The concept of competitive programming dates back to the early 20th century. Competitive game shows like Spelling Bee and Information Please date back to the 1930s television and radio. The format has evolved and taken over television, with a wide variety of game shows from those that challenge the mind to those that challenge the body.
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These days, game shows usually have a celebrity host, someone that draws fans in. They're also known for having celebrity guests. So it's perhaps not surprising that the charismatic wrestlers have appeared on challenge shows like John Morrison in Survivor or Luchasaurus in Big Brother. One of the more recent examples, in September 2020, it was announced that John Cena would be the new host of the popular TBS game show Wipeout.
10 The Rock - The Titan Games
Given the fact that charisma seems to ooze out of every pore on The Rock's body, it's not surprising that he has become a game show host. The Titan Games was produced, in part, by The Rock's own company Seven Bucks Productions.
The program's first series has run for two seasons to date on NBC and will likely be picked up for future seasons. Though ratings for the show have dropped off considerably since its debut.
9 John Cena - Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
Speaking of wrestlers that are super charismatic, John Cena has not only followed The Rock into Hollywood but also into game-show hosting. The leader of the C-nation was announced as the host of the rebooted Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? on Nickelodeon in 2019.
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The show is similar to the original series which ran on Fox between 2007 to 2009 before being rebooted in 2015. In 2019, Nickelodeon picked up the format. So far, there has been no news as to whether it will be picked up for another season.
8 John Cena - American Grit
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? isn't the only competitive television show hosted by the 16-time WWE World Champion. John Cena was also hired by Fox to host American Grit.
The show saw contestants put through intensive armed forces like drills. The show lasted two seasons before it was ultimately canceled. The winner of the series would receive a $250,000 cash prize at the end.
7 Steve Austin - Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge
In 2014, Steve Austinhosted a competitive game show called Broken Skull Challenge. Each episode would feature a group of 8 contestants battling through incredibly physical challenges. Despite being named after Austin's real-life ranch, the show was filmed near Los Angeles.
6 Chris Jericho - Downfall
Former WCW and WWE, and current AEW Wrestler, Chris Jericho has done many things over the course of his career. While in WCW, Jericho participated in an episode of the Dating Game, during his time in WWE, Jericho was on Dancing with the Stars.
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However, in 2010 Jericho hosted a new game show called Downfall. The show featured contestants answering trivia questions while standing on the roof of a building with a $1 million prize on the line each episode.
5 The Miz - Cannonball
The Miz made his way into WWE via his appearance on MTV's The Real World and WWE reality competition Tough Enough. Since his debut, The Miz has become a former WWE Champion, 8-time Intercontinental Champion, and two-time holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase.
In 2020, The Miz was selected to host an American adaptation of a British game show called Cannonball. The show is similar to Wipeout as competitors try to make it through an obstacle course. The winner of each episode is awarded $10,000 for completing the course the quickest.
4 Steve Austin - Redneck Island
Before Steven Austin hosted the Broken Skull Challenge, he hosted a show called Redneck Island. The show ran on the Country Music Television channel in America and started in 2012.
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The show was very similar to Survivor which saw two teams isolated on an island in two teams, with competitors slowly getting eliminated until a winner was decided. Redneck Island ran for 5 reasons before it was canceled in 2016.
3 Christian - Knight Fight
In WWE, Christian was seemingly overshadowed by Edge before leaving for TNA wrestling in 2005. A few months after his first TNA appearance, Christian defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title.
Christian returned to WWE in 2009 and was able to win the ECW and World Heavyweight Championship after Edge retired. Christian has had one match since 2014, in an unsanctioned match against Randy Orton. In 2019, Christian was cast as the host of Knight Fight, a show that saw contact fighting bouts with armored participants. The show aired on the History Channel.
2 Goldberg - Knife or Death
In the 1990s, Goldberg rose up the ranks in WCW after retiring from NFL due to injuries. In WCW, Goldberg would go on a remarkable winning streak, eventually winning the World Heavyweight Title from Hulk Hogan in 1998. Goldberg would join WWE in 2003 for a single year before returning in 2016.
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During Goldberg's second run with WWE, he was chosen to host Knife or Death on the History Channel. The show features knife forgers in a competition to crown a master knife forger. The knives and their wielders are put through a series of knife-related challenges to compete for a $20,000 prize at the end.
1 Hulk Hogan - American Gladiators
"The Immortal" Hulk Hogan is probably the most recognizable face in professional wrestling history. After his appearance in Rocky III, Hogan became the main event star and held the World Heavyweight Title in both WWE and WCW for the majority of the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2008, Hogan hosted a remake of American Gladiators, which was first aired from 1989 to 1996. Hogan was named as the host alongside Laila Ali, the daughter of famed heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali.
