The competition was fierce in the Atlanta City Qualifiers round of American Ninja Warrior Season 11, with Drew Drechsel unsurprisingly but awesomely setting a record and guaranteeing himself a place in the national finals. That said, Drechsel's run on the American Ninja Warrior may not be the most talked-about event of the night. The June 5 episode saw a bunch of dogs adorably attempt to conquer the warped wall, and one pit bull came out on top and tore his way up. Take a look!
Was it impressive to see Drew Drechsel and the other human competitors defy gravity to try and defeat all but impossible obstacles? Absolutely. Was it way more fun to see the doggy shenanigans as the pooches raced up the warped wall? Definitely, in my book! The top prize for conquering the doggy warped wall goes to Motive, the 2-year-old pit bull who set the record for making it to the top. Who needs rock-climbing skills anyway?
Motive wasn't the only dog to conquer the doggy warped wall, but he was the fastest. Honestly, even if the video hadn't showcased all of Motive's competition as well, I would have guessed that Motive was the fastest. He was already straining against his handler to race up the wall, and he made it to the to the top in seconds.
The Belgian Malinois Icon, also 2-years-old, all but flew to the top. While 8-year-old Border Collie Emily didn't get off to the fastest start, she scampered her way up and over the wall as well. No, Motive wasn't the only pup to successfully climb the warped wall, but he was definitely the fastest. Was he the most adorable, though? It would be hard to pick the cutest dog among the pack, so let's just say they all tied for first for that particular bragging right.
The doggy warped wall was erected in honor of the release of The Secret Life of Pets 2, but the episode delivered more than just a showcase for some canines climbing walls and movie promotion. One of the athletes attempting the human course was Roo Yori, known as the K9 Ninja due to his work to bring awareness to homeless dogs and promote their adoption while he's in the spotlight on American Ninja Warrior.
Roo Yori conquered the human warped wall and therefore became one of the champions of the night, but that's not the only good thing that came out of his latest appearance on the show. There was a surprise in store for him: Universal Pictures decided to donate a whopping sum of money to his cause and help more dogs to get adopted. Take a look at American Ninja Warrior co-host Akbar Gbajabiamila's tweet honoring the twist:
Dogs trying to conquer the warped wall probably won't be a weekly occurrence on American Ninja Warrior, but at least fans can go back and rewatch Motive tearing up the obstacle to their hearts' delight.
Hey, maybe we'll get more of Jessie Graff in her superhero costumes, which she chooses for a fun reason. And then there's always the chance for more celebrities, right? Stephen Amell of Arrow fame more than held his own, and Ne-Yo killed it on the course as well.
For more human attempts at defying gravity and incredible feats of athleticism, tune in to NBC for new episodes of American Ninja Warrior on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
