Jimmy Fallon Plays Sticky Balls With John Cena

It wasn’t so long ago that late night TV as we knew it seemed utterly and inescapably doomed. Jay Leno, the longtime ratings champ, was succeeded in his Tonight Show post by Conan O’Brien, whose nerdy irreverence failed to capture the imaginations of 60 year olds across the nation. The Late Show’s David Letterman seemed content to guffaw off into the sunset with obvious contempt for both his guests and his audience. George Lopez had a show, as well.

Now, though, weeknight talk shows are back, and they seem as relevant as ever, whether Nielsen agrees or not. It’s hard not to ascribe much of that reversal of fortune to Jimmy Fallon’s meteoric rise, which has been precipitated by association with unfailingly cool house band The Roots and a melange of made-for-YouTube viral goofs. Which brings us to Sticky Balls.

Now, the game refers to not the kind of sticky balls that Dwight Howard prefers, but rather an American Gladiators for Kids type acrobatic challenge. And while Fallon’s opponent is a totally shredded John Cena, the best performance enhancing drug for this game is probably about four cups of coffee and a Red Bull. Unfortunately for Cena, this is commonly known as the Jimmy Fallon Breakfast.