ESPN’s Sam Alipour Battles Gina Carano, American Gladiators

In 2008, years before “Hang Time,” before ESPN put him on TV, and before immersive storytelling became his trademark, ESPN.com sent Sam Alipour to battle the American Gladiators. Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali tried to warn him. He assumed they were doing a bit. Instead, Sam got launched off a pyramid by a gladiator named Justice and repeatedly hit in the head by future MMA superstar (and Mandalorian actress) Gina Carano. The result: a concussion — and what may have been the prototype for everything that followed. Originally filmed for ESPN.com in 2008, during the early days of digital sports storytelling. Read the original ESPN story: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/...