The tall gladiator didn't directly attack the double-headed tiger. Instead, he leveraged on the distance between them to jog around the arena's perimeter. While doing so, he kept his face facing the double-headed tiger and held his shield in front of him.
There was still a considerable difference in speed, agility, and reflexes between a human that hadn't undergone genetic modification and a large feline creature. In less than a minute, the double-headed tiger closed the distance sufficiently and pounced forward, bringing a gust of wind with it.
The audience—who were a little impatient because of the circling—immediately grew excited. They thumped the special armrests again, causing banging sounds to echo endlessly.