If there was a Mount Rushmore for MTV’s The Challenge, Wes Bergmann‘s red-bearded head would certainly be included.
Wes’ tenure on the reality competition show is closing in on two decades, and the Real World: Austin alum is still going strong. He’s currently a competitor on The Challenge: USA — CBS’s second iteration of the long-running franchise. Wes is one of six MTV notables in the cast, while the others represent three CBS shows: Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race.
Outgunned and outnumbered, can Wes secure his fourth Challenge championship? Only time will tell.
Let’s dive into the 38-year-old reality star’s on-screen career.
Wes became a Challenge champion in his second season
Wes made his reality television debut at age 19 as part of The Real World: Austin in 2005. He’d develop multiple meaningful relationships on the show, specifically with Nehemiah Clark – who remains one of Wes’ best friends. He also got engaged to Johanna Botta, another Real World: Austin alum, but they eventually broke up.
This was back in the day when The Real World and Road Rules served as the two vehicles for individuals to get onto The Challenge – which at the time was called the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. Nearly everybody from The Real World: Austin received a call for the reality competition show, but it was Wes who emerged as a Challenge staple.
His first season was Fresh Meat in 2006. Season 12 marked the first time a new crop of players took part in the franchise who weren’t linked to a previous MTV show — Wes was paired with Casey Cooper, an 18-year-old Texan.
Although the three other Real World: Austin stars who joined Wes on Fresh Meat were part of the first three duos eliminated (including Johanna), he and Casey placed third overall. In fact, Wes was in charge of eliminating his former housemates. Fresh Meat proved to be a major coming-out party for Wes as he earned five elimination victories en route to the final challenge.
Season 12 set the tone for Wes’ Challenge career. And once the show wrapped, it was clear we hadn’t seen the last of Mr. Bergmann.
Wes returned the next season for The Duel. And this was when he firmly cemented himself as a Challenge mainstay. He didn’t just put on one of the greatest elimination battles in the franchise’s history, but he also won the first individual-based season (the men and women were placed in separate brackets).
Around the halfway point of The Duel, Wes found himself wrestling with an elimination beast — Derrick Kosinski — in the sand. He and Derrick faced off in “Pole Wrestle” — a loser-go-home game that remains a classic. It was an absolute war and Wes emerged triumphant; you can watch their battle above.
Wes carried that momentum all the way to the finish line when he placed first overall and notched his first title – and with it, took home the $150,000 grand prize.
It’d take Wes 6 more seasons before becoming a two-time champ
Wes’ Challenge career started with a bang — one final and one championship — but it’d be a while before he captured another gold medal. And instead of Wes’ competition prowess being at the forefront of his storyline, his rivalry with the “JEK Dynasty” took center stage.
Wes went to war with John “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio, Evan Starkman, and Kenny Santucci — also known as the JEK Dynasty in the Challenge community. The three men — especially Evan and Kenny at the time — were the biggest active names on The Challenge. Wes had competed against them on the show before, but it wasn’t until his third season that he went to war with the trio.
The four challengers were a part of the “Champions” team on season 18’s The Ruins. And it was clear from the get-go that they viewed Wes as a sacrificial lamb, someone who they could repeatedly throw into elimination instead of themselves.
This — along with drama like Kenny hooking up with his ex-fiancée, Johanna — led to Wes getting into heated arguments with the group, as well as attempting to throw challenges. It was our first glimpse at seeing Johnny Bananas and Wes’ rivalry, something that’d develop into the most famous rivalry in franchise history.
Wes eventually went home after losing in his third elimination match on The Ruins, and the JEK Dynasty went on to win the season by besting the “Challengers.”
Although the Wes vs. Johnny Bananas rivalry developed into a historic one, it was Wes and Kenny’s beef that was at the forefront. So much so that season 19’s Fresh Meat II focused on their contentious relationship as its biggest plot point.
Kenny and Wes — along with their respective alliances — went toe-to-toe in 2010.
And once again, it was Kenny who got the last laugh. Wes and partner Mandi Moyer were taken out in episode 7 after Kenny and partner Laurel Stucky threw them into elimination. Evelyn Smith and Luke Wolfe — Wes’ alliance members — were then voted in by the house and ultimately sent Wes and Mandi packing.
Kenny and Laurel placed second after winning the majority of Fresh Meat II’s daily challenges.
After suffering two early exits in a row, Wes took the next Challenge off (Kenny did, too) and they returned for season 21’s Rivals. But, this time, they were forced to work together. As given away in the name, Rivals’ theme paired two enemies together for the entirety of the season. And in this case, Kenny and Wes donned yellow shirts together.
The other two members of the JEK Dynasty were also part of season 21, and Wes worked with them as well. Although Evan was eliminated around the halfway point thanks to the JEK Dynasty’s (and Wes’) biggest competition of the season — Chris “CT” Tamburello — Wes/Kenny and Johnny/Tyler Duckworth made it to the final.
And as history has it, Johnny Bananas and Tyler narrowly beat out Wes and Kenny for first place.
Rivals marked the last time Kenny and Evan took part in a Challenge. However, Johnny Bananas continues to carry the trios’ flag to this day. With Kenny and Evan gone, Wes and Johnny Bananas’ relationship rapidly became the show’s fiercest rivalry. They went tit for tat for years, with each man earning the upper hand on several seasons. A breakdown of their rivalry can be watched above.
For Wes, he’d then miss out on the final challenge in his next two shows — Battle of the Exes and Battle of the Seasons 2.
Wes’ eighth appearance on the flagship series was for season 24’s Rivals II in 2013, and that’s when he became a two-time king. He was partnered with CT, and the duo squared off against Johnny Bananas and partner Frank Sweeney in the final.
Although Johnny Bananas beat him in three consecutive shows — The Ruins, Rivals, and Battle of the Exes — it was Wes who triumphed over him for the second time (Johnny Bananas was the first man eliminated from The Duel). The occasion also marked CT’s first championship.
Fans would have to wait nearly a decade to see Wes win a Challenge again
Winning his second grand prize was really just the beginning of Wes’ Challenge campaign. It’s been 10 years since he and CT met host TJ Lavin on a boat to claim the Rivals II trophy. And though he took a three-year hiatus from the mainline series (he played in all three iterations of the Champs vs. spin-off during that time), Wes has continued to be a face of The Challenge.
But, that doesn’t mean he’s filled his mantel with an abundance of championship belts. In reality, Wes has only won one more season since Rivals II.
He’s appeared in six MTV additions, playing in Battle of the Exes II, Rivals III, War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds 2, Total Madness, and Double Agents. And besides War of the Worlds — when he placed third — Wes was sent home before the final challenge in every other season.
Side note: Total Madness spelled the end of Wes and Johnny Bananas’ rivalry as they called a cease-fire in support of working together as two Challenge legends.
Regardless, Wes found major success when he hopped over to the Paramount Plus spin-off series – All Stars.
Filmed around a year after his time on Double Agents, Wes joined a cast chock-full of old-school Challenge stars for All Stars 3.
And in the ultimate taste of nostalgia, Wes won the individual-based game by beating Brad Fiorenza (and Nehemiah and Mark Long) in the final. It had shades of The Duel when Wes came in first and Brad placed as runner-up.
Even though it had been nearly 10 years, Wes once again found himself hoisting gold. You can watch my interview with Wes and Jonna Stephens — the other winner of All Stars 3 — above when I spoke with them about winning $250,000 apiece.
Since All Stars 3, we’ve seen Wes on The Challenge twice. But, they’ve both been spin-off shows as well. He battled on World Championship – which aired on Paramount Plus. Unfortunately for Wes, he was an early boot as he was eliminated in episode 6 alongside partner Zara Zoffany.
As mentioned at the top of this article, Wes is currently on USA 2. You can watch Wes, Johnny Bananas, and other reality stars wheel, deal, and compete every Thursday and Sunday on CBS and Paramount Plus.