Could Kam Be A Come-From-Behind Challenge Threat?

The reigning golden girl of The Challenge, Tori, might have to take a short-term backseat, because fellow Are You The One? export Kam has just given convincing evidence that she’s the true Rookie of the Year.


On tonight’s Vendettas episode, Kam noticed herself in an especially uncomfortable position: she and three other contestants learned they’d have to each square off against former players — Jordan, Derrick, Aneesa and Tori, who’d been dubbed “The Mercenaries” — categorize in attempt to live in the game. If any current player won two rounds of “Figure 8,” in which contestants had to snatch a relic out of their opponents’ hands, he or she would get to stay. If any given Mercenary won two matches, his or her “Vendettas” challenger could be eliminated on the spot.


Right away, The Mercenaries proved to be serious trouble. Jordan bounced Shane without breaking sweat, as well as a battle between Aneesa and Veronica got so heated that Veronica broke her finger and was forced to withdraw to prevent further injury.


With hope for the Vendettas cast waning, it was Kam’s turn to step up to the plate, however Tori — who was nevertheless to lose an elimination round (even Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson proved no match for her “Champs vs. Stars”) — wasn’t prepared to sully her record.


“I’m sorry I’m gonna have to send you house so early,” Tori contended.


Tori won the opening heat handily, putting Kam at an immediate deficit. Although Kam was willing to exact a comeback.


“Killer Kam is out now,” she mentioned. “Girl, you better give it, ‘cause I ain’t gonna give up.”


And she didn’t — immediately after two more grueling heats, Kam came away from The Invasion of Mercenaries because the only Vendettas winner (Joss would later lose to Derrick in one of the most insane eliminations in Challenge history), cementing her spot as a new threat.


“It feels so excellent to have won my first elimination,” Kam mentioned. “I know a lot of people thought [Tori would] probably would beat me…but I certainly proved myself tonight…I came and I conquered.”


And Kam wasn’t gonna stop there — armed with three powerful grenades, she determined against tiptoeing around her competition, and at the best of “Car Crash,” Kam immediately blew up Cara Maria’s game.


Cara warned Kam that if the grenade caused her to lose the mission, which challenged players in teams of four or five to traverse a path of suspended cars, she’d request to be able to see Kam in The Ring. Nevertheless Kam was unfazed, and doubled down on her choice.


“Was I supposed to be scared?” Kam jeered. “Bring it, lil’ bitch. ‘Cause I been ready.”


Unfortunately for Kam, Cara’s team — which also included Bananas, Natalie and Nelson — wound up winning the game, rendering Kam’s power play pretty useless. Worse, it may have actually proven to work against her.


“It’s like my grenade got thrown right the hell back at me,” Kam lamented.


Nevertheless any time push comes to shove, will Kam have the ability to hang tough, and might she stand up to Cara?


What do you suggest — could Kam be a serious Challenge contender, and may she follow in Tori’s footsteps as a first-time finalist? Or, was her victory over T a fluke, and is there also much working against her right now that she’s pissed off Cara Maria? Share your thoughts, and visualize how she progresses Tuesday at 9/8c!