I’m going to date myself here, but in 1998, when The Challenge first premiered on MTV, it was my entire life. Between angry Chris “CT” Tamburello, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, and badass Rachel Robinson, the early years of the competition game were everything. It was raw and included extreme physical challenges as well as hot people under one roof. The premise was a recipe for success. Along the way, there have been multiple spinoffs and international franchises. But for the most part, The Challenge never forgot its roots, and now fans are in for the battle of a lifetime. Here’s what to expect from The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.
The Challenge trailer
Guys, I have chills, literal chills from the newly dropped trailer. MTV has done it again as they have picked a fantastic location in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This season is a milestone representing the culmination of everything and everyone who came before it. After months of anticipation, MTV finally gave followers a few breadcrumbs regarding what they could expect. The trailer, which was revealed on July 16, clarified a lot. Firstly, drum roll, please, the Hall Brawls are back! And just like other seasons, there is a plot twist. There will now be a daily challenge winner who will choose a player from each era, presumably for elimination.
Of course, each challenge looks hellish for someone like me who can’t ride in a glass elevator without freaking out. However, for these competitors, the physical exertion and adrenaline-pumping requirements are right up their alley. The trailer showed the MTV stars jumping from a skyscraper, swinging from semi-tractor trailers, and running from a loaded trebuchet. Naturally, there are going to be some steamy hookups. We already know CT gets hurt as a scene shows him being carried away and complaining about his back.
The Challenge 40 cast
Perhaps most importantly, The Challenge Season 40 will premiere on MTV on Wednesday, August 14, with the show’s largest cast ever: 40 contestants for 40 years. These are the legends—the OGs. There are no Davids here among the Goliaths. Era 1 is the backbone of the franchise, and I’ll fight anyone who argues. Well, I won’t fight, but I’ll stand my ground. Era 1 consists of:
Tina Barta (8 Challenges)
Katie Cooley (11 Challenges, 1 win)
Aneesa Fereira (17 Challenges)
Brad Fiorenza (13 Challenges, 1 Win)
Derrick Kosinski (13 Challenges, 3 Wins)
Mark Long (8 Challenges, 2 Wins)
Rachel Robinson (8 Challenges, 2 Wins)
CT Tamburello (19 Challenges, 5 Wins)
Darrell Taylor (14 Challenges, 4 Wins)
Jodi Weatherton (5 Challenges, 2 Wins)
Era 2 also has my heart because some of the biggest badass women are on this team.
Derek Chavez (5 Challenges)
Nehemiah Clark (7 Challenges, 1 win)
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio (23 Challenges, 7 Wins)
KellyAnne Judd (7 Challenges)
Ryan Kehoe (7 Challenges)
Aviv Melmed (1 Challenge, 1 Win)
Brandon Nelson (6 Challenges)
Emily Schromm (3 Challenges, 1 Win)
Cara Maria Sorbello (15 Challenges, 2 Wins)
Laurel Stucky (8 Challenges, 2 Wins)
Era 3 will have:
Tori Deal (9 Challenges, 1 Win)
Amanda Garcia (7 Challenges)
Leroy Garrett (13 Challenges)
Jonna Mannion (10 Challenges, 2 Wins)
Nia Moore (4 Challenges)
Tony Raines (7 Challenges)
Averey Tressler (3 Challenges)
Devin Walker (7 Challenges, 1 Win)
Cory Wharton (10 Challenges)
Jordan Wiseley (9 Challenges, 4 Wins)
The rest of The Challenge 40 details
MTV is amping up viewers with a constant stream of social media updates that have us walking down memory lane. The press release noted, “The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras will feature 40 legendary competitors from the series’ 26-year history representing their ‘Challenge Era’ in an epic battle for the ages where legends will collide as they strive to immortalize their names as Challenge 40 Champions and earn their share of the one million dollar prize.”
Another sneak peek noted, “In the monumental 40th Season, The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras, the path to glory is far from easy, as they must first compete at the Era Invitational and eliminate the weakest links from within their own Challenge Era for only the best will earn a coveted spot on their team. With relentless, new challenges and twists, these seasoned Veterans are perpetually kept on their toes in the game they thought they had mastered.” It is definitely a season I won’t be missing.
TELL US — WILL YOU BE TUNING IN TO WATCH THE CHALLENGE SEASON 40?
