A New Breed of 'Gladiator'

"American Gladiators" muscled its way back onto TV last night with a former cheerleader in the cast. But fear not a dumbed-down version of the classic guilty pleasure—Tanji Williams is an Air Force Academy grad ranked fourth nationally by the International Federation of Body Building for fitness. Like the vintage version, "Gladiators" pits musclemen and -women against amateur athletes.

Onscreen, Williams goes by "Stealth"—a nod to both her physical skills and the Air Force bomber. She already has a rep for her performances on the Wall, an event that involves a race up a rock-climbing wall, the Military Times reports. Hulk Hogan and boxer Laila Ali co-host the jazzed-up NBC series. (More American Gladiators stories.)