Richard King (リチャード・キング) qualified for SASUKE 23 through American Ninja Warrior, the United States' qualifying competiton.
During the American qualifying round, Rich made a statement early, as he flew through the course with little struggle, even using Rick Huelga's technique of hopping the bar down the Pipe Slider to finish in 35.8 seconds, placing 4th overall and eliminating Xin Wuku. In the semi-finals, he made an incredible one-handed save on the second bar of the Jumping Bars, and placed 7th overall, eliminating Jacob Smith. And in the finals, he blew through both stages, placing 5th in the first stage and placing 3rd in the second stage, placing 5th overall in the finals to lock in a spot in Japan.
During the tournament he was one of three Americans to clear Stage One and one of two to go out on the new Second Stage obstacle, the Unstable Bridge. King was the first to attempt the obstacle.
He returned in SASUKE 25. Despite being sponsored by G4, he represented New Zealand, the lone representative from the Oceania region. In the competition, he drew #79 in the lottery and went out on the Log Grip in Stage One.
He attempted to qualify for SASUKE 26 through American Ninja Warrior 2; however, he lost in the final challenge placing 11th overall. If he were to be in the top ten, this would have earned him a spot in the tournament.
King returned in American Ninja Warrior 4 and performed well through the first four obstacles, but he started slow on the Rope Junction and his grip on the rope got lower and lower, until he slipped off the ropes and failed.
Results
| SASUKE | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 42 | Failed Unstable Bridge (Second Stage) | |
| 25 | 79 | Failed Log Grip (First Stage) |