MTV/Instagram Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio made his triumphant return to “The Challenge” on season 38 and showed everyone why he’s a seven-time champ with a decisive win in his first challenge of the season alongside partner Nany Gonzalez.
In fact, Bananas shared that having Nany as a partner was one of the reasons he decided to come back to the show after taking a two-season break. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bananas said there were a few factors that helped him decide, including scheduling, as well as feeling mentally prepared due to the length of his break.
The “Total Madness” champion said although he’d been absent for two seasons, having Nany as a partner meant that he’d have all of her relationships working in his favor and that she had built great relationships in the last couple of seasons.
Bananas also discussed whether his return on “Ride or Dies” was a one-time experience to see if he still had it or if it ignited in him a desire to continue to compete in future seasons.
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Johnny Bananas Devenanzio Said He Fell in Love With ‘The Challenge’ Again & Wants to Return
Luckily for Bananas’ fans, it sounds as though his experience on “Ride or Dies” fueled his love for the competition show. Comparing the “Challenge” to a dysfunctional relationship, Bananas told EW that the show is good in many ways despite the “mental anguish” it can cause.
“You break up for a little bit, then you miss each other, and then you’re like, ‘Let’s give this one more shot,'” he shared. “That’s where I’m at right now, dude. We had our little break from each other, but I’ve fallen back in love.”
The “Real World” alum said the show is very important to him and it’s hard to imagine his life without it. While his hiatus was very important to help him “reset,” he explained that “Ride or Dies” was just the start of that new beginning on the show.
What this season did is prove to me that I do in fact still have what it takes to compete at a very high level.
It reignited that competitive flame that’s always burned inside me, and it’s made me even more hungry to not just come back and win, but to remind everybody why Johnny Bananas is and always will be the greatest of all time.
Johnny Bananas Devenanzio & Nany Gonzalez Came in With a Bang & Won Their First Challenge
Episode 2 of “The Challenge: Ride or Dies” began with Bananas and Nany entering the game right after the first elimination of the season. The two quickly got caught up on everything that was going on in the house, including the rookies’ win in the first episode and their big shot at veteran teams.
At the heights over water challenge, Nany and Bananas were one of just a few teams to successfully complete the task and TJ Lavin announced that they were also the quickest, making them the power couple.
It seems as though the battle lines will continue to be drawn between rookies and veterans as Bananas and Nany targeted mostly rookies and their allies for the four nominated teams. However, due to Turbo Çamkıran’s earlier argument with Nany, the “Real World” alums decided to choose him and his partner Tamara Alfaro to compete in elimination, which they ultimately lost.
Bananas and Nany’s power move meant that they got rid of the only other male “Challenge” champion in the house and a very strong competitor in Turbo — of course, that was before Jordan Wiseley entered the game immediately afterward, with the trailer teasing four-time champ Darrell Taylor’s eventual arrival as well.
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