MMA fighter Shondo Blades and wrestler Andrew Frazer compete in “The Quest” finals

MMA fighter Shondo Blades and former Bridgewater State wrestler Andrew Frazer are accustomed to mixing it up with other grapplers, but tested their mettle against an otherworldly foe in the ABC’s reality/fantasy show The Quest.

The premise of the show had twelve paladins — including Blades and Frazer — summoned to save the kingdom of Everealm from the evil menace led by a demon warrior known as Verlox (not to be confused with Maalox or Valtrex).

[fusion_tagline_box backgroundcolor=”#fafafa” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.5″ border=”” bordercolor=”transparent” highlightposition=”top” link=”” linktarget=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”“I always thought of myself not so much a hero but I work with kids every day and one of my favorite joys is how I can be a hero to them. I don’t wear a cape or a suit of armor but I can affect and influence something in their lives in a good way.”
— Andrew Frazer, finalist on The Quest” description=”” animation_type=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=””][/fusion_tagline_box]

Each week paladins were eliminated in a mostly coorperative search for the “one true hero” who could defeat the enemy.

[fusion_title size=”4″]BATTLE DOME BLUES[/fusion_title]

Mid-season, the two athletes joined fellow-paladin Leticia Reyes to match wits and bump shields in the Battle Dome Championship with the other paladins egging them on from above.

Frazer quickly dispatched with Blades, but was over-aggressive in his rush against the Reyes who deftly parried his attack to win the challenge.

[fusion_title size=”4″]THE ONE TRUE HERO[/fusion_title]

The odds looked to be in favor of either Blades or Frazer being the last contestant standing as both advanced to the final group of paladins. The two got the chance to work on their extemporaneous speech-making skills while pleading their case to a reptilian king in the penultimate episode.

In the challenge to become the one true hero, the pair was once again upstaged by a much smaller female — Lina Carollo, a school counselor with aspirations of becoming a child psychologist. Cue the soaring music and glowing reminiscences.