Rivals 3 is coming this week, and before the season starts, it’s time to break down the skills (or lack there-of) of cast members. In this list we will look at competitors’ history on The Challenge as well as their performance in elimination rounds.
On this list, I am not counting an elimination win/loss for a competitor whose partner won/lost in The Pit on Battle of the Bloodlines.
Also, be warned. If you scroll to the bottom you’ll see a tiny spoiler.
Brandon & Briana
Brandon:
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Clinging to Christina on Are You the One? like a sock out of the dryer.
Biggest Strength: When he wants something, he wants it. Perhaps his determination could result in Challenge success.
Biggest Weakness: He’s an emotional wreck.
Briana
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Injuring her nose on the first night of Are You the One? season 2.
Biggest Strength: She’s probably not that crazy?
Biggest Weakness: Literally no one knows who she is.
Why they’re rivals: Briana disliked Brandon on Are You the One, and the fact that he was obsessed with Christina despite not being her match. Then, they ended up being a “perfect match.”
Cory & Ashley
Cory
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: Spending his first Challenge hooking up with super-veteran Aneesa.
Elimination Round Record: N/A
Appearances in the Finals: 1: Battle of the Bloodlines
Biggest Strength: He’s muscular and a better athlete than most.
Biggest Weakness: His knee.
Ashley
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Getting really drunk during her first night on The Real World, telling Cory he could “buy” his family, and tossing some burger grease on Arielle.
Biggest Strength: She’s able to make cutthroat decisions without concern for other people.
Biggest Weakness: She’s an absolute drunken mess.
Why There’s Rivals: That first night in The Real World, and the fact that Cory voted for her to get kicked out of The Real World house.
Dario & Nicole
Dario
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: His argument with Johnny Bananas where he felt way too comfortable and told Nany to know her role.
Elimination Round Record: N/A
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: He looks like a physical threat.
Biggest Weakness: His mouth, and the fact that is celebrates way too soon.
Nicole
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: Getting way too emotional on Battle of the Bloodlines and crying because people think her cousin is a slut.
Elimination Round Record: N/A
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: She was surprisingly good at trivia, and surprisingly willing to endure difficult challenges
Biggest Weakness: She’s emotional, and has a connection to an equally emotional cousin.
Why they’re rivals: Dario got into a huge fight with the veterans on Bloodlines where he specifically called out Nicole and her cousin.
Devin & Cheyenne
Devin
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Bragging about how he could treat Kiki like shit and then sleep with her, which appalled most of the ATYO3 cast, but then he slept with Kiki.
Biggest Strength: He was actually really smart and figured out all of the matches at the end of AYTO3.
Biggest Weakness: He’s a cocky, hot-headed disaster.
Cheyenne
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Standing up for Kiki after she was treated like dirt on AYTO3.
Biggest Strength: She lays low, but speaks out when she needs to.
Biggest Weakness: She doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of physical strength.
Why they’re rivals: Cheyenne stood up to Devin who was making rude remarks toward the women on AYTO3.
Jamie & Kellyanne
Jamie
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: Winning Battle of the Bloodlines
Elimination Round Record: 2 (2 wins)
Appearances in the Finals: 1: Battle of the Bloodlines (bold= win)
Biggest Strength: He’s a fighter, and remains loyal to those who are loyal to him.
Biggest Weakness: He was given the opportunity to be a leader for the blue team on Battle of the Bloodlines and they lost every single mission. Oh, and those jorts in his cast picture.
Kellyanne
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with Battle of the Bloodlines being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Being caught in a huge lovers quarrel on The Ruins, when she was dating Wes and on a team with her ex Cohutta.
Elimination Round Record: 4 (3 wins, 1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: 1: The Ruins
Biggest Strength: She never gives up, and when she needs to perform, she shows up.
Biggest Weakness: She has let the drama get the best of her on multiple occasions.
Why they’re rivals: On Battle of the Bloodlines Jamie confronted Kellyanne who allegedly was part of a conspiracy to throw challenges for her own (and Mr. Banana’s) benefit.
Johnny & Jessica
Johnny
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Battle of the Exes 2 being his most recent
Most Memorable Moment: His blow-out fight with Nia on Real World Portland
Elimination Round Record: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss + 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” loss)
Appearances in the Finals: 1: Free Agents
Biggest Strength: Physically, he has proven himself in mission and by making it to the finals of Free Agents. He is definitely a threat as a competitor.
Biggest Weakness: He’s on the “Banana boat,” an alliance that automatically earns him enemies.
Jessica
Number of Previous Appearances: 3, with Battle of the Exes 2 being the most recent.
Most Memorable Moment: Her blow out fights with Real World roommate Jordan, most notably on Free Agents when she called him “inadequate.”
Elimination Round Record: 3 (3 losses + 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” win and 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” loss)
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: In difficult situations Jessica has maintained focus, often resulting in her exceeds others’ expectations.
Biggest Weakness: She has a hard time navigating the social aspect of the game.
Why they’re rivals: Johnny always found Jessica annoying, and when Jessica befriended his nemesis Nia on The Real World, they got in many fights. At one point, Johnny even insulted Jessica’s weight and appearance.
Johnny “Bananas” & Sarah
Johnny “Bananas”
Number of Previous Appearances: 12, with Battle of the Bloodlines being his most recent.
Most Memorable Moment: Taking a ride on CT’s back and becoming his “custom-made Johnny Bananas backpack.” during an embarrassing defeat on Cutthroat.
Elimination Round Record: 12 (6 wins, 6 losses + 4 “Battle of the Exiled” wins)
Appearances in the Finals: 7: The Inferno 3, The Island, The Ruins, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2, Free Agents
Biggest Strength: He is incredible strong, and he plays the social game pretty well.
Biggest Weakness: As of recent, he has become the ultimate trophy for Challengers trying to earn their stripes. Rookies and vets alike try to take him out, whether deserving or not.
Sarah
Number of Previous Appearances: 8, with Battle of the Exes 2 being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Sending Bananas into the final elimination on Battle of the Exes 2, which Bananas claims was a huge stab in the back.
Elimination Round Record: 7 (5 wins, 2 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: 4: The Ruins, Cutthroat, Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Exes 2
Biggest Strength: She’s fearless, and a lover of The Challenge for the purest reason: the competition. She also claims to be great at puzzles.
Biggest Weakness: While most people respect her, she typically relies on only herself to get to the end. Many of her allies will abandon her for the move she pulled against Bananas on Exes 2.
Why they’re rivals: Primarily for the time she got Bananas sent home right before the Exes 2 final, then Bananas felt stabbed in the back and insulted her for his remainder of the season, the reunion show, and via Twitter.
Leroy & Averey
Leroy
Number of Previous Appearances: 6, with Battle of the Bloodlines being his most recent
Most Memorable Moment: Aligning with Wes, only to stab Wes in the back when his friend Bananas returned to the house on Exes 2.
Elimination Round Record: 10 (7 wins, 3 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: 2: Rivals, Battle of the Exes 2
Biggest Strength: Physically, he is a beast. He can go 0 to 100 in second and has out-muscled some of the best competitors.
Biggest Weakness: Anything involving brain power.
Averey
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Exes 2
Most Memorable Moment: Her messy break up with Johnny which resulted in their pairing on Exes 2, where they only spoke during fights.
Elimination Round Record: 3: (2 wins, 1 loss + 1 “Battle of the Ex-ile” loss.)
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: She is determined, and will put differences aside when striving for success.
Biggest Weakness: She comes pre-packed with hatred from Johnny R. and all of his friends.
Why they’re rivals: Leroy took Johnny’s side during the Johnny/Averey break up despite not knowing Averey at all.
Nate & Christina
Nate
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Freaking out on Christina during AYTO2 when she refused to play the game and spent all of her time with Brandon, who she knew was not her match.
Biggest Strength: He’s charming, and tends to be a nice guy.
Biggest Weakness: Physically, there’s not a whole lot to be afraid of.
Christina
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: Hooking up with Tony on Battle of the Bloodlines, despite the fact that he was in a relationship from Madison from Real World Skeletons.
Elimination Round Record: 1 loss
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: She is the embodiment of “the other woman” which has earned her quite a few enemies.
Biggest Weakness: Despite her reputation, Christina has been able to pursue who own goals and ignore the opinions of others.
Why they’re rivals: Nate got into a confrontation with Christina who refused to stop spending time with her non-perfect match Brandon on AYTO2.
Thomas & Simone
Thomas
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Battle of the Bloodlines being his most recent.
Most Memorable Moment: Hooking up with Cara Maria on Bloodlines, and getting on the bad side of Abram, guaranteeing he will have to spend the rest of his life sleeping with one eye opened.
Elimination Round Record: 2: (1 win, 1 loss + 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” loss)
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: Despite not being covered in muscles, he proved he has fight in him during Battle of the Bloodlines.
Biggest Weakness: Making really, really bad social moves.
Simone
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Exes 2
Most Memorable Moment: Getting into many fights on AYTO, most notably with a heartbroken Shanley.
Elimination Round Record: 1 loss (+ 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” win and 1 “Battle of the Ex-iled” loss)
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: She’s headstrong, and won’t be the one to back down.
Biggest Weakness: Starting pointless, useless fights. And math.
Why they’re rivals: Simone threw drinks on Thomas during an unaired moment on Battle of the Exes 2 that fans are somehow supposed to remember from a blurry clip in the trailer.
Tony & Camila
Tony
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: He’s a serial cheater, most noted for cheating on his then-pregnant girlfriend Madison with Christina during Battle of the Bloodlines.
Elimination Round Record: N/A
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: He competes first, thinks later.
Biggest Weakness: He doesn’t really think of the consequences of his actions.
Camila
Number of Previous Appearances: 7, with Battle of the Bloodliness being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: The Camilinator, most notable on Battle of the Exes.
Elimination Round Record: 10: (6 wins, 4 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: 2: Battle of the Exes, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: Her willingness to jump into any challenge she faces without fear.
Biggest Weakness: She is known to sever ties with people due to her outbursts, usually with Johnny Bananas are the center of it.
Why they’re rivals: On his first night on Battle of the Bloodlines, Tony called out Larissa (Camila’s sister) for being weak. Camila then proved why you don’t mess with her family.
Vince & Jenna
Vince
Number of Previous Appearances: 1, Battle of the Bloodlines
Most Memorable Moment: That time he (and causing Johnny Bananas) decided it was a good idea to tell Abram (John’s nemesis) that Cara Maria was cheating. Thus involving himself in a highly personal affair for the sake of benefitting his game.
Elimination Round Record: 1: (1 loss)
Appearances in the Finals: N/A
Biggest Strength: He’s willing to get down and dirty to advance his game. By this, I mean he does not let pride stop him from spending an entire season throwing challenges to benefit himself.
Biggest Weakness: When push came to shove and he wasn’t throwing challenges, he still performed like he was throwing challenges.
Jenna
Number of Previous Appearances: 2, with Battle of the Bloodlines being the most recent.
Most Memorable Moment: Being the infamous “lay up” on Battle of the Exes 2 and then getting in the final because her partner couldn’t stomach the drinking challenge.
Elimination Round Record: 3 (3 wins)
Appearances in the Finals: 2: Battle of the Exes 2, Battle of the Bloodlines
Biggest Strength: There’s a hidden fighter in there that managed to navigate herself to the end of 2 Challenges so far.
Biggest Weakness: Puzzles. She’s likely been stuck on the same Jumbo Fun Book since 1997.
Why they’re rivals: They weren’t on the same alliance on Battle of the Bloodlines? Jenna said Vince was “creepy?” I guess that’s all it takes to get onto the show nowadays.
Wes & Nany
Number of Previous Appearances: 9 with Battle of the Exes 2 being the most recent.
Most Memorable Moment: The time he emerged from retirement just to sabotage the Champions team on The Ruins out of anger toward Kenny & Johanna for their public make-out session on The Island.
Elimination Round Record: 16 (11 wins, 5 losses)
Appearances in the Finals: Fresh Meat, The Duel, Rivals, Rivals 2
Biggest Strength: Despite his declining muscle mass, Wes is not afraid to play a socially manipulative game where the rookies can be his biggest asset.
Biggest Weakness: Physically, he keeps getting weaker and is no long a huge threat toward players like Bananas and Leroy.
Nany
Number of Previous Appearances: 5, with Battle of the Bloodlines being the most recent
Most Memorable Moment: The accusation of being huge whore, but more notably who slut-shaming fight with Nia on Battle of the Exes 2 after Nany returned from Ex-ile.
Elimination Round Record: 6 (1 win, 5 losses + 4 “Battle of the Exiled” wins)
Appearances in the Finals: 1: Free Agents
Biggest Strength: She’s ride or die. When she trusts you, she will put all her faith in you.
Biggest Weakness: Every muscle in her body.
Why they’re rivals: Wes’s ultimate nemesis, Johnny Bananas, was paired with Nany on Battle of the Exes 2. This resulted at Wes scheming to get Nany out of the game and fostering a battle between Nany and her once-friend Theresa (Wes’s partner).
— stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers—
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—spoilers below—
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Replacements: Nelson & Amanda
Nelson
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Being one of the saner guys in the house? Getting pair with someone who was blatantly wrong for him?
Biggest Strength: He looks like he should be a physical threat. Compared to other AYTO guys he looks to be one of the strongest.
Biggest Weakness: On AYTO3 he was one of the more ration guys, yet no one seems to pay him any attention.
Amanda
Number of Previous Appearances: 0
Most Memorable Moment: Getting in a huge fight with her non-match Mike where she threw a cup at him and hit him, he then hit her back with a pillow and grabbed her.
Biggest Strength: She’s persistent. Really, really persistent.
Biggest Weakness: She’s an overly dramatic mess who doesn’t know when to stop.
Why they’re rivals: Despite Nelson having Amanda’s back when Mike attacked her, he did call her out for not being true to her feeling toward him earlier in the season.
Another AYTO couple? Ugh. Part of me would want to see rookies win (a la the San Diego kids on BOTS), but I don’t watch AYTO.
For comparison purposes, here’s my take of R3. I’m hoping Sarah quits on Johnny the way Vinny and Trishelle let her down.
Leroys weakness should be brain power, heights, and water challenges.
Do we really believe #VinceFail threw ANY challenge on purpose?!?! He just sucked.
Also what was Sarah’s third elimination loss? I only remember two: FM & Rivals???
She only lost 2. Isn’t that what it says?
I think Christina showed she is more a physical threat than you’d think when her and Emily beat many other teams in the first Challenge running up the hill of mud and getting water.
Nany has muscles. She was very close to Laurel on Free Agents’ final.
Not really a spoiler since in one of the trailers that it had TJ said “we warned you before about violence and you’re out of here,” added up “Goodbye and hope to see you never,” Ouch. Plus Nelson made an appearance in another trailer.