Cory Wharton’s winless Challenge career just took another hit as he’s now being slammed by some of his co-stars– past and present– for bringing “nothing” to the long-running competition show.
On the latest episode of Johnny Banana’s Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast, Big Brother-turned-‘Challenge’ competitor Josh Martinez shared his thoughts on the recently announced cast of The Challenge Cutthroat– some of whom he knows and has competed against in the past, including Johnny. After Johnny dropped some hints this week about the cast dynamic in the upcoming ‘Challenge,’ season, Josh questioned why “some of these people” even made the Season 42 cast, with his (former?) friend Cory being at the top of his list.
“I’m about to get in trouble,” Josh said, to which Johnny encouraged, “No you’re not, that’s what you’re here for.”
“ … Cory and Brad [Fiorenza] on the same season?” Josh questioned. “They both bring the same thing … [which is] nothing. Love them, great dudes, awesome, but they’re both a little flat … .”
While Josh went on to suggest that Cory and Brad may bring “nothing” to the show because “they’re both dads,” Johnny insisted that the Teen Mom dad literally sleeps through the competition.
“ … I’m just gonna say this,” Johnny prefaced. “Cory’s on Operation Sleep Through ‘The Challenge.’”
“And it works for him though,” Josh claimed. “It works for him every single time.”
After Johnny proceeded to slam Cory for also showing up to ‘The Challenge’ pool every season “looking all, like, f**king suave,” the trash-talking remorse appeared to set in for Josh, as he proclaimed (more than once), “I love Cory.” Still, as the episode went on, Johnny commented that Cory and Brad “both bring the same dead energy” to the show, with Josh co-signing the comment with, “yeah, exactly.”
Johnny then pointed out that Cory seems to be the type of competitor who navigates his way through the game by “doing the least,” which Josh also agreed with.
“That’s the one thing I hate about [Cory], because I’m the complete opposite,” Josh argued. “I’m, like, I’m in every fire, every pit, I’m like, I’m going to war, and [Cory], I just don’t like that he is able to coast, ‘cause that’s never my [thing]. I probably could coast, I choose not to … .”
Later in the episode, Josh ramped up the Cory (and Brad) bashing again while attempting to defend his previous comments.
“OK, I love Brad,” Josh stated. “Can I just say, Brad is one of the nicest [people]. If you think I’m a nice guy, Brad is one of the nicest dudes. Now, what I am gonna say is, on the entertainment department, him and Cory, for me, they don’t get involved enough. You get what I’m saying?
“But I gotta give [Brad] respect,” he continued. “He is a staple, he is a face [of ‘The Challenge’] … So, like, I get why they’re there, and Cory as well.”
Josh concluded his (presumably lukewarm take) by telling Johnny that, with the exception of CT Tamburello and Johnny, there could have been some “stronger vets” on the Season 42 cast.
As fans know, Cory has appeared on a dozen seasons of ‘The Challenge’ and while he remains winless, he’s competed in five finals. As for Brad, he’s also competed in 12 seasons of ‘The Challenge’ (not including All Stars) and was the winner of the OG ‘Cutthroat’ season back in 2010. Meanwhile, Josh has competed on seven seasons of ‘The Challenge’ without making a single appearance in a final, and Johnny currently holds the record for the most ‘Challenge’ championships won, with seven.
Cory has yet to respond to Josh and Johnny’s remarks.
Season 42 of ‘The Challenge’ premieres August 5 on Paramount+.
Watch a clip from Josh’s interview on ‘Death, Taxes, and Bananas’ below.
@mtvooch Josh says Brad and Corey are both boring and bring nothing to the challenge! Do we agree?! Or are you guys happy to see Brad and Corey on the screen! OG and TYB! #thechallenge42 #zachnicholspodcast #johnnybananas #caramaria #mtvthechallenge
(Photos: TikTok; Instagram; MTV)
One Response
Not a Cory fan at all, but Josh is hardly one to talk…of all people who bring nothing to the challenge… 🙄