When we look at the history of The Challenge, there are few people who have accomplished as much as Wes. The Real World: Austin alumnus started his Challenge career in 2005 when he filmed Fresh Meat. Eighteen years later, he announced that he’s retiring from the show, and he seems serious about it.
Throughout his time on the shows (including spinoffs), he’s competed in 32 eliminations, ran in eight finals, won three seasons, and described himself as a Challenge addict. If that last point is true, can he really give up the show cold turkey?
Well, there’s the fact that his wife is pregnant, and this is the narrative we hear a lot on the show. There’s no doubt that raising a child is a big commitment — but it doesn’t have to end someone’s career on the show. In fact, if we look at the six “Challenge legends” on USA 2, three of them have children: Cory, Amanda, and Jonna. While those people can continue to compete on the show, there’s no denying that the decision to return is a complicated one. Leaving their children is emotionally taxing and it likely means they’ll miss milestones in their development. However, doing the show has financial gains involved, even for the people who don’t win.
I could understand why Wes believes fatherhood would require him to retire, and it will likely lead to a break from the show, but we now know it’s not the only thing influencing his decision.
Recently, Wes announced his show The Blox is on Amazon. It’s a competition show centered around his company BetaBlox, which is a startup incubator. The show gives entrepreneurs the tools to develop products and can lead to Wes’ company investing in those projects. This show, and Wes’ company, are other time commitments in his life.
With everything that’s going on, it seems like something has to go, and The Challenge is going to be that thing.
Wes explained that one of the reasons he did USA 2 was because the filming schedule is shorter than a main series season, but historically, filming schedules have gotten longer with time. This was true of the Champs spinoff and All Stars — the former went from a two-week shoot during its first season to six weeks on its third. The lengthy film schedules also explain why he’s ruling out the main series. That show requires a three-month time commitment at this point, and it could be prolonged due to quarantines.
Compared to Wes’ prior retirement announcements this one seems more sincere and he comes across as less bitter. But, we can’t ignore the fact that Wes has announced he’d retire before.
Wes’ retirement announcement on USA 2 an undertone of gratitude for his time on the show, but earlier in the season he seemed upset with the way other cast members were treating him. This was reminiscent of the hiatus he took after Double Agents because his “friends” were targeting him and sending him into multiple eliminations. To be fair, Wes has skipped the past three main series seasons, so he was true to his word.
Early in his Challenge career, Wes said he was going to retire after winning The Duel. That time, he skipped four seasons (Inferno 3, Gauntlet 3, The Island, and The Duel 2), but returned on The Ruins because he couldn’t resist being in a house with all of his enemies and his ex, Johanna. Following this announcement, we went on to do many more seasons with few breaks in between.
Is this really the end for Wes?
While it’s all speculation at this point, I’m going to go with no. Wes even said he’s open to smaller roles, like a mercenary position, hosting, or being interviewed for a special. This proves that he still has a love for the show.
We also see new pillars of The Challenge emerging, and this could be an opportunity to reintroduce Wes to the franchise. Even though Champs vs. Stars 2 filmed for six weeks, Champs vs. Pros was only two weeks. So, if production introduces a new spinoff, it’s likely Wes will be contacted before the schedule gets bloated.
I think we’re going to gets a break from Wes, but he’s one of those people who will never be fully done with the show. As long as The Challenge is on the air, Wes will be invited to return, and I suspect he’ll get to the point when he won’t be able to resist the temptation.
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