The franchise was originally based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then later in Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Cleveland for the 2008 AFL season.

[1] The Gladiators announced that they would not play the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to renovations on Quicken Loans Arena that required it to close during the NBA offseason and were granted a two-season hiatus.

Their ownership group, which was led by New Jersey radio entrepreneur E. Burke Ross, also included several ex-NFL players, such as Joe Morris, Carl Banks, and Harry Carson.

The Red Dogs were led by head coach John Hufnagel, who had been a quarterback and offensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.

After his time with the Red Dogs, Hufnagel went on to be an offensive coach for several National Football League teams, including the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

Hufnagel brought in several players with CFL experience to the Red Dogs, including QB Rickey Foggie and offensive specialist Larry Ray Willis.

Hufnagel left the Red Dogs after the 1998 season for a job with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and he was replaced by Frank Mattiace, a former defensive lineman for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.

Star Larry Ray Willis was traded to the Milwaukee Mustangs Following those losses, the Red Dogs slumped in 1999 to their first losing season, going 6–8, despite winning 3 of their first 4.

Foggie lost his job as starting QB, replaced by Tommy Maddox, at the time a failed NFL quarterback.

Head coach Frank Mattiace left the team in mid-season and was replaced on an interim basis by Kevin Guy, a former defensive back/wide receiver who had played two full seasons with the Red Dogs.

[6] The new ownership appointed as head coach the ex-CityHawk boss Lary Kuharich, who had won ArenaBowl VII in 1993 with the Tampa Bay Storm; and it acquired Connell Maynor from Orlando to be the starting Quarterback.

The club's top receivers attained roughly half the number of yards that Larry Ray Willis had achieved in each of the franchise's first two seasons, and the rushing leader was quarterback Maynor himself.

Former Red Dog Alvin Ashley was back with the club, seeing limited duty; however, this time around the main New Jersey receiver was Mike Horacek, who had starred for the Iowa Barnstormers, and who later returned to that franchise to play for the Dragons.

Former Cleveland Browns Quarterback Bernie Kosar was announced as the public face of the team, as well as the President of football operations and minority owner.

The following week, the Gladiators advanced to their first conference championship game in team history when they beat the Georgia Force in the divisional round 73–70.

Highlights of the season included blowout victories over the Utah Blaze and the Iowa Barnstormers, but there were also some close losses attributed to poor special teams play.

On July 17, during their 15th game of the season, the Gladiators were officially eliminated from playoff contention when their division rivals the Milwaukee Iron defeated the Orlando Predators.

In their home opener, wide receiver Troy Bergeron set a Gladiator franchise record with six touchdown catches during the game.

Injuries to Rocco during midseason led to third-string quarterback and Cleveland-area Case Western University alum Dan Whalen mounting second half comebacks.

But the season ultimately ended with success, as the team beat their newest rival, the Pittsburgh Power, to clinch the American Conference East Division and guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

[10] With John Dutton back as the starting quarterback, the Gladiators began their 2012 campaign successfully, reaching a record of 6–3 at the midway point of the season.

[11] Though the Gladiators would end the streak with a Week 16 win against division rival Milwaukee, two more losses against Orlando and Utah officially eliminated the team from playoff contention.

The team's fifth season in Cleveland was a struggle, as the Gladiators never were able to have any long sustained success over the course of the year, finishing at 4-14 (tied with Pittsburgh for the worst record in the entire Arena League).

[12] On July 12, 2014, following their 50–47 overtime win over the San Antonio Talons, the Gladiators clinched the East Division Championship, and the #1 seed in the American Conference for the 2014 playoffs.

[14][15] On August 2, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Philadelphia Soul, 39–37, on a last second field goal by Aaron Pettrey in the first round of the AFL playoffs to advance to the American Conference finals.

[16] On August 10, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Orlando Predators 56–46 to win the American Conference Championship, and advance to the ArenaBowl for the first time in franchise history.

[18] In September 2017, it was announced that Quicken Loans Arena would be undergoing significant renovations during the 2018 and 2019 basketball offseason so as not to conflict with its primary tenant, the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Gladiators' mascot was a Trojan warrior dressed lion character named "Rudi",[34] and the team also features cheerleaders known as the "Goddesses".