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Back to back Ninja Warrior wins for Zak Stolz

23 year old Victorian Zak Stolz has done it again, becoming the furthest fastest Ninja competitor on Nine.

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Victorian Zak Stolz, has made it back to back wins in Australian Ninja Warrior by becoming the furthest fastest competitor in the Season 6 Grand Final.

The 23 year old repeated a victory achieved in Nine’s 2021 season.

From 150 ninjas only eleven made it through to Stage 2 of the Grand Final, including three teens: Daniel Waterman, Saxon Johnstone and Ash Campbell after 16 and 17 year olds were allowed to enter the competition.

Five ninjas then advanced to Stage 3: Ashlin Herbert, Jake Baker, Matthew Bowles, Zak Stolz and teen Saxon.
Although Zak Stolz was unable to conquer Mt Midoriyama he went one obstacle better than best mate, Ashlin, to claim the Season 6 title.

“I’m delighted,” said Stolz. “The entire field this year was incredibly strong, with ninja legends and the addition of the teens. So to be able to hold up another season title would have to be the crowning achievement of my Ninja Warrior career.

“Anyone who goes that deep into the course could have won the entire series. It really goes to show how cutthroat Ninja Warrior truly is, with years of training culminating in a single two to three-minute performance. Maybe some season down the track I’ll be able to live out the dream of climbing the mountain again.”

The final was not without drama with 2020 winner Ben Polson failed to make Stage 3, as his teen protege Saxon Johnstone surpassed him.

Nine continues the Ninja action with a Record Breakers special tonight in which favourites including Zak, Ashlin Herbert, Ben Polson, Olivia Vivian, Judith Carroll and teens Daniel Waterman and Saxon Johnstone – will go head to head on five supersized obstacles as they attempt to smash Australian and world records.

With a total prize pool of $75,000 including $15,000 for each obstacle win, they take on a Rising Mega Warped Wall, Super Salmon Ladder, Soaring Sonic Shelf Grab, the new Spring Forward Face-Off, and the Australian-first Big Dipper Freestyle Challenge.

8 Responses

  2. It was a bit anti-climactic having no one climb Mt Midoriyama after 2 or 3 people climbing it the last few years. Where was Charlie this year? He’s been competing since day 1. Was strange not having him there this year.

  3. The head to head format in the semi’s was such a bad idea. Legitimate contenders were put up against equally great Ninjas and even if both completed the course one was eliminated (barefoot ninja, Rob Patterson as examples). Then you had ninjas that failed the course but because they went further then their opponent they got through. Was a joke.

    Should just be ninja vs the course, not each other.

    1. I totally agree was not fair. Also don’t need the teens. And why do we have to have an American ex tennis player host. Surely there is an Australian host more suitable.

  4. Memo Ch 9 – if you are going to bother showing a Grand Final, how about respecting the competitors, and showing all of their runs, in full. Showing endless, unnecessary back stories is both wasting on air time, but more importantly denying some of these guys their moment in the sun. What’s worse is that you only show highlights of some of the people that actually complete the course. Surely it’s not that hard…

  5. i like the show even though except for the year ben polson won,we never get to see anyone attempting mt midoriyama.that’s kinda anticlimatic it seems…they talk about the mount every episode…then nothing happens at the end.i’d probably like the challenges to be not quite so hard so we’d get to see some ninjas going up the mount.but…i imagine…whoever owns the ninja warrior franchise has strict guidelines on the toughness of the challenges preceding any attempt at it.didn’t think jim and leila were that great either,but i’ll watch again next year.

  6. Many people might not know that the first season of Ninja Warrior had no winner. The program ended without a presentation and no winner declared. That was stipulated in the original Japanese format. But the following year it was decided to declare a winner to the person who went furthest in the course. I remember when the first series ended and there was no winner I thought “well what did all that achieve?”

    1. My thoughts exactly…very little return for the time viewers have invested over the years. From no winner at all to repeat winners now…

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