“The Challenge: Vets and New Threats” is well underway with two members eliminated so far, and the third episode has one more player being sent home after an elimination.
The new format has 16 vets and 16 new players from various reality shows, who are paired up in male-female teams to perform a daily challenge.
Fans of “The Challenge” know that these daily challenges can often be brutal. So far, they’ve grappled for balls in a mud pit while tied together and have had to memorize a puzzle attached underneath a speeding car.
During the first episode, Rogan O’Connor, who won “War of the Worlds 2,” was automatically sent into elimination after losing the daily challenge.
He competed against rookie Justin Hinsley, with the two being tasked to race a giant hamster wheel across a bumpy track and back.
Although O’Connor was bigger, his muscles couldn’t help him navigate the wheel, but Hinsley’s cheerleading experience made him more nimble, and he took home the win.
In episode 2, Blue Kim of “Big Brother” was sent into elimination and chose fellow rookie Taylor Wilcoxson as her opponent.
The matchup had the two women wrestling each other to prevent the other from hitting hovering laser beams.
It was very physical, and in the end, Kim was too gassed out to block Wilcoxson, making her the second player to go home.
Kim recapped her elimination in an Instagram post, telling fans, “They only showed three of the rounds, but they actually went all five rounds.”
“We put up such a fight, both of us … at the end of the fourth round, I started feeling a little concussed,” the reality star shared.
She added, “But Taylor got me good!”
Episode 3 of ‘Vets and New Threats’ Kicked Off With Drama
After Nia Moore paired with Gabe Wai for the next daily challenge, the vet realized that something was off with her knee.
CT Tamburello urged her to get an MRI, but news about her possible injury spread, leading Wai to worry about her performance.
Moore heard that Wai was talking behind her back and confronted him. “I’m struggling, knowing it’s a possible guys’ day, wondering why I shouldn’t just feed you to the fish.”
“How dare you? This is your first time playing this game. You have no idea what it looks like from the beginning to the end,” she told him.
Unfortunately, Moore’s MRI results didn’t come back in time before the next daily challenge, so host TJ Lavin informed her that she and Wai were unable to compete.
The Daily Challenge: Water Tower
The latest challenge, called “Water Quarry,” had contestants jump into a lake and swim to a tall container in the middle, grab a flag, and then jump into said container.
While their partner tries to solve a puzzle, the other contestant has to swim underneath the container and make their way to the puzzle, where they must solve it together.
If a contestant falls from the container, the team is disqualified.
Several people fell into the water, automatically deeming their attempts a loss. After everyone completed their turn, Lavin told Moore that because she didn’t compete and it was a female elimination that day, she’d get sent into the arena.
The first-place team, however, was Olivia Kaiser and Hinsley, so they get to save a member from elimination.
Kaiser and Hinsley chose to save Izzy Fairthorne, with the majority choosing to throw in America Lopez to go against Moore.
The Elimination Between Moore & Lopez
As Moore and Lopez got ready to go into elimination together, Lavin shared the news that Moore’s MRI had deemed her unable to compete, so she was automatically disqualified and sent home.
Lavin told a shocked Lopez, “Congratulations. You are still in the game.”
This foiled Kaiser’s attempt to make Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio the “hangnail,” which would have made him unable to compete in the next challenge.
Ashley Mitchell, on the other hand, was ecstatic at Bananas’ save. “This is great for my alliance,” she told the cameras.
Lavin expressed his regret in letting Moore go. “We hate losing a rock-solid player like you to injury,” he said.
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MTV’s ‘The Challenge: Vets and New Threats’ Spoilers Tonight – 8/13/2025