The Challenge: Rivals III

The Challenge: Rivals III
Genre	Reality game show
Created by	Mary-Ellis Bunim Jonathan Murray
Presented by	T. J. Lavin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of series	28
Production
Production locations	Huatulco, Mexico
Running time	60 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
Network	MTV
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III
Release	The Challenge: Rivals III

The Challenge: Rivals III is the 28th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. Being the third in the Rivals series, Rivals III marks the show's third trilogy (following the Inferno and Gauntlet series), continuing on from the original Rivals and Rivals II. It's currently being filmed Huatulco, Mexico, with former cast members from MTV's Real World, Spring Break Challenge, Are You the One?, and Battle of the Bloodlines competing.

Unlike the previous two installments of the Rivals series, which featured same-gender pairs, this season will see a change in the format, with male/female pairs that had bitter feuds, fights or strained relationships in previous seasons of The Real World, The Challenge and Are You the One? (similar to the Battle of the Exes series). This season will air in 2016.

Cast

Host: T. J. Lavin

Male contestants Original season Finish Brandon Tindel AYTO: Puerto Rico Cory Wharton RW: Ex-Plosion Dario Medrano AYTO: Puerto Rico Devin Walker AYTO: Hawaii (2015) Jamie Banks Battle of the Bloodlines Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio RW: Key West Johnny Reilly RW: Portland Leroy Garrett RW: Las Vegas (2011) Nathan Siebenmark AYTO: Puerto Rico Nelson Thomas AYTO: Hawaii (2015) Thomas Buell RW: Ex-Plosion Tony Raines RW: Skeletons Vince Gliatta Battle of the Bloodlines Wes Bergmann RW: Austin

Female contestants Original season Finish Amanda Garcia AYTO: Hawaii (2015) Ashley Mitchell RW: Ex-Plosion Averey Tressler RW: Portland Briana LaCuesta AYTO: Puerto Rico Camila Nakagawa Spring Break Challenge Cheyenne Floyd AYTO: Hawaii (2015) Christina LeBlanc AYTO: Puerto Rico Jenna Compono RW: Ex-Plosion Jessica McCain RW: Portland KellyAnne Judd RW: Sydney Nany Gonzalez RW: Las Vegas (2011) Nicole Ramos Battle of the Bloodlines Sarah Rice-Patterson RW: Brooklyn Simone Kelly AYTO: Hawaii (2014)

Teams

Male Partner	Female Partner	Team	Eliminated
Brandon Tindel	Briana LaCuesta	Brandon & Briana
Cory Wharton	Ashley Mitchell	Cory & Ashley
Dario Medrano	Ramos, Nicole| Nicole Ramos}	Dario & Nicole
Devin Walker	Cheyenne Floyd	Devin & Cheyenne
Jamie Banks	KellyAnne Judd	Jamie & KellyAnne
Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio	Sarah Rice-Patterson	Bananas & Sarah
Johnny Reilly	Jessica McCain	Johnny & Jessica
Leroy Garrett	Averey Tressler	Leroy & Averey
Nathan Siebenmark	Christina LeBlanc	Nathan & Christina
Nelson Thomas	Amanda Garcia	Nelson & Amanda
Thomas Buell	Simone Kelly	Thomas & Simone
Tony Raines	Camila Nakagawa	Tony & Camila
Vince Gliatta	Jenna Compono	Vince & Jenna
Wes Bergmann	Nany Gonzalez	Wes & Nany

Pre-season rivalry backgrounds

• Bananas & Sarah: Bananas and Sarah entered Battle of the Exes II with a long-running friendship, and alliance that had lasted through many of their past seasons. However, that season Sarah played the game to win and fought to remove her toughest competition from the game whenever the opportunity presented itself. After Johnny re-entered the game because of the Battle of the Ex-iled twist, they continued to work together until Sarah decided to send Johnny into an elimination against Leroy, which stunned Bananas.
• Brandon & Briana: Briana disagreed with the way Brandon was playing the game during their appearance on Are You The One?: Puerto Rico, especially with Brandon's unwillingness to separate from Christina.
• Cory & Ashley: The pair met as roommates on Real World: Ex-Plosion. They got along until Ashley got drunk and disrespected Cory by telling him she could buy his family. After that night they continued to be on bad terms. After Ashley faced disagreements with many housemates, said she would only stay if the other roommates wanted her there. Cory was one of the four housemates to vote that Ashley leave, leading to her voluntary departure.
• Dario & Nany: Yet to be aired on Battle of the Bloodlines.
• Devin & Cheyenne: Cheyenne and Devin got into multiple fights Are You The One?: Hawaii (2015) because she didn't like the way he treated women in the house (especially Kiki).
• Jamie & KellyAnne: Yet to be aired on Battle of the Bloodlines.
• Johnny & Jessica: Jessica never got along with Johnny and Averey on The Real World: Portland, as Jessica was called out for constantly needing attention by multiple housemates. Jessica also sided with Nia during a tense night out between Nia and Averey. They got into multiple verbal fights where Johnny made fun of Jessica's weight, calling her a defect which made her cry multiple times, and on an aftershow Johnny disapproved of Jessica refusing to condemn Nia's behavior in the house. Their rivalry continued on Free Agents when Jessica voted for Johnny to go into the elimination round (which was cancelled due to Frank Sweeney's departure).
• Leroy & Averey: Leroy eliminated Averey on Battle of the Exes II. On an episode of the aftershow, Leroy stated that he believed Johnny's side of the story regarding Johnny and Averey's breakup, mouthing on-stage that she was a liar.
• Nathan & Christina: Nathan and Christina began to grow close on their season of Are You The One?: Puerto Rico, with both feeling that they could be a perfect match. However, when it was discovered that they were not, the ease with which Christina decided to go back to Brandon and infuriated Nate, causing him to belittle her and claim her feelings for him were never real. Christina, in turn started an actual relationship with Brandon.
• Nelson & Amanda: Nelson took Mike's side when he attacked Amanda.
• Thomas & Simone: The pair had gotten into a verbal altercation during Battle of the Exes II, which featured Simone splashing a cup of water in Thomas' face. This fight had gone unaired on the actual season, but was shown in the Battle of the Exes II trailer.
• Tony & Nicole: The pair had gotten into a verbal altercation on Battle of the Bloodlines after Tony called Larissa Nakagawa short, weak and that she would be the first boot. Larissa's sister Camila asked Tony why would he said it, while was still denying it. Nicole came in Larissa's and Camila's defense and called Tony an asshole and a liar. Tony started raising his voice on Nicole, and Nicole yelled at him: "Get the fuck out of my face!" The fight was stopped by Nicole's cousin Nany.
• Vince & Jenna: Yet to be aired on Battle of the Bloodlines.
• Wes & Camila: Wes and Camila got into a fight on the first episode of Battle of the Exes after Johnny & Camila became the first power couple. Wes tried to get into Camila's head, which she didn't like and it resulted with Camila yelling at him and voting him into the dome, which he won. They were still on bad terms on Rivals II, when on the Frenemies challenge, Camila called Wes the fakest person in the house.

Game summary

Elimination chart

Episode		Challenge winners		Jungle contestants				Jungle game	Jungle outcome
#	Challenge			Last-place finisher		Voted for the Jungle			Winning team		Losing team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Jungle progress

Teams		Episodes
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
	Bananas & Sarah
	Brandon & Briana
	Cory & Ashley
	Dario & Nany
	Devin & Cheyenne
	Jamie & KellyAnne
	Johnny & Jessica
	Leroy & Averey
	Nathan & Christina
	Nelson & Amanda
	Thomas & Simone
	Tony & Nicole
	Vince & Jenna
	Wes & Camila

Competition

  The team won the final challenge.

  The team lost the final challenge.

  The team won the challenge and was safe from the Jungle.

  The team was not selected for the Jungle.

  The team won in the Jungle.

  The team lost in the Jungle and was eliminated.

  The team was removed from the competition due to illness/injury.