Who’s Missing from Season 40, the “Super Bowl” of The Challenge

The Battle of the Eras cast has been announced, and as we know, it’s stacked with Challenge legends. Wes Bergmann — a notable absentee — has dubbed this the “Super Bowl” of the Challenge.

It’s hard to deny that this is an impressive cast, but there are still some notable competitors who aren’t on the roster. Of course, production can’t force Challengers onto the show, but these names would have made the season just a little spicier.

I’m going to add one male and one female from each era and a couple of wild cards. I’m also going to ignore people who were obviously not going to be invited, whether it’s for health reasons or because they’re allegedly permabanned.

Era 1 Male: Alton Williams

When Alton debuted on season 7, The Gauntlet, he quickly established himself as a tough competitor. However, his shining moment was scoring a victory as team captain on The Gauntlet 2. While his later appearances on The Challenge were a bit disappointing, his performance on All Stars in 2021 showed us he’s still a fighter and he remains in great shape.

Era 1 Female: Coral Smith

Coral debuted on season 5, Battle of the Seasons, and she successfully navigated the first season with eliminations. But, she really thrived durning her later seasons where she emerged as a cunning and strategic player. While Coral left The Gauntlet 3 on a sour note, she’s a pioneer of the franchise and it’s no surprise that fans have been begging for her return.

Era 2 Male: Wes Bergmann

Very few competitors have made an impact on The Challenge that’s comparable to Wes. Since debuting on season 12, Fresh Meat, he’s won three seasons, has set records in eliminations, and established season-defining rivalries. While Wes insists he’s almost, but not quite, retired, he’s certainly worthy of a spot on this “Super Bowl” season.

Era 2 Female: Sarah Rice

People had low expectations for Sarah before her debut on season 18, The Ruins, but she silenced a lot of viewers when she went on to reach the final on her debut season. She’d go on to compete in two more finals before she secured her first win on Battle of the Exes 2. However, she hasn’t been back since Johnny stole her money on the Rivals 3 final — but it’d be so sweet to see her seek revenge during this milestone season.

Era 3 Male: Zach Nichols

Few competitors can claim that they won their debut season, but Zach earned that honor on season 23, Battle of the Seasons, when he crossed the finish line with Team San Diego. While the other winners that season had very short-lived or sporadic Challenge careers (before All Stars 5, at least), Zach was a mainstay on the show for a while. Last we saw, he was a runner-up on War of the Worlds 2, a season where he gave a great performance.

Era 3 Female: Ashley Mitchell

After debuting on season 28, Rivals 3, Ashley quickly became a Challenge champion by winning her second season. Following this success, she would become a source of drama and fierce competition that culminated with her million-dollar victory on Final Reckoning. While there might be some bad blood after Spies, Lies and Allies, there’s no denying Ashley had a serious impact on the show while competing.

Era 4 Male: Turbo Camkiran

Of all the people who have debuted since season 31, Turbo has one of the most interesting Challenge careers. He won season 33, War of the Worlds, and became a rare rookie champion. His follow-up seasons were less impressive, but there’s no denying that he’s a force in the game who’s not afraid to go against the grain.

Era 4 Female: Kam Williams

When Kam debuted on season 31, Vendettas, she immediately distinguished herself from other rookies by winning multiple eliminations and getting to the final. Since then, she’s habitually made it far in the game and has run in multiple finals. Though she hasn’t secured a win, she’s someone who thrives in a competitive environment and isn’t afraid to make unpopular game moves.

OK, most of these entries are fairly predictable, so I’m going to list two wild cards. These are people like Derek, Averey, or Nehemiah who may not have been stand out during their original Challenge runs, but showed massive potential on later seasons.

Wild Card Male: Steve Meinke

Steve debuted on season 7, The Gauntlet, and disappeared from The Challenge scene for 18 years. Then, he returned for All Stars 2 and proved he has some brains in the game and will make big moves. However, All Stars 4 was a huge improvement for Steve. He won three eliminations, showed he was still in good shape, and unapologetically shook up other competitors’ games.

Wild Card Female: Casey Cooper

In a world where Aviv is able to return, is it so wild to think the new and improved Casey Cooper could also come back to the show? We still talk about her five elimination wins when she debuted on season 12, Fresh Meat, and it seems like Casey should get a proper shot (equipped with a pregnancy test) to redeem herself. After all, she did well during her time on All Stars 2. She won a challenge, played a smart game, and actually had people vying to be her partner.