‘The Challenge: USA’ Standout Tyson Apostol Is All Talk When It Comes to Actually Competing Against the GOATS on the MTV Flagship
The Challenge: USA star Tyson Apostol has been a standout during the show’s first season. The Survivor alum — known for his dry humor and deadpan wit — has been so successful during his Challenge: USA debut that he’s started talking trash on social media, calling out the OGs from the MTV flagship. But when it comes down to actually competing against the Challenge GOATs, Tyson appears to be all talk.
‘Survivor’ legend Tyson Apostol claims he could beat OGs from ‘The Challenge’
Tyson made his Survivor debut back in 2009 during season 18 Tocantins, and he’s appeared on the series four times overall.
In Season 20 Heroes v Villains, he made a legendary error as a member of the villain tribe by accidentally voting himself out of the game. He captured his first and only Survivor win in season 27 Blood v Water when he competed with his future wife Rachel Foulger. He was also part of the epic 40th season Winners at War.
On top of his reality TV appearances, Tyson is also a professional endurance athlete who has an extensive background in cycling, long-distance swimming, and ultra trail running. He knows he’s not your average Challenge competitor — and he knows he’s good.
So, the 42-year-old has been calling out the OGs from the MTV flagship to let them know all about it.
“To those comparing me to those on the ‘OG’ challenge… A lot of them can bench press more than me but 70-80 even 90% of the game I have them crushed. Talking cake walk,” Tyson tweeted on July 22.
Is Tyson Apostol all talk when it comes to competing against the GOATS?
A month after Tyson’s tweet, Johnny Bananas finally responded by writing, “This tweet is gonna age about as well as you.” To which Tyson replied, ““Like a fine wine.” The GOAT then added, “More like a box of wine after a game of slap the bag.”
But their back-and-forth didn’t end there. Tyson also appeared on the Challenge GOAT’s podcast Death, Taxes, and Bananas, and the discussion continued.
Bananas’ first question out of the gate was: “who hacked your Twitter because there’s absolutely no way someone as strategic and smart and calculated as you would intentionally fire off an incendiary tweet [like that].”
The jokes continued for a bit, before Tyson reiterated that he’s not your standard Challenge competitor. He insisted he wasn’t all talk, and that he would beat anybody in endurance. But then, he conceded that actually competing against the OGs is probably not going to happen.
‘The Challenge: USA’ star explains why he won’t compete on the MTV flagship
Tyson explained to Bananas that “going on with the OGs” would be different, and it would have to be fair. He noted that “I would have to have some people with me at some point. Rather than just be the target from day 1 to however far I go.”
But when Bananas point blank asked Tyson if he would do The Challenge if MTV called, Tyson said “no.” He said that he wouldn’t actually compete on the flagship series because he has “a lot of good stuff going on.”
As the self-proclaimed leading personality in pickleball, he has a documentary in the works about the sport. But, the real reason he won’t compete on the MTV version is that it would take him away from his kids for too long.
“I’ve got two kids,” Tyson said. “Even going on The Challenge (USA) this season was a little under seven weeks total of potential being away time. Kids change in that amount of time.”
The Challenge: USA airs Wednesdays on CBS.
