Strategy Room: The Challenge Champs vs. Stars - The Final Four

BY DC CUEVA                     

■ @DC408Dxtr  @ TW / IG / YT

This week, it's the semifinal round of The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars III, and in many ways this is the field we wanted to contest the last challenge before the final dash for the cash. We have a perfect and worthy field of those who have made it this far just this close to the final, and the $150,000 that awaits one of the four teams who have made it to this penultimate week.
   We have a defending champion looking to win a third final in 13 months, an alum of the Champs vs. Pros cast looking to notch that elusive victory to add to two titles and his elimination king status, a man who's emerged from almost nowhere the past year to have his shining moment, and a Pro turned Star who's been the standout of this season and who teamed with a cocky Star who's shown that there's more to him than being a famous Ex. We can't forget the resident heartthrob of the bunch is still in the running, his partner who's eager to try to crash the bash, and NBA player who's kept calm but is aiming for his chance at glory.
   As we head into this ninth week, we have sure seen a lot take place on this Challenge that would've qualified to be an actual regular season than a spinoff. But the field who has made it to this point is a good one that might not have the packed finals field of Dirty 30 or Champs vs. Pros, but with three of them having made good runs to here and a fourth that is still lucky to still be here, whoever emerges out of this field and into the final three will make the final much more competitive than back in January. And perhaps, we could say that this season's final could be anyone's game.

● LOUISE & CASPER: Whenever a player or a team gets hot on The Challenge this late in the game, historically this can be the formula for them entering the winner's circle... that's exactly what Louise & Casper have achieved in winning the most recent elimination that they were expected to win - which didn't come easy against Jozea & Selita, and the ensuing challenge/Purge that came after. Louise has played a brilliant game up to now that the only opponent she has to overcome is of one who we thought would be paired up with in Wes but now has compete against him for the cash. You may like or hate Mr. Smart, but you sure have to give him credit for playing a great game, winning 2 arenas, the first challenge after the re-pairing and was MVP. Now, they should be in the driver's seat.

● CT & TONY: Going into last week, this is the team who we thought would have the edge in this last phase of the season. CT & Tony dodged safety to head into this penultimate week, including him having to get through that smell in vertical Twister. CT came here as defending champion and as part of last season's winning Champs team and has all this finals experience, and we all know Tony has turned the corner in the past year becoming a force with a nickname you may or may not like but plenty to back up #TonyTime. The challenge that's up in this week's show features something Team Dad Bod has excelled at: "speed, solving puzzles, and a bit of pop culture"... this is right up both of these dads' alley and if they win, they should be the finals favorites.

● WES & DANIEL: As we wrote on Memorial Day, if there is someone who is hungry for a title then it is Wes -- the only guy of the original Champs vs. Pros men's field who hasn't won either the spinoff as Bananas, CT and Darrell have or a regular Challenge like Jordan on Dirty 30. Booby, as we also wrote in our last Strategy Room, has more athleticism to him to complement the Manipulator's politics, and they've touted their status as "Team Good Guys." They were the ones who played it safe last week in sending in Selita & Jozea, and if they win this week to claim the automatic berth, watch for what they might do in sending in a strong pair as what happened last week, or save that for next week where it all matters.

● KAILAH & DRAKE: If you are one of those who had Kailah & Drake be that team who were saved in the Purge over Tori & Lil Mama and Brooke & Shane, you must be lucky. Of course, what happened on Vendettas is still fresh to Kailah, and she was likely the one who came here with lots to prove despite a finals trip back in April - she proved that winning an elimination here. Aside from MVP honors in the last week of Red vs. Blue, we haven't heard much from Drake outside of the Champ girls obsessing over him... but Allan Aguirre on Medium touted the same qualities other Challengers have that would make him an ideal fit -- that will test him here. In our rankings below, they are in last place and likely to get cut... but as we say, anything's possible.


With all that in mind, here's the Power Rankings... come here next week for our predictions of who will win it all.

 POWER RANKINGS 

THE SEMIFINAL

1. LOUISE & CASPER

2. CT & TONY

3. WES & BOOBY

4. DRAKE & KAILAH

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