A wild turn of events took place in the 35th season of The Challenge. The long-running MTV competition series kicked off its Total Madness season in 2020 and brought with it one of the strangest twists. This was the first time that Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Wes Bergmann were not constantly at each other’s throats, instead opting to team up. This was a stark contrast to what Challenge fans had been accustomed to. Since that change of heart, the two have steered from their rivalry. So when the new season of The Challenge: USA was recently announced, and it featured both Bananas and Wes, it marked yet another season where we get to see these one-time rivals play on the same side. This is all good news for fans of The Challenge.
How Many 'The Challenge' Seasons Have Wes Bergmann & Johnny Bananas Been on Together?
Johnny Bananas and Wes Bergmann are some of the most recognizable faces in the history of reality TV competition showThe Challenge, so it's no wonder that they've run so many seasons together. From the jump, these two have been against one another, and it only heightened as Wes began to assert his mark on the game. While they became allies recently, they've only done so in their past three seasons together which means there were 10 times when these two were battling one another.
When competing in the same season, Bananas has had the upper hand more times than not. Bananas has won six finals with Wes competing that same season. Wes made the finals in three of those wins. One of those wins for Bananas did come when the two began to work with one another in Total Madness, so it seems their friendship hasn't taken away their success, either. There's no reason for these two to change how they have operated recently.
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'The Challenge' Is Best When Wes & Bananas Unite
While we love a good rivalry on The Challenge, the way the show works now makes it difficult for the veterans to go against one another and survive. There's been an infusion of new faces going back to 2019’s War of the Worlds. This was where reality stars from around the world entered the same space as all the familiar faces of The Challenge. Since then, it's been difficult for many veterans as the rookies and newer people have sort of made it a priority to target the originals. There was a brief stretch where Bananas wasn't lasting long because of how he was viewed as the biggest threat every season by the rookies.
As a result, two of the game’s best minds realized they had to work together in order to have a chance in the end. We would love to see these two battling each other but if they went back to their old ways, they'd be much easier to pick off. Together, though, they are able to rally their allies into a much stronger collective. That's why these two have fared much better recently.
This will continue to be how the next season of The Challenge: USA goes as these two along with the other veterans will be in the same realm as other reality stars, the latter of which presumably will seek to gain power and knock one of these big two out as early as possible. It may even be impossible for the two to make it far without winning early power and forming allies with the 18 CBS stars who will be in the cast. This means just six of the cast are Challenge veterans. Bananas and Wes will have their work cut out for them, but if there are any two who could figure out how to make this work, it’s them.
The Challenge: USA will return for its second season on Thursday, August 10 on CBS.
The Big Picture
- Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Wes Bergmann have been rivals on The Challenge for most of their time on the show, but in recent seasons, they have chosen to team up and have found success together.
- The influx of new competitors on The Challenge has made it difficult for veteran players to survive and go against each other. Bananas and Wes realized they needed to work together in order to have a chance at winning.
- In the upcoming season of The Challenge: USA, Bananas and Wes will face new challenges as they compete against both reality stars and other veterans. It will be a tough road, but they are determined to make it work.
