The Challenge universe has expanded beyond just the MTV competition series in the past year, with spinoff shows arriving on Paramount Plus and CBS.
The most recent is The Challenge: USA, which features stars from CBS’ Amazing Race, Big Brother, Love Island, and Survivor competing for prize money and bragging rights.
One of the Survivor stars, Tyson Apostol, is already going about the bragging part without winning the show yet. A recent social media post had the former Survivor winner talking about comparisons between himself and the All Stars.
The Challenge: All Stars is a spinoff featuring OGs who appeared back in the day on MTV’s The Real World, Raod Rules, and Fresh Meat shows.
That meant that a good portion of the cast had become much older, including stars in their 40s and 50s, something not seen on MTV’s main show.
However, The Challenge: USA has also included competitors in their 40s, such as Tyson, who seems to be getting compared to some of the OGs.
Tyson Apostol puts The Challenge OGs on notice
On Saturday, The Challenge: USA’s Tyson Apostol indicated that he’d seen comparisons between himself and some of “those on the ‘OG’ challenge.” That’s likely due to his age and how he’s fared thus far in the CBS competition series, which also features castmates in their 20s.
“A lot of them can bench press more than me but 70-80 even 90% of the game I have them crushed. Talking cake walk,” the Survivor star tweeted about the OGs.
The 43-year-old was the sole survivor of Survivor: Blood vs. Water, the 27th season of CBS’ competition series. In addition, Tyson appeared on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: Winners at War.
Through the first three episodes of CBS’ spinoff, The Challenge: USA, Tyson has been one of the standouts and is an early favorite to win the season. He and teammate Angela Rummans of Big Brother won the daily challenge in the first episode, immediately qualifying both for the final.
In Episode 2, Tyson was paired up with Love Island’s Justine Ndiba and won the daily challenge, giving them enough money to qualify for the final.
Challenge stars respond to Tyson’s claim
Following Tyson Apostol’s tweet regarding The Challenge, several individuals from the show decided to reply to his claim. That included Jay Mitchell, a former Real World: X-Plosion cast member who appeared in The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II final alongside teammate Jenna Compono.
“Bro you kidding with this. I haven’t been on in 8 years n I’d make you my puppy,” Jay tweeted in response to Tyson’s claim.
Jay’s Battle of the Exes II appearance was his only time on MTV’s show. The third checkpoint in the final was a flip cup game where the competitors had to drink pints of fish head juice. Jay didn’t want to continue with it, causing him and Jenna to get disqualified from the competition.
Due to that, he and Jenna finished in third place with no prize money. Since then, Jay, 35, hasn’t appeared on The Challenge or its All Stars spinoff, while a few other one-and-done Challengers have returned for the All Stars show.
An MTV legend, The Godfather Mark Long, has appeared on the spinoff twice, and many have credited him for bringing The Challenge: All Stars to Paramount Plus after starting the We Want OGs campaign and lobbying for the show.
“Hold my beer,” Mark tweeted as a simple reply to Tyson’s claim, which prompted Tyson to respond that he’d hold it for him.
Mark, who turned 51 last month, appeared in the debut season of All Stars where he reached the final and finished in fifth place. He didn’t appear in Season 2 but continued to work among the production team before returning for Season 3.
Viewers saw Mark reach the final again on All Stars but lost to his friend Brad Fiorenza in an elimination event on Day 2 of the final, ending his chance to win a share of the $500,000 in prize money.
Long has proven himself amongst The Challenge greats with two championships and multiple finals appearances. The All Stars OG would likely give Tyson a run for his money in many aspects of the MTV competition series he’s been part of for over two decades.
Perhaps another spinoff might be necessary, pitting MTV’s All Stars against CBS’ All Stars?
The Challenge: USA airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on CBS. The Challenge: All Stars episodes are available on Paramount Plus.