AEW and WWE Stars Unite for American Gladiators Reboot with The Miz

Just when you thought the reboot of American Gladiators couldn't get any more must-see after announcing The Miz as host, the full on-air team and cast of Gladiators have been revealed, and the lineup is stacked with familiar faces.

First reported by The Hollywood Reporter, The Miz will be joined by veteran sports commentator Chris Rose on play-by-play. Handling sideline reporting will be Rocsi Diaz, a well-known media personality. Diaz is a contributor to GMA and GMA3, co-hosts Tubi’s We Got Time Today with Deion Sanders, and has previously hosted on MTV’s Ridiculousness and the Fox series Alter Ego.

The show, set to air on Amazon Prime Video, will feature sixteen Gladiators in total. While they'll all be given new "Gladiator names," their real-life resumes are what's turning heads, especially for wrestling fans.

The list of competitors with a wrestling background is impressive:

• Michael Wardlow: An active and prominent competitor in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), known for his incredible power as the one-time TNT Champion.
• Kailey Latimer (Kamille): Now signed with AEW, she is best known for her dominant, historic reign as the former NWA World Women's Champion.
• Eric Bugenhagen: Best known to WWE fans as the energetic, guitar-shredding Rick Boogs.
• Jessie Godderz: Known as Mr. PEC-Tacular, a veteran of IMPACT Wrestling and the independent scene, as well as a two-time Big Brother contestant.
• Jessica Roden: Billed as "J-Rod the Ultimate Athlete," she has made appearances on AEW Dark.

The rest of the cast is filled out by elite athletes from various disciplines, including bodybuilders, CrossFit champions, and former Division I athletes: Abigail Lay, Ayinde Warren, Dani Means, Dani Speegle, Drew Aggouras, Emily Nelson, Fessy Shafaat, Jason Peele, Joseph Hall, and Sydney Hunter.

Most interestingly, the casting creates a rare instance of active WWE and AEW talent working together on the same mainstream production. With The Miz hosting, and both Wardlow and Kamille serving as Gladiators, the lines between wrestling promotions have been blurred.

This has not gone unnoticed. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, veteran journalist Dave Meltzer reported on some potential friction behind the scenes. "We’ve already heard of issues from one side over Miz being on the show and AEW talent being on the same show that I’m sure the folks at Gladiators never considered," Meltzer wrote. "So we’ll see if they can smooth that out or not."

While the producers may not have anticipated a dust-up between wrestling's rival top promotions, it adds an unexpected layer of intrigue to the upcoming competition. Will the on-screen action be matched by backstage drama? For wrestling fans, American Gladiators just became appointment television.