‘The Challenge’: Laurel Stucky Admits to Throwing Elimination in ‘Invasion of the Champions’
The Challenge champ Laurel Stucky might have won two seasons back-to-back, but she recently admitted to throwing a late elimination in Invasion of the Champions.
Laurel Stucky admitted to throwing an elimination in ‘Invasion of the Champions’
Fresh off her Free Agents win, Laurel Stucky returned for Invasion of the Champions, where she seemed poised to take home another victory.
After sending home rival-turned-friend-turned-rival Cara Maria Sorbello, the Michigan native faced Camila Nakagawa shortly before the finals but lost. Fans had long suspected that the popular player threw the elimination, and Laurel recently confirmed it in a tweet.
When asked if she gave the win to Camila because she knew she wasn’t in shape to compete in the finals, Laurel answered that she got into a “serious car accident” before the season that resulted in a hospitalization.
According to the former champ, the accident gave her a grade 3 concussion, and she “snapped the lateral collateral ligament” in her left ankle. Because she hadn’t recovered fully, Laurel admitted she didn’t want to compete in the final. Viewers responded to her explanation, wondering why she chose to participate in the season anyway, but Laurel didn’t reply.
Laurel had a tough elimination loss in ‘War of the Worlds 2’
As Laurel has competed in four finals, winning one, throughout her seven-season career and boasts an impressive elimination record of 10 wins to three losses, she is considered one of the greatest players of the competition show.
During episode 4 of the docuseries The Challenge: Untold History, a segment detailed her journey in the franchise. Executive producer Danny Wascou admitted that her early exit from War of the Worlds 2 still “weighs” on her mind.
In the “most controversial elimination” in the series’ history, Laurel competed against Natalie “Ninja” Duran in a rock-climbing challenge. The Michigan native thought she beat the rock climbing expert and began celebrating, only to realize she didn’t complete it correctly and lost. Host TJ Lavin began explaining her mishap cost her the victory, and unseen footage caught a heated exchange between the two.
TJ admitted he messed up by blowing the horn after checking her work, signifying the win. When Laurel insisted she wanted a reset and continued to plead her case, the host got annoyed and raised his voice, telling her to “get out of here” and that her game had concluded. She returned four seasons later for redemption in Ride or Dies but got eliminated early a second time.
Laurel recently returned for ‘The Challenge’ Season 38
Laurel competed on season 38’s Ride or Dies alongside friend and Ex on the Beach: Peak of Love castmate Jakk Maddox.
However, they quickly found themselves in the hot seats when rookies Johnny Middlebrooks and Ravyn Rochelle targeted the veterans.
After avoiding elimination, they found their way back into The Zone when their allies Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald came into power. As Jay had a close friendship with Jakk, they thought they were safe until she targeted them, believing Laurel didn’t want to work with her.
The two threw them into elimination back-to-back until they were sent home by episode 6. She recently teased her return to the franchise, noting she improved her gameplay and wants revenge. The Challenge airs Wednesdays on MTV.
