Kyland Young believes “The Challenge 42: Cutthroat” has found a winning formula with its eliminations.
The “Big Brother 23” alum broke down Episode 9 during his latest Heavy Crown Network recap, where he was joined by Justin Hinsley following Hinsley’s elimination victory over Chris Underwood.
Young specifically praised the season for creating eliminations that require competitors to rely on more than physical strength.
“This season, I think, has done a very good job of creating eliminations where there is a physical component and a mental component and both matter a lot,” Young said.
For Young, that combination is exactly what an elimination on “The Challenge” should offer.
“That’s, in my opinion, the makings of a great elimination,” he added. “I feel like it should have both.”
Kyland Young Says Justin Hinsley Faced Difficult Odds
Young saw Hinsley’s matchup with Underwood as a particularly strong example of that format.
Before bringing Hinsley into the conversation, Young said the elimination was compelling because it was unclear how the matchup would unfold. The competitors needed to maneuver boxes beneath a steel net before completing a puzzle, giving different skills an opportunity to determine the outcome.
Young admitted that the elimination initially appeared unfavorable for Hinsley.
“It seemed like one of those things where the odds were stacked against you,” Young told him.
Hinsley agreed, admitting he entered the matchup without much confidence.
He initially thought his smaller frame would make moving underneath the net easier. Instead, Hinsley said his size made it harder to create enough space between the net and boxes.
The physical portion became even more difficult after Hinsley broke his pinky while caught in the chains. Adrenaline initially masked the injury, but Hinsley began feeling significant pain by the time he reached the puzzle.
CBSKyland Young Was Impressed by the Elimination Finish
The mental portion ultimately transformed the matchup.
Hinsley told Young that one of his puzzle pieces became stuck for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Underwood had already finished moving his boxes, meaning he would have won if the competitors reached the one-hour time limit without solving the puzzle.
Hinsley eventually freed the piece and received another burst of energy when he learned only minutes remained.
Underwood had already attempted several puzzle combinations, while Hinsley continued working with help from his Orange teammates. Hinsley ultimately found the correct placement for his final piece with what he estimated was approximately two minutes remaining before Underwood would have won on time.
Young called the finish “pretty epic” and later praised Hinsley for adding another major elimination victory to his record.
Hinsley said Tori Deal has even started calling him the “Champ Slayer” following his elimination wins against champions including Underwood and Rogan O’Connor.
For Young, however, Episode 9 also demonstrated why the elimination itself worked so well. Rather than allowing one type of competitor to dominate from beginning to end, the combination of physical and mental obstacles kept the outcome uncertain until the final minutes.
