The Challenge All Stars 3 Player Preview: Nia Moore
HURRICANE NIA is back on the Challenge. After her DQ on Exes 2, most fans believed she was banned from the franchise entirely, and as we know now, that’s not true, or at least not from the All Stars franchise. The return of Nia is endlessly fascinating because it’s been so long since we’ve last seen her that we don’t know what to expect. Will she be the same person? Has she matured? Is she a legit threat to win? No matter what, fans will be on pins and needles watching as Nia immerses herself back into the Challenge universe. Even if Nia comes back and is completely mature, fans will be waiting to jump on her the moment she breaks and becomes a hurricane again. Let’s break down who Nia is and how she projects for All Stars 3.
Nia’s Cheat Sheet (TLDR Version)
Introducing Nia:
She debuted on the Real World as a replacement cast member, aptly getting nicknamed “Hurricane Nia” as she set social media ablaze with her antics. From tricking her castmates into thinking she had a fake accent before entering the house, quitting her job at the pizzeria everyone worked at in the rudest way possible, and getting into both verbal and physical altercations with her castmates, nothing was off-limits for Nia. Nia was one of the most divisive Reality TV characters of her era, where people either soaked up and loved all the drama she provided or despised her and thought she was vile. I can’t lie… I was always entertained, even if I didn’t support her actions.
Nia’s first season of the Challenge was Free Agents, where she got voted into an early elimination due to her rookie status. Due to a rogue kill card pull, Nia had to face Cara Maria, one of the best elimination competitors in Challenge history. They had a hard-fought battle in reverse tug-of-war going for over an hour and left Nia with some nerve damage because her harness was tied too tight. Nia probably wins that elimination against at least half that cast, maybe more. If Nia wins, she is likely there for most of the season with a decent edge athletically in most of the Free Agents eliminations. Luckily, Nia did have a bathroom hookup with Leroy that got her cast on Exes 2.
Exes 2 Nia was a hurricane on all levels. She and Leroy were a physical force, winning three eliminations together, a daily challenge, and were a strong 2nd in the mini Final. They were two massive & physical humans nobody wanted to see in a headbanger. Despite Leroy being her partner, Nia was socially on the opposite side of the house, fitting in with Wes & Theresa’s “Team Upstairs” crew during the season. In the late game, the hurricane was in full force. Nia got into it with Nany during a heated nomination ceremony where some very mean slutty-shame-y words were thrown around. When Sarah Rice pulled off her big move to throw Bananas & Nany into the final elimination against her and Leroy, Nia got set off. She went on a tirade, kind of body-shamed Sarah, crossed some lines talking to Jordan, and was DQed/replaced with Theresa before the last elimination.
If Nia doesn’t get removed, there is a realistic shot that she becomes one of the few players to win 4 eliminations in a single season, and comes in 2nd alongside Leroy in the Final. What’s crazy is that if you watched Nia perform, it never felt like she was competing anywhere near her potential, and not at her potential, was almost 4 elimination wins and a 2nd Place finish, which is insane.
Player Vitals & Stats
Nia Moore: 33 Years Old, 6'1, 2 Seasons, 3–1 Elimination Record
Skills and Physical Strength: Let’s start with the negatives: Nia is scared of heights and is awful in the water. So she is susceptible to DQing/coming in last with challenges that involve either. If the Final involves water, I don’t like her chances of winning.
Now let’s talk positives. Nia is naturally very athletic; she was a D1 Volleyball player at Howard University and moves fluidly. She is a legit 6-foot woman nobody will want to face in a physical elimination based on size. Nia is a great runner both in terms of cardio and speed. She performed well during the intense mini Final on Exes 2, coming in 2nd Place behind Wes & Theresa. Additionally, we’ve seen Nia drink a human’s sweat for roughly 70 US Dollars on the Challenge, which leads me to assume she’d be willing to eat whatever if it means winning 500k dollars.
One of the worries for Nia as a competitor is her tendency to check out/give up if things aren’t going her way.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game:
I genuinely have zero clue how Nia’s social game projects. Her best friend entering this show is hilariously Jordan Wiseley, which does not help Nia much and only paints a bigger target on her. We have never gotten to see Nia play the game politically/strategically. Famously, Wes basically took over the one power team that she and Leroy won on Exes 2. I think Nia needs to keep it simple: put her head down, perform, and focus on making decent bonds with people. At the end of the day, nobody wants to face the 6-foot-tall girl in elimination, so as long as she doesn’t antagonize anyone, she will be in the clear. Then again, Nia is a habitual line-stepper; it’s what she does best.
Mentally, Nia has an excellent memory, is knowledgeable for trivia challenges, and is a bright woman. There must be brilliance to be as chaotic as Nia is, so don’t be shocked if she wins a puzzle elimination or daily challenge.
Eliminations & Winning Potential:
Nia is a career 3–1 in eliminations, having taken out three solid players in Nany, Theresa, and Averey. She likely would have won the 4th elimination on Exes 2 against Nany (a second time) in Pole Wrestle. As mentioned earlier, her one loss was to Cara Maria on Free Agents. One could argue that Nia’s performances in the arena have been underwhelming considering her size/athleticism, where maybe she should have blown out her competition. Nevertheless, Nia went 3 for 4. Again, nobody should want to face a 6’ college athlete with good memory and great cardio in the elimination arena. Whether the elimination is a Hall Brawl or Knot So Fast or a puzzle, Nia has a killer shot to win. Nia’s chances of making it to the Final are excellent.
Can Nia win? If you can run, complete puzzles, and consume food all at a high level, you generally have a great chance of winning. On paper, Nia should be a favorite in a Final… At the same time, she is Hurricane Nia, and when the going gets tough, the wheels start to spin, and I don’t know how she will react. My brain, heart, and gut have widely different views of Nia as a competitor, and I don’t know which is right, maybe all of them, and perhaps none of them. It’s hurricane season, baby.
