"Was a rookie sensation": American Ninja Warrior narrators discuss why Amir Malik was nicknamed Sonic

American Ninja Warrior Season 17's latest episode aired on July 7, 2025. It was a Qualifiers 6 round featuring contestants competing in the qualifying rounds. The sixth, which was the final qualifier night of the competition, took place in the Las Vegas arena.

There were the top 20 finishers who grabbed their spots and advanced to the semifinals. One of them was Amir Malik, also known as Sonic. While he went through his round of the challenge, the hosts described him as a "rookie sensation," and he was nicknamed "Sonic."

American Ninja Warrior features hosts including Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja‑Biamila. Along with them, Zuri Hall also features as the sideline reporter.

"His nickname is Sonic. When he competed before, he ran like the famous hedgehog. He was fast and a lot of fun to watch. He was a rookie sensation when he debuted in Season 12. He actually finished fourth overall that year. Amir's not a big guy," said the hosts.

American Ninja Warrior Season 17: Amir Malik, aka Sonic, competes in the final qualifier night

The recently released American Ninja Warrior Season 17 qualifier night saw contestants navigating the latest course setup. It had various obstacles, including lunatic ledges, log runners, quad steps, V formation, mega walls, warped walls, and more.

Participants, including Noah Meunier, Joe Moravsky, Abby Clark, Jimmy Choi, Sebastian Ramos, Lucas Reale, Amir Malik, Travis Nguyen, and more, competed in the latest round.

While the contestants went through the qualifier round, hosts Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and Zuri Hall narrated their performances. The latest episode featured several significant moments.

One of the participants was Amir Malik—Sonic. As he started his round, hosts talked about his nickname, i.e., Sonic, and his performance over the years. Since the show's season 12, Sonic has been a "rookie sensation." For that season, he finished in fourth place.

Seeing his unstoppable performance, the hosts mentioned:

"It's good to see Amir Malik back on the course."

American Ninja Warrior host Matt Iseman reflected on how, because of some anxiety issues, Amir took a couple of seasons off:

"Had some anxiety issues, so he took a couple of years off. So many of our ninjas, so courageous, talking about dealing with mental health issues. And Amir, Sonic is bouncing."

As Amir Malik was going through various obstacles, the host told him it was good to see him and welcomed him.

Further, we went through the V formation in the obstacle course. Seeing him moving swiftly, the hosts narrated:

"So much power strength away through the roof. There's just something a little different about Amir Malik. But you really have to be precise coming down on V-Formation. He's going to the big move to the third handle."

According to the hosts, Amir's performance was "precious and cautious." Then there were V bars, which were moving and wiggling. However, Amir regained control and completed the entire course of the challenge.

Sonic advanced to the next stage of American Ninja Warrior.

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Peacock now streams the latest American Ninja Warrior Season 17 Qualifiers 6.

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