The 2010s were a transformative time for the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. The show simply became “The Challenge,” and we saw new formats like Rivals and Battle of the Exes. During that time, we welcomed new Fresh Meat faces and saw a resurgence in the Real World’s popularity. Somewhere in the transition, the Real World: DC alumni got lost in the mix.
Out of the eight people on that season, only two have appeared on The Challenge. We had Emily, who became a champion, and Ty, who’s largely become a relic of the early 2010s.
We haven’t seen Ty on the show in 12 years, but his name likely rings a bell (which Ty could not do in Last Chance). But what legacy has Ty left behind with his four-season career?
Coming into Cutthroat, Ty talked himself up. He was very confident in his abilities, and surprisingly, the Blue team shared this sentiment. Ty was expected to be the breakout rookie, but that never came to fruition. Instead, we saw a confrontational competitor, who notably argued with Katie, Emily, and his future Rivals partner, Brandon.
Eventually, Ty landed in the Pole Me Over elimination, which could have been his opportunity to prove his strength. At first, he took control of the game, but he spent all of his energy way too fast. Eventually, he collapsed like a rag doll and couldn’t get up. This got him disqualified from the elimination, a game that seemed impossible to get DQed from.
Rivals
Ty was definitely a noteworthy competitor on his first season, but on Rivals, not so much. The messy Ty we saw on Cutthroat wasn’t gone — he showed up, and on the first episode, he got punched by Adam. That would also be his most memorable moment of the season, because most of Ty’s fights have no substance, and Rivals was full of teams that had real beef.
Brandon and Ty actually did all right in the daily Challenges, but it seemed Brandon offered more to the team. By the time the two landed in the second Jungle, Brandon was able to climb the rope in Going Up while Ty underperformed in another elimination.
Battle of the Exes
Up until this season, Ty’s time on the Challenge was largely defined by his arguments, but Battle of the Exes showed a more humanizing side of him, and best of all, he proved he was a solid competitor. Of course, he benefited from having Emily as a partner, but he showed some impressive performances, especially when he beat Abe in X Battle.
He also had a semi-relationship with Paula, which didn’t last beyond the season, but was enough to motivate her to break up with her boyfriend at the time. There was also the infamous moment when Emily (influenced by Camila) smeared Nutella on her face to mock Ty. The shocking moment caused a rift in their team, but Ty forgave Emily. Then, the team ran the final and came in third. Ty seemingly gassed out during this final, slowing the team down, but it’s hard to fault him for struggling this time.
Rivals 2
Production made a very odd casting choice on Rivals 2 and shoehorned Ty into a team with Leroy. Allegedly, this was because Ty was expected to bring drama to the season. But did he bring the drama? No, nor did he bring competition.
Leroy & Ty just kind of floated through the game. They were voted into the Breaking on Through Jungle by a burn vote, and they only survived because Zach got himself and Trey DQed on a technicality. Then, Leroy & Ty were sent into the Last Chance Jungle, and they probably should have won, but Ty flopped around like a dizzy fish and couldn’t ring the bell before Jordan & Marlon.
What’s Ty’s Challenge Legacy?
If you remember Ty on The Challenge, it’s probably for something odd, like his “bro job” conversation on Cutthroat, smashing a potted plant on Emily’s bed, calling Adam Royer a “guy,” or being the target of the blackface incident.
At his best, Ty was messy entertainment. He helped usher in the relationship-based Challenge seasons, but most of his relationships weren’t too deep. He was kind of filler on Rivals, and he was definitely filler on Rivals 2. Perhaps that’s why he stopped competing on the show after that season.
Competitively, Ty was a flop. He came in with a lot of potential, but he never lived up to it. He’ll be remembered for having popcorn muscles and for gassing out when it mattered the most. This made him hard to root for, and once he stopped bringing random fights to the show, it was hard to justify inviting him back.
Stop Being Polite 