June 12, 2024 • 9 mins
American Gladiators is coming back to Amazon Prime Video and the show's creator, Johnny Ferraro, joined me to talk all about it! We discussed the hunt for new Contenders (which could be you at AmericanGladiatorCasting.com), what it takes to be a great Contender, the games that will be returning and what other ones we will see and how a Gladiator really has to live the life 24/7!
If you want to apply to be a Contender, show them what you've got at AmericanGladiatorCasting.com!
If you want to apply to be a Contender, show them what you've got at AmericanGladiatorCasting.com!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
It's Mike Jones. This is goingto be a fun conversation today talking to
mister Johnny Ferraro, the creator ofAmerican Gladiators. Johnny, Good morning,
Mike Jones. How are you.I'm doing great, sir, Johnny.
First off, let me tell youhow excited I was to see the news
a few weeks ago seeing that AmericanGladiators is coming back. Instantly, it
took me back to watching the originalshow and all the competition and the Gladiators
(00:23):
were superheroes and I can't wait tosee the new American Gladiators. Well,
I'm glad you're such a fan.You know, I still watch it all
the time myself. Your airs onWeiss, and I still watch those reruns
and the contestants from thirty some yearsago, from nineteen eighty nine, they're
still competing today. You know.That's amazing, And I think we have
an opportunity to offer people in yourarea to be contenders, to be on
(00:48):
film forever. And if you havepeople that have the endurance and the strength,
the stamina, the energy and thecourage to go ahead to head with
these gladiators, you know we're lookingfor you. Yeah, you could put
in your application at American gladiatorcasting dotcom. If you, like you said,
you have the physical uh strength,the speed, the agility, you
(01:10):
got to have the mindset too.I mean, you're looking for the best
of the best because you got tobe the best to be a contender going
against the gladiators. Well, you'reright, you know, you know.
And the thing is, everybody thinksyou're really battling the gladiators doing you're really
battling me, your your your ex, to your friend, because these guys
become friends in the set and you'rebattling another contestant. That gladiator is just
(01:30):
that human obstacle and saying you're notgetting through me. You're not getting that
point. And the most dangerous obstacleis a human obstacle. So it's it's
you know, it's quite a quaintan event to sy especially live. You
ever see gladiators live and on television, they're just you're just extraordinary, and
(01:51):
especially now crime is bringing back thismassive sets, great games, bigger than
life gladiators And but you want toknow what though, it all comes down
to the competition, no matter whatelse, it always comes down to that
man o a manno. And that'sreally important to the Absolutely you can like
the set. I'm sure it's goingto look awesome and it's going to be
(02:15):
futuristic, just like America Gladiators lookback in the day. It's going to
be wild to see it now.But at the end of the day,
you're right, Johnny, when itcomes down to it, it's people versus
gladiators, one on one. Who'sgoing to get the better, who's going
to come out on top? That'sright, you know, it's you don't
know. You don't know what's goingto happen. I mean, you could
figure here's this guy, he doesn'thave a chance and he ends up being
(02:35):
the winner. You just never knowon this show, and it's it's a
lot of excitement. There really isa lot of excitement out there, and
it'd be great to find the rightcontenders to battle these gladiators and lay it
all on the line. You know. I think America today needs needs that
hero to root for right now.So it's a perfect time for the show
(03:00):
to come back one thousand percent.And let me tell everyone again, Johnny
American Gladiator Casting dot Com. Ifyou think you have what it takes,
if you're one of the people thatdoes CrossFit three times a day, you
run Tough Mutters every weekend, whateverit might be. You think you're one
of the best of the best AmericanGladiatorcasting dot Com. Let's see what you
got now, Johnny. With thenew version. I saw that you're gonna
(03:21):
have some of the classic games comingand also some new ones as well,
some new competition. Is there anyIs there any of that you can tell
us about yet or are we gonnahave to wait till the show comes to
see what games are on there?Well, you know, we're still gonna
have the Gauntlet, We're still gonnahave Handcuff, We're still gonna have Powerball,
and we're still gonna do the Eliminator. But you know, they're introducing
(03:42):
a couple of new challenges, whichis pretty cool that I don't want to,
you know, wait for everybody totune in so, you know,
but it's going to be a lota lot of excitement and the sets are
going to be unbelievable. It's justgonna be a lot a lot of fun
to see how far it's come overthe years from the early days when we
started, you know, Universal Studios, to actually we shot the we shot
(04:03):
the sizzle reel very beginning in ahorse arena in to Luka Lake, you
know, to do the pilot andthen it went onto television and just to
watch that that. I don't know, evolvement over the years is really something.
There's so much potential for everything youcan do too, because technology is
certainly advanced. But you know,still, like we said a little while
(04:26):
ago at the end of the day, competition one on one, Johnny,
what do you think if I'm acontender, what's the best thing that someone
can bring to the table in youropinion? Is it the speed, is
it the strength or does it haveto be a combination of everything along with
brains too. You got to havesmarts to you know, to to do
these games, to do these competitions. Well, I think speed's a factor
(04:49):
because you know, like speed andstrength, because if you're going to,
say to power ball, you've gotto have the speed to get around the
GLANDI. But then if once youdo meet them, you can have to
have the strength that overpower him andget that ball that in that basket.
You know, But each game isdifferent. Some like the wall you need
(05:11):
upper body strength hanked out if youneed upper body strength for the eliminator,
you need speed and strength, soit's a little bit of everything. But
the thing is, if you're goingup against the Gladiators, now it takes
courage too. So you could bethere's a lot of strong guys out there,
but they don't want to do battlethe six foot five, two hundred
and seventy pound guy and sometimes inpower ball there's three of them against you.
(05:33):
How do you get around them?How do you make those moves?
You got to have willpower as well. That's another thing because I'm sure after
one one event, one challenge,people are already dogged tired. It's like,
no, we got a whole dayof this, let's go, let's
keep this moving. Oh yeah.Especially you know, it's funny because during
the TV show is a little bitwhen we are on the tour, because
we've been one hundred and fourteen citytour and the Gladiators. We had the
(05:56):
same Gladiats battling on brand new freshpeople in each city and they took a
real beating, but you know,they kept going and they laid it on
the line, and that's kind ofwhat the whole show is about. It
lives up to its name. Americangladiators, and it says it all just
in the name. And like Isaid, I think it's the timeless perfect
(06:17):
bring this thing back right now becauseI think people are looking for something,
you know, they want they wantsomething just bigger, to be part of
something bigger than themselves. And gladiatorsis it. Have you found all your
gladiators yet? You have you completedthe search for them? Nope, Nope,
we haven't. We're still looking forsome top gladiators. You know.
You never stopped looking for a greatgladiator, you know, and sometimes you
(06:41):
find them, and you might finda great alternate who you know, if
a gladiator does get injured, thenthen you know the alternate could step in.
But you know, it's it's justyou've got to find the right guy
for that gladiator. He's got tobe bigger than life. He's got to
have it all. I always said, you want to know when you're a
gladiator, you're in a first nameis what the world everybody knows who you
are, especially now with streaming overtwo hundred and forty markets, there'll be
(07:06):
the biggest stars in the planet.Yeah. I remember, I mean,
I remember, like we said,Johnny watching the original series and the gladiators
really larger than life superhero action figurecharacters, and they were just so much
fun when they're on the microphone whenthey're competing. I mean, you have
to have everything physicality, strength,agility, plus that IT factor too.
(07:29):
You gotta have that it. Oh, you're right, you know you have
to have it. You know.It's funny because some of these flatters you
were like doctors and they were likechemists, and you know they weren't,
you know, just guys with muscles. They were women, guys and girls
with muscles. State they were smart, they're intelligent. They just they knew
how to talk and walk and playthat character and be nice to people.
(07:51):
You know, it's funny. Whenwe're on the road, it's like,
Okay, guys, who wants togo to the Shriners and see the kids.
Everyone will stand up and say,I knew they did Shriners in every
city we went to, you know, it was there. Loved the kids.
They love to be with people,and that's what it is. It's
just a special greedy guy and girlsto be a gladiator and to give your
(08:13):
life to do that. Twenty fourto seven. I'm sure. I'm sure
they're taken care of well, butit is a full time, every day,
twenty four to seven job to bea gladiator. Like that, Well,
if you want to get in onAmerican Gladiators, it's coming back American
Gladiatorcasting dot Com. You can sendin your best and see if you have
what it takes to be a contender. Johnny, last question, it's coming
(08:35):
on Amazon Prime Video. Do youknow when it's going to be around?
Like, is it later this year? Next year? What are we looking
at? They're still looking at theright right time to put it out yet,
you know, there we're still talkingabout when they're going to do filming
the taping because it's such a bigshow. It doesn't like you put a
ring down, you know, it'sa massive, massive show. So it's
(08:58):
everything still in the workshet we don'thave any dates lockdown yet, but hopefully
it'll be very soon. So mysuggestion is that people, if they want
to be part of this, getyour application and because I'm going to tell
you there's probably going to be acouple hundred thousand applications to try out and
to spend, do it now ifyou have what it takes. American Gladiatorcasting
(09:20):
dot Com. This is your timeto shine. You could be a victorious
contender with the return of American Gladiators. Johnny, thanks so much for talking.
I can't wait for the show,the live tour, everything that's going
to be coming, the return ofAmerican Gladiators. This was fun, my
man. Are you welcome? Andyou know, please take care of yourself.
It's Mike Jones. This is goingto be a fun conversation today talking to
mister Johnny Ferraro, the creator ofAmerican Gladiators. Johnny, Good morning,
Mike Jones. How are you.I'm doing great, sir, Johnny.
First off, let me tell youhow excited I was to see the news
a few weeks ago seeing that AmericanGladiators is coming back. Instantly, it
took me back to watching the originalshow and all the competition and the Gladiators
(00:23):
were superheroes and I can't wait tosee the new American Gladiators. Well,
I'm glad you're such a fan.You know, I still watch it all
the time myself. Your airs onWeiss, and I still watch those reruns
and the contestants from thirty some yearsago, from nineteen eighty nine, they're
still competing today. You know.That's amazing, And I think we have
an opportunity to offer people in yourarea to be contenders, to be on
(00:48):
film forever. And if you havepeople that have the endurance and the strength,
the stamina, the energy and thecourage to go ahead to head with
these gladiators, you know we're lookingfor you. Yeah, you could put
in your application at American gladiatorcasting dotcom. If you, like you said,
you have the physical uh strength,the speed, the agility, you
(01:10):
got to have the mindset too.I mean, you're looking for the best
of the best because you got tobe the best to be a contender going
against the gladiators. Well, you'reright, you know, you know.
And the thing is, everybody thinksyou're really battling the gladiators doing you're really
battling me, your your your ex, to your friend, because these guys
become friends in the set and you'rebattling another contestant. That gladiator is just
(01:30):
that human obstacle and saying you're notgetting through me. You're not getting that
point. And the most dangerous obstacleis a human obstacle. So it's it's
you know, it's quite a quaintan event to sy especially live. You
ever see gladiators live and on television, they're just you're just extraordinary, and
(01:51):
especially now crime is bringing back thismassive sets, great games, bigger than
life gladiators And but you want toknow what though, it all comes down
to the competition, no matter whatelse, it always comes down to that
man o a manno. And that'sreally important to the Absolutely you can like
the set. I'm sure it's goingto look awesome and it's going to be
(02:15):
futuristic, just like America Gladiators lookback in the day. It's going to
be wild to see it now.But at the end of the day,
you're right, Johnny, when itcomes down to it, it's people versus
gladiators, one on one. Who'sgoing to get the better, who's going
to come out on top? That'sright, you know, it's you don't
know. You don't know what's goingto happen. I mean, you could
figure here's this guy, he doesn'thave a chance and he ends up being
(02:35):
the winner. You just never knowon this show, and it's it's a
lot of excitement. There really isa lot of excitement out there, and
it'd be great to find the rightcontenders to battle these gladiators and lay it
all on the line. You know. I think America today needs needs that
hero to root for right now.So it's a perfect time for the show
(03:00):
to come back one thousand percent.And let me tell everyone again, Johnny
American Gladiator Casting dot Com. Ifyou think you have what it takes,
if you're one of the people thatdoes CrossFit three times a day, you
run Tough Mutters every weekend, whateverit might be. You think you're one
of the best of the best AmericanGladiatorcasting dot Com. Let's see what you
got now, Johnny. With thenew version. I saw that you're gonna
(03:21):
have some of the classic games comingand also some new ones as well,
some new competition. Is there anyIs there any of that you can tell
us about yet or are we gonnahave to wait till the show comes to
see what games are on there?Well, you know, we're still gonna
have the Gauntlet, We're still gonnahave Handcuff, We're still gonna have Powerball,
and we're still gonna do the Eliminator. But you know, they're introducing
(03:42):
a couple of new challenges, whichis pretty cool that I don't want to,
you know, wait for everybody totune in so, you know,
but it's going to be a lota lot of excitement and the sets are
going to be unbelievable. It's justgonna be a lot a lot of fun
to see how far it's come overthe years from the early days when we
started, you know, Universal Studios, to actually we shot the we shot
(04:03):
the sizzle reel very beginning in ahorse arena in to Luka Lake, you
know, to do the pilot andthen it went onto television and just to
watch that that. I don't know, evolvement over the years is really something.
There's so much potential for everything youcan do too, because technology is
certainly advanced. But you know,still, like we said a little while
(04:26):
ago at the end of the day, competition one on one, Johnny,
what do you think if I'm acontender, what's the best thing that someone
can bring to the table in youropinion? Is it the speed, is
it the strength or does it haveto be a combination of everything along with
brains too. You got to havesmarts to you know, to to do
these games, to do these competitions. Well, I think speed's a factor
(04:49):
because you know, like speed andstrength, because if you're going to,
say to power ball, you've gotto have the speed to get around the
GLANDI. But then if once youdo meet them, you can have to
have the strength that overpower him andget that ball that in that basket.
You know, But each game isdifferent. Some like the wall you need
(05:11):
upper body strength hanked out if youneed upper body strength for the eliminator,
you need speed and strength, soit's a little bit of everything. But
the thing is, if you're goingup against the Gladiators, now it takes
courage too. So you could bethere's a lot of strong guys out there,
but they don't want to do battlethe six foot five, two hundred
and seventy pound guy and sometimes inpower ball there's three of them against you.
(05:33):
How do you get around them?How do you make those moves?
You got to have willpower as well. That's another thing because I'm sure after
one one event, one challenge,people are already dogged tired. It's like,
no, we got a whole dayof this, let's go, let's
keep this moving. Oh yeah.Especially you know, it's funny because during
the TV show is a little bitwhen we are on the tour, because
we've been one hundred and fourteen citytour and the Gladiators. We had the
(05:56):
same Gladiats battling on brand new freshpeople in each city and they took a
real beating, but you know,they kept going and they laid it on
the line, and that's kind ofwhat the whole show is about. It
lives up to its name. Americangladiators, and it says it all just
in the name. And like Isaid, I think it's the timeless perfect
(06:17):
bring this thing back right now becauseI think people are looking for something,
you know, they want they wantsomething just bigger, to be part of
something bigger than themselves. And gladiatorsis it. Have you found all your
gladiators yet? You have you completedthe search for them? Nope, Nope,
we haven't. We're still looking forsome top gladiators. You know.
You never stopped looking for a greatgladiator, you know, and sometimes you
(06:41):
find them, and you might finda great alternate who you know, if
a gladiator does get injured, thenthen you know the alternate could step in.
But you know, it's it's justyou've got to find the right guy
for that gladiator. He's got tobe bigger than life. He's got to
have it all. I always said, you want to know when you're a
gladiator, you're in a first nameis what the world everybody knows who you
are, especially now with streaming overtwo hundred and forty markets, there'll be
(07:06):
the biggest stars in the planet.Yeah. I remember, I mean,
I remember, like we said,Johnny watching the original series and the gladiators
really larger than life superhero action figurecharacters, and they were just so much
fun when they're on the microphone whenthey're competing. I mean, you have
to have everything physicality, strength,agility, plus that IT factor too.
(07:29):
You gotta have that it. Oh, you're right, you know you have
to have it. You know.It's funny because some of these flatters you
were like doctors and they were likechemists, and you know they weren't,
you know, just guys with muscles. They were women, guys and girls
with muscles. State they were smart, they're intelligent. They just they knew
how to talk and walk and playthat character and be nice to people.
(07:51):
You know, it's funny. Whenwe're on the road, it's like,
Okay, guys, who wants togo to the Shriners and see the kids.
Everyone will stand up and say,I knew they did Shriners in every
city we went to, you know, it was there. Loved the kids.
They love to be with people,and that's what it is. It's
just a special greedy guy and girlsto be a gladiator and to give your
(08:13):
life to do that. Twenty fourto seven. I'm sure. I'm sure
they're taken care of well, butit is a full time, every day,
twenty four to seven job to bea gladiator. Like that, Well,
if you want to get in onAmerican Gladiators, it's coming back American
Gladiatorcasting dot Com. You can sendin your best and see if you have
what it takes to be a contender. Johnny, last question, it's coming
(08:35):
on Amazon Prime Video. Do youknow when it's going to be around?
Like, is it later this year? Next year? What are we looking
at? They're still looking at theright right time to put it out yet,
you know, there we're still talkingabout when they're going to do filming
the taping because it's such a bigshow. It doesn't like you put a
ring down, you know, it'sa massive, massive show. So it's
(08:58):
everything still in the workshet we don'thave any dates lockdown yet, but hopefully
it'll be very soon. So mysuggestion is that people, if they want
to be part of this, getyour application and because I'm going to tell
you there's probably going to be acouple hundred thousand applications to try out and
to spend, do it now ifyou have what it takes. American Gladiatorcasting
(09:20):
dot Com. This is your timeto shine. You could be a victorious
contender with the return of American Gladiators. Johnny, thanks so much for talking.
I can't wait for the show,the live tour, everything that's going
to be coming, the return ofAmerican Gladiators. This was fun, my
man. Are you welcome? Andyou know, please take care of yourself.
Popular Podcasts
Cold Case Files: Miami
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.