Ten Challenge Contestants who were on Too Few Seasons
Last week I went through my list of Challenge contestants that were on too many Seasons, so I chose to follow up this week by going through the contestants who were on too few seasons of The Challenge.
There have been a lot of players were strong competitors and/or brought quality entertainment to the show in the house and confessionals who I wish had gotten more opportunities to compete on seasons of The Challenge. All of these contestants played on a handful of seasons and it feels like as an audience we got teased by what could have been if they were brought back for more seasons of the show.
*Note I am not including players who were on the last three seasons since I feel they still have a chsnce to be brought back more. This will also not include players who. only competed on one season because that is a different list that I already wrote here.*
Honorable Mentions:
Men:
Tyler Duckworth, Luke Wolfe, Dan Seltzer, MJ Garrett
Women:
KellyAnne Judd, Jillian Zoboroski, Cara Zavaleta, Kina Dean
5. Men:
Johnny Reily (The Real World: Portland)
Free Agents, Battle of the Exes II & Rivals III
Challenge Career Highlight: Finishing second in the Free Agents final
Johnny was definitely an underrated competitor across his three seasons on The Challenge getting a surprise second place finish on Free Agents, also winning two eliminations on Battle of the Exes II and one elimination on Rivals III with arguably one of the least athletic Challengers of all time Jessica as his partner. He kept the show entertaining, got in to some drama on the show with both his Ex Averey and his rival Jessica, Johnny gave some good confessionals and was also there to have fun getting involved in the house shenanigans and willing to get in a showmance like with Nany on Free Agents. He brought something that I feel a lot of other contestants are lacking with his willingness to step back and have a good time time. The show has seemingly moved on from Johnny but I would have been happy to have seen him back and production could even bring him back today, he is only 30 which is younger than several of the rookies on the past few seasons.
5. Women:
Sylvia Elsrode (Real World:Skeletons)
Invasion of the Champions, Vendettas & Final Reckoning
Challenge Career Highlight: Her incredible elimination win over Melissa in the Oil & Water while sick
It is incredible to me that Sylvia has not been back for another season of The Challenge since Final Reckoning which she finished in second place by just a few minutes. As a competitor she won daily challenges and has a strong 6 — 1 elimination record with individual wins over Kailah & Melissa and pair wins over Tori & Bananas. Sylvia was also frequently involved in the drama being a part of the Lavender Ladies Alliance and frequently pulled into drama with four of the biggest pot stirrers in recent challenge seasons (Marie, Amanda, Ashley & Shane) but also got into it with her former cast mate Tony on Invasion and Joss & Brad on Vendettas. She was also really good in confessionals picking up the slack for her partner Joss on Final Reckoning and giving the excellent “hen house” analogy about her room in Final Reckoning. Similarly to Johnny I would be happy to see her back again but it seems like the show has moved on.
4: Men:
Jamie “Cousin” Banks (Bloodlines)
Battle of the Bloodlines & Rivals III
Challenge Career Highlight: Winning Bloodlines with CaraMaria
Bloodlines as a season was built to bring on a lot of new people in hopes that some would break out and become regulars on the show but for some reason one of the best new players Jamie was only brought back for one more season. He was a good support system for his cousin CaraMaria who was usually looking for allies, he is a strong competitor with a 3 -1 elimination record over some strong competitors and was entertaining on the show. Jamie got into several fights and hooked up with Ashley “Millionaire” Mitchell on Rivals III. He was only eliminated when he lost in a game of blind soccer to Wes on Rivals III. Jamie is definitely someone I would say should get the call instead of the same veterans coming back season after season particularly for something like an Exes III but considering it has been five years since Rivals III I am doubtful Jamie is on productions radar to be brought back for a third season.
4. Women:
Kimberly Alexander (The Real World: Hollywood)
Duel II & The Ruins
Challenge Career Highlight: Her incredible elimination round against Susie on The Ruins
Kimberly apparently chose to walk away from The Challenge after she had a horrible experience on The Ruins. She was stuck on the abysmal Challengers team and apparently some of the bad things going on on the show & behind the scenes made that a very unfun experience. That is unfortunate as Kimberly was fine in terms of entertainment or the show, flirting with both Derek & Dunbar and getting into it with Paula on The Duel II and being one of the few bright spots on the Challengers team on the Ruins. Kimberly was a pretty good physical competitor particularly for that era of the show winning eliminations against Robin, Ruthie & Ibis and losing an incredibly brutal elimination against Susie seriously if you have not seen this it shows exactly why it would have been great had Kimberly been on more seasons.
3. Men:
CJ Koegel (The Real World: Cancun)
Fresh Meat II & Battle of the Seasons (2012)
Challenge Career Highlight: Barely losing in “overtime” to Zach in Hall Brawl on Battle of the Seasons
CJ is not the most stand out personality for the show but he was not a complete nothing and he was certainly an impressive enough physical competitor to want to see him more on seasons of The Challenge. On Fresh Meat II, he was one of the rookies hoodwinked by Wes and in his alliance. That was until he was betrayed when Wes cut a deal with Kenny and voted CJ and (his partner) Sydney into the elimination against Landon & Carley and lost. He came back four seasons later for Battle of the Seasons and was a part of forming the season’s dominant Rookie Revolution alliance. He won the first daily challenge got back at Wes for his betrayal, won another daily and lost in a close “overtime” elimination to eventual season winners in Zach & Sam on Team San Diego. He was an attractive guy, good competitor and a part of the main storyline on his last season with the Rookie Revolution but it seems to me he fell by the wayside with production choosing to bring back more veterans and other rookies over him.
3. Women:
Jodi Weatherton (Road Rules: X-Treme)
Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2 (Won), The Duel (Won)
Career Challenge Highlight: Being the first woman to win an individual season with a dominant run in the final of The Duel
Jodi was an elite competitor on the show winning two different seasons including a truly dominant performance on The Duel winning seven out of fourteen daily challenges. She was also a great social/ strategic player managing to stay out of every elimination on The Duel and in the first part of the final daily challenge teaming up with CT and letting him do most of the work so she could conserve her energy for when it became individual. However, Jodi was not the most stand out on the show for entertainment. She had her moments of drama for example on The Inferno II when she and the Good Guys manipulated the Inferno nominations letting their team’s nominee pick whoever she wanted. Jodi was also involved when in the whole Mark & Robin relationship drama on The Gauntlet 2. But on her dominant season, The Duel, she was at best the fourth biggest character of the women behind Svetlana, Aneesa & Diem and probably fifth behind Beth as well. I think it was a mistake not to bring her back in several places like defending her title on The Duel II, or as part of The Champions team on The Ruins, or even when they couldn’t get Rachel for Invasion of the Champions she would have been a great choice to bring back over Ashley K. At the very least, I am hopeful she might make a return on an All Stars season since she was apparently interested but not able to do the first because of complications related to her living in Germany.
2. Men:
Dan Renzi (The Real World: Miami)
Extreme Challenge (Won), Battle of the Sexes & The Inferno II
Career Challenge Highlight: Winning Extreme Challenge as a part of the Real World team.
Before there was Tyler, before there was Frank, before there was Shane and before there was Corey & Hughie there was Dan. Dan paved the way for the snarky, underestimatedly strong, gay men on The Challenge. Dan was a winner on one of the original big team seasons of the show in Extreme Challenge and always a solid physical competitor. He gave great confessionals throughout and was always ready to get into it with people when necessary. Dan was also a really strong social player being loved by most of his fellow cast mates getting given the lifesaver on Battle of the Sexes. He was also a solid member of the strong Bad Asses team on The Inferno II winning one elimination against Jon and keeping it pretty close with Challenge legend Landon in the final elimination round. Dan brought almost everything I like to see on the show and the fact that he was only on three seasons of the show was way too few. Who knows maybe we could get Dan on an All Stars season if that continues strong?
2. Women:
Da’Vonne Rogers (Big Brother 17 & 18)
Final Reckoning, War of the Worlds
Career Challenge Highlight: Taking out Dee near the end of War of the Worlds in the Tug O’ War elimination
Da’Vonne came onto The Challenge already as an icon from her seasons on Big Brother and was better known for her great confessionals and the entertainment she brought to the show then winning competitions. However she proved herself on The Challenge to be a solid competitor winning two redemption house challenges to get back in the game (with her partner Jozea), got in three tribunals on War of the Worlds and won three eliminations that season as well. She was a very good social player managing to be still be liked while attached to volatile partners like Jozea & Bear. In addition to her strong challenge performances she of course also brought great entertainment to the house and is one of the best all time at giving confessionals.
- Men:
Frank Sweeney (The Real World: San Diego 2011)
Battle of the Seasons (Won), Rivals II, Free Agents
Career Challenge Highlight: Winning Battle of the Seasons with Team San Diego
Frank looked like he was set up to be one of the main Challenge villains for years to come. He was a strong strategist, great at giving cutting confessionals, got in to huge blow up fights regularly (some of which were far too nasty) and was an elite physical competitor. Strategically Frank was one of the people masterminding the Rookie Revolution on Battle of the Seasons and then got to the end of Rivals II without facing an elimination. Physically he immediately showed that he was a force to be reckoned with taking home a victory as part of Team San Diego in his first season, coming in second on Rivals II and then won the first two eliminations on Free Agents before having that game cut short due to a contagious viral infection. Frank got in to more fights in just three seasons then most people do during an entire challenge career between fighting with Dustin, Alton, Sam, Zach, Knight, Bananas, Wes & CT just to name a few. And then just like that Frank announced that he decided he was moving on from The Challenge. I understand his choice, the man is a really smart and now (to my knowledge)has his own practice after finishing his doctorate in Physical Therapy, he also has said that he did not always like the person he became on the show. I hope it was the right decision for him but there is no denying he made good TV.
- Women:
Averey Tressler (The Real World: Portland)
Battle of the Exes II, Rivals III
Career Challenge Highlight: Winning two eliminations on Battle of the Exes II
Averey got such a raw deal during her run on The Challenge she came on her first season, Battle of the Exes, she made it pretty far despite being forced to work with an Ex, Johnny Reily, she was not on good terms with. They won 2 eliminations and were targeted as a result of Johnny’s alliance with Bananas. Averey was then brought back for Rivals III and looked to be in a good position paired with Challenge beast Leroy but did not even get a chance to play as Leroy suffered a back injury and their team was pulled. That was it for Averey, she was allegedly taken off the cast of Invasion of the Champions for Jenna right before the game started. She is a beautiful girl who was really flirty and also a good competitor even being identified by Sarah on Rivals III as one of her biggest physical threats. Averey was very involved in the drama on her Real World season and she got into fights with both her Ex and his allies like Leroy. I would have like to see her brought back as a vocal opponent for Bananas and his allies running the game at that time.
