Is Hall Brawl the Best Elimination?

We didn’t know it at the time, but a Challenge legend was born on episode 1 of Battle of the Seasons. That’s when we saw the first Hall Brawl, an elimination that became a staple of the franchise.

The elimination has been used for over a decade, and it still delivers exciting moments. During the Eras Invitational on Battle of the Eras, Hall Brawl was selected as the elimination to represent Era 3.

We know this game is Faysal’s absolute favorite thing about the Challenge, but for viewers, is it the best elimination game?

We’ve seen Hall Brawl played on many seasons, which is a strong indicator of a great elimination game. The bad ones get disposed after one use, but Hall Brawl has been featured on Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Exes 2, War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds 2, Total Madness, Double Agents, World Championship, and Battle of the Eras. We also saw watered down versions on USA 1 & USA 2, and there have been a handful of similar games throughout Challenge history (think Oppenheimer on Free Agents).

And there’s a reason why we’ve seen Hall Brawl so frequently. When it’s good, it can be legendary, and that quickly became clear when Zach and CJ faced each other on Battle of the Seasons. We also saw memorable moments on later seasons like when Nelson faced Rogan in Total Madness or when Tori eliminated stand-out rookie Jenny on War of the Worlds 2.

As far as physical eliminations go, there are few games that are as fun to watch as Hawl Brawl. The other frequently seen physical game, Pole Wrestle, doesn’t have the same level of excitement. That game is best when the rounds last a long time, but Hall Brawl is a fast-paced game. It delivers an immediate clash, one that builds anticipation and can be remembered for seasons to come.

What about the bad Hall Brawls? We’ve seen a few rounds that were fairly uneventful, like Amber M. vs Amber B. on Double Agents. That was definitely underwhelming, especially because some viewers start salivating as soon as they see the hall, only to see two girls who aren’t trying to hurt themselves in the game.

This can be quite disappointing, but when you remove expectations, it can be interesting to see how different competitors approach the game. We know Hall Brawl will return, so Challengers ought to study how other people played prior rounds to build their own strategies.

Honestly, the biggest issue with Hall Brawl is the potential for injury. We saw this when Kyle broke his finger on Double Agents, but Nelson and Rogan were also in rough shape after their Hall Brawl on Total Madness.

So, is Hall Brawl the best elimination?

There are some flaws with the game, but Hall Brawl has given The Challenge more memorable moments than any other elimination game. When we see it in its purest form (and not with a BS puzzle like we saw on USA2), Challenge fans are always going to get excited.

It’s hard to think of another elimination that has reached the same height as Hall Brawl, so I’d argue that it’s currently the best elimination game the Challenge has to offer. I don’t think the show can’t outdo Hall Brawl, but it’s hard to imagine a world where Hall Brawl isn’t part of the franchise.