The Stars Of American Gladiators Then & Now

1. Laser - THEN

 

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Kicking off with Laser, who was the longest-serving male gladiator. after taking part in all five seasons and even the live shows! He was also the most 'injured suffering damage to both shoulders, nose, ankle.

2. Jim Starr - NOW

 

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These days Jim Starr is living in California and is the director of product development for Life Time Fitness, a Minnesota-based chain of top-end gyms. Even years after leaving the show, Jim occasionally makes appearances each year at American Gladiator events.

3. Nitro - THEN

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Born in Japan, Nitro was the most explosive member of the American Gladiators cast! He spent three seasons on the show, having a close-to-perfect record on the Hang Tough event, before exiting over a merchandising dispute, only later returning in a commentry role.

4. Danny Clark - NOW

 

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After leaving the cast of American Gladiators, Danny Clark became an actor, appearing alongside Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis in Death Becomes Her (1992) In 2008, he was recruited as the consulting producer on the relaunched American Gladiators series on NBC.

5. Blaze - THEN

 

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Missing out on the 1984 Olympic trials due to injury, this American Gladiator was known to go in all guns blazing, her best event was Conquer. Blaze was also very aggressive and often dismissed after tackling other Gladiators above the neck in Powerball!

6. Sha-Ri Pendleton - NOW

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Sha-Ri left the American Gladiators in 1992 and is currently living in California. She now has the role of a substitute teacher. After the bell rings you will find her coaching a track team at St. John Bosoco High, which also includes her son as a member.

7. Gemini - THEN

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After playing football for 10 years professionally, Gemini joined the show in 1989 and was known as the gentle giant in the American Gladiators team, quickly becoming a fan favorite! His best event was undoubtedly Powerball due to his freakish strength.

8. Michael Horton - NOW

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Michael now works as a personal trainer in the Los Angeles area, after leaving the American Gladiators in 1992. He has also picked up a second-degree black belt and played a small role playing a security guard in the 1998 film 'A Night At The Roxbury'.

9. Ice - THEN

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Competing in five seasons of American Gladiators, Ice joined the team in 1990. After lifting weights since the age of 22 and becoming a NPC National Level bodybuilder, her best event was Powerball as she could easily tackle and body slam her opponents.

10. Lori Fetrick - NOW

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Leaving the show in 1996, Lori Fetrick made several numerous television and film appearances, she also worked as a personal trainer before opening her own gym in Orlando, Florida. Lori now travels around the USA hosting seminars on health and financial wellness.

11. Malibu - THEN

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The bronze god of the American Gladiator team who loved women and beer outside of the arena joined in 1991 and only stayed for a year. He is most known for being sent crashing during the Human Cannonball event and had to take a trip to the hospital for some stitches.

12. Deron McBee - NOW

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Once his brief stint as a Gladiator came to an end, Deron focused on an acting career and appeared in Mortal Kombat, Annihilation, and Batman Forever. He has also decided to pick up color pencils and watercolors to become a graphic artist as a hobby.

13. Sabre - THEN

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Sabre was also briefly known as Panther and could bench press a whopping 550lbs! A man of many talents he also created his very own American Gladiators rap song. Before joining the American Gladiators crew in 1993 he was also a member of the notorious Bloods gang in Los Angeles!

14. Lynn Williams - NOW

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Leaving the show after two seasons in 1996, Lynn Williams appeared in several TV shoes including Renegade' and 'Babylon 5. He also starred as Jax in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' These days Lynn, is a married father of two and grandfather of three and teaches scripture in California.

15. Dallas  - THEN

 

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Charmingly tagged with the name "Dallas" due to the fact that no one could remember her name, this stuck because this was where she was from! Her other nickname was the Texas Twister as she entered the arena with a series of backflips. She was outstanding in all of the strength events!

16. Shannon Hall - NOW

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Shannon Hall has had an action-packed life since leaving the American Gladiators. She is a double champion of the Toughwoman Championship and remained undefeated, In 1998, she was signed by World Wrestling Entertainment. Currently, she trains MMA fighters from her Gladiator Arena gym in Florida.

17. Siren - THEN

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Nothing was going to stop Siren from becoming an American Gladiator, as she became deaf at the age of three after an accidental aspirin overdose. During her tryouts, Siren completed 57 pushups in 60 seconds impressing producers. Tug-O-War was her favorite event. She also treated spectators to a hand signed performance of 'Heal the World' by Michael Jackson.

18. Shelley Beattie - NOW

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After American Gladiators, Shelley Beattie moved to a farm in Oregon. Sadly she passed away on February 16th, 2008, aged 39, three days after attempting suicide by hanging after a long battle with depression and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder after visiting a psychiatric hospital.

19. Turbo - THEN

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Quitting his job at a concrete company. to become an American Gladiator. Turbo had a very strong record across all events with a close-to-perfect record in Whiplash. His Gladiator career was nearly cut short after a horrible knee injury sustained in a Powerball game.

20. Galen Tomlinson - NOW

 

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Currently living in Southern California, Galen has been working in volleyball for the past 15 years and is the head coach and director of Coast North County Volleyball Club based in North San Diego County. He has also appeared in several TV sitcoms and written many screenplays.

21. Gold - THEN

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Gold was one of the most distinguished bodybuilders in the world winning the prestigious Arnold Schwarzenegger IFBB Ms. International in 1991 after starting training in high school. Gold was an American Gladiator between 1989 - 1992, having to leave due to a knee injury.

22. Tonya Knight - NOW

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Tonya also decided to retire from professional bodybuilding in 1993 and was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2011, despite a urine test scandal in 1988. Sadly after a long battle with cancer, Tonya Knight passed away on February 7, 2023, aged 56.

23. Zap - THEN

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Born in Pennsylvania, Zap was the only American Gladiator who never had to have an audition for the show and was known as the ultimate Gladiator. She appeared between the years 1989-1995, taking breaks due to injuries, pregnancy and even posing for Playboy.

24. Raye Hollitt - NOW

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Similar to other Gladiators, Raye had considerable roles on many TV shows and films including 'Baywatch' and 'Hot Shots! Part Deux' She also owned two gyms back at home in Pennsylvania. These days, Raye has left her acting and Gladiator days behind to focus on her family.

25. Hawk - THEN

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Becoming an American Gladiator in season 5, Hawk had already had a successful sporting career being a pro football player and standout lineman at Cornell University. His favorite events were Powerball and Hang Tough and also appeared in the live Orlando shows.

26. Lee Reherman - NOW

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After American Gladiators, Lee enjoyed a successful career that included roles in over 100 television and feature films as well as hosting, voice-over, and production credits. He also starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Last Action Hero. On March 1st, 2016, he was sadly found dead aged 49.

27. Sky - THEN

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Born in San Francisco, Sky became the 1990 World Gym Classic champion before joining the American Gladiators team in 1992. She quickly became known as the mother hen of the group and she could really reach for the sky, being the tallest female Gladiator at 6'3. She used this height to excel at the Powerball, Joust, and The Wall events.

28. Shirley Eson Korito - NOW

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Sky and her husband ]have been the proud co-owners of Florida's award-winning Fur and Feathers Pet Resort since 2006. Sky most recently returned to bodybuilding competitions by competing in the 2016 IFBB Orlando Pro & NPC Southern USA.

29. Tower - THEN

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Tower who was the tallest male American Gladiator at 6'4" was also known as the Tower of Power. He joined the team in 1991, originally as a replacement for Turbo. His favourite events were Joust and Powerball, once requiring 44 stitches to close an opening on his head!

30. Steve Henneberry - NOW

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Steve Henneberry completely changed careers in 2000, moving into title insurance for residential and commercial real estate. He is currently employed with Title365 in California as the Vice President Manager. Never one to rest on his laurels, he also founded his own design and printing business.

31. What about the stars of UK Gladiators? Jet - THEN

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Jet was definitely a fan favorite on the show, which is why most people were sad when she had to retire from the show. In case you didn't know why she left, she had to pull out of the show in 1996 due to a back injury she got while doing the Pyramid! She was one of the original members of show.

32. Diane Youdale - NOW

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Diane actually went on to be a children's TV presenter, both down to the young fanbase she'd already gained, and the fact a presenting gig was easy on her back! She's also trained as a Pilates instructor and a psychotherapist - so keeping both her body and brain fit, we see!

33. Amazon - THEN

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Amazon was a Gladiator that appeared back in 1996, and was a professional swimmer before she started on the show - so she already had that major competitive attitude and physical fitness to boot! She definitely lived up to her name of a strong warrior woman on this show!

34. Sharron Davies - NOW

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What's the swimmer and former Gladiator up to these days? Real name Sharron Davies, she had to pull out of the show due to a knee injury, and she then went on to become a sports commentator, as well as getting involved with children's charity work and even hitting the ice for Dancing on Ice!

35. Blaze - THEN

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Blaze's story was actually incredible in that she was originally a contestant on the show - and the only contestant to ever come back as a Gladiator! Her name comes from her 'blaze of glory' from beating the competition, and she must've enjoyed putting new contestants through their paces.

36. Eunice Huthart - NOW

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Following her appearance on the show both as a winning contestant and champion gladiator, she went on to become a professional stunt double - and a successful one at that, no surprise there! She's played stunt doubles in huge films such as James Bond's GoldenEye, Titanic and even a Fantastic Beasts film.

37. Ace - THEN

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Every Gladiator show needs a muscly blonde-haired, blue eyed champion, and that was Ace! He was on the show for four years, and compared to other tough-looking and moody Gladiators on the show (we're looking at you Wolf) he at least had a nice smile behind muscles that looked like they could break you in two.

38. Warren Furman - NOW

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Warren Furman went on to be a little more in the spotlight when he had a brief engagement to a huge British TV personality, Katie Price. Following their break up and later in his career, Furman then found religion, and used his belief in God to get a new path for his self outside of the Gladiator arena!

39. Wolf - THEN

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And speaking of our favorite grumpy Gladiator from the show! Seriously, if you've never watched the UK version of the show, it's worth it just for Wolf alone. He made it his mission to refuse to shake hands with contestants, upset the referee and just cause as much chaos as possible. Great TV!

40. Michael Van Wijk - NOW

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Of course, that broody rebellious look was only an alter-ego, and Michael Van Wijk was always a nice guy in real life! Since the original show, he's turned up a few times for reboots and reunions - and the crowd goes wild - before moving to New Zealand and opening up his own gym: Wolf's Gym!

41. Lightning - THEN

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Lightning was one of the toughest Gladiators in the arena, proven by the fact she remained unbeaten! She was a gymnast before appearing on the show, and to make her more incredible, Lightning actually competed in the Gladiator arena three weeks after giving birth!

42. Kim Betts - NOW

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Lightning was really Kim Betts, who actually returned as a Gladiator for the revamp special for charity where she reunited with other former Gladiators from the original. Alongside that, she went on to present children's TV and got busy raising her family after having a second child!

43. Saracen - THEN

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Saracen was an impressive Gladiator in the arena, and actually one of the few who appeared on every single series of the show until it came to an end! He was hard competition and tough to beat, and he was so good he even appeared in the international competition in South Africa!

44. Michael Lewis - NOW

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Before he appeared as Saracen on the show, Michael Lewis had been a firefighter based in London, UK - and he actually returned to his original job fighting fires instead of contestants once the show finished. He did make a recent appearance on Ninja Warrior tv show, too!

45. Panther - THEN

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Don't let looks deceive you, because Panther was a deadly Gladiator and competition to be reckoned with! Her entrance was always an iconic one, to the theme tune of 'Black Cat' by Janet Jackson! She was also iconic for her curly hair and unbreakable attitude on the show.

46. Helen O'Reilly - NOW

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Before she appeared on the show, Helen was actually a bodybuilder, and she had a number of titles under her belt, including Miss England, Miss North Britain and Miss Universe. These days, she's taken a leaf out of Wolf's book and has opened her own gym - called Panther's Gym!

47. Rhino - THEN

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Rhino became one of the top Gladiators on the show after appearing as a regular for five years. He was tough to beat, a name that would install fear in contestant's hearts, and it's no surprise he was originally a body builder before appearing on the show. His theme was 'This Is How We Do It'!

48. Mark Smith - NOW

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It's amazing how much of a showbiz career Mark Smith has actually had, because you don't usually have a Gladiator going on to appear in a ton of Hollywood movies as an actor! Mark Smith has appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, Batman Begins, Argo and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Time for a rewatch.

49. Scorpio - THEN

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With a sting as intimidating as her name, this Gladiator was one to watch based on her sheer speed! She was a bodybuilder and a model before appearing on the show - the ultimate combination of looks and muscles - but she eventually had to pull out after a back injury.

50. Nikki Diamond - NOW

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Mark Smith wasn't the only one with a taste for acting, it would seem! Nikki Diamond appeared in movies like Monty Python before she appeared as a Gladiator, and since the show she's been a TV presenter for a kid's show as well as a TV reporter. She also runs a martial arts association with her partner.