Titan                                                                                                    Militia

  It just had to happen--the return of American Gladiators. With the writers' strike cutting short or postponing the runs of dramas, comedies, etc the networks have been planning to fill the void with all sorts of game shows, reality TV, and competition shows.  Leave it to NBC to dust off and revive that combination of reality show/athletic competition with a touch of pro-wrestling idiocy--American Gladiators. It debuts on Suday January 6 at 9PM and this time out there's a muscle porn connection too. More on that in a bit.

 The premise is simple. Regular guys and gals with athletic prowess face off in a variety of head-to-head competitions against the team of gladiators. The contestants can often be good eye candy, but it's the recurring cast of Gladiators that are visual draw. The original show ran in the late 80s and 90s and the original gladiators (who all went by single names like Nitro, Blaze, etc) were the usual mix of pumped up muscles, tanning booth tans, and long hair ---and that's both men AND women.

 American Gladiators also spawned a copycat show, Battle Dome which had even more scripted pro-wrestling type shenanigans. Battle Dome also had some muscled up hotties including one of our faves, Christian Boeving and Chad Bannon, who's resume included Playgirl centerfold and Catalina gay porn video Behind the Barn Door. As for Boeving, it also has a couple of gay porns under his belt too as Lance Bronson in Posing Strap and as Eric Masterson in Cover Boys. But he's done more work as fitness model and stunt man

  Michael O'Hearn, fitness model and Mr Universe was part of the cast of American Gladiators AND Battle Dome and he went on to play Superman in the fan film World's Finest (below). In addition he's going to be on the new edition of American Gladiators as Titan (pictured at top)!

                       

 As for the new cast of male  American Gladiators they are as follows:

 Titan -Michael O'Hearn
 Justice--Justice Smith. Formerly appeared as wrestler (naturally) on WWE Smackdown

      
                                      Titan                                                                                                Justice


 Mayhem--Romeo Williams. Info on him is unavailable
 Toa--Tanoai Reed. Stunt man and cousin of The Rock. With his makeup looks like Dave Navarro on 'roids.

 
                          Mayhem                                                                                               Toa

 Wolf--Don Yates. Also known as "Hollywood Yates", rodeo star and pro-wrestler
 Militia--Alex Castro

             
                                             Wolf                                                                                               Militia

 Now, if Militia/Alex Castro  looks familiar, it's because he has done some provocative pics and videos. He's appeared in Playgirl and in Colt Studios print as Elian Cortez, but he's probably exposed more skin in his video work for "muscle worship" company Muscle Hunks. Oh yes and he has done legit work too in the Cirque Du Soleil show Zumanity (we said it was legit, we didn't say it was good) He's got a very impressive physique and some other rather noticeable attributes. 

                      

 So will American Gladiators be worth watching? As a TV show, probably not. For eye candy? Well, we have a tendency to liken this show to pro wrestling which comedienne Roseanne Barr often has referred to as "gay male porn with trunks" We agree. And we can't wait to watch.