American Ninja Warrior wraps up its summer season tonight (9 ET/PT), as competitors battle to become the first American to make it through all four stages of the grueling obstacle course.
But some will get another chance to compete, against Japanese contestants, in a USA vs. Japanspecial set to air late this year. The special, to be announced on tonight's finale, will pit five Americans against five Japanese on the Las Vegas course used for the current competition, and was taped just after it earlier this year.
Brent Steffensen, Paul Kasemir, James McGrath, Travis Rosen and Brian Arnold will face amateur Japanese athletes including two-time champion Yuji Urushihara in one-on-one competitions. The special was suggested by producers of Tokyo Broadcasting System's Sasuke, on which Ninja Warrior is based, and NBC replicated Yokohama's Mt. Midoriyama course in Las Vegas.
NBC-owned G4 cable channel for years has aired the Japanese version of the show with subtitles, and some American athletes competed in those contests. But an all-American edition began in 2009, and since last year G4 has shared the series with NBC, which has earned respectable summer ratings for the show. Arnold is among those vying for Monday's title.
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