Does Kailah Deserve More Respect From Her Challenge Peers?
May 23, 2018On "Invasion of Privacy," Cardi B sagely professes: “Knock me down nine times, but I get up ten.”
If Kailah intends to survive Champs vs. Stars, she’d be wise to heed the advice.
On tonight’s episode, the Vendettas runner-up found herself on the receiving end of some pointed criticism from both sides of the game. As soon as Mike “The Miz” Mizanin announced the rules for “Crossfire” — a team versus team game of target practice in which Teams Red and Blue would have to knock down a series of their opponents’ cardboard towers with dodgeballs and slingshots — Lil Mama went in on Kailah, calling her capacity to stay cool into question.
While some players were designated launchers as part of the lates mission, others had to hang above the boxes, and Mama insisted Kailah belonged in the latter category.
“Kailah need to go up,” Mama said. “You fold under pressure. Kailah has strength and she has weaknesses. She has the physical over me, and I have mental over her.”
And immediately, Kailah was put on the defensive.
“Lil Mama says I crumble under pressure which actually really frigging annoys me,” she said. “She doesn’t know who I am, she has no idea what she’s dealing with. She can talk the talk, and I’ll walk the walk.”
Nevertheless, Mama’s pleading worked. Kailah was suspended from the rafters, much to her chagrin.
“It’s horrible, I sat up there like a dud and wasn’t able to use any of my strengths,” Kailah said.
The discord among Team Red carried over into the elimination ceremony, and while Lil Mama was ultimately voted into The Arena by her team as the LVP, she made sure to throw another dart at Kailah on her way down.
“I’m voting Kailah because she folds under pressure,” Mama said. “Physically I would say that she is a stronger player, however, mentally, she’s a bum.”
And some, like Booby, couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle.
“Mama don’t care, she’s a gangster, and I know at this point, she’s like ‘If I’m going in, I’m taking everybody with me,’” he said.
And at The Arena, Kailah faced the firing squad for a third time. As part of the latest Power Play, Drake — whom Team Blue voted as its MVP — earned the power to “Override” Team Red’s vote by swapping Lil Mama with one of her fellow Team Red women ahead of the forthcoming elimination round. Like clockwork, Drake set his sights on Kailah, who was once again forced to fight through skepticism.
Still, she answered the call.
In “Free Your Mind,” Kailah squared off against Ashley — Team Blue’s nominee to The Arena — in a test of wits. Both players, each dressed in a clunky, life-sized puzzle piece, had to escape from a cage — only precise movements and timing would set them free.
And though Ashley was accustomed to winning games of strategy, she came up short, and Kailah was sent back to Team Red to fight another day.
“Who crumbles under pressure?” Kailah shouted with her middle fingers raised. “Not f**king me! Thank you!”
Surely, though, it’s not Kailah’s last test — will she survive the next?
Whaddya think — does Kailah deserve more respect than she’s getting this season, or are Lil Mama and Drake right to call her out? Share your thoughts, and see if Kailah can hang tough when The Challenge returns Tuesday night!