The Challenge 40 Battle of the Eras Player Preview: Chris “CT” Tamburello
Some people say CT is the scariest player in Challenge history. I say they’re wrong. I say the scariest player in Challenge history is CT coming off a divorce where his ex is trying to get alimony, child support, and spousal support, all while hooking up with a dude from the Magic Mike Tour.
People in the house should be extra extra terrified because it’s Season 40, and CT is currently on an epic hot streak. While it’s been two years since he was last on full-time, CT is technically coming off back-to-back wins from Double Agents to Spies, Lies & Allies, and he proved he could win other shows as he just pulled off a win on the Peacock Reality Supershow: The Traitors. Whether it’s games of physicality or strategy, CT has been dominating.
Season 40 marks CT’s 20th MTV season of the show, and he’s going to be one of the biggest threats to win. Although it seems CT has put on some weight since his win on Spies, Lies & Allies, he is still in far better shape than when he won War of the Worlds 2.
CTs Cheat Sheet (TLDR Version)
Introducing CT:
CT was the original MassHole in Paris on The Real World. Then he debuted on The Inferno 1, where he was immediately one of the best competitors the show had ever seen. From Inferno 1 to Inferno 2 to Duel 1 to Gauntlet 3, CT was always the top guy in the daily challenges.
He was also hot-headed and chaotic and enjoyed smashing heads. CT got DQ’d twice in a three-season span for violence, first on Inferno 3 for punching Davis Mallory and then again for trying to kill Diddy’s right-hand man, Adam King, on The Duel 2. To which, CT should be exonerated from the latter. During this point in time, we also saw the beginning of the CT & Diem love story that could be a 50k-word blog itself. The early parts of CT’s Challenge career were explosive and messy, and after his Duel 2 blowup, he was quietly “banned” from the show.
And when I say banned…The running rumor is some major cast members of the era were refusing to go on again if CT was going to be there.
After a couple years, MTV tested the waters and brought CT back as a Heavy Hiter on Cutthroat. From there, the backpack moment happened, and CT cemented himself back into The Challenge universe with the most iconic moment the show has ever seen.
For the majority alliance that had been running the game at the time, CT was their bogeyman on Rivals & Exes 1. Except he looked like a superstar to the fans at home. In my opinion, CT on Rivals 1 was the peak version of himself athletically — where he was still physically in his prime, stronger & faster than everyone, and knew how to take apart challenges. Even after 8 seasons where everyone knew CT was a beast, he was still winless, though. Some of the losses were his fault, like his violence DQs or his elimination DQ on The Duel 1. Which as a side note, if you think that’s not CT’s fault, remember he was given the choice on what elimination to pick and picked that one knowing Beth had already DQ’d in a janky fashion. Then he had losses due to teammates like Big Easy dying on The Gauntlet 3, Tina & Tonya shitting the bed on Inferno 2, and Adam King throwing their elimination on Rivals 1.
The loss that hurt the most for CT was Exes 1, largely due to what the win would’ve meant for him and Diem. CT was spectacular all season and killer most of that Final for him and Diem. His abilities put them in the lead for the majority of that Final, and then, in the end, he gassed out on the final climb, allowing for a Bananas & Camila win. The storybook ending of Diem and CT winning Exes 1 would’ve been perfect, and it’s a moment Challenge producers literally wish they could’ve changed.
CT finally got the win when he formed a superteam duo with Wes on Rivals 2, where they absolutely smoked Bananas & Frank in the Final. Watching the way those came together and the way they destroyed the competition after years of setbacks and struggles for each of them was beautiful. CT came back for two more seasons after Rivals 2; he was good on Free Agents but lost to Bananas in a last-second elimination, and then… was on Exes 2 with Diem… They get pulled from the game… And I don’t want to type more about that because it’s sad, and yeah…
CT wouldn’t be back as a competitor for a couple of years, and during that time away, his life changed dramatically. When he made his return on Invasion, CT came back as a Dad with a new Dad Bod. Despite the extra weight and some rust, CT pulled off the win on Invasion. He then came back much heavier for Dirty 30, went to the Final, and came in 3rd.
From there, CT had a couple of inconsequential seasons. On Final Reckoning/War of the Worlds 1, CT was out of shape but also lost in large part due to a partner on Final Reckoning (Veronica) and then getting teamed up on by Kyle & JP in an elimination on WOTW 1. I think CT entered Day 1 of War of the Worlds 2 in the worst shape he’s ever been on this show, yet he still won the season. Which I want to give him credit for dropping 25–40 lbs during the season itself. It was crazy to see how much thinner he was by the Final. As the years went on, CT really began to understand the game at a higher level, and when he’s in that house, he treats the show like a job and gets himself into the best shape he can while there.
After that War of the Worlds 2 win, CT lost to Jay Starrett in an elimination on Total Madness in one of the biggest upsets in Challenge history. That elimination felt like a wake-up moment for CT, and then we also had a pandemic; whereafter, the next time we saw CT for Double Agents, he looked to be in the best shape he’d been in over half a decade. CT kicked ass and won Double Agents with a house against him, and then he came on in better shape for Spies, Lies & Allies and had a house that let him coast to a much easier win.
It’s now been 2.5 since we’ve seen CT as a full-time competitor. Still, his name strikes fear into his fellow competitors.
Player Vitals & Stats
Chris “CT” Tamburello: 43 Years Old, 6'2, 245 lbs** (Guesstimations), 19 Seasons, 5x Champion, 10x Finalist, 6–5 Elimination Record, Winner: Rivals 2, Invasion, War of the Worlds 2, Double Agents, Spies, Lies & Allies
Skills and Physical Strength:
While CT may no longer have the same raw athleticism and speed that he had in his younger years, he is still a freakish athlete with an insane amount of raw strength and skills. The guy has big, meaty claws like Mr. Krabs, where in any competition where he has to dig, pull a rope, or wrestle for an item, he has a massive edge. CT has the hand-eye coordination of an NFL slot receiver and the balance of a ballerina, all while having the thighs of Alexis Texas. There’s a lot of debate over how tall CT is and whether he’s 6'0, 6'1, 6'2, 6'3. Plain and simple, he’s a huge and physically imposing man.
Since Day 1, CT has always had a superhuman knack for the daily challenges. It’s not just that he’s an elite athlete; what separates CT is how he can see a carnival game daily challenge and immediately figure out a strategy.
If we had to poke some weakness in CT’s game. His weight can be an issue in any challenge where he has to lift his body weight for an extended period. And while his cardio ability, even at a heavier weight, is still not an issue for completing a Final, it can be an issue when facing certain endurance beasts like Jordan or Horacio. Still, these are nits. CT ranks above average to elite in almost every physical category.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game:
The mental side of the game is as important as the physical, and I think CT’s mental strength adds to his physical abilities. When he was younger and more hot-headed, CT would lose sight of the game. Now that he’s calmed down, CT’s mix of veteran dad wisdom and natural intimidation has allowed him to play the social & political game to perfection. In the next section, I’ll go into more detail about how CT rarely gets voted into elimination. What’s super impressive about modern CT’s political/social game is how he’s lulled these new-generation cast members into a sense of security with him.
On Spies, Lies & Allies, CT was far and away their biggest threat, and yet the concept of him even going into elimination never existed. CT has played into his Dad role incredibly well. I wonder whether that same charm/social game will work while playing with some OG’s that he hasn’t been on a season with in years.
Additionally, when discussing the game’s mental side, CT is one of the best puzzle competitors ever. At this point, CT’s so experienced that he’s basically seen every standard Challenge puzzle. When it comes to eating challenges or weird carnival games, nothing they can throw at CT will make him blink or shiver in fear. He is mentally fierce.
Entering this game, CT is backed by major loyal allies in Cara Maria, Devin, and Tony. He doesn’t seem to have any significant enemies, except for perhaps Aneesa. However, the only real threat Aneesa could pose to CT is by being his partner in a Final or a 5-mile run or a 2-mile run or a 1-mile run.
Eliminations & Winning Potential:
CT has been on The Challenge for two decades, and he’s never been in an official 1 on 1 Pole Wrestle, Hall Brawl, or Balls. It would be pretty cool to see what he can do in one, even at age 43. Although CT’s elimination record is 6–5, the numbers don’t paint an accurate picture. 6–5 is only one win above .500, but 6–5 is very impressive, considering he’s only gone into 11 eliminations total across 19 seasons. Of those 11 eliminations, CT went into two of them to earn Skulls on Total Madness & Double Agents, once via the Draw, the final four players went into on Free Agents, and another he went into via default as one of the last two remaining champs on Invasion. If you dig even deeper, you’ll find that CT has only been voted into elimination TWICE in his last twelve MTV seasons. Once by Bananas on Free Agents and then JP randomly calling him out on War of the Worlds 1.
The CT mist is otherworldly. So while CT doesn’t have crazy elimination stats, it’s easy to assume that he could have 20–30 elimination wins if he was going in more often to face some jabronis.
Can CT win? Obviously, yes. Alongside Jordan, CT is one of the odds-on favorites, as it seems like when he steps into a game these days, he wins. With his mix of puzzle prowess, eating skills, and veteran experience, I love CT’s chances in a Final against anyone on this cast…Except Jordan. The question mark is whether those two will be at odds because they know they’re each other’s biggest threat.
CT’s Overall Rating: 96/100
Previous Ratings I’ve Given CT:
Spies, Lies & Allies Rating: 97/100
Double Agents Rating: 93/100
Total Madness Rating: 91/100
Final Reckoning Rating: 94/100
Dirty 30 Rating: 95/100
Invasion Rating: 92/100
