Gladiators Zone - Interview: Destroyer, Damar Martin

Destroyer: "I had recently completed a short film called Cell in which I played a fighter. The makers of this film had a showcase and some guys from Shine happened to be there. They apparently saw me and liked me so it went from there.

The strange thing was that for a little while before that I was in my gym and for some reason kept on coming out with the old 'Awooga' catch phrase to some people I trained with. Then suddenly one day I heard the news on the radio that the show had been re-commissioned. Immediately I thought to myself, someone is going to call me about this. Then literally a few days later I got a phone call asking me to come in and try out. I immediately wanted to get involved and was very excited about the whole thing, but I didn’t tell many people until I was finally chosen."

Destroyer: "The fitness trials were definitely designed to be tough. There were parts that were really tough for me as a bodybuilder but nothing I felt I could not cope with. A real tough part of the trials was managing to side step out of the way of some big guy who ran past me to go outside and throw up. It wasn’t actually part of the official trial but I think it showed that I was still alert. Nobody was expecting an easy ride. Before the trial I had begun to work more on my fitness levels, which helped a lot.

When it came to the camera tests I found that very easy. I’m quite relaxed in front of the camera."

Destroyer: "We all get on very well, as I’m sure we have all told you and that really isn’t just a thing we say. Its not surprising as we are all enjoying ourselves doing something we love. We don’t all hook up every week but that’s mainly due to everyone living so far away so it’s mainly during events.

The Big O and myself seemed to get on very well but I had good banter with everyone. To have so much personality in a room with limited egos was so refreshing."

Destroyer: "Well thank you very much for saying that. On Powerball in particular, very few people noticed the importance of being in the middle. I felt I did a good job. Some people saw it as a headless chicken role but it’s the reason why not many centre pods were scored. To be honest, I just wanted to be able to hit both the contenders. However, I did enjoy it the time I was one-on-one. The guy didn’t score too much and only managed to get another point in the last seconds.

The lines just came to me. You do think of certain things before but it doesn’t always work out that way, as the games don’t always go the way you want or expect them to.

I definitely wished I had more time on the interviews. There is limited time so after the Big O speech there ain't much time left. There was a lot more of the character of Destroyer I would have liked to have shown. More ME, ME, ME, I say."

Destroyer: "I wouldn’t so much say that its changed my life but sometimes it seems to change how people perceive me. Now, I expected all my friends to talk about it but sometimes it seems like your repeating yourself endlessly to new people, but that’s cool.

I’m not really sure what expectations I had of the whole thing either from the point of playing the Destroyer character or the reception I might get out in public. I preferred to just take everything as it came. But the whole thrill of the atmosphere whilst playing the games was a lot more intense than I had imagined, especially the first few times I went out there.

My highs have really just been turning up there every day and doing a good job. Perhaps my lows were not getting on enough games.

Having been doing various jobs in this industry for a while I generally felt comfortable in interviews and photo shoots. I felt, especially in the interviews that I could very easily control the situation.

Thankfully, I personally haven’t had any weird experiences – yet."

Destroyer: "It would have to be against myself. Then I would be able to see what its like for those poor souls."

Destroyer: "The very first time we did the Gauntlet. Man that was INTENSE.

Possibly ALL the Powerball games, I never got so hyped as before those games and the banter was great after too. Please, please, please if I’m back, leave me on the Powerball. With Tornado and the Big O, things just got crazy.

Predator on the hand bike in the Legends show – crazy.

Panther – just Panther, awesome. In my opinion she was the best Gladiator out of everyone male or female.

Spartan and his poses when he is coming out of the pool. What a joker.

Atlas doing a dance one time that he thought was the Running Man but it looked more like the Rowing Man.

The green room and the way it stunk of Gladiator, ha ha.

Just all the guys really and how everyone was. Oh and yeah, Tempest and her lucky socks."

Destroyer: "Ha ha, I love this question. Did I apply to be an original Gladiator, what like in BC something or the last series? Yes, well it was actually Julius Caesar himself that requested that I should come travel to Rome. Well yes I am the oldest of the Glads but please don’t let that confuse you.

Back to the point, no I didn’t because I didn’t really know anything about the original show until it appeared on the TV and I never thought at that point they would be looking for more people.

It was great back in the day but now it has definitely been brought into the new millennium with the water features and costumes. The hairstyles are definitely better too. I mean Flame, luv ya but the old hair do (or rather hair don’t) - wow!"

Destroyer: "I like Suspension Bridge, Swingshot and Tilt. Skytrak wasn’t my favourite so they should probably leave that out."

Destroyer: "It was a great show, many have said the best of the series. I personally found the experience very good and it was great to see how the crowd related to the Legends. There were some people in the audience who would not have remembered the original series so they must have had a great experience being introduces to both generations of the show together.

We hated all of them. Walking around there trying to take away our shine. But seriously they were all great as they must have had so much fun doing the original series they never thought in a thousand years they would be back to do this kind of thing again.. Things like this are truly a once in a lifetime kind of job. They all were walking around with big smiles on their faces. There was definitely no rivalry.

I think Wolf was fantastic, as he seemed to have so much time for anyone who wanted to chat to him."

Destroyer: "I think that will bring a whole new aspect to the show, so well done for that decision being made. We will just have to see how it all pans out. I’m sure he will be getting the crowd going wild just like he used to."

Destroyer: "Powerball. Loved it – maybe too much. Earthquake was also a good one. In training I liked Duel and will hopefully get a chance to do it next time. There was no other game with as much atmosphere as Gauntlet. The first time I played it, it was the strangest thing as it felt like the crowd were right on top of you. It’s a much harder game for the Gladiators than the contender I think and that’s why I loved the challenge so much.

My least favourite game was possibly Hit and Run."

Destroyer: "At the moment it’s a few things. I’m still personal training and have some big things planed for that early next year. Planning diets, training programs for people. Other sports related business interests. Acting, which there are some really exciting things happening with that. I’ve been away on holiday to Miami and Jamaica. And I’m getting married to Kelly Rowland, although she doesn’t know that yet."

Destroyer: "Assuming that I’m back, I would like to be involved in a wider range of games as I feel I can bring a lot to any of the games I play. Well I already own Earthquake. Just love to keep running in Powerball and Duel would be great too.

My training has been crazy of late. I’m training like I used to. The strength is just great too with bags of energy and fitness."

Destroyer: "Perseverance. In everything you do. You can only truly be classed as a failure if you just give up. Continue to pursue whatever it is that makes you happy for as long as it makes you happy. Continue to adapt as a person and never believe that this is all you can be. If others have achieved their dreams, then why not you. But above all ‘Keep Smiling’."