American Ninja Warrior, NBC’s obstacle course competition airs tonight with an all new Monday, June 22 season 7 episode 4 called “Orlando Qualifying.” This episode was scheduled to air last week but due to the NHL Hockey playoff it was preempted and is airing tonight. We’ve got your recap and spoilers down below! On tonight’s episode a qualifying round takes place in Orlando.
On the last episode American Ninja Warrior” travels to Houston, Texas where competitors tackle six obstacles including the brand new Tilting Slider, Cargo Crossing and The Swinging Spikes. “American Ninja Warrior” veterans Brent Steffensen and Sam Sann return along with season six breakout star and fan-favorite Kacy Catanzaro. Competitors in this rigorous obstacle course competition series vie for a chance to win a cash prize of $1,000,000 and the title “American Ninja Warrior.” Did you watch last week’s episode? If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap, right here for you.
On tonight’s episode (the preempted one from June 15) as per the NBC synopsis, “Orlando, Florida is the next stop for competitors to give it their all on the “American Ninja Warrior” obstacle course, this time from the grounds of the Universal Orlando Resort. There they will face several new obstacles, including the Paddle Boards and Tire Swing. Veteran competitors, including pro-wakeboarder Sean Murray, William “Spartan” Brown and rivals Flip Rodriguez & Drew Dreschel, return. Competitors will vie for a chance to win a cash prize of $1,000,000 and the title “American Ninja Warrior.”
Tonight’s episode looks like it is going to be great and you won’t want to miss it, so be sure to tune in for our coverage of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior at 9:00 PM EST! While you wait for our recap hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the show so far.
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RECAP:
#AmericanNinjaWarrior is in Orlando with Matt and Akbar. Kristine introduces the course. There are the five steps, a rolling log you hang onto, then paddle boards that tilt, then it’s a new obstacles called the tire swing that requires great grip strength. Next is the double tilt ladder that tests upper body strength then the warped wall.
First is Bootie Cothran from Possum Kingdom, South Carolina. He lives in a cabin. The guy starts and makes it through the steps, then the log but he’s a bit dizzy. The crowd cheers and he moves on to the paddle boards. He makes it past them then goes off the edge of the platform. Next is tattoo artist Devin Dougie Fresh who says he’ll propose to his GF Kelly if he makes it up the wall.
He clears the steps on one side and then moves to the log and hangs on tight while it rolls. He makes it then has to do the paddle boards. He clears that too. He dances around hilariously. His kids are there with his GF watching. Next is the tire swing. He loses his grip on a transition and falls. Matt says it looks like no proposal tonight.
The first woman of the night is Marybeth Wang, a working mom who says she hopes she inspires other moms. She was a child gymnast and she clears the steps. She participated in Miami last year and made it to the fifth obstacle. She gets onto the log and tries to get a grip and isn’t sure. It rolls and she hands on tight and makes it but takes a hard hit at the end. She gets back up and goes for the paddle boards.
She clears them and now it’s the tire swing. She clears that then moves on to the angled monkey bars. She seems to be struggling but refuses to stop. She makes it past one then falls when her grip gives out. Over the break, three more ran the course. Danny Adair, Mike Wright and Jonathan Sharp Brown ran it. He even leaped over the rolling log and leaped past it then fell off the paddle boards.
Next is Ricky Yu, a Chick-fil-A team leader from Hampton, Georgia. We see his goofy antics at work to keep people cheery. He clears the steps and the log then plays up his dizzy. He then goes for the paddle boards and clears those. He goes for the tire swings next. Matt mentions that he has no obstacle course experience. He makes it to the third tire then clears the dismount too.
Next it’s the double tilt ladder which is all about upper body and grip strength. He says he was never into sports until he saw the show. He falls trying to transition to the second ladder. Kristine talks to Flip Rodriguez and Drew Dreschel and calls them the Florida speed demons. Both agree that speed is not your friend on this course.
Next is Casey Eischen, from Fort Lauderdale who had a mastectomy because she has the breast cancer gene and lost women in her family to the illness. She says she had five surgeries and scars but it’s all worth it. She coaches other women who have to go through mastectomies. On her run, she clears the steps them rolls on the log but loses her grip and falls short. She was just too short to hang on.
#AmericanNinjaWarrior is in Orlando with Matt and Akbar. Kristine introduces the course. There are the five steps, a rolling log you hang onto, then paddle boards that tilt, then it’s a new obstacles called the tire swing that requires great grip strength. Next is the double tilt ladder that tests upper body strength then the warped wall.
First is Bootie Cothran from Possum Kingdom, South Carolina. He lives in a cabin. The guy starts and makes it through the steps, then the log but he’s a bit dizzy. The crowd cheers and he moves on to the paddle boards. He makes it past them then goes off the edge of the platform. Next is tattoo artist Devin Dougie Fresh who says he’ll propose to his GF Kelly if he makes it up the wall.
He clears the steps on one side and then moves to the log and hangs on tight while it rolls. He makes it then has to do the paddle boards. He clears that too. He dances around hilariously. His kids are there with his GF watching. Next is the tire swing. He loses his grip on a transition and falls. Matt says it looks like no proposal tonight.
The first woman of the night is Marybeth Wang, a working mom who says she hopes she inspires other moms. She was a child gymnast and she clears the steps. She participated in Miami last year and made it to the fifth obstacle. She gets onto the log and tries to get a grip and isn’t sure. It rolls and she hands on tight and makes it but takes a hard hit at the end. She gets back up and goes for the paddle boards.
She clears them and now it’s the tire swing. She clears that then moves on to the angled monkey bars. She seems to be struggling but refuses to stop. She makes it past one then falls when her grip gives out. Over the break, three more ran the course. Danny Adair, Mike Wright and Jonathan Sharp Brown ran it. He even leaped over the rolling log and leaped past it then fell off the paddle boards.
Next is Ricky Yu, a Chick-fil-A team leader from Hampton, Georgia. We see his goofy antics at work to keep people cheery. He clears the steps and the log then plays up his dizzy. He then goes for the paddle boards and clears those. He goes for the tire swings next. Matt mentions that he has no obstacle course experience. He makes it to the third tire then clears the dismount too.
Next it’s the double tilt ladder which is all about upper body and grip strength. He says he was never into sports until he saw the show. He falls trying to transition to the second ladder. Kristine talks to Flip Rodriguez and Drew Dreschel and calls them the Florida speed demons. Both agree that speed is not your friend on this course.
Next is Casey Eischen, from Fort Lauderdale who had a mastectomy because she has the breast cancer gene and lost women in her family to the illness. She says she had five surgeries and scars but it’s all worth it. She coaches other women who have to go through mastectomies. On her run, she clears the steps them rolls on the log but loses her grip and falls short. She was just too short to hang on.
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Next is Chad Hohn from North Carolina. He’s a builder and says the house projects let him practice obstacles. He says his sons are ninjas too. He says the nerves got to him last year so this year he trained on obstacles over fire. On Chad’s run he clears the steps and the log. He is bleeding from a cut in the head from the log but presses on. He runs over the paddles easily.
The #NinjaBuilder moves on. He moves on to the tire swing and beats that too. He moves on to the ladders after wiping away more blood. He’s the first to make it to the second ladder tonight in his third year of qualifying runs. He’s never made it this far. He lands it and smiles. He now has to run the warped wall. He wipes blood again and then runs it and nails it to slap the button.
Chad is the first finisher of the night. He’s got blood all over his face and shirt but is thrilled. Kristine asks what happened and he says he felt it when his head got bashed but says it’s the best to finish. Rickshaw driver Jeff Brown, therapist Jen Liam and business owner Bart Copeland all failed over the commercial break.
Bart’s sister Emily Durham is next. She’s a gymnast and pro wakeboarder who has won the US pro four years running. She’s a mom now and says her priorities have changed now but doing Ninja Warrior is a way to see how strong she can be. She says she’s very competitive and wants to beat the guys too. She’s won a gold medal at the X games and other accolades.
She easily clears the steps then moves to the log. She hangs on and clears it too. Shaun Murray, the Michael Jordan of wakeboarding, is there cheering for her as she bounces right through the paddle boards. Next is the tire swing. She gets in trouble on the second tire and has lost her momentum. She falls and can’t move on. She still beat her brother Bart.
Nate Lieb is next, he’s a cell tower repairman from Virginia who’s used to climbing obstacles for work. He says they call him a tower dog and says it’s the most dangerous job in America. He says a carabiner came loose once when he was dangling 350 feet in the air. He clears the steps and moves to the log which he lands softly from. He moves to the paddle boards and falls there.
Nate took a hit to the groin but seems okay. Hunter Sipes is next and he’s a missionary. The local favorite clears the steps fast then moves on to the log. He hangs on and doesn’t fall off but lowers himself. He hopes the paddleboards then it’s on to the tire swings. He uses his height to work the tires but gets hung up on the second and struggles but makes it to the third. He clears that too.
It’s on to the tilting ladders where his near 200 pound weight may be a problem. He crosses the first and then lands the second and goes to work. He makes it to the end then lands it. Now it’s just the warped wall. He barely grabs it but does and slaps the button and is the second finisher and now has the fastest time. He beat the other time by a minute and 10 seconds.
The next competitor is Jonathan Ruiz who ran in Miami last year. He made it to the Miami Finals and his girlfriend’s funny comments about not touching the “wata.” He says Yadi is a fiery Latin woman. He clears the steps then goes to the rolling log. He locks on for the roll and almost comes off but saves it with his legs. He’s dizzy and waits a moment before he moves to the paddle boards.
He clears those but took a dive to keep from falling off. It’s the tire swing next. He has trouble between two and three and then uses his chin to brace himself. He tried to go straight from the transition to the last tire to the platform and bounced off the platform and into the water. Yadi collapses onto the floor in despair. She says he touched the water, but she’s so proud of him and he’s her winner.
Next up is Shaun Murray, the pro wakeboarder, who’s back for a second try at the course after coming up short in the Miami Qualifier last year. He says he didn’t build a warped wall because he thought he could do it since he runs up skateboard ramps all the time. He says it was heartbreaking so he went home and built a warped wall. It’s the same wall that his wakeboarding buddy practiced on.
Murray says it took him a month to be able to get up the wall. His daughters and wife are there and pal Emily Durham too. He skips over the steps easily then heads to the log. He pulls up his shorts to get more leg on the log. He makes it barely then moves on to the paddle boards. He clears those and it’s tire swing time. He’s on the second tire and working around. He grabs the third and sticks the landing.
Then it’s on to the tilted ladders. He clears those, beats the wall and slaps the buzzer. He’s the third competitor through and he’s in third place for time among the three. Akbar says the rolling log has had the most dramatic effect than they’ve seen. It spins seven to nine times which knocks out people. Karly Streisfeld fell hard then the #RedneckNinja tumbled off it too.
Next up is Stephen France who is the first amputee to compete on the show. He’s back again and he clears the steps but the log is hard since he can’t lock his legs. He makes it through though and also clears the paddle boards impressing Matt and Akbar. Next is the tire swings and he has to hit the mini tramp on his artificial limb. He does it but then misses the second tire and falls.
Next is Jon Alexis Jr who is 6’6” and from Maine. Everyone calls him the Giant. He clears the steps, then the log and it’s on to the paddle boards. He barely clears it and falls hard but is okay. Now on to the tire swings. His big reach helps and he clears it then it’s the tilted ladders. He’s moving at a fast pace. He clears the first ladder and tucks his legs to keep them out of the water.
He clears the ladder and now it’s the wall and he lands that too and slaps the buzzer at 1:37 putting him through and giving him the fastest time of the night. Impressive especially as a rookie. His dad is running later tonight too. Back from the break, Tiffany Stewart was felled by the tire swings. Idoko Abuh who has been a prior two time finalist bought it on the ladders.
Reko Rivera made it to the finish after spitting fire before his run. Next up is Jon Alexis Sr and his son just scored the fastest time of the night. His dad is not as tall as his son but is really muscle bound. He clears the steps then the log. He pauses before moving on to the paddle boards. He falls off of those and he’s out but just lost his balance and rhythm.
Next up is Travis Rosen who is a six year veteran and a two time prior member of Team USA. He hops the steps easily then it’s the log. He gets his ankles locked but clears it. He runs for the paddle boards and stumbles and falls but clears it. He moves right on to the tire swings. He easily clears those. Now it’s the tilt ladder which he starts backwards on. He makes it to the second, scales it.
He makes it off then runs for the wall and conquers it. He slaps the button to move on to the city finals. His son watches on FaceTime from home in Tennessee.
Over the break, body builder Dana Linn Bailey was thrown by the log due to height issues. She’s one of the strongest women in the world. Then Asya Grechka is studying in Paris and says she’s a nerd. She’s studying AI for robots. She’s also a rock climber. She starts her run and clears the steps then moves on to the log and almost comes off but her leg lock keeps her on it.
She is up and moves on to the paddle boards as her Russian dad cheers her from the sidelines. She clears them easily then moves on to the tire swings. She moves to the second swing and moves around it. She gets to the third and swings and nails the landing. Now it’s the tilting ladders. She turns to go up backwards and then almost makes it then falls with a loose grip off the second ladder. So close!
Alexio Brazi is the first of two young Brazi brothers running tonight. They talked about how their mom hated them using her house as an obstacle course. He clears the steps then moves to the log. He hangs on tight and makes it through. His mom cheers loud. He barely makes it across the paddle boards after a stumble. He moves right on to the tire swings and grabs the second tire fast. He grabs the third.
He clears it and moves on to the tilting ladders. He clears those two, takes the wall and slaps the buzzer to make it to the next stage. He tells Matt and Akbar it’s just the beginning. That makes him the seventh finisher and is number six for time. Back from the break, we see some Ninjas riding rides earlier in the day. William Brown says his kids liked the coaster better than watching him compete.
Lucas Gomes, another Brazi brother tripped up on the paddle boards when he touches the axis and was disqualified. Adam Arnold, a walk up, also made it to the finish and James McGrath, four time veteran cleared the course in two minutes to take the second fastest time. Drew Dreschel is next and he’s a major veteran of American Ninja Warrior. He competed in Japan as well and made it to stage three.
He also competed in Malaysia and did well there and says it’s time to bring it back home. He has the fastest time at the Miami qualifier the last two years. He runs the steps on just one side them moved on to the log and clears it easily. He shakes it off and barely clears the paddle boards then hops onto the tire swing. He moves to the second easily and works his way around to grab the third.
He grabs the third and snags a perfect dismount. He moves on to the tilting ladders and easily conquers those too. He runs the wall, does a backflip then really runs it and lands the top to slap the buzzer at just under 2:30. Back from the break, we see animator Kavon Sadler fell on the tires. Adam Williams took a couple of runs to beat the warped wall.
JJ Woods, a two time Vegas veteran made it easily through the course. Next up is Flip Rodriguez, the masked man, a five time veteran. He pulls his mask off which is different. He clears it all fast.. Then runs the wall to finish at just under 2:10. Jon Alexis Jr is still at the top and Flip moves into the thrid time. 25 athletes made it through in Orlando.