Tony on Averey Fight, claiming he wanted to go home

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the Wednesday, August 28 episode of “The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.”

If there’s one thing the cast of “The Challenge” – and viewers – know, it’s that TJ Lavin doesn’t mess around. He proved that during the last episode. After Era 3 won the daily challenge, captains Tony and Averey were forced to select which other team captains would face the losers, Jodi and Darrell, in elimination. However, they couldn’t get on the same page.

While Tony wanted to send Derek and Aviv into the arena because Darrell asked for it, Averey had a very close bond with Derek and refused to turn on them, wanting to focus on Kaycee and Kyland instead.

They both knew that if they couldn’t agree on who to send into the sand, TJ would make it them compete. When neither gave in, that’s exactly what happened. A very angry Averey claimed that Tony didn’t want to be there and she ultimately took out her anger by beating Jodi in a very strategic puzzle. Tony wasn’t so lucky as he was beaten by Darrell and sent home.

Tony explains below Variety how he now feels about his choice, Averey’s claims that he didn’t want to be there and gives up what he ate during the daily challenge.

We haven’t seen you on the flagship series since ‘Final Reckoning’. Why was this the right time to return?

Well, any time is a good time for Tony Time. I’m sorry, I had to. I took a break from ‘The Challenge’ and pretty much every season since ‘Final Reckoning’ I got that phone call. Turning that down has been one of the hardest things. I missed the show so much. Since this is season 40 and my departure from “All Stars,” that can’t be my last mark on the game.

I was lucky enough to get a call for 40 and I couldn’t pass it up. Because I was back in the mix of it, the feeling, the energy, I got the fever all over again. I hope I’m lucky enough to get another call. I’m definitely going to accept it, because I missed it terribly.

What was it like living with all these people again? It’s physically challenging, but a big part of this game is mental.

It was almost like riding a bicycle. I just fell back into the groove. It felt so natural to me when I entered that house. It was like I had to be here.

Okay, let’s dive into this episode. Everyone knows you’re good at eating challenges, but which of those disgusting plates of food did you eat? And how fast were you?

I think I ate two of the plates. I know I ate the Thai chili worms and I remember those mostly because I just grabbed the bowl and [gulped it down]. Some of the Thai chili sauce got in my eye, so I won’t forget that. It burned so bad. I can’t remember what the other one was, but whatever it was, I just housed it. That is not a challenge for me. I’m from the south. If you saw some of the things we eat here, you would understand.

But the worms were alive.

It’s better to eat those things while they’re still alive because then you get all the nutrients. You don’t want to cook the nutrients and vitamins out. I’ll tell you this, they didn’t make it out alive!

Okay, gross! To proceed. You and Averey were captains, so when Era 3 won, you got to choose who eliminated against Darrell and Jodi, but they couldn’t agree. As you made your way to the arena, did you feel prepared to go in or were you bluffing, thinking she would give in?

I remember saying, “If we can’t get on the same page, we have to prepare to go there, because I’m not going backwards.” I said it so confidently that I let myself believe it, and I had to do that so that it would dawn on her that I wasn’t playing. Did I want to go there? No, but I had to believe in my decision and what I did was the best for my game. I knew she would hold up with Derek because she plays with a lot of emotion. She plays with a lot of heart. And you could tell that that bond that they had, that bond would be unbreakable. I was thinking that if I say I’m going to give Darrell who he wants and we go there and we’re at a stalemate, Derek might say, ‘Averey, don’t even worry about it. He wants to be an asshole? I’m going there.” Then we are clear. I thought: I have a contingency plan. I thought, there’s no way Derek is going to let Averey go there. There is no way. And he didn’t say a peep.

Can you explain why you wouldn’t admit it – why would you rather include yourself than someone Darrell didn’t want?

In “Vendettas” I did what was best for my game. That was a turning point for me in ‘The Challenge’. Someone gave me some good advice: remove yourself from the game and look at the above like a chessboard. What’s your next best move for checkmate? When I started thinking like that, I started getting better at the game. That was the beginning of Tony Time. I watched it because I’m the lowest man on the totem pole in my day. No one pays attention to me except Devin. So I have to step outside my era and try to find some loyalty. Darrell is someone I’ve known for a long time. We have a good relationship. We respect each other. So I thought, if I do this, you have to give me a solid contribution in the future. That was the best for my game. I looked at Averey: is it best for your game to keep Derek here? Why? So you can confide in him? Do you think this is the best for your game, and what is the reasoning behind that? I know a lot of our conversations and my reasoning probably wasn’t broadcast, but that was the gist of it.

It seemed like most of the house was against you and you said you should just give in. Is that correct?

Everyone except Darrell. See, pride comes before a fall. And it’s a shame that in this situation it seems like my pride has gotten the better of me. It seems like this was probably the case. I’ve tried not to think about it too much because I know going home early, making that decision, coming home, having to see the disappointment on my family’s face – even though they were happy to see me, that was great – but because of the way I went out, it’s hard. At that moment my decision was made. And I told myself I wouldn’t fold. But then again, I thought she would give in. I thought Derek was going to throw himself in there.

Averey claimed you didn’t want to be there. Was it true that you wanted to go home?

I remember her saying that around the house, and then telling TJ I didn’t want to be there and getting checked out. It was like, how can you say that, after the conversations we had, the reason I told you why I’m here, fighting for my family? I’m here to make as much money as possible. Hey, if I don’t make the million and I make it to week 12 or whatever it is, that’s extra money in my pocket. It’s not like we just go out and go home with nothing. Every week that we are outside a certain time frame, we receive additional checks. I’ve already sacrificed three weeks of my life so far. I’m trying to make it all the way. Even if I make it to the finals, I’ll go home with a great pillow and a savings account for my family.

I confided in her. We had a great relationship. She was probably the girl I talked to the most, and that won’t be broadcast, which is a shame. We talked a lot about ‘All Stars’. She confided in me. Did I tell her that I miss my family, that I would burst into tears if I FaceTimed them? Yes, because I love my family, and that’s just normal. But to say I got checked out when I was having the time of my life? I didn’t check out, but was I disappointed? Yes, I was disappointed when it got to this point. I could tell her mood and her attitude towards me changed because of what I wanted to do. It was bad. As for not wanting to be, that’s just something that shouldn’t be said. To be honest, I take a little offense to it.

That makes sense! Okay, going into elimination, how tough were those parts?

We tried to estimate how heavy they were. We ranged between 35 and 45 pounds. It felt like a 45-pound plate at the gym. We were so shocked that the girls and the boys were given the same weight.

Was there anyone cheering for you or helping you?

I heard Devin and Jordan a little bit. Era 1 screamed at the top of their lungs to help Darrell, and it was so loud. They tried to confuse me too. While there was more going on, I was shot. I was doomed from the start. Then you go to the girls’ round, and my team really gave Averey support, which is fine by me, but where was that support for me? Why was everyone so quiet when Averey tried to figure it out? It was a bit strange.

After you were eliminated, you could give people extra points, which will help them in some way. Can you tell us who you helped?

I literally don’t know anymore, but I can tell you that I support Derrick Kosinski 100%. I love that guy. Devin was my number one out there. I also supported Averey. We had a great rapport and relationship before everything went wrong. You can tell she has a lot of fight in her. She has that underdog spirit, which I love because I had that early in my career on “The Challenge.”