Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio is a legend on “The Challenge” — but eventually, all legends have to retire.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, the seven-time champion of the MTV reality series explained that he went into Season 40: “Battle of the Eras” (premiering Wednesday) wondering if he could still dominate his competitors.
“This season for me was a big kind of question mark in that regard,” the 42-year-old said.
“Back in the day I was like a pitcher that had a fastball that no one could hit. I’ve lost some speed on that,” Bananas added. “So I got to be better at throwing junk and spotting my pitches.”
Bananas made his reality TV debut on “The Real World” Season 17 in 2006. He’s since become a staple on “The Challenge” and has won seven regular seasons, including 2016’s “Rivals III,” where took the $275,000 prize from his winning partner Sarah Rice.
The reality legend is representing “Era II” on the highly-anticipated “Battle of the Eras” season, which features other fan-favorites like CT Tamburello, Mark Long, Aneesa Ferreira and Cara Maria Sorbello.
“Coming into this season, especially with the younger generation, but then also the older generation, I wanted to see where I stacked up and if I still have what it took to make it through,” Bananas explained.
“These things are brutal from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint, emotional standpoint,” he continued. “So you never know going in. And people ask that question all the time, ‘How much longer are you going to do it for?’ And I don’t want to be the guy that walks away too late. But at the same time, I don’t want to walk away when I still have something left in the tank.”
“So it’s kind of like a balancing act in that regard. But again, I think this season was an opportunity to not prove to other people that I still had what it took to make it to the end and potentially win, but to myself.”
As the person with the most appearances and wins on “The Challenge,” Bananas confirmed that he felt like a massive target instantly on Season 40.
“I feel like that every season. They say the higher on the ladder you get, the bigger the target on your ass gets. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.
“The worst thing to be if you’re on TV — especially if you’re on ‘The Challenge’ — be loved, be hated, I just don’t want anyone to not have an opinion,” he added. “As the saying goes, you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. So, I feel like I’ve gone from hero to villain, and now I’m like, somewhere in between.”
When asked if he’s a hero or villain on “Battle of the Eras,” Bananas responded, “I think it depends on who you ask.”
“The Challenge: Battle of the Eras” premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.
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