Some competitors seem to find themselves in the same position over and over. Since the beginning of The Challenge, Aneesa’s abilities have often been doubted. She’s gotten far in the game, even making a few finals, but she has never taken home the title.
There are seasons where Aneesa went home early, but most of the time she goes home closer to the end. Recently, she had mentioned her status as a veteran and trailblazer in the game. This is likely part of the explanation. Her status can allow her to make it farther in the game than a rookie, but ultimately she’ll get cut before the final if she doesn’t win in elimination.
Every one of her seasons are ranked here. It’s mostly based on proximity to the final challenge and championship title, but there are some judgement calls I needed to make. Ultimately, this is just for fun and a trip down memory lane.
14. Rivals. She went home first. Pretty bad for a seventh season performance.
This is where Champs vs. Stars 2 ranks. She went home after the fourth mission due to a broken ankle.
13. Battle of the Sexes. Seventh girl eliminated. She made it half way through the season, but she wasn’t a huge presence as a competitor.
12. Battle of the Sexes 2. This time, she had more allies in the game. She was out ninth.
This is where Champs vs. Stars would go. She lost in the third female elimination. But it was a cage fight against MMA fighter Michelle Waterson. I don’t think any Challenger would have won.
11. Battle of the Exes. Being on the only same-sex team, Aneesa was in a unique position. She won an elimination then later lost. Ultimately, the game looked a little different for her because she’d never get a physical elimination like X-battle due to the gender imbalance.
10. Dirty Thirty
It’s hard to really rank this season. Aneesa lost two eliminations, but she did win a Redemption. Overall, she was the 9th place girl. Not an amazing feat, but there were some success this season. Plus, the duration of Dirty Thirty made it feel like she lasted much longer in the game.
9. Free Agents
Aneesa had historically done well on individual challenges, but Free Agents was just mediocre for her. She won an elimination, but lost to an absolute beast: Laurel. Overall, she finished in seventh.
8. Total Madness
This season was very comparable to Double Agents. Aneesa had a skull, but was eliminated in the second-to-last elimination. Throughout the season, her abilities were doubted. She was in a couple of Tribunals, but ultimately, she was voted into elimination right before the final because the guys were scared to run a final next to her.
7. Double Agents
This season is almost the same story as Total Madness. Aneesa has a skull and loses in the second to last elimination. No one wants to run a final with her and her abilities are doubted. The reason I ranked this one higher is due to her accomplishments in the challenges. She won the first competition and was part of Double Agents twice. This time, being in power was a bit more competitive.
6. Rivals 2
Rivals 2 may have been the first time Aneesa’s abilities really came into question. Diem would go for runs, and Aneesa would rather lounge by the pool. While their team did do well on daily challenges, they were no competition for frontrunners like Emily, Paula, Cooke and Cara Maria. Aneesa lost right before the final, but if she made the final, there’s a good shot she would have been purged before the final stage of the final.
5. The Duel
The Duel was Aneesa’s first moment to shine on The Challenge. She was on the outside of the majority alliance, but her perseverance in elimination allowed her to get close to the end. She won three Duels, but lost in the final Duel against Svetlana. She came in fourth overall, though she would have had some stiff competition against Jodi if she did make the final.
4. The Inferno 3
The Inferno 3 was the first time Aneesa needed to defend her abilities in the game. Not because she was perceived to be exceptionally weak. Rather, she suffered from knee problems this season. This meant the Good Guys weren’t going to send her into elimination unless they needed an easier win. Still, this season proceeded The Duel. We knew Aneesa was good in eliminations by this point. In the end, she did lose to Paula in the last Inferno. If she made the final, there’s a good chance she would have won the whole thing. Her team would have carried her through any difficulties and she would have been another person helping to move the heavy puzzle pieces.
3. Battle of the Bloodlines
If I had to pick a single season where I think Aneesa has the best shot of winning, this would be it. She did exceptionally well in the mini-final challenge, and it seemed like she was improving upon her weaknesses. The issue? She was tied to her cousin Rianna. This was going to make victory harder for her, but she did make it far in the game. She was doing well until she lost the final elimination against Cara Maria. We all know Cara is an elimination beast, but Aneesa could have outperformed her team in the final. Aneesa may have had more patience with the check points, more comfort eating mysterious foods, and more confidence in puzzles. What could have been…
2. The Duel 2
Just like the first Duel, Aneesa came into this game with a lot of fight in her. She got called into the first Duel, which set the tone for her having to fight through the season. Like the first Duel she won three elimination. Unlike the first Duel, there were three people in the final. So Aneesa made it to the final, but came in a distant third. After watching this season, viewers began to see that some competitors were in a different league than Aneesa.
1. The Gauntlet 2
The Gauntlet 2 is the only season where Aneesa was truly the runner up. She made the final as team captain, a position she acquired by default after Beth quit. In the final, she didn’t even compete. The Gauntlet 2 had such as weak final that the veterans threw in the towel after the first of three heats. None of this can be blamed on Aneesa, but it would have been nice if the chips stacked in her favor… literally.
Stop Being Polite 