American Gladiators was a sports/game show that tested the strength of amateur athletes in a competitive series of obstacle courses and races. These athletes were challenged to contend with the show’s Gladiators in addition to each other, the original six being Malibu, Lace, Gemini, Zap, Nitro and Sunny.

Over the seven seasons of the original series (1989-1996), contenders fought in a tournament style format. These nationwide contestants, both male and female, were chosen and tested by their strength and agility.

The very first competition of the show was held at a local high school in Erie, PA, and eventually relocated to the Universal lot in Hollywood. In 1991, the show was moved once more, this time to the Gladiator Arena where it stayed for the remainder of the initial run. A new version of the show is currently aired on ESPN Classic.