Battle Dome
Encyclopedia
Battle Dome was a syndicated American
television series that aired from September 1999 to April 2001. It combined elements of American Gladiators - inspired athletic competition with scripted antics more reminiscent of professional wrestling
. Recurring character-athletes known as "Warriors" competed against weekly contestants in a variety of physically demanding (and sometimes dangerous) events. The series was filmed at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and produced by Columbia TriStar Television
.
The entire first season of Battle Dome is now available for purchase on iTunes
. Over twenty episodes are available for free viewing on Crackle
.
The announcer for the show was Steve Albert
(brother of Marv
); Scott Ferrall
provided color commentary. Seth Stockton served as referee for the entire run. Downtown Julie Brown
appeared in early episodes, functioning as a sort of sideline reporter. The "Chairman", whose face remained off camera, oversaw the proceedings. Halfway through the show's run, Ferrall and Brown were replaced by Ed Lover
and Brian Blakely, respectively, and "The Chairman" was dropped from the show.
Battle Dome was also broadcast in the UK, on the Challenge and Bravo networks, as well as on Channel 5, now "Five." It was also broadcast in Ireland on TV3
.
Three male contestants competed in a series of four or five events, which varied in intensity and danger factor. After the fourth or fifth event, the two highest scoring competitors advanced to the Battle Dome final. In addition to facing the contestants, the Battle Dome Warriors were in a show-long competition against each other for the Battle Dome Warriors Championship belt. The Warriors were ranked before the competition started and could move up or down the list depending on either how well they performed during the show or how well they politicked with the Chairman or his on-camera assistant, Bobbie Haven (played by model Bobbie Brown
, who prior to this was best known for her appearance in the video for Warrant's "Cherry Pie
").
If the second and third place players were tied, the tie was broken in a rather novel way. Both players would stand on platforms on two separate metal discs, with the discs being pulled back and rammed together at high rates of speed. The intensity of the hit grew until one player fell off, at which point they would be going home. This also would help determine the Warriors champion if the championship was in question at the end of a show.
After all ties and championships between the Warriors and contestants were settled, the two remaining players moved into the Battle Dome for the final round, in which the two competitors wrestled each other in an attempt to throw the opponent off an elevated platform. Doing so won the match, a cash prize, and a Battle Dome championship ring. The winner would also advance in the Battle Dome tournament, with the winner getting a large cash prize, a motorcycle, and a Battle Dome championship belt at the end of the season.
(WCW) began a brief cross-promotional feud
. It kicked off when WCW wrestlers disrupted a Battle Dome taping. In retaliation, on the November 6 edition of Monday Nitro, T-Money
, Cuda, Mike O'Dell
(husband of WCW star Midajah
), D.O.A.
, and Bubba King began heckling in the audience as Diamond Dallas Page
spoke to the Chicago
crowd. Rick Steiner
, Ernest Miller
, and Buff Bagwell
came to Page's aid before security ended the physical dispute. The feud between these men continued as far as November 20, mere months before the buyout of WCW by the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF).
Two warriors competed. The event took place on a large, rotating platform which resembled a right circular cone
with its outside edge and apex flattened. The contenders had 60 seconds to force both warriors to touch the bottom ring of the wheel with any part of their body. The warriors were allowed to do essentially anything necessary to keep this from occurring. The contenders had to dispatch of the first warrior on the lower portion of the wheel (usually Jake Fury) before taking on the warrior at the top of the wheel (usually Cuda). 25 points were earned for removing the lower warrior from the wheel, and an additional 25 points were earned for getting the 2nd warrior off the wheel.
Take Down
A football type event. The contender was placed in the center of an enclosed area with 2 warriors on each end. Behind each warrior were 4 different lights with actuators beneath them. In the 1st season, a light was lit up behind the warrior (Steve and Scott typically noted that the warriors did not know which light was lit). On the referee's whistle, the contender tried to hit the actuator to turn the light off. Each light turned off was worth 25 points. The contender was only allowed one attempt per light; no "second effort" was allowed. After each attempt, the contender returned to the center and repeated against the other warrior. This would continue for 60 seconds. In the 2nd season, all 8 lights (4 at each end) were lit up. The contender chose which light to go after and the warrior would have to stop them. Otherwise, the rules remained the same from season 1.
Rollercage of Fire (1st Season), Rollercage (2nd Season)
Contenders were raised up into a revolving cylindrical
cage with holes built into it. In the 1st season, a ring of fire was set outside the cage at each end, mainly to set the atmosphere. The fire ring was removed in season two, as well as the reference to it in the event's title. Contenders had 60 seconds to force the warrior (Almost always T-Money, with 1 or 2 appearances by DOA in the later part of the 1st season) through one of the holes while avoiding the same fate. Forcing the warrior out earned 25 points (later 50). Draws originally scored nothing, but were later increased to a 25 point score.
Aerial Kickboxing
Contenders and opposing warriors hung from an undulating metal grid roughly 10 feet off the ground. The contender attempted to kick the warrior (most often Bubba King, but also Michael O'Dell or Sleepwalker) off the grid within 60 seconds without being removed from the grid themselves. Kicks to the head were technically against the rules and would result in DQ's. At least 1 contender was DQ'd because of head shots. However, the referee often looked the other way with Bubba King (he kicked almost every contender in the head, but was only called on it once). If the contender kicked the warrior off the grid, the contender scored 50 points. Draws scored 25 points. Most contenders were lucky to score short of a DQ of the warrior. Bubba King and Sleepwalker were almost impossible to beat, but O'Dell actually was impossible to defeat, as he never lost a match and rarely surrendered a draw.
After the match, the "reporter" had Bubba talk about the match. Bubba was angry, and complained about the contestant breaking the rules (by kicking him in the head), and Bubba said half his body went numb from the head kick.
G-Force
A central rotating tower had three arms extending from the top of the central tower. Each of the contenders hung onto a handle at the end of each arm. A warrior stood on a platform above this tower, throwing balls at the contenders as the tower spun. The tower's speed increased steadily as the event progressed. The last contender/s standing earned 25 points, and a bonus 25 points was earned for lasting 60 seconds.
Battle Bridge
A large bridge spun quickly in mid-air. The contender and the warrior were each given a large padded club to use to knock the other off the bridge as it spun. Contenders scored 50 points for successfully knocking the warrior off the bridge, or 25 points for lasting 60 seconds.
Battle Field
This event was similar to Powerball on American Gladiators
. Unlike Powerball, contenders competed one-on-one against a single warrior, who defended a single scoring bin. The scoring bin was located in the center of the playing field atop an approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) pyramid. The warrior wore boxing gloves and could freely attack the contender as much as they wanted to keep them from scoring. Each ball scored was worth 25 points.
Battle Hoop
Contenders began in the center of a circular field. A large hanging hoop moved around the outside perimeter of the field, with its opening always facing the center of the field. A warrior stood on the outside perimeter of the field to block the contender from jumping through the hoop. Contenders had 60 seconds to try to jump through the hoop as many times as they could, returning to the center after each attempt. Each successful pass through the hoop earned 25 points.
Battle Wall
Contenders had to get over three walls defended by the Battle Dome warriors. A warrior stood on the opposite side of each wall. Each wall was around 3 feet in height. The walls became narrower as the event went on making it harder to get by the warriors. Each wall that a contender was successful in climbing was worth 25 points.
Evader
A contender had to light targets while avoiding medicine balls being launched by two warriors. Contenders had 60 seconds to light up all the targets on the two towers (one at a time). Originally, the warriors only had to hit the contenders 3 times to end the match, but it was later increased to 5 times. Lighting up all the targets on a tower (this may not have ever been done) was worth 25 points and lighting up all the targets was worth 50. This event was considered to be Jake Fury's signature event.
Anti-Gravity
This event, along with Interceptor, was always played last because of the point opportunities. Contenders had to light strips by hitting buttons on a grid while moving along handles placed on the grid. Every strip lit was worth 25 points, for a possible 150. The contenders were also chased by a Battle Dome Warrior, which was almost always The Commander, and could lose the game in one of two ways: either losing their grip, which would result in the contender floating away, or having the Warrior rip their harness off and send them to the floor.
Interceptor
Called a game of cat and mouse, a contender had to fly around the Interceptor grid lighting targets worth 25 points each until caught by the warrior or time ran out. Each target was worth 25 points. There was a maximum of 175 points available to the contenders. This was The Commander's second signature event.
Ultimate Body Slam
This was a tiebreaker, usually between the warriors for the right to hold the warrior belt. If the top warrior had been less than stellar and a fellow warrior close in the rankings had performed well, but not well enough to win the belt outright, the two warriors would compete in Ultimate Body Slam. This game was simply a test of endurance; each player stood on a platform behind a metal disk. The disks were then pulled back and slammed into each other at increasing rates of speed and velocity until one of the two fell off and lost.
characters. The warriors competed for the Battledome Belt. After each event the warriors were "ranked", according to how well they did in the competition. At the end of that days competition the top ranked warrior received the Battledome Belt.
The "ranking" was done by the mysterious Chairman. The Chairman supposedly owned the Battledome. He was only seen in silhouette wearing a large cowboy hat
. What little else was known about him is that he was supposedly an older man. Karen Ko was supposed to be his trophy wife, and Bobbie Haven his secretary. It was Bobbie he would deliver the messages from The Chairman to the other warriors and the fans. At the start of the second season The Chairman and the Battledome Belt was dropped from the competition.
First season warriors
Second season warriors
. Darryl Gholar, one of the first season runners-up, appeared on AG during season three, advancing to the second half finals before falling to Joe Mauro. Tommy Knox, who lost to Gholar in season three, also competed in the first season of Battle Dome. Michael O'Hearn, who played Michael O'Dell, was a reserve Gladiator named Thor, but he never made an appearance on the show. O'Hearn is in the AG 2008 revival
as lead Gladiator Titan. Justice Smith (who played warrior Snake) is also in the AG revival as a Gladiator named Justice and Competed to become A WWE superstar on Tough Enough-he placed 3rd. Also featured as a contestant from the 1st season was (Jensen Atwood
), who notably played Wade on LOGO's Hit TV Series Noah's Arc
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series that aired from September 1999 to April 2001. It combined elements of American Gladiators - inspired athletic competition with scripted antics more reminiscent of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. Recurring character-athletes known as "Warriors" competed against weekly contestants in a variety of physically demanding (and sometimes dangerous) events. The series was filmed at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and produced by Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
.
The entire first season of Battle Dome is now available for purchase on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Over twenty episodes are available for free viewing on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
Overview
A Warrior typically entered the show's arena accompanied by his own bombastic theme music and-in several cases-a comely female sidekick; in later episodes, weekly contestants were also allotted female companions, courtesy of Perfect 10 magazine.The announcer for the show was Steve Albert
Steve Albert
Steve Albert is a sportscaster. He has served as a play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, and Cleveland Cavaliers...
(brother of Marv
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
); Scott Ferrall
Scott Ferrall
Scott Ferrall is an American sports talk radio personality who currently broadcasts for Sirius XM Radio on Howard 101. His voice is easily recognizable by his crackling....
provided color commentary. Seth Stockton served as referee for the entire run. Downtown Julie Brown
Downtown Julie Brown
Julie Dorne Brown, also known as Downtown Julie Brown , is an English actress and former MTV VJ.Of mixed race, Brown's father, Valentine Brown, was Jamaican and her mother, Doreen, is white...
appeared in early episodes, functioning as a sort of sideline reporter. The "Chairman", whose face remained off camera, oversaw the proceedings. Halfway through the show's run, Ferrall and Brown were replaced by Ed Lover
Ed Lover
James Roberts , better known as Ed Lover, is an African-American rapper, actor, musician, radio personality, and former MTV VJ.-Biography:...
and Brian Blakely, respectively, and "The Chairman" was dropped from the show.
Battle Dome was also broadcast in the UK, on the Challenge and Bravo networks, as well as on Channel 5, now "Five." It was also broadcast in Ireland on TV3
TV3 Ireland
TV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
.
Three male contestants competed in a series of four or five events, which varied in intensity and danger factor. After the fourth or fifth event, the two highest scoring competitors advanced to the Battle Dome final. In addition to facing the contestants, the Battle Dome Warriors were in a show-long competition against each other for the Battle Dome Warriors Championship belt. The Warriors were ranked before the competition started and could move up or down the list depending on either how well they performed during the show or how well they politicked with the Chairman or his on-camera assistant, Bobbie Haven (played by model Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Brown
Bobbie Jean Brown, sometimes credited as Bobbie Brown-Lane, is an American actress, model, and former beauty pageant contestant...
, who prior to this was best known for her appearance in the video for Warrant's "Cherry Pie
Cherry Pie (Warrant song)
"Cherry Pie" is a song by the American glam metal band Warrant. "Cherry Pie" is the titular track from Warrant's album Cherry Pie, and both were released in 1990.-Background:...
").
If the second and third place players were tied, the tie was broken in a rather novel way. Both players would stand on platforms on two separate metal discs, with the discs being pulled back and rammed together at high rates of speed. The intensity of the hit grew until one player fell off, at which point they would be going home. This also would help determine the Warriors champion if the championship was in question at the end of a show.
After all ties and championships between the Warriors and contestants were settled, the two remaining players moved into the Battle Dome for the final round, in which the two competitors wrestled each other in an attempt to throw the opponent off an elevated platform. Doing so won the match, a cash prize, and a Battle Dome championship ring. The winner would also advance in the Battle Dome tournament, with the winner getting a large cash prize, a motorcycle, and a Battle Dome championship belt at the end of the season.
Second season changes
- The Battle Dome Warriors Championship was removed.
- In addition to the male competitors, season two added three female contestants.
- In the Battle Dome final, the contestants had to continue wrestling until one scored a pin; throwing the opponent off the platform resulted in restarting the competition.
- All of the Battle Dome Warriors' valets (among those who had them) were replaced by the Perfect 10 models that the contestants were accompanied by.
World Championship Wrestling
In fall of 2000, the stars of Battle Dome and World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) began a brief cross-promotional feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
. It kicked off when WCW wrestlers disrupted a Battle Dome taping. In retaliation, on the November 6 edition of Monday Nitro, T-Money
Terry Crews
Terrence Alan "Terry" Crews is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League....
, Cuda, Mike O'Dell
Michael O'Hearn
Michael O'Hearn is an American bodybuilder, actor, powerlifter and fitness model. He has been featured on over 470 magazine covers, was Fitness Model of the Year seven times, was a champion in judo and tae kwon do, and was a four-time Mr. Natural Universe title holder...
(husband of WCW star Midajah
Melinda O'Hearn
Melinda McCullum , also known by her ring name Midajah, is an American actress, singer and fitness model, former professional wrestler and valet for World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling All-Stars and Ultimate Pro Wrestling....
), D.O.A.
Chad Bannon
Chad Bannon , also credited as Chad Ullery, is an American television and movie actor. He stands 6'4" and weighs 280 pounds. He is best known for his role as Killer Karl in House of 1000 Corpses and playing D.O.A...
, and Bubba King began heckling in the audience as Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
spoke to the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
crowd. Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
, Ernest Miller
Ernest Miller
Ernest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
, and Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell
Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001, where he was a five time World Tag Team Champion.-Professional wrestling career: Bagwell...
came to Page's aid before security ended the physical dispute. The feud between these men continued as far as November 20, mere months before the buyout of WCW by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF).
Events
Battle WheelTwo warriors competed. The event took place on a large, rotating platform which resembled a right circular cone
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
with its outside edge and apex flattened. The contenders had 60 seconds to force both warriors to touch the bottom ring of the wheel with any part of their body. The warriors were allowed to do essentially anything necessary to keep this from occurring. The contenders had to dispatch of the first warrior on the lower portion of the wheel (usually Jake Fury) before taking on the warrior at the top of the wheel (usually Cuda). 25 points were earned for removing the lower warrior from the wheel, and an additional 25 points were earned for getting the 2nd warrior off the wheel.
- Jake Fury suffered a nasty ankle injury on the Battle Wheel towards the end of Season 1. Fury's ankle was "blown out" and facing the incorrect direction. He only competed sparingly on the show afterwards.
- Scott Anthony,a contestant, also had his ankle broken/twisted (similar to Jake Fury's) under virtually the same circumstances in episode four of season 1.
- In Season 2, the Battle Wheel was significantly changed as the Wheel was lowered and wider, making it difficult for a contestant to defeat a warrior and so the ankle blow-out injury never happened again.
Take Down
A football type event. The contender was placed in the center of an enclosed area with 2 warriors on each end. Behind each warrior were 4 different lights with actuators beneath them. In the 1st season, a light was lit up behind the warrior (Steve and Scott typically noted that the warriors did not know which light was lit). On the referee's whistle, the contender tried to hit the actuator to turn the light off. Each light turned off was worth 25 points. The contender was only allowed one attempt per light; no "second effort" was allowed. After each attempt, the contender returned to the center and repeated against the other warrior. This would continue for 60 seconds. In the 2nd season, all 8 lights (4 at each end) were lit up. The contender chose which light to go after and the warrior would have to stop them. Otherwise, the rules remained the same from season 1.
Rollercage of Fire (1st Season), Rollercage (2nd Season)
Contenders were raised up into a revolving cylindrical
Cylinder (geometry)
A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
cage with holes built into it. In the 1st season, a ring of fire was set outside the cage at each end, mainly to set the atmosphere. The fire ring was removed in season two, as well as the reference to it in the event's title. Contenders had 60 seconds to force the warrior (Almost always T-Money, with 1 or 2 appearances by DOA in the later part of the 1st season) through one of the holes while avoiding the same fate. Forcing the warrior out earned 25 points (later 50). Draws originally scored nothing, but were later increased to a 25 point score.
Aerial Kickboxing
Contenders and opposing warriors hung from an undulating metal grid roughly 10 feet off the ground. The contender attempted to kick the warrior (most often Bubba King, but also Michael O'Dell or Sleepwalker) off the grid within 60 seconds without being removed from the grid themselves. Kicks to the head were technically against the rules and would result in DQ's. At least 1 contender was DQ'd because of head shots. However, the referee often looked the other way with Bubba King (he kicked almost every contender in the head, but was only called on it once). If the contender kicked the warrior off the grid, the contender scored 50 points. Draws scored 25 points. Most contenders were lucky to score short of a DQ of the warrior. Bubba King and Sleepwalker were almost impossible to beat, but O'Dell actually was impossible to defeat, as he never lost a match and rarely surrendered a draw.
- On one occasion, a contestant kicked Bubba King in the head. Bubba was stunned, but he still won.
After the match, the "reporter" had Bubba talk about the match. Bubba was angry, and complained about the contestant breaking the rules (by kicking him in the head), and Bubba said half his body went numb from the head kick.
G-Force
A central rotating tower had three arms extending from the top of the central tower. Each of the contenders hung onto a handle at the end of each arm. A warrior stood on a platform above this tower, throwing balls at the contenders as the tower spun. The tower's speed increased steadily as the event progressed. The last contender/s standing earned 25 points, and a bonus 25 points was earned for lasting 60 seconds.
Battle Bridge
A large bridge spun quickly in mid-air. The contender and the warrior were each given a large padded club to use to knock the other off the bridge as it spun. Contenders scored 50 points for successfully knocking the warrior off the bridge, or 25 points for lasting 60 seconds.
Battle Field
This event was similar to Powerball on American Gladiators
American Gladiators
American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility.The concept was created by...
. Unlike Powerball, contenders competed one-on-one against a single warrior, who defended a single scoring bin. The scoring bin was located in the center of the playing field atop an approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) pyramid. The warrior wore boxing gloves and could freely attack the contender as much as they wanted to keep them from scoring. Each ball scored was worth 25 points.
Battle Hoop
Contenders began in the center of a circular field. A large hanging hoop moved around the outside perimeter of the field, with its opening always facing the center of the field. A warrior stood on the outside perimeter of the field to block the contender from jumping through the hoop. Contenders had 60 seconds to try to jump through the hoop as many times as they could, returning to the center after each attempt. Each successful pass through the hoop earned 25 points.
Battle Wall
Contenders had to get over three walls defended by the Battle Dome warriors. A warrior stood on the opposite side of each wall. Each wall was around 3 feet in height. The walls became narrower as the event went on making it harder to get by the warriors. Each wall that a contender was successful in climbing was worth 25 points.
Evader
A contender had to light targets while avoiding medicine balls being launched by two warriors. Contenders had 60 seconds to light up all the targets on the two towers (one at a time). Originally, the warriors only had to hit the contenders 3 times to end the match, but it was later increased to 5 times. Lighting up all the targets on a tower (this may not have ever been done) was worth 25 points and lighting up all the targets was worth 50. This event was considered to be Jake Fury's signature event.
Anti-Gravity
This event, along with Interceptor, was always played last because of the point opportunities. Contenders had to light strips by hitting buttons on a grid while moving along handles placed on the grid. Every strip lit was worth 25 points, for a possible 150. The contenders were also chased by a Battle Dome Warrior, which was almost always The Commander, and could lose the game in one of two ways: either losing their grip, which would result in the contender floating away, or having the Warrior rip their harness off and send them to the floor.
Interceptor
Called a game of cat and mouse, a contender had to fly around the Interceptor grid lighting targets worth 25 points each until caught by the warrior or time ran out. Each target was worth 25 points. There was a maximum of 175 points available to the contenders. This was The Commander's second signature event.
Ultimate Body Slam
This was a tiebreaker, usually between the warriors for the right to hold the warrior belt. If the top warrior had been less than stellar and a fellow warrior close in the rankings had performed well, but not well enough to win the belt outright, the two warriors would compete in Ultimate Body Slam. This game was simply a test of endurance; each player stood on a platform behind a metal disk. The disks were then pulled back and slammed into each other at increasing rates of speed and velocity until one of the two fell off and lost.
Warriors
During the first season, the warriors maintained distinct personalities, similar to professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
characters. The warriors competed for the Battledome Belt. After each event the warriors were "ranked", according to how well they did in the competition. At the end of that days competition the top ranked warrior received the Battledome Belt.
The "ranking" was done by the mysterious Chairman. The Chairman supposedly owned the Battledome. He was only seen in silhouette wearing a large cowboy hat
Cowboy hat
The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern United States, western Canada and northern Mexico, with...
. What little else was known about him is that he was supposedly an older man. Karen Ko was supposed to be his trophy wife, and Bobbie Haven his secretary. It was Bobbie he would deliver the messages from The Chairman to the other warriors and the fans. At the start of the second season The Chairman and the Battledome Belt was dropped from the competition.
First season warriors
- T-Money (Terry CrewsTerry CrewsTerrence Alan "Terry" Crews is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League....
), 1999–2001 - The Commander (Christian BoevingChristian BoevingChristian Boeving is an American actor, writer, producer, fitness model, personal trainer, and former bodybuilding supplement spokesperson. He grew up in Missouri, United States and resides in Los Angeles County in Southern California....
) 1999-2001 - Michael O'Dell (Michael O'HearnMichael O'HearnMichael O'Hearn is an American bodybuilder, actor, powerlifter and fitness model. He has been featured on over 470 magazine covers, was Fitness Model of the Year seven times, was a champion in judo and tae kwon do, and was a four-time Mr. Natural Universe title holder...
), 1999–2001 - Bubba King (Timothy Elwell), 1999–2001
- Cuda (Rudolph Jones), 1999–2001
- D.O.A. (Chad BannonChad BannonChad Bannon , also credited as Chad Ullery, is an American television and movie actor. He stands 6'4" and weighs 280 pounds. He is best known for his role as Killer Karl in House of 1000 Corpses and playing D.O.A...
), 1999–2000 - Sleepwalker (Woon Young Park), 1999–2000
- Payne (John Sperandeo), 1999–2000
- Jake Fury, (Gary Kasper), 1999–2001
Second season warriors
- Snake (Jesse "Justice" Smith, Jr.), 2000–2001
- Moose (Scott Milne), 2000–2001
- Baby Blue, 2000–2001
- Johnny Rocco, 2000–2001 (Ron Cerenzo)
- Mad Dog Steele(Stefan Gamlin), 2000–2001
- Prince, 2000–2001
The women of Battle Dome
A partial list of female companions:- The Dahm TripletsNicole, Erica and Jaclyn DahmNicole, Erica, and Jaclyn Dahm are identical triplets.-Early lives:The triplets grew up in Jordan, Minnesota, and attended Jordan's public schools. All three also attended the University of Minnesota....
- Yellow "Perfect 10 Girl" (Jesse CapelliJesse CapelliJesse Capelli is a Canadian adult model and a pornographic actress.She was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and described herself as a "real tomboy" when younger. In April 2004 she was the Penthouse Pet of the Month...
) - Red "Perfect 10 Girl" (Carla Alapont)
- Bobbie Haven (Bobbie BrownBobbie BrownBobbie Jean Brown, sometimes credited as Bobbie Brown-Lane, is an American actress, model, and former beauty pageant contestant...
, best known for Warrant's "Cherry PieCherry Pie (Warrant song)"Cherry Pie" is a song by the American glam metal band Warrant. "Cherry Pie" is the titular track from Warrant's album Cherry Pie, and both were released in 1990.-Background:...
" music video) - Angel (Karen Taucher)
- Karen Ko (Karen Kim)
American Gladiators & Famous Alumni
Four people who appeared on Battle Dome also were involved with American GladiatorsAmerican Gladiators
American Gladiators is an American competition television program that aired in syndication from September 1989 to May 1996. The series matched a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show's own gladiators, in contests of strength and agility.The concept was created by...
. Darryl Gholar, one of the first season runners-up, appeared on AG during season three, advancing to the second half finals before falling to Joe Mauro. Tommy Knox, who lost to Gholar in season three, also competed in the first season of Battle Dome. Michael O'Hearn, who played Michael O'Dell, was a reserve Gladiator named Thor, but he never made an appearance on the show. O'Hearn is in the AG 2008 revival
American Gladiators (2008 TV series)
American Gladiators is an American competition TV show that aired on NBC and Citytv in Canada. Hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali, the show matches amateur athletes against each other and the show's own "gladiators" in contests of strength, agility, and endurance...
as lead Gladiator Titan. Justice Smith (who played warrior Snake) is also in the AG revival as a Gladiator named Justice and Competed to become A WWE superstar on Tough Enough-he placed 3rd. Also featured as a contestant from the 1st season was (Jensen Atwood
Jensen Atwood
Jensen Atwood is an American actor who was raised and currently resides in South Central, Los Angeles. He has two younger sisters and two older brothers. Raised by his mother with older brother Jason "String" Atwood...
), who notably played Wade on LOGO's Hit TV Series Noah's Arc