The cat’s out of the bag: CT is showing up on Episode 14 of Battle for a New Champion. He’s the tenth and final Champion coming onto the show, but there are many other Challengers who could have made a splash this season.
To be fair, production did a pretty good job getting people to show up. We had some of the obvious Challenge Champs on the season, like recent winners and people actively doing modern seasons. We also saw some people return after breaks from the show, which generated excitement. But, long-time challenge fans had their fingers crossed for some other people.
The only requirements for being on the list: You must have won a Challenge season (spinoffs count, because Kaz showed up) and I won’t include anyone who actually showed up on season 39.
Note: Amber B. and Wes aren’t here because we know that they were with their newborns during this time.
10. Chris Underwood (Winner: Challenge USA 2)
Chaos elimination: Something physical
I understand why he wasn’t on Battle for a New Champion: To promote the season, production would have had to spoil USA 2, but he came out of that season looking strong. He won four eliminations before taking the grand prize, more elimination wins than anyone else on that pillar of the show.
9. Jonna Mannion (Winner: All Star 2 + All Stars 3)
Chaos elimination: A puzzle
Every contender on Battle for a New Champ has played the game and lost — and that was Jonna’s reality when she first came onto the show. Then, All Stars happened. We saw a new, strategic side of Jonna and she became a competitor to fear.
8. Mark Long (Winner: RW/RR Challenge, Battle of the Sexes)
Chaos elimination: Strength-based game
Season 39 appears to be a new generation on The Challenge, but there are few people from the earliest generation of The Challenge that could shake up the game like Mark. He’s in great shape, just as strong as he was 20 years ago, and the last time he was on a season he eliminated Jordan. Any contender who runs into Mark would be in trouble.
7. Jenny West (Winner: Total Madness)
Chaos elimination: Strength or speed
If contenders really have to beat the best, there’s no one in better physical shape than Jenny West. The two-time challenger won her second season, but MTV seems to have forgotten about her. However, she’d have most of the cast shaking in their faulty Under Armour shoes (men included) at the thought of facing her.
6. Derrick Kosinski (Winner: The Inferno 3, The Island, The Ruins)
Chaos elimination: Something physical
Derrick is one of those champions who hasn’t just made a name for himself as a winner, he’s also earned a reputation as an elimination beast. There’s no place that he shines more than one-on-one physical eliminations, like Beach Brawl on The Gauntlet 2. He also has one of the wildest mercenary appearances ever, and he seems eager to top his performance on Vendettas.
5. Rachel Robinson (Winner: The Gauntlet + The Duel 2)
Chaos elimination: Strength-based
Much like Mark, Rachel is someone who represents the early days of The Challenge, but she still packs some serious punch in the game. She has built a career for herself as a fitness instructor, and she is the host of The Challenge Workout series. This makes her the perfect person to come in and show the new school that the old school can still kick ass.
4. Frank Sweeney (Winner: Battle of the Seasons)
Chaos elimination: Logic-based
Some people sleep on Frank’s win on The Challenge, but if you look at his performance on his three seasons, he’s a very well-rounded player. He’s smart, agile, and has some serious endurance. Most importantly, he won his first Challenge season, a fact he could rub in the cast’s face because every contender lost their first season.
3. Sarah Rice (Winner: Battle of the Exes 2 + Rivals 3)
Chaos elimination: A puzzle
If there’s one person known for being a puzzle beast on The Challenge, it’s Sarah. She loves mental competition, and she’s the person to show the cast that it’s important to practice puzzles before coming on the show. While Sarah hasn’t been on The Challenge in eight years, this would be a great way for her to ease her way back into the scene.
2. Johnny Bananas (Seven Challenge Wins)
Chaos elimination: Strength-based game
Allegedly, Bananas was going to be a mercenary on season 39 until he heard about Moriah’s new relationship, but if he did arrive on the season, there’s no doubt it would have been a big moment. Not just because he’d address the Moriah situation head-on, but he’s also the champion to beat because he has the most wins. However, he also has the most Challenge appearances and the most elimination losses in franchise history, so there’s a decent shot he’d lose in The Arena.
1. Ashley Mitchell (Winner: Invasion of the Champions + Final Reckoning)
Chaos elimination: Logic-based
In many ways, Battle for a New Champion is the spiritual successor to Invasion of the Champions, the season where Ashley secured her first win. Then, she came back and took home a million-dollar prize on Final Reckoning. With these two wins, Ashley has earned a cutthroat reputation, but she also established herself as one of the most well-rounded Challengers, and she stands a chance in almost every elimination format.
Stop Being Polite 