Laila Ali to co-host ‘American Gladiators’

LOS ANGELES - She’s known for her athleticism and now World Super Middlewieght Boxing Champion Laila Ali is getting ready to show off her hosting skills as she joins NBC’s “American Gladiators,” Access Hollywood has confirmed.

Ali will join the previously announced Hulk Hogan to present the show, which will return to TV screens on NBC next year. She was last on TV, competing to a third place finish on the fourth season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

“It’s an honor to be reintroducing this American classic to a new generation of fans,” Ali told People.

The original version of “American Gladiators” ran from 1989-1997. It featured contestants, competing in various events including the Joust, The Eliminator, the Gauntlet and the Human Cannonball.

While powering through the events, the contestants were pursued by the show’s Gladiators including Malibu, Lace, Nitro, Blaze, Titan, Turbo, Thunder, Viper and Storm.

Eight new Gladiators — four male, four female — will join the new cast, according to People, who was the first to report the news.

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