BY DC CUEVA
If they say The Challenge is the fifth major pro sport, then a lot of you have wondered to yourself how those who compete in other sports might fare on this revered show? Well, your wish will be granted as this cycle of the MTV Trifecta will reach its crescendo with this special series called, The Challenge - Champs vs. Pros. CT, Ashley and eight other champions who have at least one of these -- seven from Team Champions in Thailand plus the eighth in the new queen of this show, will be coming here just off the plane from Thailand with a stop in New York for the reunion that proceeds the show. Awaiting them are ten top athletes from the entire sports spectrum: nine from the U.S. and a tenth from Great Britain and who have experience in the NFL, the Olympics, UFC, WWE and surfing to create the ultimate grudge match and a true battle to see who is best.
Coming up in this preview, we'll have a look at the pros who will be taking to the field to compete against Team MTV and provide some background and analysis on all of them, including the man who will take over, at least for this season, by the guy who brought the salsa dance to Sundays. We'll also meet the ten champions who'll go into battle on this season, go over the format, and offer a "Who Are These Newbies?" look at one of them making their return after a many years' absence.
So as we always like to say here, get out that Under Armour jersey, get yourself set and join in with us after the jump as DCBLOG previews at The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.
WHAT TO EXPECT
MEET THE PROS & THE HOST
● CM PUNK - Fight Sports: When word got out of who would be on this Challenge, it was understandable that the biggest buzz surrounded our first Pro: CM Punk began his career in pro wrestling in 1999, making it to Ring of Honor and winning its title until he caught the attention of the WWE in 2005. During his stint in the sport's most high-profile promotion, he won the World Tag Team Championship and the Intercontinental Championship before becoming World Heavyweight Champion in 203 days. He lost to the Undertaker later in 2009, but then in 2011 he would regain his title over John Cena. which began a modern era-record 434-day reign as champ, which has seen him win Money in the Bank twice and won 2011 Superstar of the Year. He retired from WWE in 2014 but then was snapped up by the UFC later that year and fought his first fight in the Octagon last year. Along the way, he has amassed a big social following and is also one of Chicago sports' biggest fans as well as an NHL fanatic also. Punk is competing here to benefit PAWS Chicago.
● KAMERION WIMBLEY - NFL: In a league full of fascinating people, it's always good to find someone who can lay claim to the title of being a gentle giant... That's what you'll find in the first of the two NFL players represented on this Challenge in Kamerion Wimbley. On the field during his eight NFL seasons in the gridiron and his four years under coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State, he was a hard-hitting defensive end for the Browns, the Raiders and for the Titans. But off the field, Kamerion is kind and warm-hearted and someone devoted to the community as after he retired from football he's focused on his new company KW Growth Holdings, and owning a dog registry specializing in American Bully dogs. He even gave it a go on American Ninja Warrior, making it to the Regional Finals in the Southeast. His own charity, The Kamerion Wimbley Foundation, are the beneficiaries of what he does here on Champs vs. Pros.
● SHAWNE MERRIMAN - NFL: The other NFL representative on this season also was fearless on the gridiron as a defensive powerhouse that every QB feared. Shawne Merriman was a 2005 first round draft pick of the Chargers in the now-famous Eli Manning-Philip Rivers trade and became a three-time Pro Bowler, All-Pro and one of the best defensive players of his generation. No wonder why he was coined in high school as "Lights Out," given his unparalleled power on the field, his ability to ignite his team, and being able to intimidate his opponents...take his Lights Out dance, for example. His dedication to excellence and drive to success also extended beyond the field to business and entertainment, and like Kamerion, also has a strong desire of giving back in the community and being an entrepreneur in his post-football days. Most important, as someone who was the victim of two house fires as a kid, he helps to assist homeless children and families in need, and Shawne is competing here for the his Lights On Foundation charity.
● GUS KENWORTHY - Freestyle Skiing: Of all the Pros on this season, perhaps the most fascinating backstory belongs to that of freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy. At age 15, he submitted a video of him skiing for a free-ski event that eventually caught everyone's attention. This kickstarted a career that's seen him be the first to land a double-cork 1080 on the half pipe, a double flip on a hip jump, and a double flip off the rail; not to mention many X-Games medals and honors on the world stage. Three years ago in Sochi, he was part of the USA's medal sweep in the slopestyle in him winning silver, and a year later in 2015 made national headlines and the cover of ESPN Magazine when he made the bold and courageous decision to let it out in the open that he is a gay man: the first action sports athlete to do so...we'll be looking at that story during this season. As he continues to dominate ahead of next year, what better way to prep for PyeongChang 2018 than being on The Challenge, competing for The Trevor Project and the Happy Hippie Foundation.
● LINDSEY JACOBELLIS - Snowboarding: Also eyeing South Korea next winter is snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, who is the most dominant racer in snowboard cross. She started at age 11 in Stratton Mountain, Vermont, then went to the town's winter sports academy. Four years after came an X-Games invite in eventually Winter X's most decorated female champion, and at age 17 making it to the World Cup tour for the first time, and eventually onto three U.S. Olympic Teams. However, it's what happened in 2006 in Torino that she is most well known for: she had the gold in hand in the final stretch when she decided to celebrate just before crossing the finish line... she paid the price by falling down in the stretch and losing the gold, settling for silver. That, along with falling short in Vancouver and Sochi, gives her reason to look for redemption in PyeongChang. For now, Lindsey will compete here for ASPCA, for which just recently she and other fellow Team USA hopefuls got to enjoy time with fellow furry friends during NBC's Olympic promo shoot.● LOLO JONES - Track/Bobsled: Another Olympian with a most interesting prelude to this Challenge also comes here with the strongest profile: nine years ago, most got to know Lolo Jones for the first time outside of either Des Moines, IA or LSU where she competed in high school and college. In Beijing, she came in as gold medal favorite in the women's 100m hurdles and had the lead going into the last hurdle, but clipped it and fell off the podium in 7th and left in tears. Four years later in London, she got her first shot at redemption but she came up in 4th and out of the medals. Afterwards came another opportunity: this time following many other summer athletes' lead to the winter sport of bobsled as a push athlete. In 2013, she was part of the winning Team USA world championship team and came to Sochi as a brakewoman for one of the American sleds. And there's all the attention focused on her for being a virgin, competing on Dancing with the Stars and her faltering every time under the bright lights. Hurdles of Hope is her charity as she feels determined to get that elusive "W."
● LOUIE VITO - Snowboarding: The last member of Team USA here on this Challenge is someone who might not have the enormous profile of fellow Shaun White, but certainly has built an impressive resume himself. Columbus native Louie Vito has spent much of his life on the 'board, first at the aforementioned Stratton Mountain School in Vermon where he could pound it in the snow and study in the same school day and compete on the weekend. He moved to Sandy, Utah after high school where he would develop into into a four-time overall U.S. Grand Prix Champion, notch two Dew Cup crowns and six X-Games medals - two gold at Winter X. Between Vancouver 2010 (where he placed 5th behind White and bronze medalist Scotty Lago) and spring 2012, Louie would notch podiums in 20 of 23 major snowboard contests, and this coming after he competed on Season 9 of Dancing with the Stars before the season. Outlets from Men's Health magazine and Nickelodeon have featured him, and two years ago Young Hollywood named him "Most Awesome Athlete." As he seeks to grab an elusive medal in Korea next year, Louie is competing for Wings of Life.
● LOUISE HAZEL - Olympian: For the last Olympian here, she is also the only international representative on this Challenge, and also the veteran of celebrity competitions heading into her first one on this side of the pond. London native Louise Hazel began her competitive career as a track & field athlete competing in the heptathlon, won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games for England in Doha, and represented Team GB at London 2012, ultimately won by fellow Brit Jessica Ennis. But Louise's greatest success have come on television: two years ago she finished 2nd on British reality winter sports show "The Jump," where she was the only competitor to attempt the K-40 ski jump on that show. She's also appeared on Ninja Warrior UK, Come Dine with Me, the BBC's Pointless and The Chase. Obviously, she has so many of these shows under her belt and with someone who's a personal trainer and fitness expert with her own online fat loss plan "The Podium Effect," she is no doubt ready to take her talents here to America... competing for Save The Children.
● TIA BLANCO - Surfing: Finally, as her sport readies for its moment in the sun in three years from now in Tokyo, we're getting a first preview of who could become the one to watch when surfing joins the Olympic program. Last Friday, Tia Blanco celebrated her 20th birthday, and she has already compiled a solid resume on the surf in being able to handle the waves with power and style. After success on the junior circuits, Blanco won gold at the ISA World Championships, and then defended her gold last year in Costa Rica. With Tokyo 2020 looming on the horizon, she has her eyes set on continuing her rise in the ranks and on Japan and being the sport's first-ever gold medalist. But on land, most importantly Tia has become an outspoken vegan, becoming an ambassador for PETA and being regularly featured in health media for being staying true to a diet her mom put together that takes beef and anything else related to cruelty to animals off of it. Tia is competing here to benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
● VICTOR CRUZ - Host: For the unenviable task of subbing for TJ Lavin, someone who's watched The Challenge for years is the right one to take on the task of hosting this season of all-stars. Victor Cruz spent his early years growing up not far from the Meadowlands and who envisioned playing for Big Blue. He went to the University of Massachusetts playing alongside fellow Challenger CJ and was Top 20 for receiving yards. Being undrafted, he had to earn his way onto an NFL roster the hard way, and thanks a great preseason game against the Jets, the hard work paid off when he was on the New York Giants' 2010 regular season roster. It was in 2011 where he would enjoy his breakout with several big games: 6 catches for 178 yards in their do-or-die week 17 win over Dallas, 10 catches for 142 against the Niners in the NFC Championship, and an early TD in Super Bowl XLVI... And of course, there's those Salsa Dances. Injuries would derail Cruz's career and after Super Bowl LI, the Giants released him. Now comes his post-football career where he's already set his career in motion in designing a Nike shoe, establishing a foundation to help provide educational programs to students, and TV work. And it begins with Victor hosting The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.
MEET THE CHAMPIONS
● ASHLEY K. - Battle of the Season II (2012)
● ASHLEY M. - Invasion of the Champions (2017)
● BANANAS - The Island (2008), The Ruins (2009), Rivals (2011), Battle of the Exes (2012), Free Agents (2014) and Rivals III (2016)
● CT - Rivals II (2013) and Invasion of the Champions (2017)
● CAMILA - Battle of the Exes (2012)
● CARA MARIA - Battle of the Bloodlines (2016)
● DARRELL - The Gauntlet (2003), The Inferno (2004), The Inferno II (2005) and Fresh Meat (2006)
● JORDAN - Battle of the Exes 2 (2015)
● VERONICA - Challenge 2000, The Gauntlet (2003) and The Inferno (2004)
● WES - The Duel (2006) and Rivals II (2013)
WHO ARE THESE NEWBIES?
VERONICA
Here at DCBLOG, we have a policy that guarantees that you never meet a new or returning Challenge competitor for the first time before the premiere of any new season, making sure we give them the proper respect they deserve. Who Are These Newbies? has profiled each new Challenge competitor that's come on since Rivals II for the benefit of longtime viewers, and any returning competitor for the sake of those new viewers of this show.
For this instance, while nine of the ten champions are familiar to viewers from having competed on this show in the past seven years dating back to Fresh Meat II, Veronica has not appeared on The Challenge since 2009 on The Ruins... that's eight years since we last saw her here. But her first time on the Trifecta goes a ways back: she first appeared on Road Rules: Semester at Sea in 1999 where she and her castmates spent time on a cruise around the world taking studies as well. Shortly after came her first Challenge, Challenge 2000 - the first one I remember watching back in my pre-social media days. She and Team Road Rules won that season back when this was a traveling roadshow before it became a location-based challenge.
Veronica then appeared on Battle of the Seasons and Battle of the Sexes - the former saw a famous moment where one of the competitors tried to unhook her from a harness while above ground. Then, she went onto The Gauntlet where she went to the final with Team Road Rules and took the prize in Colorado, then went to The Inferno and won her third Challenge with Team Road Rules. And there, another Veronica moment: she and Katie got into a heated fight one night before the final. With appearances on Battle of the Sexes II, The Inferno II and Ruins afterwards, Veronica has amassed over $80,000 in prize money and three victories.
For this, the second spin-off in the past few months, the first one has more of an Amazing Race kind of feel, while this has the sense of being a true Challenge. In these people are a combined 22 challenge titles, several WWE titles, a Super Bowl, Olympic appearances, a WNBA title and lots more honors too many to mention. So, who is the best? Bring it on.
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● At DCBLOG, we'll again go beyond the hype, the headlines and the hook-ups to bring you the blogosphere's most unique coverage of the MTV Trifecta. The 'Pulse will again allow you to see the other show that takes place in the cast's spontaneous interactions to what they're seeing on TV, and will kick off our weekly series of posts each weekend. The WRAP will offer episode recaps, analysis, insight, commentary and opinion, including ExtraTime following all of our posts.
And on Memorial Day weekend I plan to bring Andrew Kirk (@CSUGradAKirk) to review this cycle of the Trifecta, Survivor and more on the mid-year Reality Debrief. Be sure to send your questions to @DC408Dxtr at #AskDCBLOG that we may use as we discuss our thoughts on this season.
● My other Twitter hub dedicated solely to event coverage, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow will again be the place to be to experience the action as it happens with live real-time episode tweets as it airs in line with the East Coast. And if you live out west, follow @DC408Dxtr for real-time polls, conversation and DCNOW highlights...and while you watch the episodes with me, join the conversation at #DCChallenge. With plenty of big sports and entertainment events coming up, you and DCNOW will have a front row seat together to the moments that get the world talking.
● Also follow my DC Instagram hub (IG @DC408Dxtr) and my primary Twitter handle will plan to post quote pics each weekend of the best episode tweets from the cast. You can always follow me there as I'm always ready to talk this show and what else you got. I'm also on Tumblr at dc408dxtr.tumblr.com, Snapchat @DC408DXTR1 and other platforms too.
● Plus, be sure to follow the group of insiders including Andrew Kirk (@CSUGradAKirk), Brian Cohen (@CohenBrian_), Ali Lasher (@LashTweets), Ace Nichols (@AceNichols33), and Reality Radio Podcast (@RealityRadioPod). Each DC WRAP post will conclude with links to all of their webcasts plus others that cover the Trifecta so you can go deep into the discussion.
That is how we look at it in this week in the MTV Trifecta...thanks for checking out this preview of Champs vs. Pros. Until we talk later tonight on Twitter and then back here this weekend. see you then and, of course, good luck to the competitors.
- I AM DC
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