MTV’s ‘The Challenge: Battle Of The Bloodlines’ — With Johnny Bananas Gone, Who Will Win It All Now?

The latest episode of The Challenge: Battle of the Bloodlines gave the show’s competitors a glimpse into the future, but for one team, that future isn’t going to happen.

The ninth challenge was called “Weight for me,” a precursor to the finals challenge. According to the International Business Times, each team had to drag their way up a mountain while completing a series of checkpoints along the way. And if that wasn’t tough enough, the teams had to do it while carrying a big weighted backpack on their shoulders that they traded off and on.

While teammates and cousins Jamie and Cara Maria took an early lead in the challenge, it wasn’t long before they were passed by Aneesa and Rianna, who kept that lead for surprisingly nearly half of the uphill journey. MTV News spoke to competitors half way up the mountain.

“It feels good passing everyone,” Aneesa admitted. “We have a really good chance of winning… we have a great lead. This may oddly be our challenge to win.”

The duo powered through the pain and even impressed some fellow competitors though the credit wasn’t equally given.

Johnny Bananas, the show’s favorite, gave the credit to Aneesa and believed Rianna would eventually fall apart, reports MTV News.

“This is quite a shock that Aneesa and Rianna made it this far, this fast,” Bananas said. “I think the only thing that saved them was the fact that this long leg they had to do — Aneesa was carrying [the bag].”

And at the monkey bars checkpoint, Johnny turned out to be right. Aneesa and Rianna had to watch three teams pass them as they struggled with the challenge, with Rianna completely falling apart.

However, thanks to a 15-minute time cap, Aneesa and Rianna were allowed to advance to the final challenge.

And by the time last place runners Mitch and Corey reach the last checkpoint, everyone else was still there figuring out their puzzles. However, it didn’t take long — 30 seconds to be precise — for Mitch to finish the puzzle, making his team the winners of the challenge. Jenna and Brianna came in second, Vince and Johnny took third, and Aneesa and Rianna finish fourth, forcing early leaders Cara Maria and Jaime into the pit.

Unexpectedly, the winning team, Corey and Mitch, decided to send a “strong” team into the pit to join Cara and Jaime, and voted Vince and Johnny into the elimination challenge.

And in another surprising turn of events, the highly favored competitors, Johnny Bananas and his cousin Vince were sent packing, making Bloodlines one of Johnny’s earliest exits of The Challenge. The best physical players on the MTV competition show struggled with puzzles before, and the last challenge proved that they just couldn’t stand up to Jaime and Cara in The Pit when a puzzle was involved.

After losing the challenge Johnny admitted, “To be the best, you have to beat the best,” and “Cara Maria, you whopped my ass, girl.”

And now that Johnny and Vince are headed home, Corey believes he and Mitch have a shot at winning it all. While Zap2it suggests that Corey and Mitch are the shows new frontrunners, the other competitors are still in the mix, so it’s anybody’s game.

However, not all competitors are confident in their partners. Aneesa doesn’t sound too inspired by her teammate and cousin at all.

“I’m happy that Rianna pulled it together,” she said. “But I think when it comes to challenges, we’re just at our wits’ end with each other.”

So what do viewers believe? Can the show’s most well-rounded player pull teammate Rianna together and give themselves a fighting chance at the crown? Or will Rianna’s struggles weigh Aneesa down and limit their chances of winning? Tell us your opinion, and of course, don’t forget to watch the next episode of The Challenge: Bloodlines to find out what happens next.

The last challenge before the final on The Challenge: Battle of the Bloodlines airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST. on MTV. Tune in to see who advances to the finals.

[Image via MTV]