American Gladiators is back for season two, and there are a few surprises in store.

According to NBC, there will be a total of seven new events that will be introduced as the season progresses. Two of these events have been revealed already: Vertigo, which is a race across sway poles that looks insanely difficult, and Rocketball, which requires contenders to launch themselves into the air and slam balls into baskets. American Gladiators: The Events takes a closer look at all of the events we know of so far, along with photos.

Season one winners Monica Carlson (pictured) and Evan Dollard are back as Gladiators this season, and their monikers are "Jet" and "Rocket," respectively. One other Gladiator has been added to the cast, and she goes by the name "Phoenix." Previous Gladiators Mayhem, Fury, and Stealth do not appear in any of the press photography, so they are likely not returning - at least not for the premiere. We've got new cast and host photos for you in the American Gladiators Season Two Photo Gallery.

On top of these new additions, the Gladiator Arena has been expanded and upgraded, and some of the old familiar events have also been updated. The Wall is bigger, the pool holds more water, and the final Eliminator challenge has been made even more difficult. Says co-host Hulk Hogan, "Season two of American Gladiators is going to be bigger and badder than before! We have new gladiators, new events and a new gladiator arena. All those gladiator maniacs out there are going to be blown away." (source: NBC press release)

American Gladiators returns on Monday May 12th at 8pm Eastern.

Photo courtesy NBC