Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Paulie Calafiore’s long-running rivalry on MTV’s The Challenge may finally be coming to an end. Despite their public beef, the two competitors were forced to work together on the current season of The Challenge USA, which led them to grow closer and bury the hatchet. Both Johnny and Paulie expressed their intentions to put aside their conflicts in order to make their game easier and focus on winning.
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Paulie Calafiore’s long-standing rivalry on The Challenge may finally be coming to an end as they form a friendship while working together on the second season of The Challenge USA.
Is the long-standing rivalry between Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and Paulie Calafiore from The Challenge finally coming to an end? Johnny, in an exclusive interview, shared his thoughts with Us Weekly, stating, “Life is too short to carry hate in your heart.” He even hinted at a possible friendship with Paulie, saying, “Dare I say, we’re friends or something?” This revelation comes ahead of the season 2 premiere of The Challenge USA.
Johnny and Paulie first crossed paths on MTV’s The Challenge: Final Reckoning back in 2018 and subsequently appeared on War of the Worlds in 2019. While they didn’t align during their respective seasons, a feud simmered between them off-camera, with both engaging in social media clashes. In November 2022, Paulie took a dig at Johnny, mocking his failed showmances over the years.
However, it seems that the duo may have finally buried the hatchet. During the second season of The Challenge USA, they were forced to work together as teammates, and surprisingly, it turned out to be a positive experience. Speaking to Us, Johnny admitted that putting them on the same team neutralized their long-standing issues. He also revealed that they grew closer in the game since they ended up as roommates and bunk mates. Who would have thought?
Johnny attributed his change of heart to the realization that carrying grudges only makes his game and life more difficult. He wanted to make his Challenge career easier by putting aside meaningless rivalries. Similarly, Paulie decided to approach the game with a peaceful mindset, feeding the metaphorical “peaceful wolf” within him. He acknowledged that he had to stay focused on the prize despite the occasional temptation to engage in conflicts.
The second season of The Challenge USA premiered on August 10 and showcased some of the biggest personalities from MTV’s The Challenge, Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race. Fans of the show can catch the next episode on August 13. With Johnny and Paulie seemingly on better terms, it will be interesting to see how their changed dynamic unfolds throughout the season.
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