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Dwayne Johnson names his first Titan Games Champions

The final eight Titans fought it out until only two remained.

By Nikki Lee
Vivian Zink/NBC

Just nine short weeks after it all began, this is it: The Titan Games Championships! The final eight Titans needed to each face one more challenge to clear their path to a final race on Mount Olympus. This time, whoever locked in their relic in front of Dwayne Johnson first took home the title of the first Titan Champion and a cool $100,000.

Season one’s Titan Champions

Charity Witt: Charity left home when she was just 15. She worked as a cook and janitor, and even slept in the kitchen of her workplace. At 17, she was diagnosed with a heart condition. As a Titan, she has never let anything, from exhaustion to relentless opponents, stand in her way.

On her final match up and becoming a Titan

“My whole goal going up this time was just to stay focused and calm, not allowing any anxiety or jitters to cause me to mess up. The whole time, I was like, ‘Just don’t make a mistake.’ Everything was a step by step process for me.

When I hit the box, the top layer of cement caved in such a way that it was wedged and I had to pick through them all to find the key. I thought it would take up more time if I grabbed the hammer again. I just decided to get it out the best I could.

I still don’t have any words. It still doesn’t seem real. I feel like someone is going to be like, ‘Just kidding!’ Right now, it’s still sinking in.

This was not only one of the hardest physical things I’ve ever done, it’s the hardest mental challenge. Every time going into the unknown. I like it because it gets you used to just jumping over a cliff. Going through life not knowing what’s going to happen, but you know that you’re going to do your best and you’re going to come out on top.”

James Jean-Louis: We’ve had a feeling about James since his first challenge. He’s a Budweiser delivery truck driver and father who turned his life around. As he has said many times during this competition, he’s just has a hunger to win that’s been unmatched.

On his strategy for his final win and how he’s been waiting for this moment:

“I was over-the-top excited. I had jitters. I kept glancing over at Derik and thinking, ‘He’s ready. He’s so ready. He’s quick. I’m going to go even faster.’ Clearly, I couldn’t keep up.

I knew that with the ball and chain, with the cage, I was just going to have to make him work for it. Honestly I couldn’t sit still. I was ready to jump over it. But I waited until (the gate) actually fell and then I just started pulling. As I was pulling the ball and chain, I glanced over at the big screen and I saw that he was still pulling on the chains and I said, ‘Okay, here it is. Here’s where I’m really going to work.’

I just started slamming the Titan hammer. As soon as I got the first two cracks on the top, I said, ‘Forget them,’ and I threw it down and started digging with my hands. I saw the T, grabbed it, ran up there, and that was it.

It means everything right now because I basically spoke this into existence. I’ve called myself a Titan for years. My Instagram is Body of a Titan. Look at this. They gave me the stage and platform and God showed me the door, and I’m here right now. I’m shining. Thank you, Dwayne. This was hard work and dedication right here and I came out on top.

Hard, tough, blood, sweat, and at the end you earn the respect. I want to see what season two holds.”

Can’t miss moments

  • The final Mount Olympus runs

Charity Witt and Jackie Wood

Jackie Wood trailed behind Charity until the competitors reached the stadium floor. There, Jackie hauled on the Vortex chains to drop her gate and bring the game to an even heat. Charity, who had looked exhausted, finally settled on a strategy for moving the ball and chain and reached the tomb. After a few swings, she decided to just dig for the relic. As she struggled to pull it out, Jackie had the chance to hammer at her tomb and leave us wondering if this would be a come-from-behind win. Jackie was visibly emotional as Charity freed her relic and claimed the ultimate title.

James Jean-Louis and Derik Scott

Derik was not going to be painted as an underdog any longer. He paced right at James’ heels for the majority of the race. James had a decent lead up to the Torch Crank, with Derik starting behind him. But Derek churned his torch to the top and headed to the stadium floor in the lead himself. James used his trademark hunger to lift his cage first and access the ball and chain. While Derek was never far behind, James never let up, leading to his Titan win.

Full recap

You can find descriptions of these challenges at the end of this article.

Challenge One: Hammering Ram

Game changes for Finals: The hammer is now under three metal boxes that each weigh about 300 lbs. Titans must hammer out two steel posts to release the 350 lb ram.

The Titans:

  • Tyler Lucas: Previously beat Titan Brad Schaeffer in Cyclone
  • Derik Scott: Previously beat Titan Cole Wadsworth in Lunar Impact

Titan finalist: Derik Scott

Challenge two: Uprising

Changes for Finals: Levels two, three, and four are now twice as thick as previous

The Titans:

  • Jess Griffith: Previously beat Titan Ashley Hawkins in Atlas Smash
  • Charity Witt: Previously beat Titan Kara Lazauskas in Herculean Pul

Titan finalist: Charity Witt

Challenge three: Hammering Ram

The Titans:

  • Jackie Wood: Previously beat Titan Emily Andzulis in Lunar Impact
  • Christiana Rugloski: Previously beat Titan Nika Sedghi in Cyclone

Titan finalist: Jackie Wood

Challenge four: Uprising

The Titans:

  • James Jean-Louis: Previously beat Titan Christopher Watts in Atlas Smash
  • Bridger Buckley: Previously beat Titan DJ Townsel in Herculean Pull

Titans finalist: James Jean-Louis

Mount Olympus

Changes for Finals: 1000 lb wall is now 1200 lb. Back on the stadium floor, Titans will need to pull on the Vortex chains to raise a 500 lb cage that’s blocking access to the 300 lb ball.

  • Charity Witt vs Jackie Wood

Charity could feel the added weight of the ball, offering the one moment in the match where she hesitated. While Jackie was in it till the end, Charity became the first Titan Champion.

TITAN: CHARITY WITT

  • James Jean-Louis vs Derik Scott

James had a hair’s breadth of a lead until the Torch Crank, when Derik jumped ahead. James ground on the chains to regain the lead and propel himself to the title of Titan Champion.

TITAN: JAMES JEAN-LOUIS

Herculean Pull

Out leverage an opponent you can’t see. Athletes must yank out two, 100 lb silver poles that are each longer than a pickup truck. They then must try to remove the golden pole tug-of-war style, while bracing themselves nine feet off the ground.

Hammering Ram

Slam a 10 lb hammer against a metal plate until it triggers the release of a 350 lb ram. Use the ram to break through the giant doors and pull the handle first.

Uprising

Use your momentum and body weight to slam through five solid levels with a 40 lb anvil attached to the body by a harness and pulley. Get through all five levels to provide enough distance to pull the ring.

Power Vault

Use a pole to span five, 15 foot gaps. Push over weight equivalent to three washing machines to free the golden pole. Traverse back using that pole, and then climb the pole to the finishing handle.

Cyclone

Spin a 60 lb suspended wrecking ball over your head. Gain momentum to knock down five pillars that are nearly two stories tall.

Heavy Metal

Drag 350 lbs of chain up a 30 feet tall ramp. At the top, place the bar into a crank and lift a weight consistent with a ride-on mower about three stories in the air.

Lunar Impact

Athletes race to a ladder and climb to a platform 30 feet in the air. They must then slam into the sliding wall, pushing until one opponent is shoved off the edge.

Tower Drop

Competitors scale a 30 foot tower, pulling out seven, 15 foot long poles along the way. At the top, they must free the golden pole which is trapped under a 50 lb ball. Whoever drops the ball first, and pulls the chain at the top of their tower, wins.

Atlas Smash

Use a 10 lb hammer to smash chunks off two 350 lb stones. When the stones are light enough, use a rope to haul them 25 feet in the air.

Vortex

Use fluid motions, your legs and upper body, to pull chains that will raise a 24 foot chain tower into the air. After it’s up, climb the tower and be the first to pull the handle.

Off The Rails

Competitors pull themselves down a 60 foot rail on a 200 lb sled, collecting 50 lb rails along the way. By the time they reach the end, they’re pulling 600 lbs. They then must pull themselves back using a rope and anchor they have to toss over the ties to gain leverage.

Mount Olympus

Obstacles:

  • 1000 lb wall push
  • Gates of Olympus: Push 450 lbs worth of gate at a 25 degree angle
  • Rolling Ascent: Climb six spinning cylinders, each wider than a Redwood tree
  • The Cliffs: Punch and kick through a wall to build your own ladder to the top
  • Torch Crank: Churn a crank connected to a 600 lb tower until it lights
  • The Descent: Jump over three walls to access the slides behind them
  • Ball and chain: Drag a 250 lb boulder connected to a sledgehammer to the Titan Tomb. Use the hammer to smash open the tomb, find your relic and rush to fit it in its lock, where Johnson awaits.

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