Tony Raines Addresses Quitting Accusations on ‘The Challenge 40’

The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras is here! Throughout the season, Parade.com will speak with the challengers who were eliminated from the milestone season of the MTV series.

Tony Raines’ presence on The Challenge in recent years has been sporadic. Since his last appearance in 2018, Tony chose to focus on family commitments. But when he returned for Season 40, he vowed to play boldly. This resolve intensified when he was thrown into the first Era 3 elimination against Leroy Garrett, finding himself at odds with established connections. Tony swore that at his first chance at power, he would seize it.

Lucky for him, the opportunity came quickly. Era 3 secured their first team daily challenge win, and Tony, alongside Averey Tressler, was tasked with deciding who to send into elimination. While Averey was adamant about protecting her Era 2 friend Derek Chavez, Tony had other plans. He aimed to ally with Era 1 by honoring requests from Darrell Taylor and Jodi Weatherton and formed a pact with Era 4 players. Tony insisted to the house and Averey that he was ready to stalemate and face elimination if necessary, a stance many questioned. Averey, doubting his intentions, called his bluff, leading to their elimination and sending Tony from the top to the bottom in a single night.

In an interview with Parade.com, Tony discussed his stalemate decision, his off-camera reconciliation with Cory, and his reaction to housemates’ opinions on his behavior.

When asked to clarify if he wanted to stay in the game, Tony vehemently denied accusations of wanting to leave, calling it “fake news.” He recalled Averey’s comments about his supposed lack of desire to compete, which hurt him deeply. Tony shared that he and Averey had a solid rapport, often confiding in each other. He was visibly emotional about missing his family, but this did not mean he wanted to leave the competition.

Regarding the stalemate decision, Tony explained that he was confident in his stance and hoped Averey would relent or Derek would volunteer. He was banking on Derek stepping up out of loyalty to Averey, allowing them to avoid a confrontational elimination. This, however, did not pan out as he had hoped.

Tony also touched on the dynamics within Era 3. He acknowledged that he felt at the bottom of his era’s pecking order and would have continued battling for his place had he returned. His strategy was about survival and making choices that benefited his game regardless of era affiliations.

A significant relationship under scrutiny was with Cory, who had body-slammed Tony in a past season. According to Tony, they resolved their differences during the season’s introduction, a moment unfortunately not aired. Cory apologized, and they buried the hatchet. Despite this newfound understanding, Cory still threw Tony into elimination, a move Tony understood given game logistics and alliances within their era.

Tony discussed another complicated relationship with Johnny Bananas. Tony felt that Bananas didn’t genuinely support him, especially after Bananas was vocally rooting for Leroy. This distrust extended to game advice Bananas offered, which Tony saw as self-serving.

Tony reacted to the harsh criticisms from fellow challenger Ryan, who accused Tony of acting out of ego and being unable to accept a woman having the final say. Tony strongly refuted these claims, emphasizing that his decisions were game-related and not about gender dynamics.

Reflecting on moments which didn’t make the episode, Tony wished the show had highlighted the positive conversations between him and Averey. He believed showcasing these interactions would provide a clearer context for their eventual fallout.

Source: Parade.com