ANW14 | National Finals [Ep 2] - Aug 22nd

[Ninja Warrior Ryan]

This week is leftovers of Stage 1 and beginning of Stage 2!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}The finals continue in Las Vegas, where the ninjas face super-sized obstacles in Stages 1 and 2 in timed runs; the ninjas who advance to Stage 2 must complete a six-obstacle course, including new obstacle Hornet's Nest, to advance to Stage 3.

[Ninja Warrior Ryan]

http://instagram.com/p/ChfZecKhZSr

[DeAndre]

Jay Lewis
Flip Rodriguez
Josh Levin
Kaden Lebsack

I'm (hoping/thinking) these are our final 4. I'll be damn crushed if any of them fails to make stage three at least

[sackeshi]

Again ANW with these long a** time limits -_- 3 minutes would have been much better, enough time to clear while also requiring some urgency. Why even have a time limit if people have time to take long breaks in-between obstacles.

In ANW4 stage 2 was 80 seconds, season 14 its 240 seconds. Stage 2 is supposed to be a speed stage thats like the whole point of it.

Was happy for Flip to finally beat stage 2!

[Ninja Warrior Ryan]

I will be very surprised if we don't end up with a stage 4 finish. Course this year was nerf'd, blah.

[Ninja Warrior Ryan]

Aug 21, 2022 5:34:43 GMT -5 DeAndre said:

Jay Lewis
Flip Rodriguez
Josh Levin
Kaden Lebsack

I'm (hoping/thinking) these are our final 4. I'll be damn crushed if any of them fails to make stage three at least

I really want Flip to win. That would be full circle for me, and honestly I'd be okay if that was the series finale.

[sackeshi]

Aug 22, 2022 21:25:10 GMT -5 Ninja Warrior Ryan said:

I will be very surprised if we don't end up with a stage 4 finish. Course this year was nerf'd, blah.

I agree, our last hope for the whole franchise not just ANW is for the Ninja community to be directly in charge of Canadian Ninja Warrior lol. It will come but if ANW producers get involved 🤮

[anime boy]

STAGE 1
Joe Moravsky: Withdrew (Due to COVID-19 Protocol. Replaced by Jackson Erdos)
Najee Richardson: Withdrew (Due to COVID-19 Protocol. Replaced by James Sannella)
Barclay Stockett: Slide Surfer [DIGEST]
Izabella Adkins: Slide Surfer [ALL CUT]
Sean Bryan: Three Ring Circus [FULL RUN]
Jason Kotzin: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT]
Jeremy Warters: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT]
Karen Potts: Giant Roller Coaster [DIGEST]
Kevin Carbone: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT] (Verified by someone there) (He failed it night one and was given a re-run, failed it again)
Luke Dillon: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT] (Failed both nights)
Mady Howard: Giant Roller Coaster [DIGEST]
Maggie Owen: Giant Roller Coaster [DIGEST]
Michael Bougher: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT] (Failed Both Nights)
Rachel Degutz: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT] (Verified via Instagram)
Ryan Sanders: Giant Roller Coaster [ALL CUT] (Verified via Jennifer Stefano)
Anthony Eardley: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Bob Reese: Jumping Spider [FULL RUN]
Cal Plohoros: Jumpig Spider [ALL CUT] (Verified via Instagram)
Casey Rothschild: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Dave Cavanagh: Jumping Spider [ALL CUT]
Derrick Pavoni: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Drew Nester: Jumping Spider [ALL CUT] (Verified via DMs)
Isabella Wakeham: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Isaiah Thomas: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Katie Bone: Jumping Spider [FULL RUN]
Megan Rowe: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
***Nate Hansen: Jumping Spider [FULL RUN] (Has Safety Pass)
Ronald Washington: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Vance Walker: Jumping Spider [DIGEST]
Austin Gray: Tetherball [FULL RUN]
Caiden Madzelan: Tetherball [ALL CUT]
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson: Tetherball [FULL RUN]
Francisco Barajas: Tetherball [ALL CUT]
Hunter Guerard: Tetherball [ALL CUT]
Jacob Arnstein: Tetherball [FULL RUN]
Jamie Rahn: Tetherball [DIGEST]
Abby Clark: Dipping Birds [FULL RUN] (TIMED OUT)
Addy Herman: Dipping Birds [FULL RUN]
Chris Behrends: Dipping Birds [DIGEST]
***Levi Enright: Dipping Birds [FULL RUN] (Has Safety Pass)
Levi Enright: Dipping Birds [DIGEST]
Lorin Ball: Dipping Birds [DIGEST]
Zack Eichenstein: Dipping Birds [ALL CUT]
Christopher Harding Jones: Fly Hooks (Timed out) [FULL RUN]
David Campbell: Fly Hooks (Timed Out) [DIGEST]
Jody Avila: Fly Hooks (Timed out) [FULL RUN]
Anthony Porter: High Road [ALL CUT] INJURED, missed the ring and did not fall in the water, he fall onto the platform. He was knocked out and stretchered out.
Jonah Bonner: High Road [DIGEST]
Cameron Baumgartner: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Donovan Metoyer: Clear [DIGEST]
Ethan Bartnicki: Clear [FULL RUN]
Ethan Swanson: Clear [DIGEST] (fastest time of the night)
Evan Andrews: Clear [DIGEST]
Flip Rodriguez: Clear [FULL RUN]
Grant Nguyen: Clear [DIGEST] (Grant was the first runner in Vegas, the second time the first run in Vegas was the first clear. The first time this happening being Nathan Tucker in 2015)
Jackson Erdos: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Jackson Twait: Clear [FULL RUN]
James Sannella: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Jay Lewis: Clear [FULL RUN]
Jeremiah Boyd: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Josh Levin: Clear [FULL RUN]
Josiah Pippel: Clear [DIGEST]
Josiah Singleton: Clear [FULL RUN]
Kaden Lebsack: Clear [DIGEST]
Kyle Soderman: Clear [DIGEST]
Lucas Reale: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Matt D'Amico: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Max Feinberg: Clear [DIGEST]
Michael Silenzi: Clear [LEADERBOARD]
Nate Hansen: Clear [FULL RUN]
Owen Dyer: Clear [DIGEST]
RJ Roman: Clear [FULL RUN]
Tyler Yamauchi: Clear [DIGEST]

Stats FOR STAGE 1
WITHDREW: 2 RUNNERS
SLIDER SURFER: 2 RUNNERS
THREE RING CIRCUS: 1 RUNNER
GIANT ROLLERCOASTER: 10 RUNNERS
JUMPING SPIDER: 14 RUNNERS
TETHERBALL: 7 RUNNERS
WARPED WALL: 0 RUNNERS
DIPPING BIRDS: 7 RUNNERS
FLY HOOKS: 3 RUNNERS
HIGH ROAD: 2 RUNNERs
CLEARS: 25 RUNNERS

STAGE 2
Nate Hanse: Next Episode He'll be aired
Jackson Twait: Striding Steps [FULL RUN]
Jackson Erdos: Piston Plunge [DIGEST]
James Sannella: Piston Plunge [DIGEST]
Jeremiah Boyd: Piston Plunge [DIGEST]
***Josiah Singelton: Piston Plunge [DIGEST] (Still has safety pass)
Michael Silenzi: Piston Plunge [DIGEST]
Donovan Metoyer: Hammer Drop [DIGEST]
Grant Nguyen: Hammer Drop [DIGEST]
Ethan Swanson: Hornet's Nest [FULL RUN]
Evan Andrews: Hornet's Nest [FULL RUN]
Kyle Soderman: Hornet's Nest [DIGEST]
Lucas Reale: Hornet's Nest [DIGEST]
Owen Dyer: Hornet's Nest [FULL RUN]
Tyler Yamauchi: Falling Shelves [FULL RUN]
Cameron Baumgartner: Clear [DIGEST]
Ethan Bartnicki: Clear [DIGEST]
Flip Rodriguez: Clear [FULL RUN]
Jay Lewis: Clear [FULL RUN]
Josh Levin: Clear [FULL RUN]
Josiah Pippel: Clear [FULL RUN]
Kaden Lebsack: Clear [FULL RUN]
Matt D'Amico: Clear [DIGEST] (Fastest time of Stage 2)
Max Feinberg: Clear [DIGEST]
RJ Roman: Clear [FULL RUN]

STAGE 2 STATS
UNAIRED: 2 RUNNERS (NATE HANSEN AND JOSIAH SINGLETON'S SAFETY PASS ATTEMPT)
STRIDING STEPS: 1 RUNNER
2X SALMON LADDER: 0 RUNNERS
PISTON PLUNGE: 5 RUNNERS
HAMMER DROP: 2 RUNNERS
HORNET'S NEST: 5 RUNNERS
FALLING SHELVES: 1 RUNNER
CLEARS: 10 RUNNERS

[anime boy]

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

[kiminonawasasuke]

Aug 22, 2022 21:54:34 GMT -5 anime boy said:

STAGE 1
Izabella Adkins: ALL CUT

Someone in SASUKEpedia put her as a Slider Surfer victim.

[kiminonawasasuke]

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

I just want to ask, how could he still on the platform while missing the ring. Cuz i can only think the Lucas Reale one back in Season 13

[anime boy]

Aug 23, 2022 2:56:01 GMT -5 kiminonawasasuke said:

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

I just want to ask, how could he still on the platform while missing the ring. Cuz i can only think the Lucas Reale one back in Season 13

I have a video but I don't know legally if I can share it cause it's something they probably wouldn't want public. He got to the trampoline early and jumped early for the ring and missed and fell backwards right on his head. His body was facing the crowd when he jumped. Think of it as taking a powerbomb in wrestling, but getting dropped on your head instead.

[Ninja Warrior Ryan]

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

Lumberjack Climb could be just as dangerous if someone were to fall off from the top of the climb. I think the biggest thing here is safety mats. If we always changed obstacles based on one injury, we'd be rotating through a lot of obstacles (Half Pipe Attack, Rope Glider, etc).

[ninja1985]

I feel with the editing in this episode that they are just rushing to the end

[Tico]

Aug 23, 2022 2:56:01 GMT -5 kiminonawasasuke said:

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

I just want to ask, how could he still on the platform while missing the ring. Cuz i can only think the Lucas Reale one back in Season 13

This year they had it set up differently. Last year this tech wasn’t doable. You could stand on the trampoline, directly face the spring board for Fly hooks, jump and TRY to grab the ring without falling in the water. Instead you would land on the platform and had a shot at Fly hooks. Grant did this first and caught the ring. Someone else tried it and well. . .

[penguincatfish]

Nate Hansen's Safety Pass run was a good one to end Stage 1 on. It was funny how effortless he got through Warped Wall, made it look like it wasn't even there. Now it's just going to make me raise an eyebrow when I see other competitors fail it.

Christopher Harding Jones' intro was another kind of video package I'd like to see more of that I mentioned in the last Semifinals thread.

---

The whole episode you could tell they really rushed things to cram everything in. Felt like lots of fast forwards and already in progress runs. Someone on Reddit said they wanted to do 4 episodes for Vegas.

---

Cool to see Flip and Josh break their Stage 2 fail streaks. Also that they were the first and last clears of the night for Stage 2.

I like that most of the video packages on Stage 2 were ninja related. The only one being Tyler's, but that one had a lighter tone. I'd imagine it would be the kind of piece Japan or Vietnam might make but shorter for the broadcast or YouTube.

---

Cutting too much time from a stage always runs the risk of limiting the kinds of competitors getting through to Speed Demons and Gym Kids, but this Stage 2 has so much breathing room between obstacles and enough of a buffer for time while on the obstacles, so cutting 60 seconds is definitely doable here.

Looking at the results, Matt D'Amico was the only one to finish with over a minute left. The next bunch were more or less around 40 seconds left being RJ Roman and some Gym Kids. The last few had around 10 seconds or less.

It's funny because the two slowest, Flip and Josh, only spent a small amount of time more resting than RJ but their finish times were over 35 seconds apart.

Flip and Josh - Finished with 3 and 5 seconds left - 20 seconds rest before Hammer Drop, 30 seconds before Hornet's Next, and 30+ seconds before Falling Shelves.
RJ - Finished with 40 seconds left - 20 seconds before Hammer Drop, 20 seconds before Hornet's Nest, and 25 seconds before Falling Shelves.

---

One of these might be useful for whoever works on the Sasukepedia ANW14 page.

Cam Baumgartner's time on the partially covered clock looked like 8.8 something, you can see one vertical part of the next digit and it might be 1, 2, or 4, depending on the font, might be 1 or 4 because there was no bottom left part of the digit, and if they use the kind of 1 that doesn't have a horizontal line at the bottom.

Ethan Bartnicki's time on the partially covered clock looked like 37.99, the second 9 was mostly covered but you see the left side top half curve so it wasn't 8.

Max Feinberg's time only showed 22 seconds on the tower in the background when he landed after Falling Shelves, and about to change to 21 when the camera angle changed to hitting the button.

[sasukewarrior333]

Anyone else feel super sorry for Anthony Porter? I've talked to him and he's a great guy. Really sucks that happened to him. I hope this doesn't make him quit, he's definitely got potential. Hoping he'll get back to Stage 2 next year.

I'm assuming Cam, Max and Ethan's times will be shown on the Stage 2 leaderboard after we see Josiah's second run and Nate's run in the finale. There was a weird thing with the timer when Matt D'Amico cleared as it seemed to go slightly down then back up. I don't think any rigging happened though as this has happened a few times but it's certainly a strange editing glitch.

[sackeshi]

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

The ring should be the ONLY option and lets be honest here, we should NOT be removing obstacles because someone manages to somehow injure themselves in a way that it would take 1000s of attemps from others to achieve. I'm sorry for his injury but how the f*** do you miss the ring, and hit the platform?

[anime boy]

Aug 23, 2022 14:15:51 GMT -5 sackeshi said:

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

The ring should be the ONLY option and lets be honest here, we should NOT be removing obstacles because someone manages to somehow injure themselves in a way that it would take 1000s of attemps from others to achieve. I'm sorry for his injury but how the f*** do you miss the ring, and hit the platform?

It didn't take 1000s of attempts. It took less than 10 for that to happen, and it was an oversight no one thought of until it happened. By letting someone jump to the ring early there was a chance they'd come down on the platform. He wasn't the only to attempt that method of clearing, Grant Nguyen did it and cleared Stage 1. Grant was the first to run Stage 1 and cleared it in the same attempt, using that method. Porter just undershot it and came crashing down on the platform. 

[Messup434]

Aug 23, 2022 14:15:51 GMT -5 sackeshi said:

Aug 23, 2022 2:46:27 GMT -5 anime boy said:

I think after this year Split Decision should be changed or removed in Stage 1. After Anthony Porter's injury, I believe it's a safety hazard. Having someone concussed on the show is bad PR. High Road is made so athletes must jump from a trampoline onto a ring that leads to them the cargo net. Unfortunately, Anthony Porter missed the ring, and landed hard on the platform and was knocked out cold. He got stretchered out of Vegas with a concussion. He layed there motionless for a good 20 seconds before people realized what was happening. I don't think something like this should ever happen again. Maybe it's time to ditch the Fly Hooks and come up with some new finish to Stage 1. Maybe a Lumberjack Climb, or something less dangerous.
 

The ring should be the ONLY option and lets be honest here, we should NOT be removing obstacles because someone manages to somehow injure themselves in a way that it would take 1000s of attemps from others to achieve. I'm sorry for his injury but how the f*** do you miss the ring, and hit the platform?

Yes, I feel really bad and I'm sure I'd be freaking out if I were in the audience for it.  But this notion that an injury on the obstacles is unacceptable is silly - any and every obstacle could injure anyone.  As you can see, this is far from the most dangerous looking obstacle, yet it's had one of the most severe injuries.  It happens, you could take out everything and unless you just dismantled the whole course, there's no way to completely eliminate risk.

Yes, if there's something ridiculously dangerous looking and/or with repeat injuries, remove that.  But the focus on eliminating all risk from everything is as unrealistic as it is timely.