It’s been nearly five years since Hunter competed on The Challenge, but he was on the receiving end of one of the show’s biggest acts of betrayal ever. After Ashley opted not to share the Final Reckoning winnings, Hunter did one more season. Then, he never came back onto the show.
Technically, Hunter is a Challenge champion (though some people will disagree). However, it seems like he never got the champion treatment. Despite this, people haven’t forgotten about him. Many viewers ask for him to return, but his four appearances have left viewers with very mixed opinions.
Invasion of The Champions
Hunter’s first season gave us a good taste of his personality and competition style. Immediately, he was recognized as a tough fighter — but someone who wasn’t the best at puzzles. Early into this season, his fling with Ashley defined his appearance. Then, when the two were falling out, he seemed to do whatever he needed to do to protect himself. Ultimately, he was purged out of the game right before the final, but it became clear that he would become a mainstay on the show.
Dirty Thirty
During his season on The Challenge, Hunter’s presence was influenced by his alliance with Team Young Buck. While they were strong, they also took shots at big players like Bananas and Derrick. This would give Hunter a big target, and his game was an uphill battle. He broke up with his girlfriend mid-season, had to face both of his TYB allies in the Presidio, and battled his way back from redemption. Luckily, he had Britni in his corner and he won in an elimination against Leroy, but he broke a bone in his hand which essentially resulted in him leaving the season.
Final Reckoning
Of course, this is the season most people think of when Hunter’s name comes up. He started out as a mercenary, and he did really well in the competition with Ashley, solidifying himself as one of the best people in eating challenges. However, he had some serious drama with Ashley and they clashed throughout the season. The duo had all of their allies, but their hatred for each other made it difficult for them to work together. Hunter took special issue with Ashley’s hook-up with Kyle and slut shamed her. Ultimately, the pair won the final, but these derogatory comments were enough for Ashley not to share the $1 million.
War of the Worlds
After Final Reckoning, Hunter had a weird intensity this season. He was out for revenge, and he took Ashley out in the first Killing Floor. After that, he found himself working with Wes and playing the game on his own terms. He was argumentative, refused to make deals, and butted heads with his partner Georgia after her hook-up with Bear. He managed to make it to the final, but at the end of the first day, he dipped out during the elimination. It seemed he was exhausted and he lost his will to win the game when the competition got tough.
What’s Hunter’s legacy?
As I’ve stated, when you say the name Hunter, people immediately think of Final Reckoning. Many people feel that Ashley couldn’t have won without Hunter, but he made a lot of mistakes in that final. Ashley’s strategic use of the grenade helped solidify the team’s win, but Hunter definitely pulled most of the weight during the eating portion.
However, it’s hard to believe Hunter could have won without Ashley. Like we saw on Invasion, puzzles are his kryptonite. He would have never completed a puzzle without her (there was a puzzle edited out of the final). He is notoriously one of the worst puzzle solvers to ever compete on The Challenge, though he kind of makes up for it by being a very strong person with a strong stomach.
At this point, Hunter is regarded as a pseudo-winner and someone who was robbed — whether it be by production or by Ashley. But, he’s also remembered for his stubborn attitude on War of the Worlds and his negative attitude toward his partners’ hookups. Perhaps we could give him some grace with Ashley, but the fact that he repeated this feeling during War of the Worlds (when he was also hooking up) seems to show a pattern.
Despite this, he could come back for an all-winners season, and he’s someone who isn’t entirely dismissed from The Challenge world. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs if he makes a return because he has a lot of potential in the game (assuming there are time limits on checkpoints in the final).
Stop Being Polite 