The Challenge Champs vs Stars (2018) Cast Preview and Fantasy Game
The Challenge Vendettas only has the reunion left, and in this era of year-round Challenge it means another season is coming. This time, it is another Champs vs. Stars which premieres on April 9, 2018. The cast has been out for a while now, and with that we take to my favorite task: POWER RANKINGS. The players will be ranked the same way they are during a normal season, although in the description we’ll also talk about the player’s personality and origin. I’ll also say some info based on the trailers released; particularly in relation to the teams these players appear to be on. I’ll list the apparent teams below (again, nothing is confirmed; these are just based on the trailer):
20) Hennessy Carolina
I’m going to be entirely honest; the bottom three of these rankings (and a lot of other spots) could be put in a hat and thrown in the air; land in any order and I would have no qualms with it. Through analyzing the trailer; she appears to be on the blue team; which also appears to have less Stars women on it. I’m not sure how the politics will break down, but it would seem logical that being the only woman to not compete on the show before would make her an easy throw-in in the beginning. She also is lacking a Wikipedia page; which means I’m questionable about her being a “Star” in the first place. She has been on Love and Hip Hop: New York multiple times though and has been a part of some drama there so she should at least make an impact while she is on.
19) Niatia “Lil Mama” Kirkland
Lil Mama has meandered throughout the hip hop scene for a while now, with numerous hits such as “Lip Gloss” and appearing on America’s Best Dance Crew as a judge for seven seasons. She got her name from caring for her seven siblings after her mother died of breast cancer. I have absolutely no knowledge of any of her background in athletics, so she’s a complete shoulder shrug in that department. She ranks above Hennessy for now due to seemingly a better political situation; although she could easily move heavily in either direction.
18) Selita Ebanks
Known primarily for her work with Victoria’s Secret; Selita is a model and actress. She doesn’t have the TV experience other people do, but her profession would suggest she’s not scared of the spotlight. She seems to be in good shape, so she shouldn’t be terrible athletically but as far as dexterity and conditioning go I have no idea.
17) Drake Bell
Drake was a star on the hit Nickelodeon series “Drake and Josh” but those days are long behind him. Drake seems to be the worst athlete of all the guys cast, and he also hasn’t done anything noteworthy in quite some time. There are plenty of surprises in The Challenge universe; but Drake running the table this season isn’t one I find there to be a strong chance of happening.
16) Jozea Flores
Here’s where the cast really starts to get interesting. I find the fact that The Challenge considers Big Brother players “stars” (especially when they are also being casted for the normal Challenge nowadays); but in this case I can see why they did. Jozea entered the game in Big Brother 18 (the same season as Natalie and Victor from Vendettas) guns blazing. He proclaimed himself to be a “messiah” for new players and also claimed to have connections to host the Grammys after the season. However, he was the second person voted off the show and was unable to return through the battle back challenge. Frank Sweeney with more arrogance but without any of the competence; I don’t expect Jozea to be on the show for long, but he should be a whirlwind while he is.
15) Casper Smart
Casper also lacks a Wikipedia page, however he seems to have much more credentials than Hennessy. In addition to dating Jennifer Lopez, Casper also has been a choreographer and most importantly, an MMA Fighter. I think he has a similar game to Josh Murray from last season; although due to the format I could see him winning a few eliminations as well.
14) Brooke Hogan
The daughter of legend “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan; Brooke comes in with a lot of pedigree on her side. She’s appeared in mostly an authority role on the Wrestling circuit, but she still has more of an athletic background than any of the female Stars ranked behind her. This female Stars cast is the weakest of the spin-offs so far; but Brooke does have size and experience in the ring, which gives her an advantage over the female stars. She should be a decent bet for screen time though, as wrestling and The Challenge have a strong crossover of audience and she’s very used to having a camera in her face.
13) Devin Walker
Coming off a solid season on Vendettas, Devin has shown himself to be a competent competitor as well as popular amongst the non-Bananas contingent in the house; so he should be in a solid position to be around for a while. However, he’s the weakest male Champ from a physical standpoint and he could end up rubbing his team the wrong way causing him to be thrown in.
12) Aneesa Ferriera
This will be Aneesa’s 15th Challenge related appearance (including last year as a mercenary on Vendettas); and she doesn’t have the most impressive track record. She only has two individual/pair missions wins in her thirteen seasons to go with a meh 8–10 elimination record. Currently, she seems to be a bit overrated by MTV while underrated by the fanbase at large. She was actually pretty good to start on Dirty 30; and has the experience and size to pick up some wins and make it far.
11) Shane Landrum
Shane’s probably the best male competitor to never make a final in The Challenge. Although he was somewhat disappointing on Vendettas, and he didn’t really show any athletic weakness and was maybe the best overall performer on Invasion of the Champions. He also has a solid political track record, and if he can avoid a headbanger elimination he should be around for a while. He’s also always a good bet for drama, and I can definitely see him and Jozea getting into it.
10) Daniel “Boobie” Gibson
Boobie’s got the second best athletic track record of the male Stars, which should help him out here. He also has featured on Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood; so he’s got some experience in reality television. His description from MTV mentions him being willing to play the game politically; and on a team with Wes, Louise, and Tony; I could see him linking up with them to throw the other members of the team in. Overall, if he’s a willing politician combined with his athletic profile; he should be around for a while.
9) Kailah Casillas
Kailah’s had a mixed bag of a Challenge career so far. She seems like she should be a dominant athlete; but her career is marred with underperformances. She lost to a seemingly weaker competitor in Sylvia on Invasion of the Champions, gave a performance on the Snaking Your Way Back In mission that was The Challenge equivalent of James Harden in Game 6 last year, and was abysmal on the final last season only making the second stage due to the nonsense structure of it. She and Smashley due seem to be on good terms; so she should be in a solid political situation and despite her underperformance thus far she’s still definitely a much more proven competitor than the majority of the female Stars.
8) Kam Williams
Kam came out of the gates firing last season; winning three eliminations and making the final. While I question the effort given by Ashley and Tori during those eliminations (Ashley admitted on the Challenge Mania podcast to tanking the elimination); her win over Natalie was very impressive and she’s proven to be a solid competitor. While not the best swimmer, she has shown to be well-rounded in other areas and I would not be surprised at all to see her in the final.
7) Tori Deal
Another of the young women hoping to dominate The Challenge scene for the foreseeable future; Tori had a great season Dirty XXX showcasing an array of talent. She’s also apparently been training with Dirty XXX winner Jordan during the offseason; so she should come back better than ever. Her and Kam were very close, but I gave her the edge due to a better political situation (is on good terms with Wes, Tony, and Aneesa) and having been on a season of Champs Vs before.
6) Ashley Mitchell
Making her much anticipated return to The Challenge scene after a season off, “Smashley” returns as the only female champion on the cast. While she’s not an overly dominant athlete, she’s certainly capable and is probably the most intelligent cast member on the season. While she’s maybe the craziest cast member in the current roster, she’s actually very intelligent and is a strong asset in puzzles especially.
5) Arian Foster
Probably the most famous of the Stars, Arian was a dominant running back in the NFL for years. While NFL Players have been a mixed bag on the show so far, Arian would seem to have a much calmer demeanor than his direct predecessor on the show (T.O.) and should be able to handle the stress of it better. Known for his cerebral personality, it will be interesting to see how he navigates the craziness that often comes out during the show. Let’s just hope he doesn’t blow out his knee early on in the season.
4) Louise Hazel
The first player from the spin-offs to return to the show, Louise was awesome her first time around. She manipulated the Pros team into doing her will, sending in enemy Lolo Jones whenever they got the chance. It will be interesting to see if she teams with Wes and the two of them run the show for her team; or if she work against him and rallies the troops so she can take over. In addition to her political acumen, she’s also of course a fantastic athlete, being easily the most qualified person on the cast.
3) Tony Raines
Tony’s coming off a dominant performance last season where he was superb in every facet of the game. Whether it was competitively where was fantastic, politically where he played one of the most cutthroat games the show has seen, or socially where he maintained strong relationships with most of the house. His performance really came out of nowhere, and it’s possible I’m even undervaluing him by putting him at number three. There’s still some speculation as to whether or not his performance as a fluke, so this will give him a real shot to prove his position in the show’s hierarchy.
2) Wes Bergmann
Wes is back and looks to be in the best shape he’s been in for a while. Champs Vs. has really been Wes’ series so far, as he has made a strong impact on each of the first two installments and looks ready to do so again this time around. Even though he’s well past his athletic prime, he’s still won four eliminations (one against an Olympian) on these shows and has a lot of friends amongst the cast (CT, Devin, Aneesa, Tori). There’s the possibility he throws himself in early again and this time it doesn’t work out as well; or that Louise bands the stars together against him instead of working with him; but otherwise he should be set for a long ride in the game.
- “CT” Chris Tamburello
Now for the undisputed #1, CT. Like friend and fellow Rivals 2 winner Wes, CT has certainly seen better days in the past. However, that didn’t stop him from winning last season and never really being at risk of going home. CT has been thrown into elimination once since Rivals, and otherwise people haven’t even thought of taking a shot at him. While he will struggle in endurance-based missions, otherwise he should be a safe bet to reach the finals and win some missions along the way.
Fantasy Game
For this season of the show, I’m running a fantasy game over at Fantasizr.com. Anyone is free to join, just follow the link below. You are allowed to pick any 5 players as long as combined they fit under the $1,000 salary cap, with your first pick receiving a 10% bonus as your team captain. We will be using the scoring system set up by Rachel over at https://thechallengefantasyleague.wordpress.com/. There are limited spots available, so join now!
Link: http://www.fantasizr.com/joinleaguelink?league=5813038461485056&key=c5EcBeBA3fA3c2d035D8f27Cb2dA12
