Although The Challenge star Cory Wharton has appeared in nine seasons of MTV’s mainline series, he “felt like a rookie again” when he moved over to CBS for The Challenge: USA season two.
It’ll begin airing on Aug. 10 via CBS and Paramount Plus, and fans haven’t watched the 32-year-old Real World: Ex-Plosion alum compete on The Challenge since season 37’s Spies, Lies & Allies.
Cory battled to earn his first Challenge championship — something that’s alluded the father of three since his debut on season 27’s Battle of the Bloodlines in 2016 — but he was taken out in an elimination round by Logan Sampedro in episode 13.
Multiple iterations of The Challenge have passed since then, like season 38’s Ride or Dies and Paramount Plus’ World Championship, and Cory was nowhere to be seen. But, he’ll end his two-year hiatus when he and five other MTV staples join a crop of CBS talent from Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race on USA 2.
Hollywood Life caught up with Cory ahead of the reality competition show’s premiere. And in the exclusive interview, Cory revealed that he and his fellow MTV cast members didn’t receive a hero’s welcome from the CBS stars.
Although several CBS names have crossed over to MTV’s The Challenge, it’s the first time MTV contestants have appeared on CBS. And he hinted that the challengers were at the top of several of the CBS stars’ hit lists.
“The CBS kids were not happy to see us pull up,” Cory said per the outlet. “The minute we pulled up, those kids were sitting there glaring at us. I felt for weeks in that house that they just did not want us there. It’s great TV.”
USA 2’s cast includes Big Brother’s Tyler Crispen, Tiffany Mitchell, Alyssa Lopez, and Monte Taylor, Survivor’s Michele Fitzgerald, Chris Underwood, Michaela Bradshaw, and The Amazing Race’s Luis Colon and Dusty Harris.
The Challenge: USA season one featured only CBS notables
The Challenge: USA debuted last summer, and the cast was exclusively made up of reality stars who appeared on a CBS show. So, with USA 2 bringing on Challenge veterans, Cory said the CBS folk were zeroed in on protecting their home.
The network versus network dynamic spiced up the season considerably, Cory alluded to, which is great news to Challenge fans as USA 1 felt stale during large portions of the season.
“I think it was a great idea to bring us on,” he said. “For me, personally, it was the first time I felt like a rookie again. We didn’t have the numbers coming into the game at all. The CBS kids wanted us out. It was their show! They didn’t want us there. It’s going to be a hundred times better than season one.”
Cory’s daughter Maya has had two open heart surgeries since her birth last year
Cory’s time away from The Challenge coincided with his daughter Maya’s medical battle. Cory and his girlfriend, Taylor Selfridge, welcomed her in June 2022. But, a few days after her birth, she was diagnosed with Tricuspid Atresia (a form of congenital heart disease), Cory shared in an Instagram post.
After two open-heart surgeries, Cory told Hollywood Life that the “timing was right” for him to make his grand return.
“Our biggest thing was as long as Maya’s health was okay, then it was like, ‘Go do your thing,’” Cory said. “She (Taylor) was fully supportive. The timing was great and it all worked out. Someone’s gotta put food on the table!”
In September, Cory also competed in a celebrity boxing match against Too Hot to Handle’s Chase DeMoor. But that, as well as some film work, didn’t help fill the Challenge-sized hole missing from Cory’s life. “It’s hard to fill that void in your life,” Cory said. “You don’t really know what you have until you miss it. I did a boxing match, I did a movie, but none of those opportunities filled the void the way The Challenge did.”
Cory also has two children with his ex, Cheyenne Floyd: Ryder and Mila Mae.
Cory said his biggest competition on The Challenge: USA was 2 MTV legends
All in all, six players representing The Challenge will compete on USA 2, even though several other cast members have also appeared in the franchise, including Big Brother’s Faysal Shafaat and Paulie Calafiore.
Although Cory stated that the CBS brigade was eyeing up the MTV players, it was Challenge champs John “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio and Wes Bergmann who stood as his biggest competition. The two legends join Cory, Jonna Stephens (formerly Jonna Mannion), Tori Deal, and Amanda Garcia in the MTV/CBS cross-over spectacle.
“I knew my strongest competition would be Bananas and Wes, too,” Cory said to the outlet. “We are the most experienced. One thing I’ve learned about The Challenge is that experience does come into play. It’s very useful to have done certain challenges or eliminations multiple times. I’ve always known that I need to either work with these guys or go for their heads.
“I’ve learned in the past that you can’t really trust anyone. But it’s easy to sit at home and be like, ‘Trust nobody.’ In the game, you have to put trust in your alliance.
Many in the Challenge community view Johnny Bananas as the great competitor of all time. He’s collected the most championships (seven) and notched the most appearances — USA 2 will be his 25th stint on an iteration of The Challenge.
Bananas’ rival-turned-BFF Wes is another of the franchise’s icons. He’s earned three championships, and USA 2 will be his 21st time appearing in a Challenge property.
Cory’s played on seasons with both Bananas and Wes. And although he’s outlasted them on multiple shows, he’s never crossed the finish line first. He’s made the final challenge on four of nine shows, but standing on the podium as a runner-up is the best he’s done.
Becoming a Challenge champ is Cory’s biggest priority, and don’t expect him to retire from the reality competition show until he summits the mountain. “I’m hot hanging up my cleats until I win!” Cory said. “Whether that’s this season — you’ll have to see — or next season. Whatever it takes. I love The Challenge and will continue to do it until they stop calling me.”
