Johnny Bananas gave his take on that controversial elimination from The Challenge: Battle of the Eras.
As many fans saw in Episode 4, Horacio Gutierrez and Derrick Kosinski competed in a super-close event. Derrick was announced as the winner, eliminating Horacio from the season.
However, the episode footage made it unclear for viewers, as it included a shot of Derrick’s game board with one of his 40 pegs not in a hole. Footage also showed castmates in the spectator stands seeming confused.
Horacio’s girlfriend, Nurys Mateo, blasted production over the unaired aspects of the elimination once the episode aired on MTV, which fueled the elimination debate.
In addition, Horacio commented in interviews and on his social media that he didn’t accept he lost the event due to what happened that fans didn’t see.
More recently, Bananas called out his castmate for affecting the “integrity” of The Challenge with his remarks.
Bananas and Jordan talked about the controversial Season 40 elimination
During his recent episode of the Death, Taxes and Bananas podcast, Bananas had castmate Jordan Wiseley on to discuss the recent episodes of Season 40.
At one point, they discussed Horacio and Derrick’s elimination, with Jordan explaining he could see both sides of the argument. However, Bananas backed up production and the event’s rules. He said that “both sides had help” from the referees at The Arena in getting pegs for their board during the event.
He also said that Derrick was still running around for about 10 or more seconds towards the end because he couldn’t find his 40th peg and thought it was missing. Meanwhile, that peg was on the board, on the second road of pegs.
Bananas said that after about 30 minutes of production, after reviewing the footage, including different camera angles, they announced the results, and Derrick was named the winner.
Bananas said Horacio debating the loss will ‘affect the integrity’ of The Challenge
He then mentioned how Horacio went on social media to call out what he felt was a questionable loss.
“I feel like it takes away from the spirit of the game…when you have cast members who are fueling the fire and fueling the speculation instead of just putting this s**t to rest,” Bananas said.
“All it’s going to do by stoking the fire, it’s just going to affect the game. It’s just going to affect the integrity of the show. People are going to watch and be like, ‘Do I actually believe the outcome of this?’” he said.
Bananas praised Horacio as a “tremendous athlete” who has participated in sports all his life.
“Buddy, you gotta learn how to just take the L dude. Take the L,” he said, adding, “You gotta just take it on the chin. I’ve taken Ls before that I did not feel I should have.”
Bananas referenced how he had a canceled elimination that he and teammate Tony Raines were winning in The Challenge: Final Reckoning that their opponents, Paulie Calafiore and Natalie Negrotti, had “no way” of making a comeback to win.
Instead, viewers see Paulie and Natalie defeat them in a different event, which involves one team member devouring milk and cookies as their teammate has to keep their arms raised above their heads throughout.
Horacio has since appeared in a Challenge Mania video and interview with hosts Scott Yager and Derrick. During that, they discussed being shown footage from production and receiving a more straightforward explanation of the event and its rules.
Horacio admitted he missed an essential rule for the game, and Derrick seemed satisfied they better understood the elimination results.
The Challenge: Battle of the Eras airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
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