BS”D
I should mention that Resh Lakish was said to have been a gladiator before he did tshuva. This is proof that yes, Jews did get involved in that kind of thing – but they were for the most part “oisvorfen”.
In the previous generation, before Dovid Salita, there was (now Harav) Refoel Halperin, who was similar to a gladiator of Roman times in that he exhibited his strength among lions and the like for show. He, too, always kept true to halachic observance even when traveling to perform.
Today, he is known as a talmid chochom, askan, and was a very successful businessman though he has passed his well known optical chain on to the next generation.