The Duel is the 13th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge (though at the time, known as Real World/Road Rules Challenge). The season is directly subsequent to Fresh Meat.
The Duel took place in Búzios, Brazil, with former cast members from MTV series The Real World and Road Rules competing, along with several cast members from the previous Challenge, Fresh Meat. The host of The Duel was T. J. Lavin.
The season differed from previous Challenge seasons in that no teams were assigned, as it was every man and woman for themselves. The surviving male and female cast member would win $150,000 each. The season was watched by a total of 83 million viewers. The Duel premiered on October 12, 2006, and concluded on January 18, 2007.
This is the first edition of The Duel series, with The Duel II following in 2009.
Format[]
Each player participates in numerous challenges (sometimes called "missions"), which are followed by an elimination round — "The Duel." The challenges can involve either members of the same gender competing against each other, or groups of both men and women competing against each other. Each challenge has a male and a female winner, and is alternatively designated as either a male or a female Duel day. The winner of the gender not entering the Duel is awarded a prize, while the winner of the gender designated for the Duel is safe from the possibility of having to enter the Duel.
The "safe" (or "immune") contestant begins a voting process by voting for a member of the opposite gender, who then selects a member of the original gender. This process continues until there is one person remaining of the selected Duel gender of the day; this remaining person is assigned to compete in the Duel that evening.
The person "voted" into the Duel then selects a competitor of the same gender to go against him/her that night, for the exception of that day's challenge winner, and randomly selects from one of four cards held by host T. J. Lavin to determine the Duel game in which the two players will compete.
Note that this selection process occurs immediately after the challenge, unlike in other Challenges, where there is a period of deliberation between the end of the challenge and the selection of the contestants for the elimination game.
The loser of the Duel is eliminated from the game and is sent home.
At the end of the season, there will be four contestants left — two of each gender. For each gender, the first-place finishers will each win $150,000.
Cast[]
Host: T. J. Lavin, BMX rider
| Female Players | Original Season | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Jodi Weatherton | RR: X-Treme | Winner |
| Svetlana Shusterman | RW: Key West | Runner-Up |
| Aneesa Ferreira | RW: Chicago | Episode 15 |
| Diem Brown | Fresh Meat | Episode 14 |
| Kina Dean | RR: X-Treme | Episode 12 |
| Robin Hibbard | RW: San Diego | Episode 10 |
| Beth Stolarczyk | RW: Los Angeles | Episode 8 |
| Casey Cooper | Fresh Meat | Episode 6 |
| Paula Meronek | RW: Key West | Episode 4 |
| Tina Barta | RR: South Pacific | Episode 2/3 |
| Male Players | Original Season | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Wes Bergmann | The Real World: Austin | Winner |
| Brad Fiorenza | RW: San Diego | Runner-Up |
| Chris "CT" Tamburello | RW: Paris | Episode 15 |
| Evan Starkman | Fresh Meat | Episode 13 |
| Eric Banks | Fresh Meat | Episode 11 |
| Derrick Kosinski | RR: X-Treme | Episode 9 |
| Nehemiah Clark | RW: Austin | Episode 7 |
| Kenny Santucci | Fresh Meat | Episode 5 |
| Tyler Duckworth | RW: Key West | Episode 3 |
| Johnny Devenanzio | RW: Key West | Episode 1 |
Memorable Moments[]
- After the second challenge, Tina punched Beth in the face, and was disqualified. Therefore there was no selection process in this Episode.
Final Results[]
- Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel Winners: Wes & Jodi (win $150,000 each)