I have forgotten how awesome this Eliminator was. What more could you ask for both men. I could never ever take anything away from "Bam Bam" one arm alone he gave it his absolute best but it looked like Mike Ortega was not to be denied. About all this was by far the greatest moment in American Gladiators history. LOng live the show and it's legacy!
I will never forget the name Mark Ortega. Yes, he got the win but it's not about that, it's about the fact that he never gave up even though it looked like Bam Bam had the win in the bag. Nothing short of a damn inspiring moment and a textbook testament of how life should be lived.
3:55 YES!!! Way to go, Mark! You DID IT! Season 3 (1991-92) was, by far, the best season in American Gladiators history. And after 30 years, it's still glorious.
@@Dman3827 I agree with you! Referee was dead wrong! Remember earlier Referee refused to award Kimberly Lentz 10 points in the maze because he knew Kimberly escaped the maze before the clock hit zero!
This is without a doubt, the most amazing, sensational, awe inspiring, incredible, unbelievable, and in all other ways, inconcievable ending in sports history. Seriously, name ONE event/finish in sports that is better than this, you can't.
Same here. I was rooting for Bam Bam and was disappointed that he didn't win, but man you HAVE to be impressed by that flying leap Mark Ortega made at the end.
I remember watching this whole season during the summer of 1993. I was rooting for Joe the whole time until this episode. I just got sick of his cocky attitude and ended up cheering for Mark.
Thank you for uploading this, it nearly brought a tear to my eye when I saw it(this episode was on last night). Ortegas entire family and kids rushing the Gladiator arena floor = the band is out on the field. Absolutely increible.
We taped this when I was a kid, and I swear we watched it every other month. The whole show. The women's side was good, too- the runner-up didn't pull off the comeback but she came from behind to win every match leading up to that one. Great show.
I was cheering for bam bam throughout the whole series when I watched it during the summer of 1993 but I started getting sick of him being cocky and arrogant and I cheered for Mark this episode.
AHAHAHHA I have this saved on DVR when I saw it on ESPN Classic. BEST FINISH EVER. Bam Bam set the record in the eliminator at 41 seconds in the semifinals. Ortegas best was like 51 seconds, so with the head start there was NO CHANCE that Ortega would win. BUT HE DID. Epic fucking finish man.
Indeed. But the way Mark flung his body over and landed in the perfect position to win made this one more dramatic. When I first saw this many, many years ago, I was totaly convinced that Bam Bam won because he actually broke the tape first and I though that was the thing that warranted victory.
Here's something that will make you feel more sorry for him: During Swingshot, the first event, Joe Mauro grabbed a yellow ball early in the game, but bounced it out of his scoring pod when he tried to get it home. That point would have given Joe Mauro another half-second head start, so had that ball gone in the pod, Mark Ortega's arm would have come up 0.48 seconds short of Joe Mauro crossing the finish line.
Sorry for my wording. I wasn't there during the taping. I watched it on TV when it first aired. I jumped so high at the end, that my head grazed the ceiling fan. A little higher, it would have been a true buzz kill! lol
@@mattmarovich6244Stumble at the first wall and fallen down after climbing the first wall were the two mistakes that costed him the chance of winning the championship.
I can remember watching this show in the early 90s and “the eliminator” is the only event that I remember. And it was, if I remember correctly, the only event that took place in every episode…the rest of them changed from episode to episode.
Hey, some people have The Miracle on Ice, others it may be The Immaculate Reception. More recently, maybe you enjoyed Phelps swimming well a lot at the Olympics, or some soccer thing where some guy faked an injury and cried a lot to run out the clock and win. However, my favorite moment in sport is this one right here. I can say that because I have the big balls to say it, like at 1:07. That size. This isn't about country political nonsense nor is it millionaires playing a game (yeah, they didn't all make millions back then but you get the point), or some mutant pothead in water. Definitely not about overpaid actors feigning injuries to no end. This was two middle-class people trying to win big money (well, back when it was a lot of money) and big respect on the greatest alternative athletic completion of the generation, and in the most competitive season of the show's existence. It's like Spartan Race and Cross-Fit Championships rolled into one. It's like Sasuke/Ninja Warrior which is equally as awesome except people are trying to beat you up while you do things. These people were trying to recapture their athletic youth. In that sense, it's sorta has a hint of one of those fat people shows except on this show, you have to win and not vote people off. You are correct, rolochoshu, this is the defining moment of the series. Also, Kathy Mollica was hot. In addition to this, she was probably the best female contender on the show ever. Lastly, I want to say that the newer Gladiators show was awful. Thank you for your time. P.S.: "The Play" is #2 for me. The band was on the field for crying out loud.
And it has aired on CBS affiliate WLKY, 🦊 affiliate WDKY, the now-defunct CW affiliate WBKI (which carried the show as part of the station's 3-hour Saturday Afternoon block, serving as a lead-in to two hours of 🤼♂️ shows) and NBC affiliate WLEX, all in the state of KY, and has won Emmy Awards along the way.
I remember watching this being so disappointed both my favorites lost. Bam Bam and Kimberly Lentz who always came behind in the Eliminator but couldn't that time. She always said "It's never over till its over". This was my favorite season.
Best finish and competitors of all time love there amazing wins there spirits of passion congrats Mark and bam bam deserves the runner up he also gave it all he got.
@1099filer ---- actually joseph nor brett were ever prosecuted or found guilty over anyones death. there was never a case against them for that. the girl who died, was a hard core partier. her time had come unfortunatly to an end because of HER partying ways
Whenever I rewatch this finish, I always feel like Ortega somehow defied gravity to get from the last wall to the finish line. From this camera angle, it looks inhuman.
In the gr8st Eliminator in AG history, three costly mistakes cost Bam-Bam the championship: 1. He stumbled up the first wall 2. He triped himself after climbing the first wall. 3. He slowed down the final straightaway, and that allowed Ortega to make a final burst in the final strech. Either way, it could of gone either way, but the better man won. Gr8 Eliminator!!
This classic finish reminds me of the women's 400m finals in the 2016 Olympics, in which the Bahamas' Shaunae Miller pulled an Ortega-like dive and nipped the USA's Allyson Felix at the wire to win the gold.
Hands down that's the best eliminator I've ever seen I wish bam bam had won it but all it takes is a matter of inches I know there are no moral victories but in my eyes both men won.
tom i totally agree with what u just said about Coz he definately deserved credit but I think another contender who deserves credit is Tim Goldrick 1st half runner-up he pwned the competition and would've beaten Ortega if it hadn't been for that head start
Am I the only one who noticed that the giant ball thrown to Bam Bam was thrown to Ortega but further away? He just had to run under while Bam Bam had to jumped away because it was thrown to his feet and not over his head like Ortega
Once again have been brought to TH-cam for this. Now looking back, if the Gladiator would’ve thrown the big ball at Ortega earlier, it would’ve cost him a fraction of a second and Mauro would’ve won. They may not have thrown it to give him a chance.
@Wacky Movie Clips & R S Notice that Bam Bam started on the left side in the Eliminator and chose the right side when doing the wall climb. If he stayed on the left side, he would have got the missed big medicine ball and won. That is if the Gemini was trying and not letting Ortega have a chance.
@Wacky Movie Clips Gladiators don't help contenders. Their purpose is being obstacles. The ball that was meant for Ortega likely stopped for a brief moment.
@Wacky Movie Clips No, you are wrong (again). The medicine ball thrown at Ortega *stopped* for a moment, and the gladiator had to push it again. It tends to happen. Gladiators are not allowed to help contenders. If they did, the whole race would've started all over again.
@Wacky Movie Clips You are like a broken record beyond repair. Each Gladiator had to throw their medicine ball once their respective contender got about halfway down. Ortega was too fast for them to keep up.
This season also featured Kimberly who was awful in all the events but the eliminator and had to come from behinds. She made it to theses finals but inevitably lost.
I remember watching this in 1993. I was cheering for Joseph through most of the tournament, but I was starting to get annoyed by his bragging attitude and I cheered for Mark this episode.
Man, I legit remember watching it the night it aired!!! I was 14 years old and didn't know I was gay yet but still crushed on the guy gladiators and their teeny weenies hahaha. Anyway, I was so excited at this photo finish! My sister was watching with me and one of her friends and they were all screaming because they had a crush on Mark Otega. I probably did too. Man, old school TV was the best!!!
Undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in television history! Had Joe "Bam Bam" Mauro not struggled with the first wall, he would've cinched the championship.
I remember watching this as a young kid & really disliking Joe Mauro, I’m now a 41 year old man & I still get pleasure from watching Joe Mauro foul this up 👍
There IS, however, one not-so good thing about this clip. The time it was seen in the Boston Area. Unfortunately, for this area, WBZ-TV aired Gladiators at 1am on Saturday morning. Hopefully, not as many markets did likewise. The clip seen here was too good for stations to air Gladiators at a bad time like 1am.
Brilliant. You could call this either way you wanted really though; in 100 metre sprint (that isn't spelled wrongly I'm English), if you just stuck your hand over the line first like Mark did but Bam Bam was TOTALLY over the line first before the rest of Mark, crossed the line, would Bam Bam get it? I haven't got freeze frame on my phone so I can't run it frame by frame to see if that was what happened.
A few things no one mentions. The last ball thrown was delayed until.after Ortega ran by. Had it been thrown on time at him like normally during th entire season, he might have lost as many did before. So was that Gemini trying to let Mark have a winning chance? Had it been thunder the ball would have stopped him for a second or two. Another thing is bam bam stumbling and falling down after failing to climb the firt wall attempt. Lastly, winning with an arm on the floor when usually you need to break the tape first seemed controversial. 🤔
1:30-2:25, the famous fantastic finish in American Gladiators history! Here's a script I came up with: (drumroll) Referee: "Joe, you will go on the first whistle. Mark, you will go on the second whistle. 3... 2... 1!" (Whistle blows) Commentator: "There's the whistle and look at 💥-Bam go! Here comes Ortega up the travellator, but Mauro is on the handbike and he can't afford to be assessed a 7 second penalty! Remember: $15,000 and a new 🚗 awaits our grand champion as 💥-Bam goes down the zipline and down through the crash mat. Mauro is struggling between walls ☝️ and two, BUT HERE COMES ORTEGA! THIS IS GONNA BE CLOSE! OH MY GOD!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S A PHOTO FINISH, BUT I BELIEVE MARK ORTEGA IS CROWNED AMERICAN GLADIATORS GRAND CHAMPION BY ABOUT A SPLIT SECOND!!!!!!"
they never mentioned the prizes for the grand champions during the eliminator did they? (i know they plugged the cars at the end of other episodes but the trips to Hawaii were never plugged were they? (I mean hell, i'd be happy with $10k and a trip to Hawaii.) (if i recall correctly, $10,000 (In cash) was the prize for the winners of each half-season.
Actually, Coz lost to Ortega in the Quarterfinal, but his score was high enough to be in the wild card, but he lost to Tim Goldrick in the semis (who lost to Ortega in the finals). Bam Bam and Coz never competed against each other. Interesting enough, Mark and Bam Bam each beat the top seeds in both of their final round (Goldrick and Ghollar, respectively), and both of them wore grey throughou the rest of their round, but in the final round, they both wore blue.
When I think of classic American Gladiators, this is the moment that ALWAYS stands out first. What an unbelievable Eliminator!
Bam Bam was my favorite competitor ever. I still remember his name to this day
I have forgotten how awesome this Eliminator was. What more could you ask for both men. I could never ever take anything away from "Bam Bam" one arm alone he gave it his absolute best but it looked like Mike Ortega was not to be denied. About all this was by far the greatest moment in American Gladiators history. LOng live the show and it's legacy!
I remember watching this episode as a kid, freaking out at the comeback.
I remember as a kid being shocked and a little heartbroken for Bam Bam because this was the FINAL and he was amazing all season
I will never forget the name Mark Ortega. Yes, he got the win but it's not about that, it's about the fact that he never gave up even though it looked like Bam Bam had the win in the bag. Nothing short of a damn inspiring moment and a textbook testament of how life should be lived.
3:55 YES!!! Way to go, Mark! You DID IT!
Season 3 (1991-92) was, by far, the best season in American Gladiators history. And after 30 years, it's still glorious.
I feel like Gemini helped Mark win by delaying the giant ball and Mark cheated with that arm not touching the tape.
@@Dman3827 I agree with you! Referee was dead wrong! Remember earlier Referee refused to award Kimberly Lentz 10 points in the maze because he knew Kimberly escaped the maze before the clock hit zero!
This is without a doubt, the most amazing, sensational, awe inspiring, incredible, unbelievable, and in all other ways, inconcievable ending in sports history. Seriously, name ONE event/finish in sports that is better than this, you can't.
Simply put, THE greatest Eliminator race of all time. I wanted Bam Bam to win, but it just wasn't to be. But there were no losers in this race.
Same here. I was rooting for Bam Bam and was disappointed that he didn't win, but man you HAVE to be impressed by that flying leap Mark Ortega made at the end.
+gladfan1989 Mark Ortega was my favorite. I remember watching this when I was 7 or 8 years old. I was so happy.
there are no losers at the eliminator just a winner and a runner up
I remember watching this whole season during the summer of 1993. I was rooting for Joe the whole time until this episode. I just got sick of his cocky attitude and ended up cheering for Mark.
yess bam bam.
Thank god someone finally put this up...
Thank you for uploading this, it nearly brought a tear to my eye when I saw it(this episode was on last night). Ortegas entire family and kids rushing the Gladiator arena floor = the band is out on the field. Absolutely increible.
American Gladiators was awesome..watched and loved every episode....
I watched this live and to date this was the most exciting finish I've ever seen from ANY sport! I was soooo cheering for Mark!
What makes this video for me is Mike Adamle shouting, "PHOTO FINISH! THIS IS A PHOTO FINISH!" It's a shame that NBC couldn't sign him for the revival.
I watched this live back on the day, damn I'm old
Same here. It was randomly on like 4 PM on my local ABC channel on a Sunday.
This just broke my hart I remember this I was a bam bam guy the whole time
I cheered for bam bam up until this episode. I got sick of his cocky attitude and ended up cheering for Mark during this episode.
Most exciting finish in the history of competitive sports...slightly nudging out Phelps' win in the 100m fly.
There had to be a winner but there were no loseres here. To make it that far and come up that short. It's definitely a heartbreaker.
We taped this when I was a kid, and I swear we watched it every other month. The whole show. The women's side was good, too- the runner-up didn't pull off the comeback but she came from behind to win every match leading up to that one. Great show.
Yeah. Kimberly had a bad break in the Maze.
Me and a friend of mine used to watch the reruns in the early 90s on USA during the summers. Then when they showed the reruns on ESPN Classic.
I was so upset when I watched this 20 years ago. I wanted Bam Bam to win.
I was cheering for bam bam throughout the whole series when I watched it during the summer of 1993 but I started getting sick of him being cocky and arrogant and I cheered for Mark this episode.
AHAHAHHA I have this saved on DVR when I saw it on ESPN Classic.
BEST FINISH EVER. Bam Bam set the record in the eliminator at 41 seconds in the semifinals. Ortegas best was like 51 seconds, so with the head start there was NO CHANCE that Ortega would win.
BUT HE DID.
Epic fucking finish man.
Sad thing, the next year, the show extended the distance from the small wall to the finish line to prevent a repeat of such a finish.
Why would they do that? That was a great ending. You'd think they'd want to see a repeat of it.
i remember this episode...the reason they stopped using the 'tape' at the end and changed to a solid paper or the foam blocks
Indeed. But the way Mark flung his body over and landed in the perfect position to win made this one more dramatic. When I first saw this many, many years ago, I was totaly convinced that Bam Bam won because he actually broke the tape first and I though that was the thing that warranted victory.
to be honest with you I feel real sorry for "bam bam" losing to mark ortega but he gave a real good effort
he had no reason to be upset, $10,000 AND a trip to hawaii?
And stories to be shared for many years to come. Still was, still is, and forever will be, the greatest moment in American Gladiators history.
Here's something that will make you feel more sorry for him: During Swingshot, the first event, Joe Mauro grabbed a yellow ball early in the game, but bounced it out of his scoring pod when he tried to get it home.
That point would have given Joe Mauro another half-second head start, so had that ball gone in the pod, Mark Ortega's arm would have come up 0.48 seconds short of Joe Mauro crossing the finish line.
Definitely the greatest final of all time
It's the finish we won't soon forget
Sorry for my wording. I wasn't there during the taping. I watched it on TV when it first aired. I jumped so high at the end, that my head grazed the ceiling fan. A little higher, it would have been a true buzz kill! lol
I'm 27, and I distinctly remember how excited I got, each time this show came on :D
You are now 37
Bam Bam shaking that blonde mane of his...
The best part?
Csonka.
2:18 "Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! This is a photo finish! This a photo finish!"
Back when Mike Adamle was actually good and not the foul up he was as WWE Raw commissioner.
I loved this show.
.02 of a second between victory and defeat. This is hands down the greatest moment in AG History!!!
Bam Bam just looks so bummed to be runner up..... If he didn't stumble at the first wall, he was champion
@@mattmarovich6244Stumble at the first wall and fallen down after climbing the first wall were the two mistakes that costed him the chance of winning the championship.
Rowsdower brought me here.
Also, yeah, I do remember watching this championship. My little brother was so mad. lol
For the record, that's not a fookin mullett. That is classique He-Man hair.
These are some of the best contenders I ever seen Mark and Joseph (Bam) incredible competition between them I would forget them.
Diamond, Ice, Lace, Zap, Blaze and Storm are hot.
hottest female gladiator IMO Elektra whiich joined next season
I can remember watching this show in the early 90s and “the eliminator” is the only event that I remember. And it was, if I remember correctly, the only event that took place in every episode…the rest of them changed from episode to episode.
Hey, some people have The Miracle on Ice, others it may be The Immaculate Reception. More recently, maybe you enjoyed Phelps swimming well a lot at the Olympics, or some soccer thing where some guy faked an injury and cried a lot to run out the clock and win. However, my favorite moment in sport is this one right here. I can say that because I have the big balls to say it, like at 1:07. That size.
This isn't about country political nonsense nor is it millionaires playing a game (yeah, they didn't all make millions back then but you get the point), or some mutant pothead in water. Definitely not about overpaid actors feigning injuries to no end. This was two middle-class people trying to win big money (well, back when it was a lot of money) and big respect on the greatest alternative athletic completion of the generation, and in the most competitive season of the show's existence. It's like Spartan Race and Cross-Fit Championships rolled into one. It's like Sasuke/Ninja Warrior which is equally as awesome except people are trying to beat you up while you do things. These people were trying to recapture their athletic youth. In that sense, it's sorta has a hint of one of those fat people shows except on this show, you have to win and not vote people off. You are correct, rolochoshu, this is the defining moment of the series. Also, Kathy Mollica was hot. In addition to this, she was probably the best female contender on the show ever. Lastly, I want to say that the newer Gladiators show was awful. Thank you for your time.
P.S.: "The Play" is #2 for me. The band was on the field for crying out loud.
this show is always been #1
yes it is
And it has aired on CBS affiliate WLKY, 🦊 affiliate WDKY, the now-defunct CW affiliate WBKI (which carried the show as part of the station's 3-hour Saturday Afternoon block, serving as a lead-in to two hours of 🤼♂️ shows) and NBC affiliate WLEX, all in the state of KY, and has won Emmy Awards along the way.
I remember watching this being so disappointed both my favorites lost. Bam Bam and Kimberly Lentz who always came behind in the Eliminator but couldn't that time. She always said "It's never over till its over". This was my favorite season.
Best finish and competitors of all time love there amazing wins there spirits of passion congrats Mark and bam bam deserves the runner up he also gave it all he got.
no it wasn't a photo finish, it was pretty obvious that mark crossed first, although it looked like mark may have tripped bam bam
Crazy enough the week after this one had another crazy finish. Definitely a great season
i was 10 years old watching this, i was jumping up and down when ortega won
Ortega didn't have to dodge the final ball like Bam Bam did... which was the gladiators fault...that's a sad way to end it.
yeah that wasn't fair
i would like to know where is Joseph Mauro now
Tarheel Fan living in Texas. And he’s a Facebook friend of mine
@@Poundcakebowler he had some affections showed by Kathy in the video
I see he’s in Brooklyn NY
it's the best eliminator race i've ever seen. unfortunatantly i was going for bam bam.
Ortega had amazing eliminators. this one & the Tim Goldrick one to win his half of the season. amazing stuff
@1099filer ---- actually joseph nor brett were ever prosecuted or found guilty over anyones death. there was never a case against them for that. the girl who died, was a hard core partier. her time had come unfortunatly to an end because of HER partying ways
Need the full episode of this. Plus both of their full runs.
Whenever I rewatch this finish, I always feel like Ortega somehow defied gravity to get from the last wall to the finish line. From this camera angle, it looks inhuman.
yes but Oretga was no match comapred to 2 Scoops or Kyler Storm
i remember this back when i was a kid, the final results were very controversial back then.
WHAT A FINISH!
I think this may be the reason why they started using the giant paper barrier in the later seasons even though they used the tape in Season 4
In the gr8st Eliminator in AG history, three costly mistakes cost Bam-Bam the championship:
1. He stumbled up the first wall
2. He triped himself after climbing the first wall.
3. He slowed down the final straightaway, and that allowed Ortega to make a final burst in the final strech.
Either way, it could of gone either way, but the better man won. Gr8 Eliminator!!
He wasn't even 100% because of his sore left elbow.
"He slowed down the final straightaway"
He got a ball thrown in front of him, he had to. The other guy had the ball thrown over his head.
I remember this Eliminator, this Shit was Fuckin' Epic, it had me on the edge of my Seat, Classic.
Bill Hicks R.I.P
I don't care about football or basketball, don't care about most sports in general, but THIS is what I love.
Yeah. I was so excited. Great ending.
This classic finish reminds me of the women's 400m finals in the 2016 Olympics, in which the Bahamas' Shaunae Miller pulled an Ortega-like dive and nipped the USA's Allyson Felix at the wire to win the gold.
Hands down that's the best eliminator I've ever seen I wish bam bam had won it but all it takes is a matter of inches I know there are no moral victories but in my eyes both men won.
What an amazing finish !!!!
one for the ages
underdog all the way !
Classic, I wonder where they are today?
tom i totally agree with what u just said about Coz he definately deserved credit but I think another contender who deserves credit is Tim Goldrick 1st half runner-up he pwned the competition and would've beaten Ortega if it hadn't been for that head start
Damn did the early 90s look weird. Just look at the fiancees at 0:55.
Am I the only one who noticed that the giant ball thrown to Bam Bam was thrown to Ortega but further away?
He just had to run under while Bam Bam had to jumped away because it was thrown to his feet and not over his head like Ortega
I saw what too. Definitely made the difference.
seriously. slowed Bam Bam down way more
I wonder how they would've done on later seasons, with the travelator at the end.
Once again have been brought to TH-cam for this. Now looking back, if the Gladiator would’ve thrown the big ball at Ortega earlier, it would’ve cost him a fraction of a second and Mauro would’ve won. They may not have thrown it to give him a chance.
@Wacky Movie Clips & R S Notice that Bam Bam started on the left side in the Eliminator and chose the right side when doing the wall climb. If he stayed on the left side, he would have got the missed big medicine ball and won.
That is if the Gemini was trying and not letting Ortega have a chance.
@Wacky Movie Clips
Gladiators don't help contenders. Their purpose is being obstacles. The ball that was meant for Ortega likely stopped for a brief moment.
@Wacky Movie Clips
No, you are wrong (again). The medicine ball thrown at Ortega *stopped* for a moment, and the gladiator had to push it again. It tends to happen. Gladiators are not allowed to help contenders. If they did, the whole race would've started all over again.
@Wacky Movie Clips
You are like a broken record beyond repair. Each Gladiator had to throw their medicine ball once their respective contender got about halfway down. Ortega was too fast for them to keep up.
Gold, Lace, Blaze, Gemini and Thunder didn't return to the American Gladiators tv show after season 3.
This season also featured Kimberly who was awful in all the events but the eliminator and had to come from behinds. She made it to theses finals but inevitably lost.
I remember watching this in 1993. I was cheering for Joseph through most of the tournament, but I was starting to get annoyed by his bragging attitude and I cheered for Mark this episode.
Man, I legit remember watching it the night it aired!!! I was 14 years old and didn't know I was gay yet but still crushed on the guy gladiators and their teeny weenies hahaha. Anyway, I was so excited at this photo finish! My sister was watching with me and one of her friends and they were all screaming because they had a crush on Mark Otega. I probably did too. Man, old school TV was the best!!!
@davidmenke7552 I'm the same. i realized i was gay at 14/15 and i fancied some of the male contestants on the UK version
@@peterwilliamskelhorn6675 haha I love it!
@@davidmenke7552i fancy one of the gladiators on the 2024 UK version called Apollo
One of the best
@cyberhawkdesigns you mean when it was originally aired? or were you there the day this episode was recorded?
Undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in television history! Had Joe "Bam Bam" Mauro not struggled with the first wall, he would've cinched the championship.
I think that may have had something to do with Bam Bam's elbow injury he suffered in a prior event. It also slowed him a little on the handbike.
@Wacky Movie Clips And also if he hadn't fell down after climbing down the first wall, then Mark wouldn't have catch up to him.
Mark's Eliminator time was 48.86 seconds to Joe's 48.88.
52.88 He had a 4 second head start
Best Finish ever!!
I remember watching this as a young kid & really disliking Joe Mauro, I’m now a 41 year old man & I still get pleasure from watching Joe Mauro foul this up 👍
I tell ya this season definately delivered on a lot close finish moments in the eliminator
Would love if they came out with a really good Next Gen American Gladiators video game. That would be fun.
I just watched this one and it looks like Bam Bam was going to doing something drastic after getting runner-up.
His fiancee at that time was complaining to the referee about the finish felt it was unfair that Bam Bam was robbed out of the championship.
Story goes Mark and his wife had another baby that very same night 😂. Crazy finish, would always watch this show after WWF Superstars
ok, how the hell did u find out about this? i heard that it's coming back, but i'm talking about the rematch between mark and bam bam
2:17 - DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!? 2:19: *YES!!!!!!!!!* (INSERT DEAFING CROWD SCREAMING!!!)
Sad that Gold and Turbo missed out the Grand Championship finale of American Gladiators Season 3.
Who's facebooking either of them ?
R S I’m friends with Joe
There IS, however, one not-so good thing about this clip. The time it was seen in the Boston Area. Unfortunately, for this area, WBZ-TV aired Gladiators at 1am on Saturday morning. Hopefully, not as many markets did likewise. The clip seen here was too good for stations to air Gladiators at a bad time like 1am.
Brilliant. You could call this either way you wanted really though; in 100 metre sprint (that isn't spelled wrongly I'm English), if you just stuck your hand over the line first like Mark did but Bam Bam was TOTALLY over the line first before the rest of Mark, crossed the line, would Bam Bam get it? I haven't got freeze frame on my phone so I can't run it frame by frame to see if that was what happened.
you can't blame them for being excited, they ran down after THE INITIAL SIGNAL WAS GIVEN,
This was SO close!!! But by just a fraction of a hair, Ortega won it.
A few things no one mentions. The last ball thrown was delayed until.after Ortega ran by. Had it been thrown on time at him like normally during th entire season, he might have lost as many did before. So was that Gemini trying to let Mark have a winning chance?
Had it been thunder the ball would have stopped him for a second or two.
Another thing is bam bam stumbling and falling down after failing to climb the firt wall attempt.
Lastly, winning with an arm on the floor when usually you need to break the tape first seemed controversial. 🤔
cant beleive i found this video. i remember this live when i was kid. #teamortega #underdog
1:30-2:25, the famous fantastic finish in American Gladiators history!
Here's a script I came up with:
(drumroll)
Referee: "Joe, you will go on the first whistle. Mark, you will go on the second whistle. 3... 2... 1!"
(Whistle blows)
Commentator: "There's the whistle and look at 💥-Bam go! Here comes Ortega up the travellator, but Mauro is on the handbike and he can't afford to be assessed a 7 second penalty! Remember: $15,000 and a new 🚗 awaits our grand champion as 💥-Bam goes down the zipline and down through the crash mat. Mauro is struggling between walls ☝️ and two, BUT HERE COMES ORTEGA! THIS IS GONNA BE CLOSE! OH MY GOD!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S A PHOTO FINISH, BUT I BELIEVE MARK ORTEGA IS CROWNED AMERICAN GLADIATORS GRAND CHAMPION BY ABOUT A SPLIT SECOND!!!!!!"
they never mentioned the prizes for the grand champions during the eliminator did they? (i know they plugged the cars at the end of other episodes but the trips to Hawaii were never plugged were they? (I mean hell, i'd be happy with $10k and a trip to Hawaii.) (if i recall correctly, $10,000 (In cash) was the prize for the winners of each half-season.
@1099filer ----- we have seen our dad thank you
Actually, Coz lost to Ortega in the Quarterfinal, but his score was high enough to be in the wild card, but he lost to Tim Goldrick in the semis (who lost to Ortega in the finals). Bam Bam and Coz never competed against each other. Interesting enough, Mark and Bam Bam each beat the top seeds in both of their final round (Goldrick and Ghollar, respectively), and both of them wore grey throughou the rest of their round, but in the final round, they both wore blue.
Didn't he lose to Tim Goldrick, who then lost to Mark Ortega?
Saw a guy today that had a blonde mane like Bam Bam today so had to come back to this video...
damn right...:)
Kathy Mollica is hot.
and also, regarding the revival, has any1 heard anything about how much is going to be at stake?