Leroy Garrett’s Top 10 MTV Challenge Moments
By: Allan Aguirre
Tags: MTV, Sports, Reality, The Challenge, Television

On Dirty 30, a drunken Camila went on a racist tirade directed at Leroy. The moment it began, Leroy tried to de-escalate the situation and even acknowledged when it started that Camila was out of her mind from the jump. Then once Camila became verbally violent, he showed immense restraint, understanding that if he matched even a tenth of the energy getting brought at him, that he might get painted as an aggressor. Something that Black men and women have to deal with when living their everyday lives, and especially when under the magnifying glass of reality television. In the face of being called the N-word and other racially charged names, Leroy kept calm and proved to be not only an excellent tv personality, but an all-around powerful human as well.

2 Jaw-Dropping Elimination Win on Exes 2

Leroy’s first time on Bananas and Nany on Exes 2 is a more iconic moment for our guy. The Pole Wrestle wins feel more like a Theresa/Nany moment if we’re being sincere. In this elimination, Nia and Nany have a back and forth battle in the elimination known as Hog Tie. Players have their arms and legs strapped to a pole/log and are hug under, similar to a pig would be at a roast/cookout. It is one of the most difficult eliminations ever. At one point between Nany and Nia, Nany’s straps/ties got caught, allowing Nia to take the lead, eventually finishing and letting her partner go. When Leroy went, everyone in the crowd’s jaw dropped. The sample size of players competing in this elimination is not large, and it’s been mostly women, but when Leroy goes, the crowd reaction tells you all you need to know. Leroy moves his 200 lb frame up and down the pole with speed, power, and ease that is unimaginable.

It made me feel bad for Wes on Rivals 2 because sleeping in the bunk under Leroy while his hips are in motion must have been like a fucking earthquake. Often, Leroy performs at 50% because his social game will get him far, and he knows nobody wants to face him in elimination. This elimination was a reminder of why you don’t want to go against Leroy, and you definitely don’t want to see him at 110%.

1 The Rope Climb To The Final of Rivals 1

The final daily challenge of Rivals 1 had male players climbing up a rope dropped down by a helicopter. The player who does so in the fastest time wins immunity for their team. Since CT and Adam had come in last place, Leroy knew that he would have to win the daily challenge as Wes/Kenny and Bananas/Tyler owned the majority of votes and would have put Leroy/Mike into the final elimination against CT. Leroy not only wins the daily challenge, but he does so in such a blistering fast time that all the men on the ground can’t believe a man could climb a rope with such speed. He crushed Wes, a person who had won a rope-climbing elimination against three other men earlier in the season.

Leroy’s win forced the CT/Adam vs. Tyler/Johnny final elimination, sent him and Mike to the final, and, more importantly, cemented his status on the show as a badass and perennial threat. Even if Leroy wasn’t the most well-rounded player, again, he was not someone you want to go against. Due to this moment, it always felt like Leroy was a veteran from then on. It’s part of the reason why his retirement now stings because he’s always been a stable presence on the show and was someone you were never disappointed to see. Ironically, it feels as though Leroy is hitting a new stride recently and is becoming his best self on Double Agents, yet, now he is hanging it up. It’s the perfect type of exit because you don’t want to overstay your welcome, and you want people asking for more. Dear God, I hope he gets the win.