‘The Challenge’: Zach Nichols Throws Shade at GOAT Johnny Bananas — ‘If I Was Her Partner, She Would’ve Won’

Fans of MTV’s hit reality show The Challenge were on the edge of their seats during the latest season, Ride or Dies. The show’s veteran contestants, Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez, were a popular duo with a good shot at taking home the grand prize. 

However, their hopes were dashed in the final challenge, where they lost out on a critical puzzle to Devin Walker and Tori Deal. Despite the setback, Nany’s friend and co-star Zach Nichols believes things would have ended differently if he had been her partner. 

Johnny Bananas and Nany Gonzalez come up short on ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’

The Challenge once again delivered a compelling season with Ride or Dies. The unique twist of the season featured pairs of contestants with existing relationships. This included romantic couples like Kailah Casillas and Sam Bird and familial duos like Kenny and Kaycee Clark.

The show also featured some unlikely partners, including the “frenemies” Devin and Tori. Despite their tumultuous past, they managed to put their differences aside and work together.

But before Devin and Tori won the grand prize, many viewers thought Johnny and Nany were the ones to beat. Although they reached the final episode of Ride or Dies, the duo failed to win a puzzle in the finale. 

Devin and Tori went on to win the season, their first championship on The Challenge. In the wake of Johnny and Nany’s failure, Zach revealed that she would have won it all if he had been by her side.

Zach Nichols throws shade at his co-star for his failure on ‘The Challenge’ 

Zach blasted Johnny on the GOHT Media podcast for failing to deliver when it counted most.

In the interview, Zach’s wife, Jenna Compono, said that she hopes Nany will eventually win a season of The Challenge. To that, Zach chimed in that Nany would already have a victory under her belt if he had been her partner.

“If I was her partner, she would’ve won,” Zach stated.

Jenna then expressed the belief that anyone would have a good chance of winning the show if paired with Zach. However, Zach had a different perspective.

He argued that he and Nany would have come out on top in the final challenge if he had been partnered with her instead of Johnny. Per Zach, the two of them would have beaten the competition “hands down,” highlighting the fierce competition that defines the hit reality show.

Zach Nichols believes this is why Johnny Bananas failed with the puzzle

Zach also shared his opinions on why Johnny and Nany failed to win The Challenge: Ride or Dies. He ultimately believes the pair fell short due to a mistake on the puzzle.

Zach explained how he would have approached the puzzle more methodically and would have helped his team to victory. He also noted how this season put more emphasis on mental strength over physical prowess. 

In the nail-biting final of Ride or Dies, the remaining teams were tasked with navigating a challenging obstacle course, complete with a puzzle component. Unfortunately for Nany and Bananas, they struggled with the puzzle, missing one critical block that ultimately cost them the game. 

Despite their best efforts to correct their mistake, the duo was unable to overcome the setback. They watched from the sidelines as Tori and Devin emerge victorious. 

But perhaps things would have been different had Zach and Johnny traded places. 

Fans can catch new episodes of The Challenge: World Championship when they drop Wednesdays on Paramount+.