As NBC’s “American Gladiators” remake begins to take shape, the network is turning to elsewhere in the world of “sports entertainment” for the show’s host. Pro-wrestling legend and VH1 reality star Hulk Hogan is on board to serve as the show’s host. Though the deal is still being finalized, TV Week reports that both NBC and the Hulkster (real name: Terry Bollea) are gung-ho about the series, which is likely to find a midseason berth on the network. As with the original series, which aired in syndication for much of the 1990s, the new “American Gladiators” will feature amateur athletes facing off in a series of combative challenges against a group of professional “gladiators.” The show is a pet project of NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman, who was developing a version of the show at his company, Reveille, before taking his new job. Reveille remains involved with the project. NBC is currently casting both regular folks and the rotating cast of warriors; there’s no word on whether any of the original gladiators will appear on the new show. In addition to his 20-plus years as a professional wrestling star, Hogan has appeared in such movies as “Rocky III,” “Mr. Nanny” and “Suburban Commando.” He and his family are the subjects of the VH1 series “Hogan Knows Best,” and he starred in the syndicated show “Thunder in Paradise” in the early 1990s.
WWE has released a new video that’s very similar to the infamous “SAVE_US.222” clip that aired on last week’s RAW. A hard-to-find link to the new video has been posted at WWE.com at the very bottom of the page next to the copyright information. The new video is called “Savior_self” and the phrase “8.2.11 SAVIOR_SELF” repeatedly flashes on the screen. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that “8.2.11” correspond with the letters “H.B.K.”
The following matches were taped last night for this week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown:
— Ace Steel vs. Chuck Palumbo
— Jamie Noble vs. Jimmy Wang Yang
— WWE Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & MVP vs. Deuce & Domino
— Kenny Dykstra vs. Kane
— Jesse & Festus vs. Mike Tolar & Chad Collyer
— The Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio
