Akbar Gbajabiamila, Matt Iseman & Zuri Hall On The Evolution Of ‘American Ninja Warrior’: “At Some Point, We’re Going To See These Ninjas Fly”

American Ninja Warrior hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Matt Iseman and sideline reporter Zuri Hall know they have the best job on television. After a landmark Season 15 where they saw two (!) ninjas beat Mt. Midoriyama—veteran Daniel Gil and eventual winner/ninja prodigy Vance Walker—the three are more excited than ever for the future of the sport. To see Walker—who was born with cerebral palsy—win the $1M prize pot “embodied everything great about American Ninja Warrior,” said Iseman. While fans were sad to see Gil leave Season 15 empty-handed, Gbajabiamila pointed out that Gil is “one of the most consistent ninjas that we’ve had on the show” and that he recently received a custom shoe deal. “That tells you how far the show and the sport have come.”

While Gbajabiamila and Iseman are up in the commentators’ box, Hall is down on the course interviewing the athletes after their successful or not-so-successful showings. “I’ve got to be able to pivot emotionally and mentally,” explained Hall. “I’m absolutely locked into the runs.” All three hosts have noticed how the ninja community rallies around their own. “One of my favorite things to watch on the show is other ninjas support[ing] and cheering the ninjas who are tackling the obstacles,” said Gbajabiamila. While a disappointing run on the course can be disheartening, these ninjas know there is always next time. “Those falls make every time they do hit a buzzer so special,” explained Gbajabiamila.

Since American Ninja Warrior has lowered the age requirement of its contestants, a new, younger generation of athletes is now dominating the course. While the old days saw athletes from other sports come over and adapt to ninja challenges, this new class of ninjas has grown up doing the sport that they love. “This younger generation is challenging our more veteran competitors to keep up,” noted Iseman. “That’s why we love watching it—anything can happen.” Gbajabiamila agreed and pointed out, “[Ninjas are] training harder now as they anticipate what they’re going to see next year [on the course.] They’re constantly striving to be better.” All three hosts agreed that “at some point, we’re going to see these ninjas fly.”

Gbajabiamila, Iseman and Hall stopped by the Page Six Studio to chat with DECIDER about the evolution of the sport, the impending retirement of Najee Richardson, and which ninjas’ stories they’re excited to share in Season 16.

DECIDER: Last year’s American Ninja Warrior season was one for the books. Two ninjas achieved total victory, and Vance Walker ended up taking home the $1M prize. How satisfying was that?

MATT ISEMAN: It was satisfying for us, but I don’t know if Daniel Gil would say the same. He made it all the way to Stage 4, made the climb, but it wasn’t quite enough. He knows what Geoff Britten felt like, but that’s beauty of the sport. We got to see someone like Vance Walker—who was born with cerebral palsy, was told he would never run, whose story is so unbelievable— overcome all these obstacles to achieve total victory. To me, it embodied everything great about American Ninja Warrior.

As happy as fans were for Vance Walker, they also felt for veteran Daniel Gil who just missed out on prize money. Akbar, as an athlete yourself, how do you pick yourself up after a disappointment?

AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA: You learn from it. You learn from those defeats. That was the second time Daniel Gil had reached Stage 4, but the first time he was able to reach the top without timing out. To me, that’s a win in itself. To me, that’s consistency. He’s been one of the most consistent ninjas that we’ve had on the show. Consistency, paired with preparation, is how you build the ninja mentality and evolve. This sport is evolving. Ninjas like Daniel Gil are getting shoe deals. Custom shoe deals. That tells you how far the show and the sport have come. Addy Herman also has her own shoe. I mean, come on!

From his dominance on the jr. circuit to his commanding debut in the big show, Vance Walker has made his name in the ninja record book. Matt, what is it about this kid that makes him so special?

MI: American Ninja Warrior Junior was where we saw side-by-side racing really take off. Vance was just incredible in those two seasons. Not only did he not lose a race, he also didn’t miss a single obstacle. In fact, he never touched the water as a junior competitor. It wasn’t until his rookie year in the main show—where he made it all the way to Stage 3—that he first touched the water. It was just this unbelievable record of precision.

Vance went up against Kaden Lebsack—who was last the Ninja standing in Season 13 & 14 in the main show— in the finals of American Ninja Warrior Junior his second year. It’s hard to talk about two more competitive ninjas. We knew these kids had the skills, but we didn’t know if they had the poise to match. And they do! They were able to make that transition from ANW Junior to ANW with such grace and with millions of people watching. It really shows how strong the future of Ninja is.

Zuri, you’re the first person most of these ninjas speak to after a run, both successful and not-successful. Does your mindset as an interviewer change on a case-by-case basis?

ZURI HALL: Oh, my mindset absolutely changes on a case-by-case basis. Every interview is different because every ninja is different and the stakes are different. What’s so interesting about my job is that I can’t really do it until after the run is over. There’s only so much preparation I can do. Sure, I know all about the ninja who is running the course—their backstory, their goals, their track record—but whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I’ve got to be able to pivot emotionally and mentally, so I’m absolutely locked in to the runs. It’s really great when I get to be the first smiling face a ninja sees after they hit a buzzer. It’s not as fun when I know the ninja is disappointed with their performance. Though if they want to cry, I’ve got a shoulder for it. Whatever the outcome, it’s a blessing to be on the sidelines. I feel very grateful to be there as emotional support.

MI: How many proposals have you been a part of now?

ZH: I can’t even count ‘em. I am pretty much Cupid on the sidelines. Now, some of these couples are having babies! They should just call me the “Ninja Godmother” at this point.

One of the elements fascinates me most about ninja is that these athletes train hours a day for months to be ready to compete on the Main Stage. And with one slip of the finger, their season could be over in qualifiers. Akbar, can you talk about the role that fate and luck play in the sport?

AG: I remember training back in 2018 for my run on American Ninja Warrior. I trained for three months. I was doing two a days. That pressure is real. Luck isn’t a factor unless you define luck as preparation meeting opportunity. These ninjas train for the opportunity to run the course, then they dominate. If they have a slip up, there’s people to help them through that process.

We’ve seen this ninja community really evolve around these athletes over the past few years. One of my favorite things to watch on the show is the other ninjas coming on the sideline to support and cheer the one tackling the obstacles. To me, that’s what life is about. My mom, who watches every episode, always says, “I feel so bad when they fall.” “I always tell her that it’s those falls that make hitting a buzzer so special.”

American Ninja Warrior has undergone some fascinating changes in the past few years, like lowering its age requirements. Matt, what’s been the most exciting part in the evolution of the sport?

MI: I started on this show in Season 2 on Venice Beach. I think the first course I saw had a 90% clear rate. In those early days, athletes came from different disciplines—rock climbing, gymnastics, soccer—to complete in ninja. What we’ve seen now, particularly with this new generation, are athletes competing in the main show who grew up doing ninja. If you follow these ninjas on social media—like Sam Folsom and Enzo Deferrari Wilson—they are constantly pushing themselves and honing their skills to be able to compete on these courses, which have just gotten more difficult over time. This younger generation is challenging our more veteran competitors to keep up, but that’s why we love watching it.Anything can happen. Daniel Gil proves that.

AG: It’s the evolution of sports science. Take today’s game of football or basketball and you compare to the leagues 20 or 30 years ago. There’s an obvious change there. We’ve seen the athletes get faster. We’ve seen the athletes get bigger with nutrition and training. Matt brings up a good point. They’re training harder now as they anticipate what they’re going to see next year. They’re constantly striving to be better. At some point, we’re going to see these ninjas fly.

Speaking of flight, I want to talk about Najee “The Phoenix” Richardson. From the trailer, fans know he is retiring from the sport at the end of this season.

AG: This is a hard one. Najee doing his farewell tour this year and he means a lot to this younger generation of ninjas. I had one of them come up to me and say, “man, he was my childhood.” That just floored me. It reminded me just how long this show has been on the air and how much of an impact these athletes have on people. His retirement is bittersweet because we would love to see Najee continue on the show, but he’s ready to do other things.

MI: Najee started out as an Olympic caliber gymnast, but his gymnastics career ended with knee injuries. After that, he had this rebirth as a ninja warrior. He was battling asthma the entire time. There were many times when he just couldn’t catch his breath, but he preserved and became a staple in the ninja community. He’s definitely going out the way of the Phoenix. Whatever he does next, we know he’s going to rise from the ashes once again and do something amazing.

ZH: These ninjas are really special. Even after this chapter is over, the brands and the legacy that they’ve built by being on the show continues to pay dividends. We have ninjas who have shoe deals now. We have ninjas in Hollywood. Jessie Graff has done some incredible work as a stunt woman in Hollywood. Najee also has Hollywood aspirations. I’m excited to see how Najee’s next journey unfolds. He’s family forever.

I’m obsessed with these different regions—Texas, Florida, Utah, Chicago, Colorado— that produce top ninjas. Can you tell where ninjas have trained by how they tackle obstacles?

MI: You can. In Colorado, you have Scott Behrends and his ninja gym. Not long after he started that place, we saw his son, Chris Behrends, and his friend, Levi Enright, burst onto the scene as the “Ninja Teens.” They’re doing their noggin buzzers, dressed in tie dye. Jackson Twait, the “Cat Daddy” ninja, has been training with them, and his theatrical flair is right in line with theirs. Anyone who trains in Orlando with RJ Roman is going to be an absolute speed demon.

Let’s get into the Season 16. Can you each tell me what stories and ninja you’re most excited for fans to see?

AG: I’m excited for the world to see Kyle Schulze finally complete his long journey to become the first deaf ninja to hit a buzzer on a course. It’s really special. I’ve seen people just give up after they don’t achieve their goal in a season or two. Kyle has perservered. It’s taken him eight seasons to hit a buzzer. I’m proud of him. We get a chance to be there with these ninjas and see their growth year after year. When they accomplish something so big, it feels good to celebrate with them.

ZH: I’m excited for Addy Herman. She is such a breakout star, and she’s only 18 years old. She’s crushing it. She just took the top spot on our women’s championship. We grew to love her on Ninja Junior, and seeing her flourish on the big show has been absolutely incredible. It’s exciting to watch these ninjas come into their own. I love how the ladies represent on the course.

MI: I’m all about family. This show is truly one of the biggest family shows on television. Jessie Graff is helping her 70-year-old mom, Jenny McCall, to compete on the show alongside her. Isabella Wakeham and Sam Folsom are now engaged. Jesse Labreck and Chris DiGangi just had a baby. I’m really excited to see the Beckstrands. Brian Beckstrand started back in ANW Season 6. His son Kai was on ANW Junior and was dominant there and on the main show. Now, Kai’s brother Luke is stepping onto the course. It’s so cool to see generations coming together and pushing each other on the course. Like Brian says, “my kids have passed me by.”

One aspect of the sport people love are the ninja personas. If you could adopt any of these personas for yourselves, what would it be and why?

MI: I’m going to go with an obscure one. I loved Joe Moravsky’s cousin, Rob “The Adonis” Moravsky, from Seasons 6 and 7. He looks like a bad guy from an ’80s karate movie with the phenomenal hair and a six pack.

AG: I would go with Ben Udy’s Chad Flexington. That dude looked like he was just straight cut up out of a wrestling toy figure. I loved it.

ZH: I really respect Jamie Rahn’s “Captain NBC.” His commitment with the leotard with the little undies and the cape and the green hair! I’d do something like that. It takes a lot of confidence to rock that on the course and then also crush it.

AG: I’ve got a question for you, Zuri. I’ve tried the course; Matt’s tried the course…When are you going to try the course?

ZH: I like to learn from other people’s mistakes. Love you, Matt, but… [laughs]

MI: I know a good surgeon [laughs].

ZH: It did not end well [laughs]. You know, I thought I could run the course when I was just a fan of the show. However, the first time I saw that course in person and saw these ninjas in real life? I was like, “absolutely not.” But, you know what, maybe next season.

AG: Okay, next season, we heard it [laughs].

MI: That’s an exclusive! She’s never said this!

ZH: It’s time. I’ll put my bonnet on because I know I’ll end up in the water. Let me just wrap this hair up and prepare to swim.

Lastly, with the Olympics are coming up, I have to ask: should ninja become an Olympic sport?

MI: Well, it looks like obstacle sports are going to part of the modern pentathlon in 2028. The Olympics are including events like break dancing and BMX now. I don’t know that there’s a better all-around test of athleticism than American Ninja Warrior. It’s similar to the decathlon.You have to have strength, endurance, fingertip strength, agility, etc. Most of all, you have to be mentally tough. It would have been tres magnifique [laughs] to see it in Paris. However, after Los Angeles 2028, I hope we’ll see Ninja as an official event in 2032.

American Ninja Warrior airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC