‘The Challenge’: Johnny ‘Bananas’ Says His Arguing With Nany Cost Them Season 38 Win
It seemed as though Nany González would take home her first win in 12 seasons of The Challenge alongside Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio in Ride or Dies. However, the two argued throughout the season, and he points to their bickering as the main reason they lost.
Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio takes most of the blame for ‘Ride or Dies’ loss
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Nany González eliminated Jordan Wiseley and Aneesa Ferreira on their way to the last leg of the finals, which required them to complete multiple tasks against Devin Walker and Tori Deal.
However, they fell behind during the second stage when they buried a crucial cinder block they needed to complete their puzzle.
Realizing how long it would have taken them to take everything down, find the piece, and rebuild it, they stopped, and Devin and Tori walked away with the win.
Following the episode, he opened up about the tough loss during his podcast, Death, Taxes, and Bananas, with sports writer and The Ringer founder Bill Simmons. When asked who cost them the win, the seven-time champ admitted they both messed up but took the bulk of the blame.
Bananas cite their constant arguing as a reason why they lost
He explained that Nany has a “gear” that could propel her to a win. However, the Real World star said he noticed that she has “difficulty tapping” into it, pointing to her four-minute loss to Laurel Stucky in Free Agents as proof.
Therefore, Bananas claims he was hard on her, especially during their run through the corn maze, because he wanted her to reach her “full potential.”
However, her injured knee and their continued frustrations throughout the five-day final took a toll on them. As a result, they weren’t on the same page heading into the last stage, which required a collaborative effort to complete.
Instead of initially figuring out a plan to tackle the cinder block stage that ended up costing them the win, similar to Tori and Devin, the seven-time winner admitted he took the back seat, not wanting them to continue arguing. Bananas went on to take the bulk of the blame, even though they both made mistakes, because of his experience in finals.
Bananas called ‘Ride or Dies’ one of the hardest defeats to accept
Later in the podcast, the reality star called it one of the hardest defeats to swallow due to their arduous path to the final, which included having to eliminate tough teams Fessy Shafaat and Moriah Jadea, and Aneesa and Jordan only for a “self-inflicted” wound to cost them the victory.
Additionally, Bananas said their mistake frequently replays in his head because he prides himself on focusing on the details.
The California native revealed his decision to choose peace instead of taking charge, likely resulting in them butting heads again, ultimately “bit them in the ass.”
He also said that he knew Nany relied on him to secure her first victory this season and felt she deserved it, especially after her mom unexpectedly died before the season. Bananas thinks he let her down, which weighs on him, and he’s admittedly having difficulty accepting the loss.
