TJ Lavin hates quitters. And so do I.

Getting Older, Getting Colder

The champs may have lost, but they really don’t care

(MTV)

Episode 5 of The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions is officially in the books. Here’s the low down:

Thailand was officially shook up Tuesday night when the champs showed up and got to duke it out with the silly underdogs in a game that TJ could have easily explained as “Yo i’m gonna launch this ball in the air and you guys go make each other eat sand. Try to get the ball in the hole but mainly, make each other bleed.” I don’t say this often, but it was hella fun to watch.

The Brawl

(MTV)

With the champs coming in with some of the greatest competitors to ever play the game, you would think this would be their time to make a statement. Well it’s kind of hard when you only have four to their SIX players. That’s two unguarded underdog puppies to roam free and do as they please. To win the challenge it was the first team to win two sets, which to win a set, you had to score three times.

The girls went first and it really wasn’t even close. Laurel showed signs of still being a beast by dragging half of the underdog ladies through the sand. Cara made Amanda eat sand after she smoked her in the face. But even with their toughness and experience the numbers were still too much to overcome. I mean how can you beat Ashley cherry-picking harder than LaMelo Ball?

(MTV)

The guys set started off basically the same. Everywhere the champs went, the underdogs were. Like they were multiplying on cue. This left holes as once again, people could break open and just lay low. We even witnessed Johnny Bananas get punked on by Hunter. Like Hunter held down Bananas by pushing on the back of his head with no remorse. I assume Hunter whispered something to Johnny like, “Time for this Banana to split.” Or “I’ve already had my daily potassium intake.” And thus the male champs were down 2–0 to the underdog men.

But hold the phone — the champs weren’t done. Thanks to some crafty passing and cutting (Steve Nash would be proud) the champs managed to get two points on the board. Things were heating up, or so it seemed. The underdogs swiftly put an end to that as a wide open Tony finished things off.

The reaction that ensued was definitely overhyped. The underdogs were pumped. Like they just knocked off the #1 seed in March Madness. Yeah, the champs are #1 of course. BUT YOU HAD TWO MORE PEOPLE THAN THEM! Imagine if they had even just one more body?

(For sake of the argument that body is going to be Derrick Kosinski. The original Challenge pit bull, who definitely needs to make a comeback. Derrick, if you’re reading this, The Challenge needs you man.)

Okay so back to the point. If Derrick is thrown on to the team, that gives you even more quickness, fearlessness, heart, strength, and talent to an already hypothetically stacked squad. The guys had it tied up already down two people, so if they had one more it’s safe to say they would have won. I mean it’s science. Derrick is a beast. He woulda eaten Dario alive. You can add any girl champ in too for the same outcome. Say they had Emily Schromm, Evelyn, or Sarah. The champs get the W easily. Basically the underdogs are way too excited about this win.

P.S. Derrick, I’m serious dawg. Come back. Get another ring. Do it for the culture.