Season 14 Episode 3: Gladiators 2​
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A wealthy upstart lanista (Damien Rush) is in the market for a new gladiator slave. Rush has his eye set on the colossal Specimen. The cocky young lanista puts a down payment on the behemoth gladiator that is assured to be the worth of at least two other men. Damien discovers that the slave is in fact larger than any two normal men combined, attempting to reach both hands around the gladiator’s massive biceps and coming up well short of the mark.
Coupled with Specimen’s physique beyond measure is a strong hint of an attitude beyond an owner’s power to control. In Damien’s few experiences with slaves, he has come to expect a level of docility and submissiveness; with Specimen, the slave owner is finding something much closer to obstinacy but is too naïve to recognize it. Damien commands the gladiator show off with push-ups. The slave is slow to respond but ultimately compelled by the excuse to pump his pecs.
Believing himself to be superior to all slaves, gladiator or otherwise, Rush tests Specimen’s resiliency by applying a full nelson hold. Hardly able to wrap his arms around the 260 pound gladiator frame, Rush orders Specimen to his knees where he can apply a hold with more leverage. “Most of my slaves would break by now!” Rush taunts. Reverse Bear hugging Specimen he announces, “You’ll never break my grip, my grip is eternal,” referencing his monetary ownership over the slave more so than his interlocked arms. The lanista presses his advantage, reminding the slave who he is now wrestling, who the master is.
What started as a test turns into a gladiator taming session. “I’m sensing some rebelliousness in you” Rush finally catches on. “If I’m to turn you into a good gladiator I’ll have to beat that out of you,” he declares, slipping in a rear naked choke sleeper hold on the defiant slave. Establishing his dominance further, Damien commands that the slave not struggle against his hold and instead should go out and want to go out.
The young master has the gladiator acting more the part of the slave. Specimen more or less allows each hold to be applied without resistance. Rush beings to beat him with a riding a crop and cinches in a modified camel clutch using ropes to do the hard work for him. The slave hardly looks worse for the wear; the master is bathed in sweat. Damien is working very hard just to position and maneuver the mammoth gladiator around. He works harder and harder to bring the gladiator to his breaking point.
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For all his efforts Rush is rewarded by the beast Specimen snapping. With a sudden disregard for authority the slave rebels. Rush runs to get his riding crop which he brandishes at Specimen. The kilted beast blasts it aside and effortlessly hoists his master into an upside down bear hug. Specimen carries Rush around the ring while the latter screams “You will be punished severely for this!”
Perhaps feeling a modicum of guilt for turning on his new master, Specimen lets off. Foolishly, Rush uses the opportunity to lock in the same reverse bear hug he had applied earlier, rather than reason with the angered he-man. This time Specimen easily loosens the grip around his waist and practically throws his master into a fireman’s carry across his shoulder, parading him around while Rush laments on the money lost in his recent transaction. “I’ll send the guards after you, you won’t last a second!” Warns Rush. “Send em” retorts Specimen. Now the massive gladiator returns the full nelson from earlier. When the big man snaps it on, Rush’s arms are close to being pried off of his shoulders.
Specimen continues to embarrass the lanista by using the same moves he had done to him, only with much more force and ferocity. The gladiator’s sleeper hold nearly puts Rush to sleep in seconds, whereas Rush had to command that his sleeper not be resisted just to keep his arms locked around Specimen’s inhuman size. A moment prior to passing out Specimen crushes Damien over his knee, working up the torque and flexing his mighty biceps. There is no doubt what an undefeatable force this gladiator would be in the arena.
The proud gladiator affixes his foot atop his ‘master’s’ chest and shouts “where’s your money?” Specimen welcomes the idea of the city guard coming after him, enjoying each crank of Damien’s back in the camel clutch. “Is this your money? Is this what you were going to buy ME with?” Specimen asks, spearing his short lived master the ground. Specimen high curl slams the lanista and takes off with his golden ornaments. How will a beaten and broken Rush respond?