The last eliminated player on The Challenge: USA blames Pole Wrestle update for her loss

Sydney Bucksbaum
·8-min read

Warning: This article contains spoilers about Wednesday's episode of The Challenge: USA.

Pole Wrestle is one of the most brutal eliminations in the history of The Challenge. Ever since it first debuted on The Duel in 2006, the physical wrestling match has produced some of the most epic elimination battles in the franchise's history. But when it appeared as the last elimination of the season on The Challenge: USA, the pole was thicker than normal, which led to Big Brother alum Alyssa Lopez's downfall after she was voted in against her ally Angela Rummans and couldn't get a proper grip on the pole.

Two short rounds later, Rummans beat Lopez and sent her packing, right before the final began. But sitting in her hotel room with EW the morning after her elimination in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lopez was still in high spirits — and also a little bit of pain. "My rib is bruised," she says with a laugh. "Does it at least look like I tried?" she asks, "because I didn't last long. I knew as soon as I gripped it, my hands could only grip half of it. The pole was so thick and my hands are small. I knew I lost, so I was like, I'm just going to have fun."

Below, Lopez breaks down her elimination loss, why she has no hard feelings towards Rummans, and more.

THE CHALLENGE: USA
THE CHALLENGE: USA

Jonne Roriz/CBS

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Usually I interview players about their exit when the episode airs months later, but this is the morning after your elimination — it's all still fresh. How are you feeling about leaving so close to the final?

ALYSSA LOPEZ: I'm totally fine with leaving. I feel like this is the best time to leave, even though obviously the final would be good. But I feel like I went really far. For me, like, what the hell?!

Did you know Sarah and Dom were going to vote you in?

Yes, I knew Sarah was going to put me in. I didn't even care enough to engage in it. I knew Tyson had my back. I was surprised with Dom because he was telling everyone that I was the weakest female competitor that was still there and that's why he wanted me in, but he was telling me it was because of friendships he had in the house. Either way, I just took it as a huge insult because of how well I've been playing the game. I was a little shocked by that, but I think Dom just plays a very individual game.

Were you prepared to go in or did you think someone else was going against Angela?

I thought it was between me or Cayla, and then I wasn't sure since there was three people, maybe if they all can't agree, then it's a house vote — I don't really know what would happen. But I pleaded my whole case to Dom basically on why I should be here and why I'm a good competitor. He was just rambling on any possible excuse to say why he wants to put me in so I was kind of prepared because he never had another conversation with me to say I'm good. I kind of figured it was me, even though I was working with Dom in alliance with him the past few weeks.

And when Ben was in power, Ben wanted to put in Dom and I went to bat for him to make sure Dom wasn't put in. I really had his back so he's going to feel kind of s---ty about putting me in. I think he didn't realize how much I did — I should have let him know sooner. But either way I feel like he would've decided on what he decided on, no matter what.

When you walked into the Arena and saw the pole in the sand, did you know immediately what the elimination was going to be?

Yes, I've watched The Challenge a few times, so I know Pole Wrestle, and I knew that was coming. I knew I was probably going in and I was going against Angela who is the best female competitor here, so I wasn't feeling very confident.

The pole was a lot thicker than it normally is during Pole Wrestle — what was your strategy going in?

Once I grabbed the pole, I realized that it's way thicker than I thought. When I gripped, my hand was only halfway on the pole so I literally had no strong grip on it. I immediately felt not very confident because I barely even had a grip. At that point, I figured I was going to lose, and I just wanted to hold on as long as I could.

What was it like battling Angela and getting thrown around like that?

I don't remember it. I don't remember any of it. I just held on. All my strategy went out the window. I blacked out and because I didn't have a grip on it, I wasn't able to really pull it towards me, and Angela is so strong — she's a beast. She's an Olympic pole vaulter against little old me. I really don't think I had a chance, but I think if I went in more confidence and didn't feel so insulted by Dom before and then also not going against Angela, I think I would've had more fire and more determination. But I was kind of checked out. Angela was my No. 1 as far as the women's side, so it was really hard to go against her because if I won then I would feel so s---ty that I was the reason why she went home. Even though I lost, I'm really happy because she's still there.

After the elimination was over, I was shocked that Angela was the one crying and you were smiling.

Angela does not show emotions, so the fact that Angela was crying, I thought there was something wrong. I thought she was injured or something. It just showed how she felt so guilty that not only did she send me home, but it was something so physical that she really had to completely throw me around the pit. She felt super guilty about it and it was really nice to see that she got emotional because it shows that she really cared. I just wanted to make sure she knows it's okay. I don't take this game as seriously as maybe I should.

THE CHALLENGE: USA
THE CHALLENGE: USA

Jonne Roriz/CBS

How did it feel when you found out that you're the last player to be eliminated before the final?

I'm still very proud of myself because I thought my ass was leaving week one. The fact that I made it this far and I played the way I wanted to play — I made big moves, I didn't play scared, I competed my heart out every single time — even though I didn't make it to the final, I'm literally just one vote short of being able to make it to the final. I wouldn't have changed anything. No regrets — maybe minor things, like I should have more conversations about this and that, but I didn't want to play Big Brother as far as over promising and being fake to people and sucking up to people I don't need to. I wanted to be loyal to the people I wanted to be loyal to, and not have to play like Big Brother, and I'm happy I did that.

What was your favorite part of competing on The Challenge?

[Laughs] Not the people. My favorite part was probably the eliminations. The first time when I won was such a cool feeling — your ass is on the line and you could probably go home and it's something so brutal and it's physical and you're pushing your mental toughness. That win was incredible. It was kind of s---ty when me and Leo lost that challenge because it was literally like anyone could have lost it, but I was excited to go into elimination because if I'm going to go on The Challenge, I want that full experience. I went in very positive and I think that helped me compete.

Before the elimination began, you ran off to the side to puke. What was happening there? Were you sick? [Note: this moment didn't make it into the episode but happened right before the Pole Wrestle began.]

I suffer with anxiety. I take medication for it. I suffered with it a little bit on Big Brother, and surprisingly, I didn't suffer with it too much on The Challenge. Basically anytime I'm anxious, excited, nervous, overwhelmed, I get a stomachache and I end up vomiting. It didn't affect me until the last challenge when I did my swim. I don't know why I blacked out and I got a little bit of my anxiety, but basically I have to throw up and then I feel better. I was just feeling very overwhelmed, insulted by Dom, and having to go against Angela, feeling very drained, very sore from the last challenge, and feeling very discouraged, I think that is what got my anxiety to act up. But as soon as I puked I was ready to go.

After your time on The Challenge: USA, would you want to return for another season or go on another show?

I think the only two TV shows I would go on is Big Brother or The Challenge. I would do Big Brother again, I would do The Challenge again. You will not see my ass on any type of dating show. I'm too awkward for that. I literally puke when I'm nervous. No thanks.

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