Tony Raineshas had experience watching what happens when the winning players come to a stalemate when deciding who will go into the elimination challenge. And yet, he was willing to sacrifice his game, his opportunity for a large cash prize, to prove his dominance. His boneheaded decision, something no one agreed with, friends and foes alike, proved that karma can and will come back and haunt you. In the history ofThe Challenge, if a stalemate happens, it does not bode well for those who risked their safety. For Tony,he joins the list of players who made poor decisions that cost them the game.
The Challengehas beenMTV’s hit series that has dominated the airwaves since 1998. Originally a way to bring back alumni fromThe Real WorldandRoad Rulesinto a competitive game,The Challengehas defined reality television competition shows in the 21st century. Now celebrating its triumphant fortieth season,The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras, has invitedforty legends spanning four eras to competeto determine who the best of the best might be.
Tony Raines Was Up Against a Wall
With four eras coming together in four teams,The Challenge 40: Battle of the Seasonshas already displayed how cross-era alliances have manufactured major decisions. At the start of the season, Era III had already come to a crossroads when it came to allies. WithCory WhartonandTori Dealhaving to make a major decision about whom to send into theEras Invitational elimination round, old friendships and relationships were factored in.Devin Walker-MolaghanandJordan Wiseleywere only considered for a hot second, but their connections toTori Dealforced her hand. She and Cory sent Tony Raines into elimination againstLeroy Garrett. Tony may have been victorious, but he was up against a wall. He didn’t have any close bonds with his team. Everyone he was aligned with was from other eras. So, when it came time to enter the next portion of the game,Tony’s game was completely exposed.
Now that the four teams were officially established, the four eras played as such. To kick off the first team challenge, each era was asked to pick a male and female representative. For Era III, they selected Tony Raines andAverery Tressler. And thanks to strong teamwork and leadership, Era III won the challenge! As proven time and time again, when you’re in a position of power onThe Challenge, a major decision is bound to rock the house.Tony and Averey were now tasked to send in two targetsfrom the second and third-place teams to face off in the Arena against the team representatives from the losing team, Era I. And here comes the trouble with cross-team alliances.
Tony and Averey were forced to select eitherDerek ChavezandAviv Melmedfrom Era II orKyland YoungandKaycee Clarkfrom Era IV tocompete againstDarrell TaylorandJodi Weathertonfrom Era Iin the elimination round. In the chamber, everyone was able to plead their case to Tony and Averey as to who they wanted to compete against in the Arena. But Tony and Averey, hearing the pleas, did not agree which way to go. Averey was hellbent on saving her friend, Derek Chavez, from having to go in. Tony Raines was adamant that it be Era II, which Darrell Taylor requested.Their squabble lingered in the house and no one knew what would happen.What was clear is that, based onChallengehistory, if they could not come up with a decision, they would likely find themselves in the elimination.
History Repeats Itself
When the edit of the show flashes back to an instance duringThe Challenge: Final ReckoningwhenAmanda GarciaandZach Nicholswere in power and were at a statement, sending them into the elimination, it should have been a wakeup call for Tony, who was at risk in that specific elimination, that history was about to repeat itself. Since Tony and Averey could not decide which team they would send into elimination, hostTJ Lavinthrew them both into the elimination round. Thankfully for Averey, she wasn’t tethered to her partner in the elimination round as TJ revealed it would be a one-on-one battle by gender. This couldn’t have worked out better for Averey. Averey was able to best Jodi and knock her out of the game. But karma came back to bite Tony as he was eliminated by Darrell. Whether he threw the challenge out of shame or just didn’t want to be there,his decision to risk Averey’s game was a bad lookthat made the rest of his team, and his allies, livid.
Since his shocking elimination,Tony has vehemently denied the accusationsthat he didn’t want to be there. His confidence came into the fact that he thought he would be able to get Averey to back down from her convictions. She did not. She had a reason, but Tony couldn’t justify why his decision to want to toss Era II into the elimination aside from “it was best for my game.“Tony claims he was hanging on the hope that Derek would sacrifice himselfin Averey’s honor, but why would anyone in their right mind do that? This is a solo game after all. His contingency plan backfired and Tony became just another statistic.
‘The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras’ Brings Back This Star Competitor
The undisputed legend returns.
Tony Trusted the Wrong Individuals
Much of Tony’s justification was about positioning.Despite how the teams played out, safety in this game solely relies on your ability to maintain a strong social game. Reliance on connections, both internal and cross-era, was going to be a pitfall for Tony Raines. He was battling no matter which way he cut it. But by making waves, it caused more chaos than he needed to. Even in a strong team, he didn’t have anyone who would truly have his back. He had a history with Cory Wharton duringThe Challenge: Final Reckoning,that ended up with a physical altercation and Cory was sent home.This was one of the many factors that forced Raines to the bottom of the totem pole.
When it came to cross-era connections, it wasJohnny Bananas. Anyone who has ever watchedThe Challengeknows that relying on Bananas is a foolish game plan. Raines likely thought Bananas would have his back,but when he cheered on Leroy Garrett in the previous elimination, Raines should have been clued in on the fact that this man was not there for you at all. Bananas would be seen telling Raines that he shouldn’t risk himself in the elimination, but with his doubts about him, why would he trust him?Banana may have actually been one of the catalysts that cost Tony his game.
The Challengeis one of the most difficult games to play for returning seasons, because no two seasons are ever alike. Whether it’s changes in game mechanics or the dichotomy of the cast, it’s always best to wipe the slate clean and pretend like it’s your first time playing. That being said,knowing yourChallengehistory is crucial, and we’re not even at the trivia challenge yet. Tony Raines should have known his history and how not backing down was his karmic downfall. Without Tony’s presence, maybe it would not be the end of the world for the rest of his team. Certainly, a strong competitor, his decision might end up being of benefit for Era III.
The Challenge 40: Battle of the Erasairs new episodes every Wednesday on MTV. Previous seasons ofThe Challengeare available to stream on Paramount+.
The Challenge
Features 24 strong competitors competing for the title as they face the ultimate willpower test with unusual forms and shocking twists.
