Jesus just won American Ninja Warrior.
OK, not really. This guy's name is actually Isaac Caldiero; he's a busboy and, more importantly, a rock climber whose back muscles have their own muscles.
[seealso slug="lego-american-ninja-warrior"]
To the uninitiated, his American Ninja Warrior triumph Monday night might not seem like a huge deal. But here's the thing: American Ninja Warrior is seven seasons old. Six of those seasons concluded without anyone being crowned a winner, because the show's final obstacle course was just too damn hard.
On Monday's finale, though, history was made: Not one, but two competitors -- Caldiero and cameraman Geoff Britten, whose forearms are so enormous that he's nicknamed "Popeye" -- completed the entire course, including the 75-foot rope climb that serves as its fourth and final "stage." Oh, and to make things even more amazing, both Britten and Caldiero managed to scale that rope -- called Mt. Midoriyama, a nod to the series' Japanese roots -- in less than 30 seconds.
Up the rope & into the history books! @ninjageoff becomes the first American to complete Stage 4! #NinjaWarriorFinale pic.twitter.com/NSGymBYtLd— Ninja Warrior (@ninjawarrior) September 15, 2015
Like.
So yes: In a way, Britten and Caldiero were both winners last night. But in a more accurate way, Caldiero was the winner -- because he managed to beat Britten's Midoriyama time by a full 3.6 seconds. As host/announcer Akbar Gbajabiamila crowed when Caldiero emerged victorious: "Don't tell me dreams don't come true!"
Watch his amazing finale course run in the video below.
The first #AmericanNinjaWarrior has been crowned! @IsaacCaldiero #NinjaWarriorFinale https://t.co/AnPaXO6hc9— Ninja Warrior (@ninjawarrior) September 15, 2015