Watch CBS News

South Philly Native Wins $50,000 For Victory On Kevin Hart's "TKO: Total Knock Out"

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --A South Philly gym manager is $50,000 richer after knocking out the competition on the new hit show Kevin Hart's "TKO: Total Knock Out."

Philadelphia native Joe Pepe was thrilled when he was chosen to be a contestant on Hart's new CBS show.

"I was beyond excited, then a little nervous," said Pepe.

He was nervous because he wasn't sure how to prepare for the obstacle course he was about to go up against.

"So they didn't give you any information about what you were going to face on the course, so it made it really hard to zone in on something," said Pepe. "So I had to hit everything. I would run the track, I would push the sled, I would flip tires, pull-ups, push-ups."

One thing Pepe wasn't expecting was for Hart to uncover his special connection to the Philadelphia Eagles.

"What I found out is that you, Joe, came up with the name of the legendary mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles," said Hart on the show.

That's right, as a child Pepe won a contest to name Swoop, so Hart decided to bring the two together.

"We got Swoop here, Joe!" exclaimed Hart.

Needless to say, Pepe won't be forgetting his time on "TKO" anytime soon.

"This is probably one of the greatest experiences I've had in my life," said Pepe.

Pepe was able to dodge the flying obstacles and make it through the challenging course in 3:32 seconds to take home the top prize.

Pepe will also be appearing on Eyewitness News This Morning on Thursday during the 6 a.m. show.

Catch "TKO: Total Knock Out" tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS3.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.