WWE Tough Enough Season 5, Episode 9: Now We Face the Rattlesnake

Get Your Teeth Out of My Ring

WWE legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has selected 14 men and women to compete to become the next WWE superstar or diva. Steve welcomes them at the WWE Smackdown arena, but their visions of stardom are quickly dashed when they learn that the only part they will play in tonight's show is doing clean up duty backstage. Their commitment is tested as they set up chairs, prep food, handle garbage and clean up after the show. And it's only just beginning.

42 min

Five for Flinching

After surviving elimination, Eric and Michelle come back to the house and tell the other contestants how difficult the grilling from Stone Cold Steve Austin was. Reality hits the remaining 13 that the stakes are high as they compete to become the next WWE Superstar. The next day at the training center, Steve Austin introduces courage as the theme for this week's challenges. If the contestants are afraid to get hurt and take risks, they'll have no chance in the WWE. Trish Stratus puts Matt, a ten-year pro, through a personality drill. She's so impressed with him, she sends him to the ring for an exhibition match with the cocky but capable Luke. But Matt fades into the background as Luke takes total control of the match and shines instead. Ryan struggles during training, incurring the wrath of Bill DeMott who likes nothing about "Skidmarks." Miss USA Rima gets a real culture shock when she takes her first hard bumps and body slams in the ring. John Cena, the top WWE Superstar in the world, arrives to watch training and give advice about how to succeed in the business. Outside of training, Luke forms a fast friendship with southern livewire Jeremiah. The drunken antics of their bromance lightens the mood and entertains their fellow housemates. On the other side of the equation, Ryan and Mike won't ever be friends. Thinking Ryan is too nice and soft, Mike kicks off their feud by teasing him about writing letters to his girlfriend. The next day, Steve Austin really puts the courage of the contestants to the test when he brings them outside to try to outrun police attack dogs. Steve and Bill take great pleasure in watching the cast get taken down one by one. But it's Miss USA Rima and big Andy who take the hardest hits when the trained dogs bite into their protective gear. Surprisingly, Eric excels at the challenge, singing and skipping to the finish line as a dog tries to bite through the protective gear. Miss USA Rima is 20 minutes late for to the skills challenge, raising red flags about her commitment for the trainers. In the skills challenge, the contestants' courage is pushed to the limits. They will be squashed in the corner and then body slammed 5 times by the 300 pounds plus Bill. It's an agonizing and bruising exercise that shows how physically demanding the business is. After deliberating on the best and worst, Steve announces the Bottom Three � Ryan, Rima and, the veteran Matt. In the ring, Steve Austin grills Rima about her lateness but concedes her mental toughness. While Ryan might be too nice for the business it's Matt saying that he's "waiting for his moment" that seals his fate. Matt pleads as Steve Austin takes his belt but it's too late � Matt missed his chance and he's going home.

42 min

Bad Day, Real Bad Day

The contestants are shocked when Ryan and Rima return to the house after surviving elimination. Mickael, in particular, is furious that Ryan would outlast a veteran like Matt. The next morning Bill sends the contestants on a grueling run that clearly separates the weak from the strong. Luke comes in first, Rima beats all of the girls and even some of the boys, Michelle's body starts to fail her, and Eric's poor physical condition puts him in last place. With no time to recover, the contestants are sent to the gym for a hardcore training session. In Trish's group Michelle continues to struggle, and it's obvious that her head is not in the game. In Bill's group Mickael shows sloppy technique and is sent back to work with the beginners. Steve rewards rising star Luke by locking up with him in the ring. Luke is on cloud nine as everyone looks on with jealousy. Special guest, Big Show, makes a surprise visit to the gym and watches the kids at work. He singles out Eric for a chat, expressing disappointment in his lack of conditioning. Later that night Michelle calls home and has a meltdown when she learns her daughter isn't there, and it's clear the contest is starting to wear on her. On day two as the contestants warm up, Steve enters to announce the life lesson. But Michelle interrupts and announces she's quitting! Her daughter is more important to her than the competition – a decision Steve says he respects. Out on the field, the rest of the contestants take on a new Life Lesson – learn a cheerleading drill AND perform it at Universal City Walk! Trish brings in former WWE diva and NFL cheerleader Stacy Keibler to help coach the contestants. A toothless Jeremiah steals the show, while Rima continues to struggle, taking an embarrassing fall in front of the crowd. On day three it's time for the Skills Challenge: Chain of Command. Before they begin, Rima approaches Bill and asks for some one-on-one training time, to which he agrees. Steve sets up the challenge, and after each round people will be cut based on poor technique until only one remains. Rima and Mickael are cut in the first round, and shockingly Luke is cut in the second. In round three Ryan falls back on the hokey schtick he's been warned about, which results in him being booted. Martin and Eric, who has made an incredible turnaround since his talk with Big Show, steal the trainers respect when they are the last two standing. But it is Martin who is declared the winner, emerging as a new contender against Luke. Steve and the trainers announce the bottom three – Ryan, Rima and Mickael. Back at the house Rima is furious, and Mickael is beyond pissed that he has been lumped in the same category as Ryan. In frustration, he strips Ryan's bed saying he won't need it since he'll be the one going home tonight. At the elimination, Steve is impressed that Rima asked for one-on-one help. Steve promises her she will get it, and soon, sending her back to the house to get ready. Steve pits rivals Ryan and Mickael against each other in a promo duel. Mickael simply sounds desperate while Ryan finally shows some fire, and Steve sends a stunned Mickael home.

42 min

110 Pound Elephant in the Room

After Steve dismisses her from elimination, Rima returns to the house to tell the other contestants that Ryan and his rival Mickael are still in the ring, fighting it out in a promo duel. When Ryan (AKA "Skidmark") walks in, the group is stunned that he has survived yet another elimination. Later that night, Rima gets what she asked for – a one-on-one midnight training session with Bill. However, it turns out to be more than she bargained for as Bill puts her through a grueling workout that exposes her lack of training. Rima is pushed to the breaking point but tearfully tells Bill that she doesn't want to quit. Bill offers encouragement, but Rima goes back to the house bruised and shaken. The next day at the training center, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin introduces the theme of agility. To bring the point home, he introduces his favorite opponent and WWE Legend, Bret "The Hitman" Hart. The Cast is in awe listening to the words of a season veteran. Training that day is a series of leaps over the top rope of the ring. The entire cast fumbles miserably with the drill, except for Luke and Jeremiah. While Luke isn't surprised that he and Jeremiah did so well, the coaches are surprised that the rest of the cast did so poorly. They have an uphill battle to learn the lesson of agility. The next day, Bill wakes up the house and sends them to meet Trish. They arrive at Friscoe's, a 50's style dinner and are told that they will be working as waiters and waitresses all day – on roller-skates. While many of the guys, especially 6'6" Eric, fumble and fall as they try to learn to skate, it's Rima who excels at this life lesson. She zips around successfully serving customers and perhaps improving her chances for staying. After a long day on the skates, the cast is treated to free drinks and the party gets rowdy as Luke and Jeremiah put on a show on the dance floor. Meanwhile, Andy sits quietly in the corner keeping a promise to his family to stay straight edge and focused throughout the competition. At the Skills Challenge the next day, the cast is given a sequence of moves to perform to test their agility. If they cannot perform well, they'll be eliminated from the challenge. First up is Rima who still hasn't grasped the most rudimentary of maneuvers and is thrown out of the ring by Bill. The rest of the cast shows various stages of improvement and it comes down to Andy, Martin and Luke. Andy is frustrated when he is next out, wondering what he has to do to break into the top ranks. Once again, Martin outshines Luke in the final round and wins the challenge. Arrogant Luke thinks the trainers are playing mind games with him and won't even shake Martin's hand. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin takes the trainers into deliberate the final three. While there were some standouts like Martin, there are some big disappointments – including the "110 pound elephant in the room." Steve Austin returns to announce the bottom three. He calls Rima's name then tells her he's not going to call anyone else. The shocked cast looks on as he eliminates Rima on the spot. She pleads her case but Austin's mind is made up. A dejected Rima heads back to the house to pack up her bags. After saying goodbye, she brings Steve Austin her Tough Enough belt. Despite her drawbacks in the ring, Austin tells her that there are other ways to break into the business and she may still have a bright future. After a Stone Cold hug, Rima leaves disappointed – but not defeated.

42 min

Don't Take My Kindness for Weakness

The contestants are in for a rude awakening when Bill, Trish and Booker T storm into the house blasting an air horn and yelling for the contestants to meet them on the field. The group is greeted with an obstacle course that is about to become their worst enemy. While Jeremiah does well, everyone else struggles to complete the course. Ivelisse, in particular, is at the point of quitting, but with Martin's help, she finishes the task. Afterwards, the contestants go straight into their daily training where they meet special guest Rey Mysterio who talks to them about teamwork. Then the trainers put the contestants through a grueling workout session. First up, bag slams. Ryan is immediately kicked out of the ring for tripping on his way in, and things only get worse from there. He is kicked out again for botching a leapfrog drill. But he isn't the only one to struggle with this drill. Christina mis-times her jump and crashes into Ivelisse who suffers a bad leg sprain. The next morning, Trish stops by the house to talk to Christina and Ivelisse. They are the last two females in the contest, but they are looking like the weaker sex. Injured or not, Trish warns them that if they don�t step it up, it could be the end of the line. Ivelisse vows that over her dead body will Christina be allowed to injure her then become the last girl standing. For the life lesson, contestants arrive at a gym where they�re met with a special guest, former NBA star John Salley, who�s brought along some friends to help with teamwork - a world-ranked basketball team of dwarves! The Tough Enough kids are awful and are quickly trounced by the pint-sized players. Day three it�s skills challenge time. Booker T expresses his disappointment in the contestants� lack of teamwork the previous day, and singles out an eye-rolling Ryan for an especially angry tirade. Steve and Bill announce the challenge: a series of sequences called Three's A Crowd, and they begin. The trainers express disappointment in Luke, who seems to be coasting. Martin and AJ make it to the final round - as does Ryan, much to the surprise of the trainers. It's Ryan's shot at redemption, but he fails miserably and Martin is declared the winner of his third skills challenge in a row. After deliberation, Steve and the trainers announce the bottom three - Christina, Ryan and, shockingly, Luke! Back at the house Andy gives Christina a pep talk on getting through elimination, while Ryan takes it like a trooper. Luke, on the other hand, seethes with frustration and dares anyone to give him a good reason for his being in the bottom three. At the elimination, the bottom three face off with Steve who says it�s about to be a bad day for somebody. Steve admonishes Christina for not impressing him, then turns his wrath on Luke, asking why Martin is kicking his ass every week. Additionally, he says he doesn�t like his attitude or his arrogance. Steve wonders if Ryan is unteachable and thick-headed for having continuously ignored the trainers� advice to stop it with his hokey antics. Ryan declares he�s getting better, but unfortunately for him, it�s three strikes and you�re out. Steve takes Ryan�s belt and challenges Christina and Luke to step it up.

42 min

It's Getting Down to Nut Cuttin' Time

After surviving elimination, Luke and Christina arrive back at the house. And while Jeremiah is happy to see best-bud Luke, Ivelesse is not pleased to see Christina, who was the cause of her injury. Rattled by what "Stone Cold" Steve Austin said to her in elimination, Christina has doubts about her position in the competition. At training, the contestants are faced with possibly the hardest session to date and everyone takes a beating. When Eric predictably stumbles, Bill and Booker are there to harp on his appalling condition. But even Jeremiah, whose athletically ability has been unrivaled, struggles. With the theme of the week being focus, Steve Austin reiterates how important it is to stay focused on the task at hand because "if your mind is somewhere, you're probably going to screw things up." These turn out to be important words of advice since training is about to advance to working on top of the ropes. Cocky as ever, a reckless Jeremiah jumps the gun and despite having no experience, insists on wanting to take a jump from the top rope. Steve, seeing the potential danger, has no problem reining him in for his own, and others, safety. Christina digs deep and makes a huge comeback in training, impressing the trainers with her fortitude in the ring. Meanwhile, her rival Ivelisse is clearly struggling as her leg injury continues to worsen and by the end of training Bill and Booker find her questioning her ability to continue. At the weekly life lesson, the contestants are forced to use their focus once again when they have to navigate their way around a treacherous ropes course. To help motivate and support them, Steve Austin brings in special guest John Morrison. When Ivelesse's injury threatens to take her out of the game altogether, Morrison becomes instrumental in coaching her through the course. While most contestants complete the course with relative ease, it's a rough day for Eric whose body completely gives out on him. Stuck on the ropes, he flounders like a cat caught in the blinds. To add insult to injury, Christina not only passes him up but steps on him in the process. Determined not to quit, Eric tries to soldier on until Steve eventually has no choice but to call time. A dejected Eric is hoisted to the ground while his fate in the competition hangs in the balance. In the skills challenge, the contestants are forced to use every bit of focus when they are asked to balance on the top four corners of the ring. Unable to even stand, AJ takes a tumble making it one of the worst performances of the day, closely followed by Andy and Eric. For those who didn't fall, the challenge gets harder � balancing while big cats Eric and Andy run the ropes. Ivelisse holds on just long enough to beat Christina but by the end it is down to Jeremiah and Luke to be the last men standing. Their challenge is to go head to head in a drill from training involving elbow drops from the ropes. Finally, Jeremiah's greenness catches up to him and he slams the dummy the wrong way. Although he tries to save the mistake with a crazy aerial maneuver it's too late and the win goes to Luke. After deliberating on the best and worst, Steve announces the bottom three: Eric, Ivelisse and AJ Back at the house the talk turns to elimination. Both Eric and AJ are convinced that Ivelisse is sure to be going home. And at elimination they are proved right when her injury takes her out the game. As a wave of relief passes over Eric and AJ, Steve pulls out a wild card and delivers a shock double elimination, getting rid of Eric too.

42 min

Running with Wolves

The theme for the week is creativity. The contestants were told to put a personal touch to their moves and Stone Cold Steve Austin takes the contestants to the THQ Headquarters to try out WWE Allstars.

42 min

I've Been Bamboozled and Flabbergasted

42 min

May the Best Man Win

After nine weeks of brutal training, arduous skills challenges and invaluable life lessons at the Tough Enough compound, only two contestants remain. Luke, the pretty boy from Maine impressed the trainers with his confident swagger and athletic prowess. And Andy, the quiet family man from Florida, took the competition by storm when he finally tapped into his silent rage. Away from the compound and back in the real world, these two finalists have been left to their own devices as they prepare for the final showdown. Andy jumped back in to family life, juggling his duties as a family man and preparing for a new baby while trying to maintain a rigorous workout regime. With the help of his wife Lauren, Andy has trained hard and utilized all resources available to him in order push his workout to the limit. Back in Maine, Luke was reunited with his friends and family and continued to live up to his rock 'n' roll lifestyle, partying hard just like he did in the Tough Enough house. But while partying hard, his workouts did not diminish one bit. Taking full advantage of his country surroundings, Luke endured intense outdoor workouts as well as working hard in the ring with his training buddies. Now, these two finalist must leave their friends and family once again and head to the FCW in Tampa, Florida where they will spend one final week in the ring preparing for the match that will determine who is the Tough Enough champion. Greeted by Bill DeMott, Andy and Luke are inspired to learn that their trainer for the week will be WWE hall of famer Ricky 'the Dragon' Steamboat. But their excitement is short lived when Bill delivers the bombshell that, when they step in the ring at the end of the week, they will face him as their opponent. During training, Ricky strategizes with Luke and Andy on how to capitalize on their individual strengths. For Andy he will need to slow it down and concentrate on using his size to his advantage. Luke, on the other hand, will need to rely on his speed and athleticism to pull off some risks against the bigger Bill DeMott. Training is hard, fast and intense and both guys give it their all. But now it's over, there is no more advice to be given, there are no more second chances now. It's down to which guy will deliver the best performance in the ring. On the night of the matches, the arena starts to fill up with excited fans, and backstage the tensions run high as both Luke and Andy psyche themselves up for the task ahead. This is the final showdown and neither one wants to lose. First Luke and then Andy, take to the ring and face off with Bill DeMott. The matches are intense and the crowd cheers them on. Backstage, Bill and Booker tell the two finalists that have much to be proud of, but the ultimate decision lays in the hands of the WWE and Stone Cold who will announce the winner live at RAW...

42 min