This is based on the Roman emperor Commodus. He was the only emperor to fight in the arena personally. He once killed 100 lions in a day, hence using Alexander as his Fusion requirement. He never killed any of his gladiatorial adversaries, that's why he cannot destroy monsters by battle. The monster would wield a bow, a favorite of the real world emperor. The animal would be an ostrich. This involves a bizarre story; he killed one in the arena, carried over its head to the Roman Senators in attendance to try to intimidate them. The Senators simply found the whole thing ridiculous and had to hold back their laughter.
https://www.duelingbook.com/card?id=3726120
This references all of the mechanisms beneath the real world Roman Collosem, including trap doors and elevators. After a battle has occurred, it ties an opponent's monster down, unable to take action till it is destroyed on your next turn. The artwork would be an underground shot, where you would see all these devices in operation.
What do you all think? How well do these help their playability? Hopefully it offers some improvement.