craveonline

I've always had a thing for girls who could kick my ass. It's not that I want to have my ass kicked. I just think muscles are sexy. As a boxer, Laila Ali is the real deal. She doesn't need any American Gladiators competition to prove herself, so she can just host. While Hulk Hogan interviews the male contestants, Ali brings her perspective to the ladies in battle.

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CraveOnline: Did they ever talk about you as a gladiator, or was it always you as a host?

Laila Ali: Oh no. I think with the gladiators, they wanted it anyway, that never came up, not that I know of. You want people who aren’t already known, with personalities cause they’re creating their personalities. They go by their gladiator names, no one knows who these people are. No one would ever see me as any different other than Laila.

CraveOnline: Where does American Gladiators fit into the competitive sports world?

Laila Ali: In the competitive sports world? That’s a hard question. Being an athlete, I look at TV as TV and entertainment. It’s definitely a competition. They don’t last that long, maybe a minute. It’s not something you train for all year. So I couldn’t really compare it to doing a real sport but it is a competition, because it’s real people going up against gladiators. Being that the show is new, the gladiators are still learning, they still need to get some experience under their belt. As they perform more, they’ll get better as they go. It’ll get tougher.

CraveOnline: What’s harder: American Gladiators or Dancing with the Stars?

Laila Ali: For me? Dancing with the Stars. I’d be kicking butt if I was out there.

CraveOnline: Have you tried anything yet, and is there anything you think you’d be really good at?

Laila Ali: The joust, yeah, I gotta try that before this is all over. It’s kind of like fighting, because you have to use your balance. I know how to put my body and power into the stick, make it come from my legs, whereas a lot of people are just swinging with their arms.

CraveOnline: Did you see a difference in the competition between the female gladiators and the men?

Laila Ali: No, there hasn’t been. I, for one, don’t vouch for anyone I don’t know. I don’t care if they’re male or female. May the best person win. I’m not one of those women who’s like pro women. I’m an individual, and I’m in an individual sport. So I see everyone as individuals, not as male or female. I usually tend to root for the competitors, not the gladiators, because they’re the ones who are really here. They’re not really competing against the gladiators, they’re trying to get their points. I always try to remind them, "Hey look, you’re going up against each other but you have to face the gladiator, though. In the end, you have to remember that you’re trying to do better than your contestant is going to do."

CraveOnline: Were you a fan of the original Gladiators?

Laila Ali: Yeah, I was a fan. It depends on what you consider a big fan. I watched the show, I was definitely familiar with it, I enjoyed it. So I definitely thought this was perfect for me because I didn’t aspire to be a host in my life. But this is perfect because it’s an athletic show, and it’s competition, and it just felt really natural for me.