The Day Zero special has introduced us to 16 “new threats” on The Challenge, and we have our original 16 teams. Some of them are looking really strong, while other teams seem to have their work cut out of them.
Based on what we know so far, here are my way-too-early rankings of the teams using footage from the Day Zero preview and the veterans’ Challenge resume. The launch special only showed a limited amount of content from the mountain climbing challenge, so we don’t know the potential of every new threat.
16. Aneesa & Leo
Aneesa didn’t have the strongest performance during the Day Zero competition, and she hasn’t had a lot of success on the Challenge. Now she’s paired with Leo, who also had a poor showing along with a resume on dating shows, so this duo doesn’t look too strong on paper.
15. Nia & Justin
This was the last team assembled, and Nia really struggled on the mountain. Justin did fairly well, but he’s also smaller than most of the other guys on the show and isn’t going to intimidate too many people until he proves himself in the game.
14. Derek & Blue
This team has a social allure surrounding them, and Derek is improving his Challenge resume, but they’re smaller than other teams. They’ll likely get picked to go into eliminations sooner than later, but they’ll probably have flawless skin doing it.
13. Nany & Ben
Nany has pretty solid endurance, and Ben did alright on the Day Zero challenge, but Nany has done over a dozen Challenge seasons without a win. If she’s going to get the gold, she’s probably not going to do it with a self-described “average Joe.”
12. CT & Tay
It seems odd to have CT so low on this list, but he arrives on this season with back pain and finished the first challenge as the last-place male. Tay also had a fairly slow time, and she seems to be a bit timid in the game, which may not mesh with CT’s current physical abilities.
11. Leroy & Sydney
Sydney seemed very confident in her abilities, and she had a lot of options when selecting a partner — but she went with Leroy. While Leroy is physically strong, no male has competed on more seasons of The Challenge without winning, so it doesn’t seem like a wise choice on Sydney’s behalf.
10. Turbo & America
Turbo’s performance on the mountain challenge was a bit underwhelming. As the winner of War of the Worlds, people probably expected him to do better, but he finished in the middle of the group. Then, he picked America based on her name alone. By her own admission, America isn’t a super strong physical competitor, so this might be an odd fit for Turbo.
9. Olivia & Cedric
It seems like Olivia is setting herself up to have many allies in this game, and that makes her a desirable partner, so it’s not a shock that she was snatched up pretty quickly. But this Lady of Leisure will need to do a lot of work if she wants to excel with Cedric. He seems fast, and he might be a savvy player, but he’s definitely a lot smaller than other guys on the cast.
8. Ashley & Gabe
On paper, this team checks a lot of boxes, but Ashley can also bring a lot of drama in the game. If Gabe’s brand of “freak” matches Ashley’s brand of “freak,” the two could be a physically strong and savvy team. If they clash, the two could self-destruct.
7. Bananas & Dee
It’s hard to know if Bananas will have a lot of allies this season, but we know Dee wasn’t intending on being one of them. It feels like this partnership might have come together based on Johnny being smitten for Dee, and based on Dee’s commentary, this doesn’t feel like a strategic match.
6. Rogan & Adrienne
Rogan returns to this game after five years away, and he’s already caused a bit of a mess in the competition by trying to hook up with Izzy. He may not have many allies, and he may have a new target, but Adrienne seems to have made a pretty strong first impression. She’s been getting along with veterans, seems to be fairly fit, and has a bit of glam. If things go well, Rogan’s hook up won’t matter, and these two could win competitions.
5. Michaela & Will
It feels like this team is the biggest mystery on paper. We haven’t seen a lot from Will, and Michaela is the least-veteraned veteran. But if you look at this duo, they seem strong and fast. This is not a team I’d want to face in an elimination, but they might not have enough allies to keep them safe from the Arena.
4. Derrick & Leka
If there’s one thing we know about Derrick, it’s that he’s full of grit and determination. He may not be the biggest competitor, but Leka adds some size to this team. She seems strong, and she may have an unconventional strategy in the game, which could help Derrick. He’s known for being loyal, sometimes to a fault, and he may need a partner that will challenge him to make difficult moves that will prioritize his own success.
3. Theo & Izzy
Izzy started this season with a strong performance, which helped her get a lot of attention — especially from Rogan. However, she ended up picking Theo as a partner, partially because she wanted to form an alliance. There’s a possibility that Izzy may have overplayed her hand, especially because Theo and Olivia have an immediate target because they’re a couple. However, it’s going to be hard to catch this team, because they’ll be super fast.
2. Cara Maria & Jake
We know Cara Maria is a tough competitor, and she’s made it to many finals, but it seems Jake can keep up with her. If you look at this team, it’s obvious that they’ll be physically strong and fast. Let’s just hope Cara Maria worked on her puzzle skills, because she can be hit-or-miss in that department, but it can make or break her game.
1. Aviv & Yeremi
Yeremi had the best performance during the Day Zero challenge, and he immediately gravitated to Aviv because she’s strong, smart, and level-headed. This is the type of team that expects to win each challenge, and other teams will be fearful of them. As soon as Yeremi picked Aviv, it became clear that this is the team to beat, though this status may give them a huge target.
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