Getting from Cyprus Larnaca Airport to Nicosia

Welcome to the fifth round of the redemption house. Blink, and you’ll miss it! The fifth round is TODAY only! The winners of this round will face the losers of the semifinals of the main bracket. Intense! At this point, we’ve got a 4-1 team and seven 3-1 teams remaining in the loser’s bracket, while all teams in the main bracket enter the day at 3-0. Basically, that means the redemption house has more experienced players, and even a few teams that have won more matches than anybody in the main bracket. So... is this really the winner’s bracket? No! Don’t kid yourself! You were knocked out of the tournament, ya loser!
But worry not, for this is a safe and positive atmosphere! Join us as the loser battle heats up with even more head-to-head fights for redemption. Together, we’ll find out which team can overcome embarrassing losses, terrifying finals, and (supposed) voter insanity. While nobody will re-enter the Winner’s Bracket, you may just find yourself the Ruler of Redemption.
Before we get to the voting, let’s recap Friday’s fantasy match-ups.
Real World Bracket

• u/dolfan2354 - 55
• u/harsh-femme’s “Team Harsh Heauxs” - 39

Finally, Chet is gone! We can dance like the ewoks celebrating on the forest moon of endor! Look, I like Theresa and Momma Day as much as anyone else, but Mr. Perfect Face practically ruins this team for me - no offense u/harsh-femme. And who better to eliminate him than Nehemiah? (Answer: literally any other player, this is so anticlimactic).
Sadly, we’ll have to say goodbye to the pride of Marquette and the mother of Easton, Miss Theresa Gonzalez. If this was like the videogame NBA Street v3, the victorious team could trade any player they wanted to the loser in exchange for anyone on that team, and u/dolfan2354 would exchange Amanda for Theresa. It’d be an upgrade in almost any stat category you can think of.
But this isn’t NBA Street v3, this is the MtvChallenge fantasy tournament, so u/dolfan2354 is stuck with the team they have. It’s worked out for them so far! Seriously, this final had a little bit of everything - Thai bead stringing, coconut water, eating, puzzles, swimming, paddleboarding, climbing, running… everything. At some point, it becomes about who gets exhausted last, and who has the mental strength to complete the final. This might be a biting take, but Da’Vonne would probably get irritated the easiest of these eight competitors and check out mentally on the first or second night. I could also see Chet doing this. Meanwhile, Derrick K, Nehemiah, Veronica and Amanda would have no quitters, and would fight through the exhaustion to claim the victory.
So congratulations, u/dolfan2354! You’ll move onto the next round which is, uh, right now! And to u/harsh-femme, thanks for competing in the tournament, and we hope you had fun.
Road Rules Bracket

• u/hkotila’s “Satan’s Asshole” - 50
• u/trebird1’s “Team Likability” - 44

Welp, Team Likability’s unlikely run to the fourth round of the loser’s bracket has come to an end. I was rooting so hard for Kyle (who probably has the best sense of humor on the modern show), Josh (who wears his heart on his sleeve better than anybody), Sarah (who is an innocent crossword-loving funster), and Nany (who was the show’s sweetheart for so many years and we don’t need to talk about her paranoia on War of the Worlds 2), but they met their fate today. That’s right, Amanda Garcia has won two finals on one day. Buoyed by CT, probably, and Mattie being stronger than Nany in the minds of many fans (oh gosh, now I want to see this), Satan’s Asshole comes out on top once again.
The Fresh Meat II final featured canoeing, tangrams, sudoku, mountain biking, weight carrying, more sudoku, and mountain climbing. While in my mind these activities all live in the wheelhouse of the untouchable goddess Sarah Rice, I’m sure what tipped the scales was the 80lb bag carry that had to be done in pairs. CT and Dan are both more than capable of carrying 80 lbs that distance on their own, while Josh may not be and Nany probably also wouldn’t be. Especially after a weight-based puzzle, it would be hard to bank on Sarah and Kyle to do the heavy lifting and out-move CT, Dan, Mattie, and beneficiary Amanda.
Aside from the weight carry, I actually think it’d be pretty even. No wonder the score only differed by six votes here. I think Team Likability is probably the superior puzzle team, but Amanda is a very smart player and Dan and CT can hold their own on puzzles. Satan’s Asshole has a big brain after all, and as was destined, they eliminate Team Likability from the tournament. Nice guys really do finish last.
Congratulations to u/hkotila! You’re competing again today! And, to u/trebird1, this ends your time here on the MtvChallenge fantasy tournament. Take care of yourself.
Now, let’s get to voting. Today is the last double day of the tournament! You know the drill - this means we have two matchups from each bracket!
Real World Bracket
Match 1.0: u/BCastle18 vs. u/honestkodaline, u/priorsloth’s “Adore Delano 2020”
Final: The Inferno II
Teams
[u/BCastle18]

• Landon Lueck, Fresh Meat II
• Sylvia Elsrode, Final Reckoning
• Natalie Negrotti, Final Reckoning
• Adam Kuhn, Battle of the Exes II

[u/honestkodaline, u/priorsloth] “Adore Delano 2020”

• Evelyn Smith, Rivals
• Ashley Kelsey, Battle of the Seasons (2012)
• Cohutta Grindstaff, Free Agents
• Ace Emerson, Inferno III

Winner’s Logic
[u/BCastle18]

1. Landon in the night elimination against Luke and Ev literally dragged a almost unconscious Carley to a win and in the finals carried Carley up a mountain to get the win over 3 teams that on paper seemed stronger one of which included two top 10 challengers of all time in Kenny and Laurel with the weakest partner. Also did all of this while being respectful and supportive of his partner throughout showing he is very much a great team player.
2. Only one team was in the main house all season on FR, it was Sylvia and Joss. They won the final endurance purge and won it rather comfortably. Showed that she can keep her composure in their elimination against John/Tony and many even believe that Sylvia and Joss were the rightful winners of FR, they also only lost by 40 seconds even while getting hit with two grenades.

[u/honestkodaline, u/priorsloth] “Adore Delano 2020”

1. Other than strong competitors our teams biggest strength is that there is a clear alpha leader (Ev), and the other three are team players that will follow a strong competitor.
2. EVELYN SMITH WON A SIMILAR FINAL, on Rivals 1! Not only did she win this final, but she did it with Paula. They beat Laurel and Cara Maria who would easily win anything you threw at them today. We know this wasn’t because Paula is a powerhouse, it was literally ALL on Ev. I don’t need to say much more because Ev is iconic, she won 3 seasons, and any true Challenge fan knows her résumé. Game, set, match bitch.
3. Cohutta may not have a win yet, and he may be on the smaller side of the men, but he is brilliant. He makes the challenges work for him. During this season, Free Agents, he showed incredible agility being one of three people to make it across the rolling log during the first challenge. In the second daily he was partnered with Laurel, and of course they won, but neither could’ve done it without the other. On the third challenge he lead a team of Nany, Latoya and Preston across the bar crawl (sliding two bars under a wall suspended above water) when teams that had Jordan, CT, and Cara couldn’t even make it across! Free Agents was Cohutta’s best run and he finished in 6th place. This season showed us that Cohutta can work on a team with ANYONE and perform above average.
4. Ashley Kelsey kickboxes. She solves puzzles. She stands up for Sam (well, halfheartedly, but she did at one point stand up for Sam, at least once, in her own way). She dated Dario, and we don't judge her for that. She won her first season. She lost her second season to Cara, but didn't she look cute while doing it?
5. Ace Amerson invented the trash can punch. He hooked up with Tonya. He was on Team Good Guys on Inferno 3, because he is a good guy. In real life, he rides a lot of 4-wheelers and has a cute dog. He'll listen to Evelyn's orders. He'll be a supportive teammate and friend to all, except Derrick.
6. Our team is a lean, mean machine - heavy on the lean. We run. We think critically (well, Evelyn does). We fight (well, Evelyn does). We get shit done... well, you get the point.

The Inferno II Final Description - thank you to the lovely u/stayoutofthe-forest for the details.

• Every person starts the final with 3 gold keys. At each station there is something locked up (oars, bikes, etc) and teams must unlock all items needed.
• The challenge starts by everyone jumping off a boat and swimming to a team boat.
• Teams must row for 2 km (1.24 miles) to shore to their bikes
• Once teams get their bikes unlocked, they must complete a 10 km (6.22 mile) bike ride
• At the end of the bike ride, they must unlock a box before completing a 5 km (3.11 mile) run
• Once they reach the end of the run, teams must solve a riddle to unlock a box. The riddle is based on the ages of their eliminated team members. Once the box is unlocked and the team enters the inferno, they are done!

Match 2.0: u/ry-guy2fly’s “Team Backpack” vs. u/dolfan2354
Final: Cutthroat
Teams
[u/ry-guy2fly] “Team Backpack”

• Chris “CT” Tamburello, Rivals II
• Aviv Melmod, Fresh Meat
• Brittini Sherod, The Duel II
• Mike Boise, Bloodlines

[u/dolfan2354]

• Derrick Kosinski, The Ruins
• Nehemiah Clark, Rivals
• Veronica Portillo, The Inferno
• Amanda Garcia, Final Reckoning

Winner’s Logic
[u/ry-guy2fly] “Team Backpack”

1. CT doesn’t need an introduction, but I’ll give my team captain one anyway. CT, who fashioned the iconic Banana Backpack, is the greatest competitor of all time. For my team, I plucked him from his greatest season of all time. If you name a skill that can be tested on this show, CT excels in that skill. Endurance, strength, skill, puzzles, eating, and everything in between. CT dominates.
2. Aviv Melmod is the biggest reason Darrell is considered one of the best competitors in challenge history. Aviv is a puzzle queen with endurance to match it. Her puzzle skill and fire was the biggest factor in separating her and Darrell from their finals opponents on Fresh Meat. She’s a combination of Diem and Evelyn. Heart, passion, smarts, and fire. While she only competed in one season, she showed a plethora of Challenge knowhow. If she would have returned to the show, she’d be recognized as one of the all time greats.
3. Brittini Sherrod is another one hit wonder like Aviv. Although she didn’t quite reach the heights of her female partner, she showed that she doesn’t have a real weakness. She never gives up and maintained a close race against Rachel on Duel 2. Brittini will never flounder under pressure and will continue to push through any and all obstacles.
4. Mike Boise only competed on one season, but it was quick to see the relation between him and his brother Abram. Mike has GUTS! While he hated the house environment, Mike showed excellent know how. He’s an in shape guy who attacks any obstacle tactfully. Mike and CT are a great fit together, because no matter how hard CT pushes, Mike will respond. His all around knowledge and skill will prove useful in a final.

[u/dolfan2354]

1. Derrick K- Arguably one of the best players in eliminations due to his tenacity. Always will compete has a never-say-quit attitude as evidenced multiple times. Is a multi time champion and has the cardio to crush any final. Is aware of shortcomings and is willing to sit back in puzzles and let those strong on his team due their thing. Is ready to crush any final!
2. Veronica - Forgotten how dominant she was in her prime is a 3x champion who got better every season she was on. Won 4 life savers on the inferno. Has no glaring weakness is a strong female who is smart at puzzles and has the cardio to keep up with her team while also being able to mentally break her opponents!
3. Amanda - Is a very loyal player and will compete as hard as she can in anything she does while also making sure her voice is heard. Arguably the best player in the lavender ladies. In invasion she showed how dominant she is at puzzles by solving her puzzle in minutes during the blood bath while other players were at it for an hour. Has the strength to pull her weight on any challenge. Has shown she is in great shape and has never shown signs that she would struggle with a final.
4. Nehemiah - Is an all around player and is a 1x champion. Came into rivals shredded and in the best shape he has ever been in. Was carrying his team with an overweight Evan and proved that he is capable of running a final and competing to win. Has the body size to provide the muscle and really crush anything while also having a good mind when it comes to the tough aspect of using your brain.

Cutthroat Final Description
(Thank you to u/honestkodaline for this description!)

• The final challenge is a race with several checkpoints and tasks spread over 12.7 miles.
• Teams must run an undisclosed distance to checkpoint 1.
• Checkpoint 1: Seeing Spots
  • Choose one teammate to stand on black spots with their back to the wall. Choose one teammate to stand behind a line and hit each black spot with a paintball gun. Then teams run to checkpoint two, rolling tires.
• Checkpoint 2: Down and Dirty
  • All players must pass through a corridor. Once all players have passed through the exit, you can return to the airstrip and continue on to checkpoint three.
  • Before getting to checkpoint 3, choose one of your teammates to lie on a stretcher. The rest of the team must carry them an entire lap around the airstrip.
• Checkpoint 3: Hard Wood (Okay. Is MTV even TRYING to be discrete here?)
  • Your team must transfer a pile of wood to the top of the hangar. Once every piece of wood has been transferred, you can continue on to the next step.
• Checkpoint 4: Sign Language
  • Study a signpost and reconstruct it exactly from memory. If you are unsuccessful, you must return and try again. Once you’ve completed the puzzle, run and climb up a mountain to the finish line.

Road Rules Bracket
Match: u/scyth13r vs. u/phillyfly11’s “CJ’s Angels”
Final: Battle of the Bloodlines
Teams
[u/scyth13r]

• Frank Roessler, The Gauntlet III
• Luke Wolfe, Cutthroat
• Sylvia Elsrode, Final Reckoning
• Evelyn Smith, Rivals

[u/phillyfly11] “CJ’s Angels”

• Emily Schromm, Rivals II
• Ashley Kelsey, Invasion of the Champions
• CJ Koegel, Battle of the Seasons (2012)
• Mike Boise, Battle of the Bloodlines

Winner’s Logic
[u/scyth13r]

1. Frank Roessler Gauntlet III - The leader and backbone of his team. A smart physical competitor, the Veterans constantly targeted Frank. He prevailed in eliminations and his team took home a controversial W in the final.
2. Luke Wolfe Cutthroat - Finishing ahead of the almighty Landon in elimination wasn't enough losing due to a puzzle in FM2, Luke carried his weight, and Abrams, and Sarah's, and Cara Maria's in the final of Cutthroat. Had the almighty Abe and Sarah been medically DQ'd sooner he would have won the final.
3. Sylvia Elsrode Final Reckoning - Boasting a questionable 2nd place finish in a final, she did the thinking, the planning, and the puzzles for her team. She also tied Joss' shoes for him.
4. Evelyn Smith Rivals - It’s Evelyn fucking Smith.

[u/phillyfly11] “CJ’s Angels”

1. Emily Schromm, Rivals 2: In the wise words of the Godfather Mark Long, “She competes like a dude.” The most physically fit female competitor ,Emily dominated Rivals 2 with 6 daily wins en route to winning the season.
2. Ashley Kelsey, Invasions: I chose this version of Ashley because she was in better physical shape and has running and winning a final experience and a great team player.
3. CJ Koegel, Battle of the Seasons 2: Was the Leader of Team Cancun that won 2 dailies and was a part of the major alliance. He proved his ability to think on his feet and his physical strength by defeating Roided up Zach in his HALL BRAWL heat.
4. Mike Boise, Bloodlines: One of the top performers the entire season, he proved that he wasn’t afraid of any task, asking multiple times to get thrown into elimination and that he has a killer mindset during competition."

Battle of the Bloodlines Final Description
Thanks to u/harsh-femme for this extraordinarily thorough rundown!

• Battle of the Bloodlines Final Location: Berlin, Germany
• Stage 1 is a series of 4 checkpoints that result in a token when completed. Before each checkpoint players must run a lap around the complex, carrying a bag full of weights (120lbs for guys/60lbs for girls).
• At Checkpoint #1, the contestants have to roll 3 barrels each down the hill. Running back up the hill to get their 2nd and 3rd barrels, then completing another lap with the weighted bags before moving on to checkpoint #2.
• Checkpoint #2 is called Flip Cup. Contestants have to launch beer mugs across a room using a see-saw/catapult that they have to jump onto. Each time they miss, they have to drink a large glass of non-alcoholic beer. Each player must make one beer mug into the goal before moving on.
• After completing a third lap with the weighted bags, Checkpoint #3 is called Blockhead. The contestants have to arrange large, 3-dimensional puzzle pieces onto a board until they are flush with the puzzle board. Contestants then have to do a final lap with the weighted bags. Once they finish, they race to Checkpoint #4.
• Checkpoint #4 requires the contestants to use two tires to make a bridge across a building rooftop. They have to stand on the tires at all times and if their foot touches the concrete, they must start over.
• The second stage begins with "Job Detail" — each player is required to wear business suits, and must carry briefcases to complete the final challenge. Each team is required to eat a variety of bizarre German foods, and will be assessed a five-minute penalty for each plate that they do not finish within a one-hour time limit.
• In stage 3, "Train Delay," each player must hold a briefcase and stay in a designated spot in a subway tunnel overnight. A time penalty is assessed if a briefcase touches the ground, and if the player holding the briefcase needs sleep on a bench, they must trade places with their teammate.
• Stage 4, “Row Hard,” makes each player paddle 10 miles through the Spree River.
• The final stage is a puzzle and a run at the Olympic Stadium. Number puzzle stations await each player at a "Coded Entrance." They must use puzzle pieces from their briefcases to solve their puzzles prior to entering the Olympic Stadium, and running eight laps (2 miles) inside. The winner is determined by adding up all the times for each of the 5 stages.

Match 2.0: u/dirtykilla36 vs. u/hkotila’s “Satan’s Asshole”
Final: The Gauntlet 2
Teams
[u/dirtykilla36]

• Wes Bergmann, Fresh Meat
• Jamie Banks, Battle of the Bloodlines
• Holly Shand, The Inferno
• Melinda Stolp, Cutthroat

[u/hkotila] “Satan’s Asshole”

• Chris “CT” Tamburello, Rivals
• Dan Setzler, Battle of the Sexes II
• Amanda Garcia, Final Reckoning
• Mattie Lynn Breaux, War of the Worlds

Winner’s Logic
[u/dirtykilla36]

1. First of all, my team Is comprised of all previous winners, so they’ve been there before and nerves won’t be an issue.
2. Wes and Melinda were on the real world together and have a decent relationship that would Work to their advantage.
3. My team has shown excellent mental and intestinal fortitude, so the eating portion wouldn’t serve as any type of problem.
4. My team also consistently displays toughness, and mental superiority, so the final portion of walking on hot coals shouldn’t be any hindrance in winning the $$.

[u/hkotila] “Satan’s Asshole”

1. CT: CHOO CHOO
2. Dan: One of the top two performing males on this season which included Mark Long, Abe, The Miz, Derrick, and Brad... Also: https://medium.com/@shmalvey7/the-greatest-male-players-in-challenge-history-17-dan-setzler-75b8100f98a1
3. Amanda: Solid at most aspects of the game, IMO probably the second-best puzzle solver to appear on the challenge.
4. Mattie: Top 3 most physically imposing females to be cast behind Laurel and Late career Emily. A lot of shit has been talked on here about her stamina. Just remember, wherever you have Mattie ranked on endurance Georgia needs to be behind her. Plus she ran like 16-20 miles on a sand dune and was keeping pace with Cara during that time. Most finals don't even have a course even close to as brutal as that final meaning she will do fine on every other final

The Gauntlet II Final Description - Thanks to my post partner u/MandyMTV for writing this. Let’s have a moment of silence for our partnership, as it has now become a one-man operation because she mysteriously disappeared. (Side note, I heard from her on Saturday and she is alive and well.)

• In ‘The Gauntlet II,’ the ‘Bet Your Booty’ final challenge was, quite simply, a betting game. Challengers had to compete in three games: 12 Pounds of Roti, Pirate Memory, and Sand Sprint. The Challengers had 250 gold doubloons they could use to bet on who would win each game. The team with the most gold doubloons at the end of the three games would be the official winners of The Gauntlet II.
• Set-Up: There are 250 gold doubloons, with each team betting a certain number of coins on each competition. The maximum bet per competition is 248, with each competition needing to have a bet of at least one golden doubloon. Each competition must have at least one person compete.
• Games
  • 12 Pounds of Roti: Teams must compete to see who can eat 12 pounds of roti, an island delicacy, made of chicken parts, bones, and potatoes. The first team to throw up loses, but if both teams keep it down, then the first team to finish it all wins.
  • Pirate Memory: A memory game whose premise was never revealed, as the Challengers never ended up playing it; speculation seems to indicate that it was a simple memory game in which competitors had to flip and match tiles.
  • Sand Sprint: A simple relay race, with the number of laps depending on the number of competitors in the race.

Which of these teams deserves to move on in our quest to discover The Challenge Fantasy Draft’s Biggest Loser? You decide.
VOTE HERE!
Voting ends at 10 PM EST Monday, February 17.