'American Ninja Warrior' season 11 to feature Meagan Martin and Allyssa Beird; other female ninjas expected to return
NBC’s three-time Emmy Award-nominated series 'American Ninja Warrior' is all set to return this summer with its brand new season (11) and as per reports, it is going to get even more exciting! Hosted by Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, the fan-favorite obstacle course competition will be shot in six different cities this season, including Los Angeles (Universal Studios backlot), Atlanta (Mercedes Benz Stadium); Oklahoma City (State Capitol Building), Baltimore (Rash Field) and Cincinnati (downtown).
However, the biggest buzz revolving around the show is about Ninja Warriors from the past, who are expected this upcoming season. Speaking of favorite Ninja Warriors, there's no denying the massive impact some of the female ninja warriors have had on our generation.
From Jessie Graff becoming a stunt double on 'Wonder Woman' and 'Supergirl,' to Tiana Weberley acting in 'Baywatch,' our female Ninjas from past seasons have shown strength, credibility, and talent enough to establish themselves as role models. In fact, some of them, like Allyssa Beird and Meagan Martin also excel in fields other than gymnastics and acrobatics.
A simple look at social media accounts of several Ninjas from the past goes a long way to find out who among these superwomen are most likely to return in season 11. It's not a confirmed list because none of them have officially announced their return yet, so we have to wait for the first episode of this season to air to be sure if our favorites are come back or not. Regardless, here are some of our guesses when it comes to the ninjas we are expecting to see this season.
Jessie Graff
There's a good chance we have seen Graff do some super cool stunts onscreen while unaware that the absolute kicka** person behind the stunts was actually her. She played Gal Gadot's stunt double in the epic DC film 'Wonder Woman,' and also served the same role when it came to Melissa Benoist in the CW show 'Supergirl.'
Not only that, nicknamed 'Tumbleweed' for obvious reasons, Graff is a black belt in Taekwondo, a black sash in Kung Fu, and is trained in five other styles of martial arts. Oh, and in 2016, Graff also became the first woman ever to complete Stage 1 of the Las Vegas Finals of 'American Ninja Warrior.' Talk about a package deal.
Kacy Catanzaro
All of 28, this professional wrestler and gymnast comes with a storehouse of talent. Signed to the WWE, she competes on the NXT brand. She was also the first woman to qualify for the finals of 'American Ninja Warrior' and the first woman to complete a City Finals course for the obstacle show. Need we say more?
Meagan Martin
At a very young age, Martin took to rock climbing and pole vaulting as a passion. Years later, not only is she one of the pro-ninjas on 'American Ninja Warrior', she has also made quite a name for herself as a professional rock climber.
Luckily for fans, Martin recently tweeted out she is super glad to be on Team Akbar (referring to the host of the obstacle show) and fans haven't stopped buzzing ever since about the possibility of seeing more of her this upcoming season.
Allyssa Beird
A season 8 and 9 competitor on 'American Ninja Warrior,' Beird was also announced the Storm Team champion on the show's second season. You can call her a veteran Ninja at this point, but she comes with other equally laudable talents - one of which is shaping young minds to become future heroes.
That's right, Beird is not only an exceptional gymnast but also an elementary school teacher from Marlborough, Massachusetts. What's better? Like Martin, she announced on Instagram that she is returning with some amazing stunts up her sleeve for the upcoming eleventh season of the show. Let's just watch and learn, shall we?
Tiana Webberley
She might be nicknamed 'Sweet T,' but her stunts and performance on the 'American Ninja Warrior' have been nothing short of bada**. You might know her as a familiar face in the 2017 film 'Baywatch' alongside the likes of Priyanka Chopra and Dwayne Johnson aka 'The Rock.'
Even though she made it all the way to the ninth obstacle in the Los Angeles City Finals of 'American Ninja Warrior' last year, she did not run in the finals - which has given us good reason to expect her to return and claim the throne! Plus, a lot of fans have speculated based on her recent Instagram posts that she might be gearing up to appear in season 11, so let's hope the rumors are true.
'American Ninja Warrior' returns to your screens with season 11 on Wednesday, May 29, at 8/7c only on NBC.