5 Men and 5 Women who should be on a second season of The Challenge All Stars.
I did a part 2 if you want to read that here
Like many challenge fans I am extremely excited for the premiere of The Challenge All Stars. I started watching the show during The Gauntlet 2 and quickly became obsessed going back to rewatch all the previous seasons repeatedly. I never thought I would get the chance to see most of these players back and April 1st cannot get here fast enough. However, while we still wait, there are a number of other great Challengers from back in the day that I think would be great for a potential return on a future Challenge: All Stars season.
Before I get to my list I set myself 3 rules in order for someone to be eligible. First, it must have been 5 years since they last were on the challenge, as of now that means Battle of the Exes II or earlier. Second, I am trying to be realistic so therefore I will not consider anyone who has become“too famous” since they are likely to be either too busy or have moved on from reality tv. Finally, it should go without saying but I won’t consider anyone who was involved with the incident on The Ruins.
Honorable Mentions:
Men:
Jon Brennan, Adam Larson, Dan Seltzer, Noor Jehangir & Eric Nies
Women:
Roni Martin, Emily Bailey, Tina Barta, Kina Dean & Jodi Weatherton
Men 5: Tyler Duckworth
Original Show — The Real World: Key West
Previous Challenge Seasons- The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, Cutthroat (won) & Rivals (won)
10 years since his. last appearance
Tyler is two time challenge champion and an underrated excellent physical competitor. In addition to his two wins Tyler has impressive elimination wins against Johnny Bananas (twice), Derrick and CT & Adam. He is the kind of person who I like to see the most on the challenge because in addition to him being a real threat in the game he creates drama and entertainment on the show. He still is somewhat active in the challenge community appearing on podcasts as recently as last year.
Women 5: Sarah Greyson
Original Show- Road Rules: Campus Crawl
Challenge Seasons- The Gauntlet (won)
17 years since her last appearance
Sarah still holds the record for most elimination wins in a season with 5 (tied with Wes & Casey on Fresh Meat). She was perceived as the weak link on the Road Rules team but continuously won and was dubbed the Gauntlet Queen and eventually won that season. She is possibly the most rootable underdog ever on the show. Even though it’s been so long since she was on the gauntlet, she is active on social media, went on multiple podcasts talking about her time on the show within the past few years and was potentially willing to come back according to Mark Long.
Men 4: Jamie Murray
Original Show- The Real World: New Orleans
Challenge Seasons- Extreme Challenge (Won), Battle of the Sexes II (Won) & The Gauntlet 2 (Won)
15 years since his last appearance
You did not read that wrong Jamie Murray was on 3 seasons and won all three of them. People will argue fairly that he won all of those seasons in a different era when the show was easier but that is exactly the reason why I would want to see him back. He was a top competitor back in the day and seeing him come back and play a modern game would be a great storyline. Even though it has been fifteen years since he was last on a season Jamie is still somewhat active in the community appearing on Derrick’s challengemania podcast and even attending one of their live events in Chicago.
Women 4: Holly Shand
Original Show- Road Rules: Latin America
Challenge Seasons- Challenge 2000 (Won), Battle of the Seasons 2002 & The Inferno (Won)
17 years since her last appearance
Holly was one of the best female players of the early years on the challenge. The only season she lost she was the last voted out before the final and honestly had she been in the final her team would have had a much better chance to win. From the looks of Instagram she is still really physically active and would be a huge threat on an All Stars season. I don’t know about her desire to come back but I would certainly be excited for her return.
Men 3: Frank Roessler
Original Show- The Real World Las Vegas
Challenge Seasons- Battle of the Sexes & The Gauntlet 3 (Won)
13 since his last appearance
Frank is absolutely great tv, his confessionals were top notch and he was willing to go toe to toe against anyone choosing to focus on his business ventures instead of coming back to reality tv. Physically he is good, even if he is a smidge undersized, winning 3 eliminations on the gauntlet 3 including a physical one against the much bigger MJ. He is busy running an investment firm and does not need the money so he is not exactly likely to be back but I would be really thrilled to see him make a comeback.
Women 3:Rachel Robinson
Original Show- Road Rules: Campus Crawl
Challenge Seasons- Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet 1 (Won), Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Island, The Duel II (Win) & Battle of the Exes
9 years since her last appearance
Rachel was an absolute stud athlete on the show and from the looks of it still is today working as a personal trainer and owning her own fitness company. In addition to what she could bring physically she is also somebody who has brought a lot of drama in the past like the love triangle between her Jenn & Aneesa on duel 2 and her clashing with Bananas on The Island & Battle of the Exes 1. She is still pretty active in the community but might have a hard time leaving for the show since Rachel and her wife have 3 young kids.
Men 2: Timmy Beggy
Original Show- Road Rules: USA- The Second Adventure
Challenge Seasons- Battle of the Seasons(2002), The Inferno (Won), The Gauntlet 2 and The Inferno 3
14 years since his last appearance
Timmy is by all accounts one of the most likable guys in the history of the challenge. He was a great team leader, hilarious in confessionals and a very good physical competitor. Timmy also was involved in some of the best early challenge moments, ranging from from hilarious moments like mimicking Aneesa when she went on a verbal tirade in the gauntlet 2, gut wrenching moments like reluctantly breaking Derrick’s incredible elimination streak on the gauntlet 2 and heartbreaking moments like his DQ in the elimination against Abram and subsequent announcement of his retirement from the show. When I think of male OGs the only names that come to mind before him are Mark Long & Eric Nies. He is now busy on the production side of TV but I am hopeful he could find the time to come back once more.
Women 2: Evelyn Smith
Original Show- Real World/ Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat
Challenge Seasons- Fresh Meat, The Inferno 3 (Won), The Gauntlet III, The Island (Won), The Ruins, Fresh Meat II & Rivals (Won)
10 years since her last appearance
Evelyn is one of only two women to win 3 seasons of the challenge and honestly she was unlucky for it to only be three wins. In addition to being an absolute elite athlete, Evelyn was smart, a strategic player and she was never afraid to call people out going against the established power structure in the game. When it comes to drama she has multiple memorable moments for example standing up to Kenny and Johnny about how arrogant and horrible they were treating all the women on the Island or when she blew up after being thrown in against her best friend Kellyanne in the Ruins arguing with her teammates and fuming around the house hilariously punching random lamps and objects throughout the house. Nowadays Evelyn works as a human rights attorney after graduating from Harvard Law School and still looks like she is in great shape if she were to make a return to The Challenge.
Men 1: Landon Lueck
Original Show- The Real World: Philadelphia
Challenge Seasons- The Inferno II (Won), The Gauntlet 2 (Won), The Duel II and Fresh Meat II (Won)
11 years since his last appearance
Sometimes the obvious answer is the right answer. Landon is someone who fans have been asking to come back for another challenge season since he left after winning Fresh Meat II. Landon won three out of his four seasons only coming up short in the Duel II when Evan, Mark and Brad made a deal to get him in the last elimination where Brad shocked everyone in an upset win. Landon plays the game straight up and doesn’t manipulate or get bogged down in the politics yet he still manages to be one of the best to ever play the game. Him and Mark are still friends to this day and he has been on challenge podcasts so there’s still hope to see him back.
Women 1: Coral Smith
Original Show- The Real World: Back to New York
Challenge Seasons- Battle of the Seasons (2002)(Won), The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, Fresh Meat and The Gauntlet III
13 years since her last appearance
As I previously stated with Landon, sometimes the obvious answer is the right one. There has arguably not been a better character in the history of the challenge than Coral Smith. She is a tough competitor, politically dominant and always down to verbally destroy someone. If you you haven’t watched seasons Coral was in do your self a favor and go back and watch some of her greatest moments like her fight with Trishelle on The Gauntlet or her fight with Julie on the Inferno. Coral was absolutely dominating Fresh Meat winning 5 out of 6 of the first daily challenges before her and Evan got Medically DQed. Then on The Gauntlet III, she was betrayed by people who she considered friends. Coral’s return to the challenge is exactly what The Challenge: All Stars is for.
