![]() “I made five times the amount that they (the Gladiators) were making,” said Berry.īerman said that “Gladiator resentment” is to blame for why he was able to speak with only a handful of the Spandexed stars for the ESPN documentary. The new documentary revealed that the Gladiators signed deals worth just $25,000 for each season, but Berry collected much more than that. The money that Berry collected from the show is another point of contention. Berry’s fan-favourite status was further cemented when it was revealed that just two years before he tried out for the show, he suffered third degree burns to nearly half of his body in a freak car explosion. Then 26, Berry won every tournament he competed in in 1995, he became the first-ever international champion at a global Gladiators competition in the U.K. Its greatest achievement is humanizing the Gladiators, including Wesley “2 Scoops” Berry, the original show’s unequivocal star. To say anymore, however, would spoil the surprise ending.īut “30 for 30: The American Gladiators Documentary” isn’t all blood and controversy. The second part offers answers about what led to the disintegration of the relationship between the former partners. ![]() “After talking to the guy for two minutes, it was clear he was hiding some stuff,” said Berman.Īs the first part of the documentary reveals, Ferraro allegedly controls all of his Carr’s public appearances in perpetuity. After Berman interviewed Ferraro for the first time, he knew he’d found the documentary’s primary antagonist. In the end credits of the original “American Gladiators,” both Johnny Ferraro and Dann Carr were listed as the co-creators, but only Ferraro - with his Elvis Presley-inspired style and hyperbolic hubris - seemed available to talk about the show. The new series also investigates who created “American Gladiators” in the first place.įinding that answer isn’t as straightforward as it sounds, as filmmaker Ben Berman learned when he began working on the project three years ago. In the show’s first season, a planned collision in the “Human Cannonball” competition resulted in McBee flying off a raised pedestal and hitting his head. “You can’t fake the things that happened on ‘Gladiators,’” Deron McBee, the former bleached blond Gladiator known as “Malibu,” told The Star. ![]() It also delves into allegations of unsafe on-set working conditions, which led to injuries suffered by both Gladiators and challengers. The doc pulls the curtain back on the kitschy competition television series that aired from 1989 to 1996, where everyday citizens were matched up against muscular pro athletes known as “Gladiators” with intimidating alter-ego names like “Nitro,” “Zap” and “Laser.” The subsequent contests between the challenger and their Gladiator adversary tested their strength, agility and mental focus.ĭirected by Ben Berman, the doc offers a behind-the-scenes look at the show, including all the sex - and steroids - consumed by the cast. (The series premiered at Toronto’s HotDocs film festival last month.) ![]() ![]() Naturally, then, my interest was piqued by “30 For 30: The American Gladiators Documentary,” a new two-part ESPN series that makes its broadcast debut June 5 on TSN1 and TSN5. I still have clear memories of the Sky Track, Joust and Eliminator contests, even though I was watching them 30 years ago. The competitions were every bit as ridiculous - and compelling - as the costumes. Every week, when the show aired, I’d abandon my math homework, pour a bowl of Frosted Flakes and run down to the basement to watch grown men and women in red, white and blue Spandex battle it out for glory. The words that began every challenge on “American Gladiators” also began my postelementary school ritual in the early ’90s. ![]()
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