A Former ‘American Gladiator’ Hosts A Podcast, And Another Is A Realtor 👀
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Netflix's new mini docuseries, Muscles and Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators, looks back at the alleged toxic culture of the original American Gladiators television show. The program, which originally ran from 1989 to 1996, was a game show-like set up where "average" people would compete against body builders known as "Gladiators."
During this era, body builders were reaching new levels of fame, and American Gladiators itself was a television sensation. The cast of the show was robust, however some of the main members included in the Netflix documentary are Laser (Jim Starr), Blaze (Sha-ri Pendleton), Nitro (Danny Lee Clark), Ice (Lori Fetrick), Zap (Raye Hollitt), and select others.
The series documents the Gladiators' lives leading up to the early 1990s show, and the effect its fame and competitions had on them.
Here is everything to know about the American Gladiators, and where they are now.
Jim "Laser" Kalafat Starr
Like many of the Gladiators, Jim Starr started his career in football. He was an All-American line-backer at Montana State University and joined the Gladiators in season 1. Now, Jim, 61, works at a director of product development at The Grind, per his Facebook page.
He's still very involved with the American Gladiators, too. In addition to his appearance in the Netflix documentary, Jim also participated in a reunion podcast with Gladiator Ice earlier this year.
Lori "Ice" Fetrick
Lori Fetrick, known for her Gladiator name "Ice," currently hosts a podcast called Chillin' with Ice. After American Gladiators ended, Ice opened her own gym in Florida, and ran it for three years. She also currently works as a financial specialist at Transamerica, per Gladiators TV.
Raye "Zap" Hollitt
Raye Hollitt, otherwise known as Zap, is from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, per Gladiators TV. She started out a career as a paralegal, then moved into acting, and eventually joined the cast of American Gladiators.
From the show's first season, Zap was a popular and formidable opponent. Now, the 59-year-old former bodybuilder works as a personal trainer and massage therapist, per her Instagram bio.
Steve “Tower” Henneberry
Steve's full nickname was "Tower of Power," if you want to get super specific. This Gladiator got a head start—and was bodybuilding throughout the 1970s, but once he achieved his goal of Mr. America in 1989 (ICYDK, Mr. America is one of the most renowned bodybuilding competitions), he retired for good.
Post-American Gladiators, Steve, now 60, switched into the housing market and currently works as a realtor, per Realtor.com.
Danny Lee "Nitro" Clark
Danny "Nitro" Clark is probably one of the most memorable members of the American Gladiators era. He was known for being outspoken on the team, and actually joined the show through Jim Starr—who was one of his friends at the time.
After his run on the American Gladiators, Danny acted for a while, and even appeared alongside Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. Now, the 59-year-old athlete has turned to public speaking, and runs his own media company called Nitro Up Media, per his LinkedIn page.
Debbie "Storm" Clark
Debbie "Storm" Clark started out as a star high school athlete—and excelled in soccer, basketball, and track. On American Gladiators, she shined most in the joust and Powerball events. Unfortunately, Storm's Gladiator career came to an end when she tore her ACL during one of the show's live tours.
Now, she describes herself as a single mom and life fitness recovery coach, per her Instagram profile (which is private).
Erika “Diamond” Andersch
Erika "Diamond" Andersch was only among the American Gladiators from 1990 to 1992, but she excelled in the Hang Tough or Breakthrough events, per Gladiators TV. After her stint on the show, she starred in Batman Returns, but she's flown under the radar since.
Her Instagram is currently set to private, but she encourages her followers to "be healthy, be beautiful, be strong, empower women," in her bio.
Michael "Gemini" Horton
Michael Horton was a fan-favorite among the American Gladiators. He came to the show in its first season, after ending a professional career in the NFL (he played for the Eagles and the Patriots), per Gladiator TV. Now, he works as a physical fitness consultant in Los Angeles, per Sports Illustrated.
Sha-Ri “Blaze” Pendleton-Mitchell
Sha-Ri "Blaze" Pendleton-Mitchell started out as a track and field star at the University of Nebraska before performing with the American Gladiators from 1989 to 1992. Her best events was the Conquer, but she was also a worthy opponent in the Powerball, per Gladiator TV.
She ended up marrying a fellow Gladiator, Rodney Mitchell, and the couple have a son together—who went on to become a high school track star, per the Press Telegram. Sha-Ri is now a substitute teacher and track coach, per TV Insider. The family lives in southern California.
Sky Eson-Korito
Sky mostly went by her actual name on American Gladiators, but she was also known as "Athena," per Gladiator TV. Although she started in modeling, Sky quickly ventured into bodybuilding before landing a spot on American Gladiators.
She was coined as the "mom" of the Gladiator group, and she leaned into the title wholeheartedly. After her time on the show ended in 1998, she opened a pet care facility with her husband in Florida. She has also ventured back into bodybuilding, and competed in 2016 IFBB Orlando Pro & NPC Southern USA.
Lisa "Zap" McCullough
Lisa McCullough was cut from the final American Gladiators cast, but she is included in the new Netflix documentary. She appeared in a test pilot, but was replaced by Raye Hollitt, who took the same nickname.
However, Lisa went on to prosper in the entertainment industry outside of American Gladiators. She worked as a stunt double in Kill Bill Vol. 1, and even landed some acting gigs of her own in the Baywatch television series, per IMDb. She switched to stunt coordinator roles in 2020.
You can learn more about what the original Gladiators are up to, and the history behind American Gladiators in Muscle Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators on Netflix now.
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