For the first match, to warm up the crowd, most of the 'cannon fodder' was sent out to deal with a Helhound, the beast known as Garmr. The hound was massive, powerfully muscled, and moved faster than his bulk would have led anyone to believe. Steve was ushered in with the others, many shrieking and crying already.
He couldn't save everyone. A bold few went quickly to the hound, but were just as quickly torn apart by powerful jaws.
The beast was quick, enormous, and powerful, but all creatures had a weakness. Using a spear, Steve assaulted the Helhound's front paw. While another gladiator (unknowingly) distracted the beast, Steve slid the spear under the hound's paw, into the delicate webbing of it's toes. Garmr roared, limping on three paws. Steve shouted some directions, and several others joined him in dispatching the rear leg on the same side. With a few sacrifices, the beast was soon crippled, then dispatched.
Fighting for breath, Steve was promoted, along with his fellow survivors, into the same cells as River and the Doctor. A high-level fight was next, giving him some time to recover.