American Gladiators Will Air On Amazon Prime Video

 

American Gladiators is set to air on Amazon Prime Video. The 2026 comes after the revival in the UK. The BBC show began in 2024. The 2008 series aired on NBC, but did not reach the success of the 1989 predecessor. The problem with putting it on streaming relates to audience access. Viewers are paying higher fees for streaming services. This means growth would be limited to a select amount. The challenge with network or cable tv is competing with other channels. The 1989 version circumvented this problem by running in syndication. The question remains if this show can be a success. What made American Gladiators enjoyable were the personalities and personas. A total of eight female athletes are going to be new gladiators in the women's division. They are not only bodybuilders, but pro wrestlers, CrossFit athletes, powerlifters, and rugby players. The roster is qualified, yet creative choices can change the final product. The new series is the second attempt at revival. The classic events are returning along with new additions. The 2026 program will stream on April 17th.  

The IOC Attempts To Ban Transwomen From Sports Competition

 

The IOC is making attempts to ban transwomen from Olympic competition. To some, this is a shock considering it is occurring under the first female IOC president Kristy Coventry. Transwomen have been allowed to compete in the Olympics since 2004. There were few objections and hysterical reactions during the 2000s. The anti-LGBTQ  backlash was fueled by the religious conservatives who hated that this group were getting equal treatment under the law. A culture war is now infecting international sports competition. This is also negatively impacting cisgender women. Female athletes are now subject to sex testing once more. It could possibly get more strict if a ban goes into effect. The IOC claims these measures are for the protection of the female category and fairness. The assertion just disguises discrimination based on gender identity. Cisgender women with differences in sexual development are being harassed by IOC policy. The policies enacted also reveal a degree of anti-trans misogyny. Transwomen receive more vituperation and abuse compared to transmen. Kristy Coventry's employment history is subject to debate. Her only experience managing a sports organization was being minister of  Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture in Zimbabwe. Prior to this Kristy was an a swimmer who competed in the Olympics. Kristy Coventry has no experience in government or sports management prior to the 2018 appointment by the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration. Her tenure as minister of    Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture did not leave lasting improvement or change. A similar pattern could occur with her leadership of the IOC. The reason she was probably elected was to make it easier to push discriminatory  policies. A female IOC president would have less difficulty getting anti-trans rules imposed. Kristy Coventry  was born in a country that was a white minority ruled colonial regime. Observers and activists realize that the IOC is going backwards and  policies are not supported by sports science. Cisgender women continue to hold the majority of sports records and few transwomen are competing.  

Women's Bodybuilding Is Back In The Tampa Pro

 

It was announced that women's bodybuilding was being omitted from the Tampa pro. Fans were vexed and disappointed. Through the efforts of Jake Wood and Alina Popa it was added back to the contest. The IFBB appears to want to sabotage the division's growth. The Tampa pro takes place between July 31 to August 2. Athletes can now look forward to competing. This could have caused complications for some who do meticulous preparation. Travel, hotel accommodations, and other expenses are taken into consideration for athletes. Athletes  who changed there plans when cancellation was announced are in a more frustrating position. There still remains time to change plans. The Tampa pro is three months away. The unprofessional conduct directed at athletes should not be tolerated. Removing women's bodybuilding should not have happened to begin with. Women's bodybuilding has an improved status with the return of the Ms. Olympia. Other cases it seems more precarious. Alina Popa no longer competes, but has made a name for herself as a promoter. Popa should be thanked by all women competing in the Tampa pro. More promoters should make it possible that the women's open class bodybuilding class remains active.     

Physical 100 Asia Is Coming To Netflix

Physical 100 Asia is coming to Netflix. The Korean sports entertainment program has become a major hit. Now it is seeking to expand calling on athletes from other countries in Asia. The news related to the competitors is not clear. This leaves speculation about which nations are competitors coming from. Maybe some are from Thailand, China, Japan, India, Nepal or China. Then the question of roster emerges. There might be one nation that gets more representation that others. South Korean athletes most likely are going to make up the majority of the competitors. Nothing has been confirmed, but the spin-off is expected to air in 2025. Other sources assert that Physical 100 Asia is going to be season 3 and not its own spin-off series. Much of the information comes from the Korean Herald . Series creator Jang Ho-gi expressed the desire to expand Physical 100. What viewers can expect is new events and some old favorites returning. It was implied that some past contestants want to return. The format does change, which makes the show interesting. Few can predict the outcome of events. If the show continues to do well more seasons will be produced. Sorting teams based on nationality like the Olympics could be a challenge. Asia has a total of 48 countries. The selection process should consider athletes  of West Asia, South Asia, and Oceania. More women need to participate, considering their numbers are lower. Women competitors are just as enthusiastic to demonstrate their athletic skill. Physical 100 is  gradually becoming a popular sports entertainment franchise.  

The Death of Rebecca Cheptegei

 

Ugandan Rebecca Cheptegei was killed by her ex-boyfriend. She was set on fire. These acts of domestic violence and violence against women are too common. Cheptegei was buried with military honors. She was a former service member. She leaves behind her children. The Ugandan  government has stated it will provide funds to her family. The details surrounding the murder demonstrates the inadequacy of law enforcement. Rebecca Cheptegei  approached police three times about the threats to her life. Uganda and Kenya are experiencing a surge in violence directed at women. Police either do not care or ignore alerts. Law enforcement is never held accountable for failure or inefficiency. Female athletes could be targets of violent men who do not like strong women. Then exploitation and violence could be related to economic conditions. Men may target female athletes drawn to their higher incomes. The desire to control them would be a means of attain more money than what local employment could provide. Kenya and Uganda still struggle to reach a higher level of economic development. So far, new legislation has not been introduced to counter the murders of women. A consistent pattern has emerged. Rebecca Cheptegei was only 33 years old. A life was cut short, when there was so much more to accomplish. The murder is not just effecting Uganda and Kenya. Across the African continent a new concern about women's safety has emerged.   

A Total of 5,250 Women Will Compete In The 2024 Paris Olympics Games

 

According to the number of registered athletes, a total of 5,250 women will be competing. Based on the IOC data this marks the first time the Olympics has reached gender parity. When the modern Olympics began in 1896 women were mostly excluded. During the 20th century, ,more women participated. Barriers were bein g removed so that women could compete. While this is welcomed news sex discrimination remains. The testosterone regulation remains in place. Transwomen can compete in the Olympics, but the IOC has left guidelines to individual global sports federations. That means a transwoman can still be banned from competing for a place on an Olympic team of their own country. Transgender athletes  were allowed to compete in the Olympics beginning in 2004. The disgraceful practice of sex verification tests continued until 1999. However, it still can be done on the condition of questionable gender identity. Intersexed athletes are subjected to discriminatory treatment. The testosterone regulation for female athletes could be designated as another form of sex verification. These policies undermine women's advancement in international sports competition. Then discrimination based on national origin is apparent. Belarusian women are not going to compete because of their nation's alliance with Russia. Belarus has not engaged in combat in Ukraine. The contradictory measure becomes more obvious when not punishment will be done for Israel. The Gaza War has killed more civilians than Hamas. Countries like Afghanistan refuse to send female athletes. While the number of women has increased,  the are not coming from every nation. To sustain progress, women are going to have to get leadership positions in the IOC. 

Flexing Females # 7

Theresa Bostick Competes At Jan Tana Classic (1999)

The Status of Sports Illustrated

 

Sports Illustrated has laid off staff. The sports magazine is in serious financial consternation. A combination of corporate avarice, mismanagement, and faults in the capitalist business model might be the demise of the magazine. Sports Illustrated was purchased by the Authentic Brands Group in 2019. This corporation has owned a number of brands, which has essential reduced business competition. The Arena Group which has the license to publish Sport Illustrated  made serious error. The realization that some articles written with AI generated controversy. The failure to expand in terms of online publication and social media pushed the magazine behind. Consumers of a certain age are not going to read newspapers or magazines. The platforms and consumption of entertainment has changed. The corporate practice of terminating staff to increase profits is more prevalent. Authentic Brands Group's executive leadership is making more and will not accept cuts in pay to save the magazine. Unionized workers were given a notice in advance and those not part of a labor union were terminated immediately. Just being part of a labor union does not ensure job security. Print journalism is slowly becoming a relic of the past. The nature of sports reporting is also undergoing transformation. Arena Group is attempting to reach an agreement with Authentic Brands Group. Without some licensing publication Sports Illustrated could cease. The magazine started in 1954 and has become an icon of sports journalism. While the status of Sports Illustrated remains unknown, it amassed a major following in its 69 years of circulation. 

Jade Cargill Obtains A WWE Contract

 

All Elite Wrestling has lost one of their most popular wrestlers. Jade Cargill has signed a multi-year contract with WWE. Jade was absent for a period with no official explanation. Some fans feared that AEW terminated her employment. Jade herself said that she loved working with the company and had been in contact with management. The WWE is  changing. It has been purchased by Endeavor. It also owns the UFC. This falls under the TKO Group Holdings. Vince McMahon does not hold  the majority of control of the WWE. He remains Executive Chairman of  the Board. While he holds some influence, most of the power is invested in TKO Group Holdings CEO  Ari Emmanuel. Jade Cargill's employment could represent stage in transition for professional wrestling. A new era in sports entertainment  has begun. The failure of AEW to retain its talent means that it might not last. Seeing Jade on AEW was refreshing and fun. The AEW will have to make adjustments to remain competitive in the sports entertainment market. One question is if Jade can retain her ring name when going to the WWE. Assuming it is copyrighted under AEW, then she will have to select a new one. Jade made her debut in professional wrestling in 2021. She did attempt to get into the WWE in 2019. This did not result in a contract, so Jade went to the AEW. She expressed her gratitude to the AEW for giving her a chance. So far, Jade Cargill has done a total 64 ring matches. Her matches have not extended beyond ten minutes. When she goes to the WWE, it will be much longer. Some fans might think Jade could be the next Chyna. Her potential is there as long as the WWE makes the right decisions. No statement has been given by the WWE on when her first match will be. Jade Cargill at the moment is training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Her time with AEW is over, but a new journey is starting with the WWE.  

The 2023 Women's World Cup Begins

 

The Women's World Cup has began. The host countries are both Australia and New Zealand. This is the ninth competition to be held since 1991. The competition will go from July 20th to August 20th. The final match is going to held in Sydney Olympic Stadium. Fans can watch the Women's World Cup on FOX, FS1, and the FOX Sports App. It will also be available on their website as well. The opening matches were between Australia and Ireland. This was flowed by New Zealand and Norway. Nigeria will be facing Canada. The Philippines will go against Switzerland followed by Spain and Costa Rica. Vietnam will compete against the United States. Megan Rapinoe announced she will retire after this Women's World Cup. US Women's Soccer has won many victories and her contribution cannot be underestimated. The athletic talent is expanding in women's soccer. As more nations send there athletes having one nation become dominant is not ensured. The unusual aspect of the Women's World Cup is that two nations are acting as hosts. FIFA has run into controversy considering when Qatar did hosting duties. Some female athletes might not approve of   the Gulf monarchies having a high level of financial influence on soccer. The objection comes from the fact women's rights  in those nations are limited. The hope is that the 2023 Women's World Cup does not come with massive controversy. Some countries are going to absent. Afghanistan was developing a women's soccer team, but Taliban rule has stopped that. Russia has been banned from the Women's World Cup. This is unfair, due to the fact athletes did not develop policies for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These two issues cannot be ignored no matter how much sports reporting tries to omit them. Despite these concerns the hope is the competition will generate high TV ratings and ticket sales.   

Flexing Females #6

 

American Gladiators Documentary Muscles And Mayhem Is Coming To Netflix

 

Muscles and Mayhem : An Unauthorized Story of The American Gladiators will be streaming on Netflix. The show ran from 1989 to 1996 and was a popular game show that featured a number of bodybuilders facing off against various contestants. The show was the essence of 1990s American  culture. Sports, prevalent commercialization, and the image of action hero are the best way to describe the American Gladiators craze .   The documentary will look at the rise of popularity, the lives of the gladiators, and the challenges that came with producing such a unique show. There have been attempts to revive the series. The 2008 version only lasted two seasons. The original American Gladiators ran for 208 episodes and seven seasons. The Netflix documentary will cover some of the controversial elements surrounding the show. Performance enhancing drug use, conflict during competition, and injury rates were concerns. Granted the Netflix production will have a good amount of sensationalism to gain viewership. While their documentaries are fascinating they sometimes feel too much like a tabloid. ESPN also has produced a documentary about the show. The fact these two documentaries are being produced indicates there could be interest in having the franchise revived. At its height the show had products like shirts, lunchboxes, video games, and action figures. A cartoon was rumored to be in development, but nothing came of this. Although it seems that American Gladiators remains in pop-culture dormancy, it hold a special place in nostalgic memory. Muscles and Mayhem : An Unauthorized Story of The American Gladiators  should  be a must watch for any devoted fan.  

Dana Shemesh Is Coming Out Of Retirement

 

Dana Shemesh is coming out of retirement. The most notable Israeli bodybuilder will step on stage again, which she confirmed on her Twitter page. Dana will be heading to Romania to compete in the Olympia Masters. The contest will be held August 26th. Dana announced that she was retired from competition in 2020. Two years she was away, but did not stop training. Dana Shemesh will be the first Israeli woman to compete in the Olympia Masters. The reason she returned was due to her love of the sport. Dana has been active in bodybuilding and fitness since 2010. To her this is an pure enjoyment. Maybe the retirement in 2020 was not an actual one. It was more of a brief hiatus. Competitors going into retirement and then reappearing is not a rare occurrence. Lenda Murray returned to competition in 2002 and won another Ms. Olympia in 2003. Another incentive to return is the prize money. Winners can get up to $229,000. Dana Shemesh did not say that was a major motivator to return. The possibility of getting that reward could be athletes that push to get back on stage. So far, Dana Shemesh has not revealed much about her strategy for competition. Seeing as her experience is vast getting back on stage should be easy. Dana Shemesh has competed in fitness, physique, and bodybuilding. She never really retired in a sense, rather took a two year break.   

Tori Bowie Has Passed Away

 

Tori Bowie a three time Olympic gold medalist was found dead in her home. This comes as a major shock to the sport. The cause of death is not known. Bowie was only 32 years of age. Little information has been given about what her health condition was. Law enforcement claims no evidence of murder has been found. Suicide could not be an answer. No note was left or implication was given.  Friends, family, and fellow athletes have been mourning the loss of  at talented track and field competitor. Born in 1990, her athletic career began in high school. She won school championships and during her 20s made an incredible rise. The 2016 Rio Olympics she was able to win a silver, bronze, and gold medal. The 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and the 400 rely were the events she excelled. More rumors surrounding her death continue to circulate. Nothing is certain until a thorough investigation is conducted. The findings might not become public, depending on her family's wishes. Track and field will not be the same without her.   

World Athletics Bans Transwomen From Competition

 

World Athletics has officially banned transwomen from competition. No category is provided for them and transwomen would not be allowed to compete in the men's category. Another ban has been issued to women with differences in sexual development. Women with SDS are not transwomen, so it is puzzling why they were included in the new policy. The argument is that both transwomen and women with SDS have an unfair athletic advantage. There are few transwomen active in sports and there is not enough data on their performance to say it is impossible for cisgender women to compete with them. Sexual reassignment surgery and hormone replacement does reduce testosterone levels. World Athletics intends to within a year address the issue of transwomen's inclusion. Sebastian Coe President of World Athletics admitted that there are no transwomen currently active in elite international competition. The assertion of protection of female athletes is dubious. Scientific data has shown that transwomen do not remain the same athletic performance, prior to transition. The question remains whether or not all physical advantages can be reduced. If bans can be applied to one group and can be done to others. Russia and Belarus are being excluded based on politics. Policing this new policy could revive sex testing. The argument of ensuring fairness is covering obvious discrimination. World Athletics could have avoided human rights violations and criticism by creating an open category. The formation of an open category would allow transwomen to compete and prevent discrimination against  LGBTQ athletes. The controversy will not go away with a ban. More protests and objections will be directed at World Athletics due to this decision. 

The W Series Funding Challenges

 

The W Series announced that its season has been cut short. Funding issues are cited as a reason. The women's only  motorsport competition was designed to get more women involved. There are some criticisms about the W Series. There is no reason that women cannot compete with men in other established races. Physical fitness such as strength and running speed are not major factors. The sport is non-contact. The physical challenge is the amount of G-force present and being skilled with the car. The great aspect of this is that a large number of female athletes in motorsport are together. The other dimension is unnecessary sex segregation. A man would not be allowed to participate in the race. If there was an official rule to keep women out of racing the objections would be numerous. Motorsport does not need a women's only gym. The motivation is understandable, but there are issue that come with that. Perhaps the W Series could be a training ground for female athletes to compete in Formula 1 or NASCAR. The races could be used to increase skills and develop new talent. Jamie Chadwick has shown promise winning three championships. Although the W Series  can be criticized, one should not hope for its failure. Sponsorship and fundraising efforts must increase to save the W Series. Then ticket sales must increase, along with building a fan base. Funding challenges are one of the biggest obstacles to women's sports. CEO Catherine Bond Muir must develop a new business model based on these solutions. What can be speculated is that the W Series in the 2023 season will have fewer races.  

Laura Creavalle 1992 Ms. Olympia

 

The Rise of The Green Falcons

 

Women's soccer in Saudi Arabia is taking the spotlight. The Green Falcons are the women's national soccer team of the KSA. The team was launched in October of 2021 and demonstrates a major cultural shift. Women are now taking part in more activities that were not available to them before. Women's participation in sports was low and part of the Vision 2030 program was to get women more active. The goal also wants to seeing more international sports competition. The Green Falcons have played against Seychelles, Maldives, and Bhutan. With enough effort, the Green Falcons could at some point reach the Women's World Cup. Their progress in such a short time demonstrates the importance of investment and government programs. According to the Khaleej Times women's sports participation rose to 150% in the last four years. The data also claims 195,000 girls are playing sports. The demographic was between 5 to 15 and showed they were doing this on a weekly basis. Construction of training facilities are underway and plans for developing more talent. Women are gaining more freedom, but it should not be limited to one section of society. Other occupations should be given as much attention for women's advancement. Women need to have more administrative positions in the Saudi Arabian  Football Federation. As long as the Green Falcons maintain quality coaching and win more games their future is bright. Saudi women might begin to compete in other sports besides soccer. 

Andrea Shaw Wants To Win 11 Ms. Olympia Contests

 

Andrea Shaw has some big goals in mind. Back in March of 2022, she stated in a Generation Iron interview her intent to win 11 Ms. Olympia contests. What Andrea intends to do is replicate a feat done by Iris Kyle. Iris Kyle won the contest ten times and if Andrea does this that would break the record. Andrea Shaw is a very capable athlete. Her physique is definitely the same quality of Iris Kyle and Lenda Murray. The question about if this is possible is reliant on several factors. Competitors like Margie Martin and Helle Trevino  are formidable. More competitors could be coming to the open class bodybuilding division. Then it is uncertain if Iris Kyle would comeback to the stage one last time. Then Andrea Shaw explained that if she did not have the drive to continue, she would retire. What Andrea mentioned is that being a promoter would be her interest after her competitive years are over. Andrea expressed that she also wanted to expand the sport for women. Andrea Shaw might continue to dominate the Ms. Olympia stage in the 2020s. Andrea would have to win every Ms. Olympia from now up until 2031. Hopefully, there will not be an absence of the contest or disruption. If all goes according to plan, Andrea would go down as the best bodybuilder of the 21st century. Andrea Shaw is already making her impact. The next Ms. Olympia will be coming up and it will be no surprise if  repeats her victory like in 2021.