beird
became the second.

She's got it!

So tonight the fifth grade
teacher

will take on stage two.

Right now
she's with Kristine.

- Allyssa, you are only
the second woman

to complete stage one,

and tonight you could be
the first woman

to ever complete stage two.

Does your success
surprise you at all?

- Not surprise me necessarily.

I came here to hit buzzers,
so that's my goal tonight.

Having been a gymnast,

I have some pretty good
upper-body strength.

Rock climbing helps,

so I'm hoping it all comes
together tonight.

- You are the only woman here
tonight on stage two.

How does it feel to be carrying
the torch for all the women?

- It's a little surreal.

It's exciting, but it also
would have been cool

to come here with other women.

- And I love that you say that.

Well, I'm so excited to see you
run tonight, and good luck.

- Thank you so much.
- Guys, back to you.

- Thanks, Kristine, and while
we were away,

Illinois' Tyler Yamauchi

took his shot
at the course.

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

- Great save.

After a near-miss
at the start,

the night's smallest
competitor at only 5'1"

pulled off a huge move on
the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder,

jumping up and over
three rungs.

- Whoa!
- Whoa, what the?

Oh, my, that was
Gucci by Yamauchi.

ALL: Tyler! Tyler!

- The stay-at-home dad made
it past the Swing Surfer,

where he stopped
to fold his shirt,

but the former gymnast
couldn't handle Wingnut Alley.

BOTH: No!

- And he folded!

- Had the distance,
couldn't hold on.

Up next, one of
the many ninja legends

we'll see tonight.

It's San Antonio's
Brent Steffensen.

He was the first to beat
stage two here in Las Vegas.

That was five years ago.

Now he's trying
to do it again,

and you can see
the picture on his shirt.

That's a tribute
to his beloved Mr. Mogley,

the dog he shared with former
girlfriend Kacy Catanzaro.

♪ ♪

- Mr. Mogley, he just was
an adventurous little man.

You know, he didn't want
to be left behind.

We took Mr. Mogley
everywhere we went,

and he loved being on set
at "Ninja Warrior."

It's crazy.
When Kacy is on the course,

he cannot take
his eyes off her.

He loves Kacy more
than anything.

- He really was like
a child to me.

No matter how I did
on the course, Mr. Mogley

was gonna be excited
to see me when I came back.

- But it was hard to watch
the little man go downhill,

so we arranged to have the vet
come over to the house,

and Kacy was holding him,

and I was feeding him
a little chocolate donut,

and that's how
Mr. Mogley went out.

- I just miss him so much,
and he was always

such a big part
of this competition.

- We decided the best way
to honor Mr. Mogley

was to take him through
the course one more time.

We had our buddy print
out these awesome

Mr. Mogley shirts,

and we're gonna
sell them online,

and all the proceeds will go
to a non-kill shelter.

So it's gonna be a big night.

Mr. Mogley, this mountain's
for you, buddy.

♪ ♪

- Well, we all knew
Mr. Mogley.

Always tough
to lose a pet.

Brent's got his parents
and stepmom

on the sidelines tonight.

We showed you Kacy's
final run last week.

She's now retired from ninja
competitions to join the WWE.

ALL: Go, Brent! Go, Brent!
Go, Brent!

- But always a huge crowd
to watch Steffensen.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

- Well, he's been here before.

This is stage two.
Do what you do.

- Well, he hasn't done
what he's done on stage two

since that groundbreaking
run five years ago.

Last time he was here
was two years ago.

- Needs to avoid
mistakes early.

Oh, a mistake like that.

- And the body going all over.

So difficult when
the momentum gets upset

with that circular ring
on the hook,

hard to correct it.

Needs to unhook
that final ring

and swing the final 18 feet.

- Look, he's not lined up
with the landing pad,

too much side-to-side
right here.

- Having trouble here
just getting the dismount.

- I am confused at that.

That's a lot of time you're
wasting there on Ring Swing.

- Well, the Ring Swing,
such a challenging obstacle,

just eating up time

and perhaps more importantly,
eating up grip strength.

- Come on, Brent.
- Come on!

- Now another test
with this redesigned

Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.

Oh, the bar's uneven.
Straightens it out.

- Well, we've seen
some stumbles early

already from Brent Steffensen.

- Makes that first jump
to the other side.

- But he's not moving
very quickly.

He needs to pick up the pace.

- Now has to jump back
to the other side.

There you go.

- That's it. I think
he's starting to get it.

He's starting to feel it now.

Got to get through
Wave Runner.

- Well, it was two years ago
he went out

on the Unstable Bridge,

a similar obstacle
to the Wave Runner.

- Whoo! Straighten it out.

- Well, you can see
on his face;

he's really fighting it.

BOTH: No!
- Oh!

- And Steffensen going out
on the Wave Runner,

but I'm sure Mr. Mogley's
still proud of him.

- Brent's problems all started
back on the Ring Swing.

He missed the grab
for that third ring

and then needed three passes
to nail the landing.

By the time he reached
the Wave Runner,

you could see it in his face.

He had nothing left.

- Well, it's one all-star
after another tonight,

and just ahead we'll see
Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn,

try to take down stage two,
and this course looks brutal.

In early runs the Wave Runner
knocked out

the KO Ninja, Nick Kostreski...

- Oh, no!

- And Minnesota entomology
student Eric Middleton.

No!

While rookie Hunter Guerard
wiped out on Wingnut Alley.

- Ooh!

- But there's more to come
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to
the season finale

.
of "American Ninja Warrior."

While we were away,
three more athletes

got their chance
on the course.

Nine-time veteran Ryan Stratis

got caught in a fatal
side-to-side spin

on the Ring Swing.

- Oh, he's in big trouble.

- After swinging for more
than a minute,

the Georgia native tried
a desperate backwards move,

but it wasn't enough.

- Whoa! Matt, this is not
what I saw for Ryan Stratis.

- At 21 years old, Jimmy Johns
delivery driver Tyler Gillett

was the youngest athlete still
alive in the competition.

- There you go!
- He's warming up now.

- But the rookie from Georgia
saw his dream season

end at the Wave Runner.

- Ooh!

- At 42, Travis Rosen was
the oldest in the competition

and was making his sixth
appearance on stage two.

- Whoo!
- Ooh, on one side, good save.

The stock trader
from Franklin,

Tennessee,
flew all the way

to the third wingnut
before crashing.

- Get up, not... oh, not down!

- The ageless wonder
just ran out of power.

So far we've had ten athletes
and no finishers,

but up next is
another competitor

with the skills to finish.

This is Captain NBC, the New
Jersey gym owner Jamie Rahn.

- TAKE NOTICE: he has
no cape on tonight;

he's all business
on stage two.

- Well, people may think
this superhero

is always under control,
but he is human,

and "Ninja Warrior" has helped
him overcome severe anxiety.

♪ ♪

- "American Ninja Warrior"
has taught me how to deal

with the ups and downs of life.

Some of the things
that I struggle with a lot,

being able to get to sleep,

being able to kind of
turn off my brain.

A lot of times
I'll get a lot of anxiety.

Staying up every night.
Love to draw.

It's not uncommon for me
to go to bed at 10:00 p.m.

AND FALL ASLEEP AT 2:00 a.m.

I've had a brain cyst
in my head since I was born.

It's about 4 inches. It gives
me migraines quite often.

When that happens,
I'm out for 12 hours.

[TRIUMPHANT MUSIC]

Ninja warrior training

I feel has really
helped me through a lot.

I could always get out
some stress.

I feel this control
of my body,

and I feel like
I have control over something.

- He's gonna do it!

- Without "American Ninja
Warrior"

I wouldn't be the person
that I am now.

I've become an adult
through this competition.

I found my girlfriend
through "Ninja Warrior,"

believe it or not.
She saw me on the show.

Now we're engaged.

"American Ninja Warrior"

has really given me
a great life up to this point.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- And there's his fiancée,
Kim.

They're getting married
in a few weeks.

She's on the sidelines

next to his friend,
Michelle Warnky,

plus his parents are here,
rocking those green wigs.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

Well, what a journey
we've seen Jamie Rahn;

he's really grown up before
our eyes on this show now,

engaged to his fiancée,
the owner of two gyms,

and become such
a strong performer.

- This is his third trip
to stage two.

He knows what to do.

I like that, Matt.
17 seconds on the Ring Swing.

- Heading now to the
Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.

- You know, Rahn's having
a good year.

He's one of only two to finish

the Cleveland
city finals course.

- Yeah, Jamie!

Doing really good, Jame!

- Wow, Jamie Rahn,
look at the confidence here

and the power
on the Salmon Ladder,

the back and forth
not causing any problems,

and he's ready
for the Wave Runner.

Well, this guy has worked
so hard on his grip strength,

can tear
a deck of cards in half.

- Ooh. Oh, there's that grip
strength you're talking about.

Look at that.
See the center of mass,

real still,
make that transfer... go.

- Needs the dismount,

and he's through
the Wave Runner.

- Yeah! Yes!

- Now facing the Swing Surfer.

- All right, doesn't have
his cape on,

but I'm sure this superhero

doesn't need it
to make this jump.

- Oh, there's a little flex.

I like the confidence
out of Jamie Rahn.

I think a lot of ninjas have
been intimidated by stage two.

Rahn seems up
to the challenge.

- This ninja is strong
without his cape! Yes!

- 12 more feet to that rope
on the other side.

- Whoo!
- Ooh, ooh.

- Whoa.
- Hard impact.

- Right in the back.

That may have knocked
the wind out of him.

Clock is ticking, but he's
been keeping a steady pace.

Still has over
two minutes left.

- Yeah, Jamie!

- Doing real good, Jamie!

- He flashes the heart
to his fiancée,

and he is loving the support
he's getting from the crowd.

- Feeling the love
from his fans.

- Keep it up!

- But now it's the big test,
Wingnut Alley.

Four ninjas have
made it here tonight,

but none of them have been
able to get past it so far.

- All right,
go get 'me, Cap'n.

- No one's even made it
to the final wingnut yet.

There are four of them
spaced 10 to 12 feet apart,

and it's so hard to land
softly and catch yourself.

- This is a crazy
obstacle, Matt.

- Being able to make
the transfer, visualize it,

and get those hands
on that second handle.

- Nice, nice. It's getting
the momentum.

It's the ability to see it,
and then after you see it,

you just got to make
it happen.

- Oh!
- Make it happen, Captain!

- How did he save that?
- Make it happen, Captain!

I like it!

- Truly proving
he has superpowers.

- Whoo!

- Will he have enough to get
through the Wingnut Alley?

- Come on, right
the ship, baby. Nice!

- Oh, my.
- Okay.

- Good power.
- All right.

- He's the first to reach
this final wingnut

but still needs to swing over
12 feet to the landing pad.

Can he fly one last time?

One more pass.

- We've got clearance
for takeoff, go!

- Boom!
- Oh!

- Oh, man, rejected!

- Got closer than
anyone tonight

but couldn't stick
the landing.

- Okay, watch him again.

On his next-to-last swing,
look how high his legs are.

He could have easily made it
to the landing pad down here,

but on his final swing
he keeps his legs low,

and he doesn't generate
the big swing.

He goes off-line
and into the water.

- Coming up, she's the only
woman left in the competition.

Yes!

Can schoolteacher Allyssa
Beird make history tonight?

And up next, he's had
a blessed season already.

Unbelievable!

Now the Papal Ninja tries
to pull off another miracle

on this brutal stage
two course.

- My calling is
to be courageous

and to finish this course.

- Sean Bryan runs next on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to
the season finale of

.
"American Ninja Warrior."

Our coverage tonight
is powered in part

by Crazy Healthy
POM Wonderful.

While we were away,
three more competitors

took on the course.

The Eskimo Ninja,
Nick Hanson,

was making his first
appearance on stage two

and got off to a slow start.

- You have to start
thinking about time.

- The Alaska native
got worn down early,

and his season ended
at the Salmon Ladder.

BOTH: Oh!
- No!

- And the grip gives out.
- No!

- Washington, D.C., attorney
Sean Darling-Hammond

made a strong case
in his stage two debut.

- He said, "Let's go."
- Yeah!

- The Giving Ninja gave it
everything he had

but couldn't get a handle
on Wingnut Alley.

- Find it. Oh, whoa!

Sha-na-na for Sean Darling.

- The Giant,
Maine's Jon Alexis Jr.,

made a big move
on the Salmon Ladder,

jumping backwards.
Oh!

- What?
- Matt, he's stunting on them!

- And even though he's 6'6",

the extra reach didn't help

the ninja veteran on
Wingnut Alley.

BOTH: Oh!
- Them long arms!

- We've had over a dozen
of our 41 competitors

take their shot
and no finishers so far,

but here comes another
top competitor.

It's the Papal Ninja,
Sean Bryan.

This Catholic Church worker
has been a revelation

this season, both for his
performance on the course

and his following off it.

- Running stage one,
I got a big rush

as soon as I caught
the cargo net,

knowing I was gonna finish.

Hitting that buzzer gives me
a lot of confidence.

- The Papal Ninja's moving on
to stage two.

- Looked down at the crowd
of support that I had,

and seeing my group,

I had a bit of, like,
flashback to city finals.

- Unbelievable!
- I didn't cry this time,

but it was
just as overwhelming.

- You know, everyone talks
about divine intervention.

- It's a miracle.

- Divine intervention
is always open to us.

Sean claims it.
That's the difference.

- You have a great cheering
section behind you.

What did it mean
to have them all here?

- It's just phenomenal.
- The people that I work with

and live with coming
to support me like that

is just the confirmation
of what I know I am,

and that's loved.

- I think all the time
that Sean spends growing

as a person is
definitely a big help.

I know he's ready
for this, and I

Just pray that
he'll do a great job.

- I finished stage one,
and now the Papal Ninja's

blessed to take on stage two.

- Sean's mom and dad
are on the sidelines

along with the priests
and coworkers from his church

and lots of fans in those
papal colors,

yellow and white.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

- At this point, Matt,
you're gonna need a prayer

to get through stage two,

and he might have that
on his side.

- Good kip. Sean Bryan

was a top college gymnast
at Cal Berkeley.

His team actually took
fifth place in the nation

back in 2008.
Easily through the Ring Swing,

now on to the Criss Cross
Salmon Ladder.

- There you go!
- Hit a buzzer in qualifying,

hit a buzzer in city finals,
hit stage one.

If he can hit three buzzers
tonight on stages

two, three, and four,
he'll win a million dollars.

- Oh!
- Hello! Hello!

- I see you.
- Right up.

- Two rungs.

- Oh, he's got that
special forces with him.

- Are you kidding me?
- Nice.

- Eight rungs, and he just
did the Salmon Ladder

in three moves.

- Yeah, that is a confidence
booster right there.

He's coming in,
attacking stage two.

You can't come in soft.

My goodness,
look at those biceps.

That's a swoll ninja
right there.

I see you.

- He's already across.
- And done!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

This is a man
who came in with a plan

and is executing it
on stage two.

- Oh, yeah, he's praying.

I told you he's gonna
need that prayer.

- Come on, Sean.
- Look at mama.

Mama's saying a prayer too.

- But now it's a 13-foot jump
to the Swing Surfer.

Bryan's 5'10".

- Ooh!

- A soft landing,
and now one more.

Good leap.

- Okay, still plenty of time.

- We've had lots
of excitement,

but no one's made it
to the buzzer so far.

Sean Bryan
has this crowd hoping.

- Matt, there's
a certain energy

you felt as soon
as he attacked stage two.

- Looking a little winded

as he gets ready
for Wingnut Alley.

ALL: Sean! Sean! Sean!
Sean! Sean!

- No one's surviving tonight.

Can he be the first
to get through it?

- Come on, get right into it.

- The gymnast expecting
that explosive mount.

Immediately really
thinking about

how to reset
that momentum.

- Yeah, he's really
getting it going.

Nice, big swing.
Go!

- Oh!
- You know what? I love that.

He got so much elevation,
he was able to correct.

- Jamie Rahn's the only one
to reach that third wingnut.

- Come on. Nice!

- Oh, yeah!
- What? Oh, my!

- Sean Bryan flies!
- Hallelujah!

- One more set of handles.

- Got it!
- Thank the heavens!

- But we can see,
these handles rotate now,

has to angle them
for the dismount.

- Ooh, ooh, get it going.
- Man, he's on fire.

He came on strong.

- That's it. Fly with it.
- Come on.

- You have been blessed.

- Oh, Sean Bryan,
our prayers are answered!

- Yeah! Yeah!
- Whoo-hoo!

- One obstacle left,
the Wall Flip!

100 pounds.

- What? What?
- 125 pounds!

- Come on, come on, come on.

- 150 pound!

- Come on, come on.
- He's gonna do it!

Get up! Hurry up and get up!

- He is the first to hit
the buzzer here on stage two!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- And there's the white smoke.
- Are you kidding me?

Are you kidding me?
That's the smoke!

- The Papal Ninja's
moving on to stage three

with the best run
we've seen so far.

- Sean dominated the
Criss Cross Salmon Ladder

in just three moves.

Then he was first to beat
Wingnut Alley

with a jump that nearly
bounced him off the course.

The Papal Ninja's prayers
were answered.

He's our first finisher
tonight.

- And he's standing
by with Kristine

for our POM Post-Run
Interview.

- Sean, congratulations.

How does it feel to hit
a buzzer like that in Vegas?

- It's indescribable,
just overwhelmed.

Looking at the crowd,

looking at everyone
who loves me so much,

I just want to pay it forward,

just through a life of love.

- Sean, you're also
the first person tonight

to make it
through Wingnut Alley.

How did you do that?

- Just... I don't know,
I just kind of get...

had a little bit
of a squirrely of a swing,

but then I just pulled
a little harder with one arm.

That righted me,
and I just had it.

- Did you say a squirrely
of a swing?

- Yeah, a little squirrely.

- What... what is that?
- You know, just a little...

- A little nuts.
- Yeah, a little nuts.

- That is perfect
for Wingnut Alley.

Okay, well, how do you
feel now about stage three?

- After a little bit of rest,
I think I'll be ready.

- Okay, well, you go rest up,
and we will see you there.

Good luck.

- Thank you.
- Guys, back to you.

- Well, he's rock-solid and
ready to take down stage two.

Concrete worker Adam Rayl
gets his shot next,

plus no one has hit more stage
two buzzers than Joe Moravsky.

- Oh, look at the power!

- Can the Weatherman do it
again tonight?

- I'm coming for you!

- His run's coming up...
- You!

- On "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the national
finals in Las Vegas.

All season long you've seen
your favorite ninjas

and many ninja fans
wearing official

"American Ninja Warrior"
merchandise.

Be a part of Ninja Nation

While we were away,
three more athletes

tried to get past stage two.

Washington, D.C., firefighter
Mike Bernardo

came out smoking.

- Look at him cruising through
the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.

- But the six-time
ninja veteran

couldn't stick the landing
on the Swing Surfer.

- What? No!

- And the firefighter
ends up in the drink.

Green Bay,
Wisconsin's Drew Knapp

made the initial jump
at the Swing Surfer

but then slammed
into the wall.

- Long leap!
- Oh, my!

- Took a big blow to the head.
- How did he hold on?

The gymnastics coach
kept going,

but it was Wingnut Alley
that finally stopped Knapp.

Now, this one you got
to rotate 90 degrees...

- Big swing!
- Oh!

Edinburg, Texas' Able Gonzalez

was looking smooth in his
third appearance on stage two.

Oh, look at that.

But seconds later,
he too fell victim

to this relentless
fifth obstacle

and became the ninth athlete
to fall there so far tonight.

- Got to do it again.
- Oh!

Able Gonzalez the latest to
splash down on Wingnut Alley.

Sean Bryan's still the only
one to hit the buzzer tonight.

Heading up to the start line
right now,

another top competitor.

This is Phoenix
concrete worker Adam Rayl,

one of the nine athletes
to finish a city finals

- course this season.
- Go!

- Yeah, that's his
very passionate mom, Vicki,

and up in the stands,
that's his Aunt Belinda,

and she's just
as excited as mom.

And he's got the Rayl Roadies,

his friends that have
come up from Arizona.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

This is Adam Rayl's
second year competing,

and he's back on
stage two once again.

- And let me tell you,
he is one of

the strongest competitors
out here,

5'11" and 174 pounds

with a gymnastics background,
so he knows how to move.

- A little hung up
on the hook,

but now he's through.

- That was a little awkward
dismount there.

- And you can hear them
already.

Adam Rayl has one of
the best cheering sections.

He made it through
the Ring Swing quickly;

now starting
the Salmon Ladder.

- Whoo!
- Wow, good power out of Rayl.

- Yeah, just check out
his fitness.

He is built for
upper-body obstacles.

- Last year Adam Rayl was
a virtually-unknown walk-on.

This year he's a guy people
think could win it all.

He's that good.
Now it's the Wave Runner.

This is where he fell
last year.

Made it to the second board
before his grip gave out.

What did he learn?

- Ooh, you know
he put in work.

- And Rayl gets his revenge
on the Wave Runner.

- Yes!

- Look at the Rayls;
they're all going nuts.

- Now Rayl's staring down
the Swing Surfer.

- We talked about him being
a former gymnast.

- He knows how to vault.
- Whoo, and he's got it.

- Got that ninja headband on.

All right,
let's see that ninja jump.

Got it!

- Well, Rayl still works in
the family concrete business,

but he has quickly
become a top competitor.

He has beaten guys like
Drew Drechsel and Joe Moravsky

in local ninja competitions.

- Yes!

- Mom may have a heart attack,

only two more obstacles
to go for Adam Rayl.

And there's his aunt.
She was going nuts,

and then it's like,
"Calm down. Calm down."

- She's gonna need to.

This right here is
a difference-maker,

Wingnut Alley.

- Mom can barely watch,
and his aunt is praying.

They know how tough
this obstacle is.

- Oh, he's on the right track,
got good time here.

All right, this is where
you got to live up

to your mantra
and be rock solid.

- Sean Bryan the only one
to get through this tonight,

a little shocked
that the gymnast

is really having trouble
building up momentum,

but now finding his rhythm.

- He's got it.
- He's got it. Oh, ooh!

- You saw how he worked
his way around there?

- What power!
- What the heck?

- Needs another
long lache here.

- That's that gymnast
coming out of him.

- Yes.
- Oh!

- Matt, he looks
good right now.

- Adam Rayl is showing
his power there,

making these transfers
look easy.

- Whoo, he is rock solid.
- Party like a rock star there!

- Oh! How did he hold on?

That is the fingertip snake
to save it, and check out mom.

She is losing her mind,
and so is his aunt.

- 12 feet to the landing pad.

That'll get him one step
closer

to that million dollars.

- It would be a rock solid
way to finish.

- No!
- No! Oh!

- The grip gives out.
- It slipped.

- Adam Rayl looked so strong,
was just one swing away,

but instead,
a heartbreaking ending,

and his season is over.

- Look at it again.
- It's a 12-foot distance

from that final wingnut.

He's trying to build up
a big swing

when his right hand
slipped off.

He didn't get enough momentum
and came up short.

- Can never be perfect.

I did better than last year,
so I'm happy with that.

- Coming up, we've still got
a ton of all-stars

trying to keep
their seasons alive,

including favorites like
Drew Drechsel...

The fastest time
of the night!

The Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky...

And he's got it!

And the last woman left,
Allyssa Beird.

The second woman ever to hit
the buzzer on stage one!

But up next
it's Najee Richardson.

Can the Phoenix fly through
this challenging course?

Oh, my!

- This course was made for me.
- Stage two was made for me.

- It's all just ahead
on the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."

.

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior's"

season finale
here in Las Vegas,

and so far one obstacle,
Wingnut Alley,

is dominating the night.

And after a moment
of lightness with Sean Bryan,

stage two has gone back
to reminding these ninjas

just how hard it's gonna be.

- Yeah, this is a dark
and tough alley to go down.

In the last few minutes
we saw top rookie Josh Salinas

become the 11th athlete
to fall here.

- The latest victim
on the wingnuts.

- He was followed
by our biggest ninja,

6'6" and 215-pound
Jody Avila.

- Pike! No!
- Oh!

- Six-time ninja veteran
Andrew Lowes

suffered the same fate.

- Whoo!
- Oh!

- And even a top competitor

like Brian Arnold
couldn't figure it out.

No!

In all, 14 of the athletes

have been knocked out
here so far.

- Up next is a man who lives
for these big jumps.

It's the Flying Phoenix,
Najee Richardson.

This former gymnast
out of Philadelphia

was a breakout star
last season,

and he's dedicating
this year's run in Vegas

to someone close to his heart.

- Watch the Phoenix fly.
- Whoo, look at that.

- Oh, nice.
- Hang time.

- When I'm running
the course tonight,

it's going to be extremely
special for me.

My great-grandmother
who I was very close with

sadly passed away.

You've never met a more kind
and gentle

person in your life.

My great-grandmother's
greeting was always,

"Hello, my darling."
[LAUGHS]

- He's going for it.
- Oh!

- Last season when I ran,

she was battling
cancer at the time,

but luckily she was able
to watch me compete on TV.

Yeah!

I'll never forget her saying,
"I'm so proud of you,

and I knew that you were capable
of this and so much more."

I think about that
when I'm on the course.

Tonight I'm gonna hit a buzzer

for my
great-grandmother's memory,

and that's gonna be
a very special moment for me.

- And there are Najee's
parents on the right

along with his grandfather
on the left.

- It's his mom who passed away.
- Come on, Naj!

- Najee's girlfriend McKenzie
also on the sideline.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

Well, it's been a tough night
for these ninjas so far.

- Let me tell you,
Najee Richardson

was an Olympic-level gymnast.

He's got the skills
to finish this.

- Can the Phoenix fly here
on stage two?

- Ooh!
- 5'7", 160.

His knee injuries that ended
his gymnastics career.

- And he started a whole new
one here

last year on "Ninja Warrior."

Fly, Phoenix, fly.

- Well, he is
a salmon ladder specialist,

and it was last year
he went out

on the Down Up Salmon Ladder,

and he said that haunted him.
Let's see what he does here.

- He's probably gonna
have a trick.

- Oh, my.

- Oh! You might see
another trick coming.

- Oh, and he's going
backwards.

- Fly, Phoenix, fly.

- We saw Drew Drechsel
pioneering this,

says they visualize
those rungs better.

- Yeah, and now on that too,

it puts a lot more emphasis
on the biceps as well.

- Well, he got through
the Salmon Ladder.

He wanted that one,
but now the former gymnast

is staring down
the Wave Runner.

We've talked about
the Wingnuts,

but you can't overlook
this obstacle.

Ooh, first time
he's faced this obstacle.

- Mm-hmm.

- As he's struggling
to keep it level.

- Being very careful on this.

- But what a calm look
on his face.

- Nice, and remember
he's never been

this far on stage two.

I like it; he's not letting
the pressure get to him.

- And he gets through.

Nick Hanson and Lance Pekus
cheering on Najee.

He's become a crowd favorite.

And facing the Swing Surfer.

- The man's got a smile
on his face.

He is having fun out here.

- Boom!
- Yes!

This is a bad mamma-jamma
right here.

Now one more bounce.

- There he is, flying.
- Matt, he can surf too.

- You got it!

- Two minutes left; time
shouldn't be an issue.

It's execution.

- And there is a sea
of red shirts

in the crowd
cheering on Najee.

- Come on!

- But now it's the matchup
we wanted to see,

the Phoenix
versus the wingnuts.

- Now remember, we saw Najee
fly 14 feet in the air

and catch himself
on a tiny ledge

in last year's
skills challenge.

He needs those skills
right here tonight.

- And the crowd rising up
to see this.

- If I was gonna go down
a dark alley

like Wingnut Alley,

I'm taking this man,
Najee Richardson, with me.

- Trying to build up
that side-to-side swing.

- Come on, Najee.
- Come on, Najee. Come on.

- Whoa, how did he hang on?
- Okay, all right. I like it.

- Made the grab on one hand

and then somehow
was just able to adjust!

- It's this transfer
that's concerning me.

This is scarier
than Freddy Krueger

coming at you in a dream.

BOTH: Oh!
- Yes!

- How did he do that?
- Yeah, baby!

That's what I'm talking about!

- Ride it, ride it!

- The Phoenix had claws
in there!

- I'm walking with you
down this alley.

- Got it!
- Whoo!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- Can Najee Richardson
make the final transfer?

- Come on, come on.

- Get... yes!
- Yeah!

- Oh, man, he's done it!

- Najee Richardson!

- 100...
- Look at him.

- Getting good technique too.
- 125!

- Kicking it!
- Kick that little door down!

- 150!
- Kick it down.

- Yeah, flip that thing!
- The Phoenix has flown

- his way to stage three!
- You ain't the boss of me!

This stage two ain't the boss
of Najee Richardson!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- What a performance
out of the Phoenix.

- That's my dog right there.
- What an emotional moment.

- Look at the smile on his face.
- Whoo!

- Just the second
finisher tonight,

and Najee Richardson is
moving on to stage three.

- This one is coming in early,
but so what.

That's our POM Wonderful

Crazy Healthy Run
of the Night.

Najee exploded up
the Salmon Ladder,

soared through
Wingnut Alley,

and then kicked down the walls
on his way to the buzzer.

The Phoenix is rising
to stage three

with the fastest time
so far tonight.

- But he's standing by
with Kristine Leahy.

- Najee, I want to go back
to the wingnuts.

You made some really incredible
catches

that I think
when you look back,

you're gonna be amazed at them.

Can you walk me through how
you were able to do each one?

- So I'm really confident
in my air awareness

and my lache power
just from gymnastics,

so each one was just about
throwing my hips forward,

getting my arms
in front of me,

and everything else
just took over.

- How excited are you now
to see stage three?

- So excited, can't wait.
- We're so excited to see you.

Congratulations, Najee.
That was awesome.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

- Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- So two finishers so far,
and some of our best,

like Drew Drechsel,
are still to come.

Plus she's already one of

the coolest teachers
in America.

[KIDS CHEER]

Now Allyssa Beird
and her students

are looking like rock stars
off the course too.

- I'm a teacher by day
and a ninja by night.

- The last woman left
in the competition

takes on stage two next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Las Vegas

.
and the biggest night
of the year for ninja fans.

"American Ninja Warrior"
is brought to you in part

by our friends at SB Nation.

And another top competitor
hit the course minutes ago,

as California rock
climber Josh Levin

took his second shot
at stage two.

- He is a ninja freak.

- Levin went farther than
any rookie last season

and came in with high hopes
and a huge cheering section.

- There we go.

- Including best friend
Charlie Andrews,

who qualified for
the national finals

but was injured
and couldn't compete.

Levin sailed through
the early obstacles,

but the rock climber
shockingly couldn't get a grip

on the second board
of the Wave Runner.

No!
And his season came to an end.

- I didn't see
that one coming.

- On the course right now

it's another top athlete,
Daniel Gil.

- All right, here he goes,
Daniel Gil.

- Great leap,
now one more to the rope,

And he's got it!

- And you know what,
this is gonna come down

to the wingnuts, Matt.

- Whoo!
- There's his wife, Abigail,

cheering from the sidelines
as always.

Gil and Drew Drechsel
were the only ones

to finish stage two last year.

ALL: Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!

- I believe Daniel Gil's
strength is in his smile,

even in adversity.

You better believe
that this next obstacle,

it's a tough one,
and he's smiling right at it.

- Gil never seems to get
fazed,

but he's never seen
these wingnuts before.

But a lot of great ninjas
have gone out

on this very obstacle.

- Whoo!
- Whoa!

- Man, he almost hit
the truss! Look at that.

- Look at his body
going past horizontal.

He almost jacked up face.

- Now just needs
two more moves

to get through this,

and you can feel the energy
building in the crowd.

All right, 10 feet here.

- Wow!
- Whoa.

- Daniel Gil's made it
to the last one,

but this is where
it gets tough.

The arms really starting
to burn.

- Come on, Danny G.
- Come on.

BOTH: No!

- Shoot!

- Daniel Gil looked so strong

but just lost his grip

and completely in shock.

Even the great Daniel Gil

can't survive
stage two tonight.

- Daniel Gil had
the wingnuts down.

Going into that third one,
he jumped so high,

he almost head-butts it,

but on that last one
watch his hands.

Just like Adam Rayl minutes
ago, they seem to slip,

causing a bad swing,
and he came up real short.

- And now it's time for one

of the most anticipated
runs of the night,

the only woman left in the
competition.

From Marlborough,
Massachusetts,

it's fifth grade teacher
Allyssa Beird.

She follows Jessie Graff
as just the second woman

ever to reach this point

after finishing stage
one two weeks ago.

And after that magical run,
we went to Allyssa's school

to shoot a special video
with her and her students.

[BELL RINGS]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- During the day I'm a fifth
grade teacher

in Middleborough,
Massachusetts.

I prepare lessons.
We do English.

We do science, math,
social studies,

but I live sort
of a double life.

[UPBEAT POP MUSIC]

- ♪ But I hear sounds
in my mind ♪

- When I finish a school day,
I continue on into ninja mode.

- ♪ Brand-new sounds
in my mind ♪

- I'm a teacher by day
and a ninja by night.

- ♪ I'm waiting for it,
that green light ♪

♪ 'Cause, honey, I'll
come get my things ♪

♪ But I can't let go ♪

- What really drives me is
there's always more to learn.

There's always a new obstacle
or a way to be stronger.

- ♪ I'm waiting for it,
that green light ♪

♪ I want it ♪

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

♪ I'm waiting for it,
that green light ♪

- It means a lot to me to have
kids say that I inspire them.

- ♪ I'm waiting for it,
that green light ♪

- It takes dedication.
- It takes perseverance.

But if you stick to your goals,
you can accomplish anything.

- ♪ I'm waiting for it,
that green light ♪

♪ I want it ♪

- Wow, just when you thought

Ms. Beird couldn't
get any cooler,

she's starring in
her own music videos?

- And I'm sure all those
students are watching

back in Massachusetts,
but her family is here

on the sidelines
along with her boyfriend,

James "The Beast" McGrath.

And Jessie Graff's here
to support Allyssa

along with Allyssa's
good friend,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

Only the second woman
to try stage two.

Gets it on the first swing, a
good start for Allyssa Beird.

- Yeah, we talked to her
tonight.

She's very calm,
not caught up in the moment.

Matt, you've got little girls
at home watching Ms. Beird

do her thing
here on stage two.

- Good kip there.
- She looks ready.

- On now to the final swing.

It's so hard to get this ring
out of the cradle,

almost a foot high
are those hooks holding it in.

- Good off, nice.

- Good work,
and the 26-year-old

former gymnast now gonna
take on the Salmon Ladder.

- Shake it out.
- Jessie offering some advice.

She got past last year's
version of the Salmon Ladder.

But the new crisscross
version is even tougher.

- All right, switch grip.

Very important to be
very smooth here

through Criss Cross
Salmon Ladder.

- Eight rungs altogether.
- Nice.

- Hooking it up.
- Nice, looking good.

- Faced a salmon ladder
in Cleveland, had no problem,

but this crisscross element
adds the two transfers.

- A 2 1/2-foot jump here.
- And a rung up!

- Well, okay.

- What power out
of Allyssa Beird.

- Whoo!
- I see you, Allyssa Beird.

Nice, sweet!

- Really using her
full body there.

- Allyssa!

- One more transfer!

- Another long 2 1/2-foot
transfer.

- Criss Cross applesauce!

- Oh!
- No!

- And the grip gives out.

Ms. Beird splashes down.

- Nice job, Allyssa!

- A promising run

but just couldn't get past
the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.

- First off, give it up
to Allyssa Beird.

She looked smooth
on the Ring Swing,

and then she became
the first woman

to attempt this new
Criss Cross Salmon Ladder,

and she nearly got it,
made it to the top

but couldn't pull off
that last move.

- Still a great accomplishment
in just her second year,

and right now Ms. Beird is
with Kristine

for the POM
Post-Run Interview.

- Allyssa, I know that
you've done a lot of practice

on a salmon ladder.

Were you surprised that
this obstacle took you out?

- Yeah, absolutely.

I definitely inhaled
a lot of water going down

'cause I wasn't expecting
to go down

on the Salmon Ladder
especially.

- You are the only woman
out here on stage two tonight.

What has this all meant to you?

- It means so much.
- I mean, I would have loved

to open the door
for women in stage three,

but just being here,
competing, representing women,

I couldn't ask
for anything more.

- Well, you've gotten better
and better every single year,

so I know that next year
the sky's the limit.

- Absolutely. Thank you.
- All right, Allyssa, thanks.

Guys, back to you.

- Well, Joe Moravsky
has proven

he knows how to finish
stage two.

Can he do it tonight? We'll
see his run when we come back.

In earlier runs,
the Wave Runner wiped out

Massachusetts firefighter
Dave Cavanagh.

- No!
- Ooh!

- And the wingnuts racked up
two more victims,

Houston's Grant Clinton...

- Oh!
- Oh, that's a hard one to do!

- And Utah's Karson Voiles.
- Ooh!

- Get clear!

That's 17 competitors
so far,

but there's more to come on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Vegas
for the final night

.
of the "American
Ninja Warrior" season.

While we were away,

a dramatic finish from crowd
favorite Flip Rodriguez.

- This is it. This is where
he gets to prove himself.

- With his fans in the stands
and friends on the sidelines,

the L.A. stuntman flew through
the first part of the course

and just had to finish off
Wingnut Alley.

- Fly, young man, fly.

- Wow!
- Got it!

Got it, Flip Rodriguez!

- Come on, Flip!
- And now you got to get

that rhythm going back again.

Watch that backswing.
Watch that backswing.

- This is where others have
come up short.

- Yeah, he's starting
to make that lift... no!

- Oh, no!
- Shoot! Shoot!

- And just like that,
his season was over.

Well, it's proven to be tough

to get to the buzzer
on stage two,

but our next competitor,
he knows how to do it.

This is the Weatherman,
Connecticut's Joe Moravsky.

He's one of the most
consistent

performers out here.

He's made it to stage three
every year he's competed

except for last season.

- You know, last year
I fell on stage two

for the first time ever
in Vegas.

- Oh!
- The weather came down!

- I hit the water,
I looked at my wife.

She's crouched down,
kind of just holding her head.

- It was definitely
a big shocker.

There was a lot of factors,
you know,

you could associate it with.

We have a new house.

We have a child at home,
a new baby on the way.

- Yeah, we're about... almost
eight months pregnant.

It's exciting,
little baby boy on the way.

You know, one day I want to
look back with my children

on these years

and just show them what not
giving up is all about.

Coming for you!

I really go out there
and try to be fearless,

and that's for them,

and I know parents
out there understand that

when I say that.

- And there's Stephanie,

expecting their son
in a few weeks.

She's on the sidelines with
some of Joe's young cousins.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

- Joe Moravsky can't waste any
time. Get busy on stage two.

- Well, he said that last
year; had the newborn

and that it may
have compromised

some of his training,

went out on the third
obstacle, the Wave Runner.

- Nice,
12 seconds on Ring Swing.

And look at that,

wagging the finger
at the Wave Runner,

saying, "No, no, no,
not this year."

- Come on, Joe, breathe.
- Let's go!

- But first he's got to get
past the Salmon Ladder.

I don't know that there's
anyone who is as fierce

and as intense
a competitor as Moravsky.

- LOOK AT THIS: skipping
rungs, trying to be efficient.

- Good power and a good,
aggressive pace.

It's all about
conserving energy here

so he can get through
Wingnut Alley.

- But first he wants revenge
on this Wave Runner.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
correct yourself.

- And look at how calm
he looks.

- Got it.

Looking for the dismount.

There it is, and that's got

to be a big relief
for the Weatherman,

and the wife
looking relieved as well.

- Well, he's smiling, but he's
still got some work to do.

- Come on, let's go. Let's go!
- All the way!

- Now on to the Swing Surfer,
needs a big leap here.

Got it!

- One more to the rope.

- And he's got it again!

And the cousins loving it.

That's Joe's cousin, Georgia,
leading the cheers.

- This is where it
gets real, and you can see

he's taking a deep breath

before jumping down
to take on these wingnuts.

- Only two have gotten
past them tonight.

- Come on, you got this!

- You got it, Joe!

- And the crowd sensing
something special.

- Yeah, they're going nuts.

- They know Moravsky's
a man who often rises

to the occasion.

- He's up.
- All right, here we go,.

You're on.

- And Moravsky,
a little trouble

finding his rhythm initially.

- Here we go.
- Come on, ride this wave.

There's a heat wave here
in Las Vegas.

- Perfect.

- And the man's name
is Joe Moravsky.

- And once he gets
on this obstacle,

he's really got
a good pace going.

- Whoo!
- Great power out of Moravsky.

- He looks comfortable.

- One more wingnut to go...

And he's got it!

But we've seen so many great
ninjas fail at this point.

- 12 feet to the landing pad;
that's a big lache.

- Got to find his rhythm.

What does he have left
in those forearms?

- Yes!
- Whoo!

- Moravsky dominating!
- He's back!

- 100, 125,

throwing them down,
150.

- Throw them bones, come on,
get out my way!

- And Joe Moravsky's
going back to stage three!

- Yes!

- All right, all right,
I see you, baby!

- Thunder and lightning
here in Las Vegas

courtesy of that man,
the Weatherman.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

What an electric performance,

and what an emotional moment
for the Weatherman.

- First he got past
the Wave Runner.

It got him last year,
but not tonight,

and then sailed
through the wingnuts

but just barely got his heels
down for the dismount.

Others have fallen here,
but not Joe Moravsky,

and he's our third finisher
on stage two tonight.

- And let's go down
to Kristine,

who's standing by with Joe
and his wife, Stephanie.

- Joe, we've got to start
with Wingnut Alley.

You looked so smooth and in
control.

Did you feel that way?

- I felt really good.

I didn't get tired till that
last one, which is surprising

because everyone made it
look really difficult,

but my training's paid off,
I think, so...

- And your wife, she could not
make it to the qualifying round

or the city finals, saving
your energy to be in Las Vegas.

What did it mean
to have her here?

- Oh, she is just
everything to me,

and especially our
little one in here now.

Oh, man, I can't explain it.

- Million dollars would buy
a lot of diapers, wouldn't it?

- It'd buy a nanny.
- [LAUGHTER]

- That too, a nanny's good.

All right, Joe, well,
stage three is up next before

you can get to
Mount Midoriyama, so good luck.

- Yeah, I got to focus.
- Thank you.

- You got it, Joe.
- Guys, back to you.

- Coming up, he's looked like
the top ninja

all season...

The fastest time of the night!

And Drew Drechsel is aiming
to win it all tonight.

His run at stage two
is up next...

- Whoo!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Vegas
for the final night

.
of the "American
Ninja Warrior" season.

While we were away, three more
athletes tried to survive

this brutal stage two course.

Three-time ninja veteran
Nicholas Coolridge

cruised through
the first obstacle.

- That might be the fastest
we've seen already.

- But the Venice, California,
acrobat

missed on the very first
run of the Salmon Ladder.

Oh!

[CROWD GROANS]

- The Godfather, Santa Cruz,
California's David Campbell,

was back on stage two for
the first time in six years.

- You got to be a gangster
with this jump.

I see you, Godfather.

- The 39-year-old
looked strong,

but even this nine-time
veteran

couldn't figure out
Wingnut Alley.

- Ooh, not enough distance.

- Another top competitor,

San Antonio's
Thomas Stillings,

was making his third straight
appearance on stage two.

- This is where you got
to bring your A-game,

Thomas Stillings.

- Though he made it
to the fifth obstacle,

the Genie Ninja never seemed
to get on track.

Stillings just not
looking comfortable.

- Oh, Matt, he's not.
- And like so many others,

his night ended
at Wingnut Alley.

- Oh, splash.

- But in just a few minutes
we'll be moving on

to stage three,
and perhaps stage four.

And we know Joe Moravsky,
Najee Richardson,

and Sean Bryan
are moving on,

but we've got one more athlete
with a chance to join them.

It's the Real-Life Ninja,
Drew Drechsel.

The Connecticut gym owner went
farther than anyone last year,

and a lot of people
expect him to win

that million dollars tonight.

- Oh, my goodness!

Isaac Caldiero is
an American Ninja Warrior.

- It's been a couple years
since we've had a finisher,

so everyone's kind of itching.

Everyone is telling me,
"You've got it this year,"

and they're... I'm talking
to other competitors,

and they're like,

"Drew, good luck this year.
We know you're gonna do it."

And I'm like, "You're
competing too, right?"

- He's destroying this course.

- I loved what Geoff Britten
said last year of, like,

"I don't know how Drew
hasn't finished every year."

- Drew Drechsel is a freak.

- Wow!

- He moves through
obstacles better

than I've seen anyone else do.

- He's clearly going for
the fastest time, Akbar.

- Yeah, he is.

- The pressure
is weighing on me,

but I've gotten better at
just pushing all that aside

and just running my course
and doing what I do.

Stage four, I'm coming for you.

I got to get through two.
I have to get through three,

but I see you back there;
I see that stage four.

- And he's got it!
- Nice.

- And Drew Drechsel,
the fastest time of the night.

- I've got three buzzers down
and three more to go.

Whoo!

- And check out this crowd.

Drew's students
from Connecticut

have come to Vegas to watch.

A lot of orange shirts
out there.

All the other ninjas
on the rail,

and on the sideline,
his girlfriend, April,

along with good friends Jessie
Graff and James McGrath.

So here we go.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

One last chance for a ninja
to get to stage three

with Moravsky,
Richardson, and Bryan.

Drechsel believes
this could be his year.

We know Drew.
He likes to go fast.

- Yes, he does.
- He's finished on top

in all three of his
competitions this season:

Daytona qualifying,
Daytona finals, and stage one.

- Come on, man, look at that.

He gets some style points
for that dismount.

- Drew went farther
than anyone last year,

trying to get through
stage two once again,

and up next,
the Salmon Ladder.

- Ooh, look how fast that was.

- Jumps up and over two rungs.

This Criss Cross Salmon Ladder

has taken out some top
competitors tonight, though.

- You better believe it ain't
gonna

take out Drew Drechsel
though.

- Nope, he's through
and now gonna reach up

and take on the Wave Runner.

- And if you can see it,

he's got some
headphones in his ears,

- listening to music.
- Shaking his head up there.

Nodding now; I don't know
if it's the music.

- He's vibing right now.
- I see you, vibe to the music.

- Now it's the Swing Surfer.

Drechsel looking
totally confident.

5'9", 160.

And we know Drechsel
can fly.

Nice landing.

- Whoo, so smooth!
- Just needs the dismount

to the rope.

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

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Gonna to climb up,
plenty of time left.

- All right, here it is.

It's all gonna come down
to these wingnuts.

- He's waving to us.

He's... look at him.

- He looks totally relaxed
with this.

- This is the matchup
we've been waiting for,

Drew Drechsel
and Wingnut Alley.

We know Drew can fly.

In our All Star Skills
Challenge last year

he propelled himself 15 feet
to win the competition.

- Come on, Drew!
- Drew, let's go!

- Whoo!

- And he's up.

- Here we go. Four wingnuts,
that's it.

- You got this, Drew!

- Come on!
- Drew!

- And we know it will not be
a problem, the distance.

Look at this.

- Whoo!
- Whoa.

- Oh!
- Oh, my, he twisted though.

- Man, he twisted like
a pretzel in midair!

- But a tremendous save,
great focus there

to get the hands
on the wingnut.

- It's got to be the music.
- Oh!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Drechsel, great power.
I got to say, though,

the accuracy
has been a little suspect.

- Come on.
- Come on, Drew.

- Oh, and he just hugs it!

- My goodness, he slammed
into that hard.

He could have broken his arm
with that impact.

- We've seen some great ninjas
go out right here.

It's over 12 feet
to the landing area.

- No!
- No!

- Drew Drechsel,
the Real-Life Ninja.

- Wow, Matt, that's hard.

- This crowd is stunned.

The odds-on favorite to go all
the way is out on stage two,

and he looks like that arm
is really hurting him.

- We gotta look at that again.

He really landed hard
on that last wingnut,

and I think he hurt his arm.

He didn't get a good swing
and came up way short.

That's not like Drew Drechsel,

and his season is done.

- A tough break for
the Real-Life Ninja,

and Drew's down with Kristine.

- Drew, I know how disappointed
you are right now.

I see the smile on your face,
but I know.

I know you.
I know you're disappointed.

You were so close
on Wingnut Alley.

What happened on the dismount?

- I mean, I need to stop
listening to everybody.

They keep telling me, "Oh,
it's further than you think.

Go harder than you think,"

and I expend so much
extra energy

and almost overshoot
two out of the four,

and that last transfer,
I landed right on my bicep,

and my whole arm
feels like a dead arm,

like if you ever get
a really bad charlie horse.

So I'm hoping I'm okay.
I can move everything;

I just... it just stopped
working for me.

- I know how badly you wanted
to not only get

- to stage three...
- You don't. You don't know.

- I do. I do-
- No, you don't. No one knows.

- Because Drew,
I was right there with you

when you went down
last year on stage three,

and I know how
devastated you were.

Tell me what's going on
in your mind now.

- I'm still kind of in shock
that I failed a fun

flying obstacle like that.

It's frustrating,
but I'll be back next year.

You can't get rid of me.

- Guys, back to you.

- Well, the night's not over.

We're moving on to the
even-tougher stage three.

Can one of our final three
athletes conquer it and climb

for a million dollars
on stage four?

It's coming up on
the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."

.

- Welcome back
to our season finale.

Well, we started the night
with 41 competitors,

but only three are still
standing as we move on

to the relentless upper-body
gauntlet that is stage three.

- Well, if they want
the million dollars,

they're gonna have to earn it.

Remember, only two competitors
have ever made it

past stage three
in the regular season.

- This redesigned course

starts with
the Floating Boards.

Then it's the upper-body test
of the Key Lock Hang.

Our third obstacles
it the Nail Clipper,

which proved
so difficult this year

in the Cleveland city finals.

Then two tough ones
return from last year,

the Ultimate Cliffhanger,

and the core-busting
Curved Body Prop,

but then it's a new obstacle,
the Peg Cloud.

They'll have to move from box
to box supporting their bodies

on those small pegs.

That'll lead to another
new test, the Time Bomb.

You have to hook those kettle
balls onto those small hooks

and work your way over
to the final obstacle,

the Flying Bar,
which leads to the buzzer.

And you can feel
the tension in the air,

a million dollars at stake.

And leading it off,
it's Sean Bryan.

The Papal Ninja,
you can see him pacing.

He's got his always-nervous
mom and dad

on the sidelines, along with
his priests and coworkers.

Everyone is watching,

including Joe Moravsky
and Najee Richardson.

They'll run next.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

So it all starts
with the Floating Boards.

- Yeah, that's right.

These boards are tougher
than in the past.

Each one's a little higher
than the one before it.

- And you can see they're
tapered down at the bottom,

so it's harder to pinch
your feet around it.

- Got to use a lot
of upper-body strength here.

- And you really got to use
the lower body too, to offload

with that pincer grip
and good flexibility there.

- Ooh, that was quick.
- And a little bow.

- And he says,
"One down, seven to go."

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- And now the Key Lock Hang.

This isn't just power.
It's precision.

He has to move those handles

in and out of the slots
across the three panels.

- There's no time limit here
on stage three,

but you want to get through
this as fast as you can,

save your arms
for the later obstacles.

- Sean Bryan, 5'10",
163 pounds.

- Ooh.

- And you can that
he's struggling,

trying to get those handles
in, then lock them in.

- Matt, and I love how
calm he stayed

when he had a little slip-up.

- This is his first time
on stage three.

Never tried
this obstacle before.

- Yeah, there you go.
- You got it.

- Yeah.
- Lock it in.

- Unlock the door,
there you go.

- Sean Bryan, looks like he's
maybe going for the dismount.

- Watch out. That's a
small surface to land on.

- Wow, perfect.

- Oh, did he do... the whole
gymnast thing,

oh, perfect landing.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- But now it's
the Nail Clipper.

LOOK AT THIS:
He's pumping up the crowd.

- "I need your cheers.
- I need the support."

- Only two competitors got
past this in Cleveland.

Those cylinders rotate
and only have

small handholds to grab onto

as you work
your way across.

- This is stage three,
the Nail Clipper.

- And look at that...
- Giving it to them, ooh!

- Such an aggressive... whoa!
- Whoa!

- Nails the dismount; no
problem for the Papal Ninja.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- Three obstacles down;
now on the fourth obstacle.

This one's a classic.

It's a oldie but a goodie,
the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

- Papal!
ALL: Ninja!

- Papal!
ALL: Ninja!

- And the crowd chanting
"Papal Ninja."

Here we go.

- You can see the confidence
growing in Sean Bryan.

- These ledges
only 2 inches wide,

and here's the first test.

It's 3 feet up and over
to the top ledge. High reach.

- Ooh...
BOTH: Oh!

- Sean Bryan loses his grip
on the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

The Papal Ninja, the divine
run comes to an end.

- Matt, those ledges are only
a couple of inches deep,

so you're holding
all your weight

with your fingertips.

When Sean reaches
for that upper ledge,

the strain is too much
for one hand,

and the Papal Ninja's
right hand peels off.

- So now only two athletes
remain,

and the crowd is rising up for
the Phoenix, Najee Richardson.

This former gymnast
has been electric

on the course this year.

He's got his parents,
girlfriend McKenzie,

and grandfather
back on the sidelines.

And look at that,
gives a look upward.

That may be
for his great-grandmother,

who passed away this year.

- You got it, Naj!
- And no one has left here.

No one wants to miss it if
someone can beat stage three.

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]
- And here we go.

- All right, this is it.

He dreamt it,
and now he's here.

- Such an impressive run
to have survived stage two

only to be rewarded
with this gauntlet.

- And just think,
two years ago

he fell on the third obstacle
in Pittsburgh.

And now here he is,
one of the final two athletes

with a chance
at a million dollars.

- And he's through
the Floating Boards.

- Throwing up the heart,

that's exactly what you need
to beat stage three.

You got to have heart.

- And you got to have
upper-body strength

for the Key Lock Hang.

Again, stage three
is so difficult,

there is no time limit,

but you want to get
through this quickly

to preserve your strength.

This is such a grip gauntlet.

The strength and precision
required here,

long reaches, though,
out of the Phoenix.

- Ooh, look how calm he is.

- Using that wingspan.

- Not rushing through, getting
it in with the Key Lock Hang,

putting it in, twisting it,

holding the weight,
making sure it's secure.

- Surprising strength
out of the Phoenix here,

just needs the dismount.
Ooh, ooh, oh!

- No, no, no!
- What a save!

So close!

- Yes. Oh, now you're
holding your heart.

- Oh, boy.
- You threw up the heart,

and now you're
holding your heart.

Don't scare me like that,
Najee.

That was so scary,
I got to see that one again.

The landing pad
is only 2 feet wide,

and Najee lands
on the back edge.

He makes a desperate grab
and saves himself,

but this crowd needs CPR.

- Now he has to face
the obstacle

that knocked him out
in Cleveland,

the Nail Clipper.

A good chance for revenge here
for the Phoenix,

and he's up.

- He has the experience on it.

If you weren't in Cleveland,

you didn't get an opportunity
to see this obstacle.

- Well, there's very little
to grab onto,

and all of those
cylinders rotate.

He's taking
a different approach

than he did back in Cleveland.

He's reaching over rather
than jumping to each one.

You can see,
having a little trouble

there working on the handhold.

- Mm-hmm.
- But solves it.

He's going for the dismount.

- He learned from
the other time.

He said, "You took me out
in Cleveland.

You're not doing it again."

- And we're back
at the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

Najee not wasting any time.

ALL: Najee! Najee!
Najee! Najee!

- All right,
this is the big swing.

This is the one that took out
Sean Bryan.

Come on, come on!

- Oh, my.
- Whoo, crossover!

- But now this long
transition, almost 6 feet.

He's gonna have to
leap across.

- Well, we know he can fly.

BOTH: Yes!
- Yes!

- The Phoenix
spreading his wings.

- Oh, boy.

- Ooh!
- Oh, no!

- Couldn't lock it on,
the Phoenix doused on

the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

- Oh, my.
- Man.

- Looking so strong.

- My heart is hurting
for Najee Richardson.

I wanted him to have it badly.

- Well, Mount Midoriyama is
humbling these ninjas tonight.

A great run by Najee
Richardson comes to an end.

- What makes this obstacle
so tough is even when you get

your hands on the ledge,

the momentum of your body
pulls you off.

That's what happened
with Najee.

He got both hands on it,

but his body weight
just pulled him right off.

- And Najee's down
with Kristine.

- Najee, you were
so good out there.

I want to start with the Key
Lock Hang, your dismount there.

You scared us all.
Were you a little nervous too?

- I was very nervous. I thought
I would be able to release

a little bit quicker,
but for some reason my hand

just stayed on
a little bit longer,

and it slowed my dismount off,

so I had to make that
scary little save there.

- Are you disappointed? Tell me
what's going through your head.

- You know, I'm a competitor
at heart.

I'm an athlete at heart,
so I didn't... I didn't

make it through,
so I'm a little disappointed,

but overall I'm so proud.

I... last year,

you know, I went down on
the Salmon Ladder in stage two.

This year I competed
on stage three,

so you got to look
toward the positives

to keep getting stronger.

- Well, you are awesome
out here, Najee,

and I cannot wait to see

what you're gonna be
able to do next year.

- Thank you so much, Kristine.
- I really appreciate it.

- Guys, back to you.

- Coming up,
we are down to one.

Joe Moravsky
is our last chance.

- Coming for you!
- Will this be the year

the Weatherman makes
it to stage four...

- Joe Moravsky
is a savvy veteran.

- And takes home
a million dollars?

- I see you, baby!
- We'll find out

when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to the final
moments of the season

.
on "American Ninja Warrior."

We've traveled almost 7,000
miles across the country,

stopped in seven cities,

and watched about 1,000
competitors run the course,

but now we're down
to the final one.

The only man left is
the Weatherman, Joe Moravsky.

He's gonna try
to finish stage three

and then climb stage four
for a million dollars.

Every ninja on the rail
for this one

along with Joe's cousins

and, of course,
his wife, Stephanie.

She's expecting
that baby any day now.

- Go, Joe!
- Let's go!

- Sean Bryan and Najee
Richardson couldn't do it.

Can Joe Moravsky be the one
to beat stage three?

ALL: Let's go, Joe!
Let's go, Joe! Let's go, Joe!

[COUNTDOWN CLOCK BEEPING]

- Well, here we go.

Moravsky, fourth time
on stage three.

- He has been one of the most
consistent ninja warriors.

- You have to remember, many
of the best ninja athletes

never made it to stage three.

Joe's done it four
of the last five years,

and he's through,
the first obstacle.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- Go, Joe!

- If you know Joe Moravsky,

you know exactly
how he thinks.

This guy believes
he belongs at stage four.

He wants to get to stage four.

- He's made it to the sixth
obstacle, the Hang Climb,

back in season six.

That's the closest he's been.

If you see him doing the
weather on TV in Connecticut,

you may not realize

what a tremendous athlete
Moravsky is.

5'10", 165, has a background
in gymnastics,

and he's about to get
through the Key Lock Hang.

Got it!
Look at him pointing to Najee.

- He's saying, "Bro, I saw
you slip right here.

I was paying attention."

- And now an obstacle
he already faced and beat

in Cleveland,
the Nail Clipper.

He was one of only two
athletes to get past this.

- One thing about Joe
Moravsky, he's mentally tough.

He understands how
to operate under pressure.

- Well, Moravsky always
has a plan,

a very calculated ninja,
right through,

but now
the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

Neither Sean Bryan or Najee
Richardson

could survive this.

- Taking off the shirt,
he says, "All right, come on."

- Even Joe was stopped
by this obstacle

two years ago, Akbar.

Here he goes,
up the first flight.

This is where Sean Bryan
went out.

Got it!

- Nice crossover.
- And so efficient.

All right, with this 6-foot
blind transition,

got it!

- All right, now he's got
to traverse across.

Now he's got
to this thing lateral.

- And here's where
Najee fell.

BOTH: Yes!
- Locks it in!

- Oh, boy, he's getting
close, Matt.

- And another transition.

- Got it!
- Whoo!

- Joe Moravsky, a perfect
run on Ultimate Cliffhanger,

so efficient.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Halfway there.

- Whoo! He can smell it.
- He can smell it.

- But now he starts
the four brutal obstacles

where his feet
won't touch the ground.

First up, the Body Prop.

You've got to traverse
over 30 feet

going down about 10 feet,
then up another 15.

- The Curved Body Prop will
challenge your core muscle.

It will challenge you in your
back muscles, the low spine.

My daddy used to tell me,

"If you start it,
you finish it."

Come on, Joe Moravsky,
finish it.

- He is really moving,
and the crowd cheering,

but now the ascent.

- All right, there it is,

putting a lot of stress
on that back muscle.

The core, everything's
engaged.

- Oh, my.
- This is a full-body workout.

- Come on, Joe!

- About another 5 feet
to go for Moravsky!

- Whoo!

- Go, Joe!
- Can he get up?

- First time
we've seen this one.

This is a new one
to stage three, Peg Cloud.

Come on, touch it, get it.

- But the mount onto
the Peg Cloud not easy,

but Moravsky's done it!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

- And look at this.
- You can't put your feet down,

so he's taking a break
upside-down.

Hanging upside-down
saying, "I'm Batman."

- Well, he may need to be
a superhero for this next one,

the Peg Cloud.

Has to work his way across

by sticking those pegs
in the boxes,

hasn't been able to watch
anyone else try this.

- Matt, my palms are getting
sweaty watching this.

- And you can see
the flexibility,

actually locking his legs
around his arms.

- Ooh, wow.
- That... that looks like yoga.

- Has trouble getting
that peg in!

- Ooh.
- Come on, Joe!

- [INAUDIBLE]!
- Got it!

- Yeah.

- Oh, my.
- Not even resting the feet,

- the long reach!
- Oh, look at him.

He's dominating
this new obstacle!

- Come on, Joe!
- Keep going!

- Well, you can see
the little shelves there

to rest your feet.

Moravsky, though,
just fighting,

relying on the upper body
and relying on his power.

- And Matt,
this is impressive.

The guy has got moxie.

- And he's almost to the end.

Another obstacle down,

but there's nowhere to rest.

And look at that, wrapping
the leg around on the peg.

- The Weatherman...
- Moravsky getting creative.

His wife, Stephanie,
sending good vibes.

- Millions of people
watching everywhere,

and he's putting on a clinic.

- Well, as impressed as I am
with the physical ability,

it has been the problem-
solving of Joe Moravsky

that is blowing me away
here on stage three.

But now he's got another new
obstacle that no one's tried,

the Time Bomb.

They're like
tiny kettle balls

that you have to move
from hook to hook.

- Yeah, they're 3 inches
in diameter, Matt,

not a lot to hold onto.

- Come on, Joe, you got it.

- Well, there are six hooks.

It's a path about
15 feet long.

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

- The fourth hook is higher
and off to the side.

Oh, long reach,

and a good save.

Can he hold on?

- Oh, no!
- No!

Joe Moravsky, the Weatherman

ends up wet
on stage three,

the dream unrealized,

and yet the man
who makes it farther

than anyone in
an incredible season nine.

- This was Joe Moravsky's
best run ever on stage three.

He beat the Ultimate
Cliffhanger, the Body Prop,

and the new obstacle,
the Peg Cloud,

but at Time Bomb time ran out.

He missed with his left hand,

and then his grip
gave out on his right,

but he makes it further
than anyone this year.

- And Joe Moravsky getting
a well-deserved ovation

after making it to the seventh

of the eight obstacles
on stage three.

- I'm just thankful
for the opportunity.

This is one of the coolest
playgrounds in the world.

- So that wraps up a dramatic
final night in Vegas.

We started with 41 competitors
vying for a million dollars,

but it didn't happen.

Only three could move on
to stage three,

and none could make it
to stage four.

We'll have to wait
till next year

to crown a new "American
Ninja Warrior" champion.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila
and Kristine Leahy,

I'm Matt Iseman.

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