One of my gladiator fantasies is that I'm on the sand, gut cut open, condemned to death, and I ask the victor to "finish me." He sticks the blade into my chest, between the ribs. I arch up, welcoming the blade.
Yes, definitely among the best, you can't go wrong with Mike Vogel. There's also a GREAT sequence and the prequel (TTCM:The Beginning) movie they made with Matt Bromer gettin brutally messed up and then having his face cut off to be worn by the big guy.