Devin Walker (‘The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras’) exit interview: Kyland is ‘overrated’ and Bananas stirred up drama out of ‘jealousy’
The Vacation Alliance took a crushing blow on Wednesday night’s episode of “The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.” Era 3’s Devin Walker and Era 4’s Kaycee Clark were both sent packing courtesy of Kyland Young and Tori Deal, respectively, following the “Cable Connection Showdown.” Watch Devin’s exit interview with Gold Derby above.
Era 1’s Rachel Robinson won this week’s daily challenge, giving her the sole power to decide who would face off against Devin and Tori in the elimination arena. After weighing her options carefully, Rachel couldn’t turn down the chance to get some of this season’s biggest threats out of the game. “I think Rachel made the right move,” Devin admits. “I think it was more personal for her than game-related. Sometimes the moves sync up and what’s best for your game is also best for your personal vendettas. I didn’t know this, but she was not a fan of me, so it made the most sense to throw Era 4 against 3 for her. I don’t blame her.”
Devin is well aware his elimination battle against Kyland was a disaster. “I can admit when I’ve gotten beat straight-up, so it’s easy for people to jump on that. I would have beat a lot of people on that stage in that. Kyland was flawless. I was slow, but not that slow. It was a blowout, but it looked a little bit worse than it was. Not everything’s gonna be your game.”
Still, Devin isn’t overly impressed by Kyland as a player. “I think that Kyland is overrated,” he bluntly states. “I felt that way from the beginning. People are afraid of skills they don’t possess. A lot of people don’t possess Kyland’s skillset, mainly because they don’t care enough to. He’s watched every season of the show. He’s studied every season of the show. He really is treating it like something you can control, and you can’t control ‘The Challenge.’ I don’t think he has the X-factor. Kyland’s style of game is not going to translate to multiple different versions of ‘The Challenge.’ Every season is a new version, so, although he is well-rounded, he’s predictable.”
The Season 38 champ also revved up his rivalry with Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio this cycle when Bananas questioned if Devin really had feelings for Michele Fitzgerald. “A bit of it was jealousy and a bit of it was that I didn’t take the bait on a trick he tried to play,” Devin says of Bananas targeting him. “When he realized I didn’t take the bait, he had to come up with a reason to try to split me and Michele. It’s hilarious to me that he’s still saying, ‘I genuinely believe Devin was using you for game,’ because they show in the episode that he starts this. Him talking to Jenny and saying, ‘I have to break that up.’ He didn’t try to break it up with truth.”
If Devin was using Michele for game, it’s been a long game. He reveals the two are still happily in love and the Fitzgerald family will even be staying with him for Thanksgiving.