‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’: Johnny Bananas Thinks He Is Giving Nany Gonzalez Her ‘Best Chance’ at Winning
The Challenge: Ride or Dies is finally here, and GOAT Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio is back to compete once again. The seven-time winner partnered up with Nany González — who’s come close to winning the show a number of times but has never taken home the prize money. Could Nany score her first win in season 38? According to Bananas, he is giving her the “best shot” she’s ever had.
Johnny Bananas reveals the reason he and Nany González have an advantage in ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’
Bananas and Nany were partners once before competing in season 38. They teamed up in season 26, Battles of the Exes II, in 2014. And the Challenge GOAT says this experience gave them an advantage this time around.
“We both, from a social standpoint, have the same methodology about how we navigate the game and how we navigate the house and how we play a social game without us even having to talk. She’s not someone I have to worry about doing something or saying something stupid that’s going to jeopardize us. She’s been at the game long enough, ” Bananas told Hollywood Life.
He explained that when you have a partner who you are working with — and you confide in that person about strategy — the biggest concern is that strategy will get out. But, Bananas didn’t have to worry about that happening with Nany.
“It was nice. I had someone I knew I could trust and rely on and I didn’t have to sit there checking in to make sure we were on the same page,” Bananas said.
Johnny Bananas thinks he is giving Nany González her ‘best shot’ at winning
Bananas and Nany have been friends for a long time, and he says she was his first choice for a female “Ride or Die” partner. She was also a big part of the reason he decided to return to The Challenge and pursue win number eight.
“[Winning] has eluded her for so long and I felt like her best shot at finally winning would be with me,” Bananas said. “I couldn’t pick a better person to want to compete next to and support and help cross the finish line than her. She deserves it so much. That girl has put in so much time and effort over the years. It gave me a reason to want to compete and win other than my own selfish reasons.”
His partner’s ‘Big Brother’ connections were a huge benefit in ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’
In the two years that Bananas took a break, Nany stayed on and made it to the finals. She also established friendships and started her relationship with Kaycee Clark — who has ties to the Big Brother crew. Bananas says this was extremely beneficial for his game in season 38.
“From a social aspect, coming in, it was almost as if I was able to come in with some built-in alliances that I wouldn’t have had if I wasn’t paired up with her. Her having these connections and the social game that she did, it really helped to neutralize a lot of the potential issues that I was going to have with people. Any time I walk into a Challenge house, there’s going to be a massive target on my back and I’m going to draw a lot of attention,” Bananas explained.
“Coming into this season, had I not been paired up with her, right out of the gate, things would have been more difficult. But being partnered with Nany helped neutralize a lot of those potential issues I may have had.”
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays on MTV.
