10 Competitors Who Improved on All Stars

The Challenge: All Stars has reintroduced us to many Challengers; for many, it was a long-overdue second chance. In some cases, competitors outperformed their original run on The Challenge and reestablish their identity in the franchise.

While there are no hard and fast rules for my list, I’m going to reward people who saw the biggest improvement compared to their best performance on a flagship series. There are some people who did really well on All Stars, like Wes, but they also had great performances on the main series. They won’t be mentioned here because they’re maintaining a reputation, not improving it.

10. MJ Garrett

Best pre-All Stars performance: Winner, The Gauntlet 2
All Stars placement: Winner, All Stars 2

Though MJ is technically a winner, there’s a huge asterisk next to this. He never saw an elimination on The Gauntlet 2, wasn’t a team captain, and didn’t even compete in the final because it was a mess. On All Stars 2, MJ had to fend for himself. He didn’t know too many people in the game, but he was lucky to connect with Jonna. Their teamwork allowed him to be successful and overcome the obstacles that were placed in front of him, not avoid them like he did on The Gauntlet 2.

9. Nia Moore

Best pre-All Stars performance: 9th(ish) place, Battle of the Exes 2
All Stars placement: 3rd place, All Stars 3

All Stars 3 was supposed to be an all-finalist season, but Hurricane Nia DQed before the final elimination on Exes 2, therefore, she wasn’t a finalist. This DQ led her to take a long time away from the show, but her All Stars return felt like a reunion with Jordan. Once Jordan left the game, Nia almost checked out, but she pushed through, and by the end of the season, everyone on All Stars 3 was a finalist. Nia didn’t win the final, but this still qualified her to be a “Champion” on the World Championship.

8. Shane Landrum

Best pre-All Stars performance: 7/8th team eliminated (but who really knows), Final Reckoning
All Stars placement: 2nd place, All Stars Rivals

Shane did quite well during his 2016-2018 Challenge return, but he never made a final. Coming into All Stars Rivals he had seven seasons under his belt without a final appearance, which was a near-record on The Challenge. All of that changed on All Stars Rivals when he was moments from winning. At least, he can say he’s a finalist now. Da’Vonne also made her first final, so she could make this list, but she’s had fewer Challenge appearances than Shane and came super close to the War of the Worlds final.

7. Jisela Delgado

Best pre-All Stars performance: Fifth place, Battle of the Seasons
All Stars placement: Finalist, 9/10th place, All Stars 1

Jisela was very outspoken during her first Challenge season, and the Road Rules Inner Circle was happy to see her go. She came back two times after that, but she seemed to just do Battle of the Sexes and The Gauntlet 2 for a free vacation. All Stars 1 wasn’t a vacation, because Jisela was there to play the game. She won an elimination and made the final, but her injury made winning that final impossible.

6. Ayanna Mackins

Best pre-All Stars performance: Eighth place, Battle of the Sexes
All Stars placement: Finalist, 4th place, All Stars 2

If you remembered Ayanna before All Stars, you likely remember her intense personality. She fully brought that to All Stars 2, but she also shined that season by winning eliminations and making friends. She got to the final, but gassed out before the second leg. She also competed on All Stars 4, and while she brought drama that season, All Stars 2 proved to be the highlight of her Challenge career.

5. Derek Chavez

Best pre-All Stars performance: 11th team eliminated, Battle of the Seasons
All Stars placement: Finalist, 8th place, All Stars 4

During his original run on The Challenge, Derek was a chronic early boot with one good season, Battle of the Seasons. He even took an early trip home on All Stars 2, though that was due to the grieving process after his sister’s death. Then, we saw a different Derek on All Stars 4. He was physically strong, well-aligned, and played a clever game. He got to his first final, which led to an improved performance on Battle of the Eras (and a pending Challenge 41 appearance).

4. Melina Stolp

Best pre-All Stars performance: Sixth female eliminated, Cutthroat
All Stars placement: Finalist, 3rd place, All Stars 2

Before All Stars, Melinda seemed to be defined by her relationship with Danny and her series of early boots. On All Stars 2, she reintroduced herself, allowed herself to be vulnerable, and fully embraced the game. She worked with her friend Nehemiah, and after winning eliminations, she completed her first final. Sadly, her time on All Stars 3 was cut short due to an injury.

3. Yes Duffy

Best pre-All Stars performance: Winner, Challenge 2000
All Stars placement: Winner, All Stars 1

While Yes technically won his first Challenge season, it was an early, non-elimination season where 50% of the cast won. Then, Yes was an early boot on his next two Challenge seasons. He took an 18-year break from the franchise, but when he returned on All Stars 1 he was a dark horse in the game. He made the final and emerged as the sole winner on the 22-person cast. Yes hasn’t scored his third win yet, but he did very well on the Challenge: World Championship.

2. Steve Meinke

Best pre-All Stars performance: Eighth eliminated, The Gauntlet
All Stars placement: Winner, All Stars Rivals

For many viewers, Steve was a surprise return on All Stars 2. He wasn’t super memorable on The Gauntlet, but his All Stars 4 performance was even more surprising because he almost won. He proved this wasn’t a fluke on All Stars Rivals when he got his first victory — not bad for a hand model.

1. Jonna Mannion

Best pre-All Stars performance: 11th team eliminated, Battle of the Seasons
All Stars placement: 2x winner: All Stars 2 + All Stars 3

Before All Stars, Jonna was known to be involved in drama, parties, and hookups. She was a young reality TV star making the most of her time on The Challenge, but she was a middle-of-the-road player. Then, she returned for All Star. We saw a big improvement when she made her first final on All Stars 1, but she returned on All Stars 2 to get her first win. Then, she got a rare back-to-back win on All Stars 3. Since then, she’s been known as a clever and capable player, even though her winning streak is over.