The Challenge 's Nelson Thomas on His Moving Decision to Protect Cory Wharton: 'I Don't Regret It'

MTV’s The Challenge may be known for its cutthroat competition, but this week’s episode of Total Madness featured an unforgettable act that was just the opposite.

Nelson Thomas and Cory Wharton have been close friends since Thomas’ first season of The Challenge in 2016 — a friendship that could have been tested when both were being considered to go into elimination, the last elimination before the final! Instead, Thomas, 31, looked at his friend and saw a brother and a father (Wharton, 29, has a 3-year-old daughter Ryder, and had another daughter on the way during filming with girlfriend Taylor Selfridge) — and decided to give Wharton the better chance at the $1 million prize.

When Thomas asked Tribunal members Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Kyle Christie and Kaycee Clark to throw him into Purgatory — against reigning champion Rogan O’Connor, no less — they were shocked. Based on Twitter reactions (but also, honestly, this writer's own face), fans cried at the selfless act.

Then there was that Purgatory itself. A hall brawl, arguably one of the most intense elimination challenges. And it was certainly one of the most brutal eliminations of the season, resulting in Thomas heading home having fallen on the sword for his pal.

As soon as our tears were dry, we got on the phone with Thomas to hear more about his noble choice, how he told Wharton what was up his sleeve and how he’s feeling about that hall brawl.

PEOPLE: Walk me through your thought process as you decided to throw yourself into Purgatory and keep Cory safe.

NELSON THOMAS: Cory and I have been through a lot. We've seen our downs, we've seen our ups. I've seen the man change throughout the years and become a better man every day. Knowing who was in the Tribunal, I knew it was going to come down to him and I… So that night I laid in my bed, thinking, "I want to give Cory the best shot to win this money for his family." I wanted him to give Ryder and his little unborn child the best opportunity to have the best life. Because I know him and I growing up, we didn't have a father figure in our lives. We didn't have the opportunity to have the best school or the best clothes, or just live that life, that life that you see on TV. So I knew what he was doing it for, I knew what I was doing it for. And I came to the conclusion and said, "If I’ve got to take this bullet for him, I will. I will."

MTV

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Did it pain you to potentially be taking yourself out of the running for the $1 million?

I looked back at my life and all the blessings I've had and where I'm at now. The Challenge has changed my life. I don’t know where I would be without The Challenge. It's opened so many doors, so many opportunities. I've got to meet so many people, and the network that I've built, it's been amazing. I've always wanted to be a champion in this game. The money's amazing, don't get me wrong. I love the money. But to be a champion in this game and being number one? You can't take that from me. You can spend that money, you can go through a million dollars, but knowing I was a champion in this game that I put my all into is everything to me.

Were you nervous at all that Johnny and Kyle wouldn’t honor your request?

I was because, at the end of the day, they knew that Cory is a great athlete too... Me and Johnny got really cool. It’s crazy. This season's ridiculous. But me and Johnny had great talks. He's such a good guy. We’ve always been on opposite sides of the ball game. But we've grown so close in this bunker. They looked in my eyes and they respected it. We endured all this pain and this nightmare together, yet we could respect each other. Even though we may not like each other, even though we might ride each other and backstab each other, me giving up my shot of going to the final, going into Purgatory, they respected that. And I respect them for doing that for me.

When did you tell Cory of your plan, and what was his reaction?

Cory didn't know until we got the Purgatory. I honestly wrote a little letter to Cory, just in case, saying, "Look brother, don't worry about tonight. I'm going to take this on. I want you to give it your all in that final. You're not just fighting for me; you're fighting for your family and everybody else." I know that sounds kind of sensitive but I didn't want him to go to Johnny, Kyle or Kaycee to change their mind and say, "No, do not put Nelson in." I didn't want this to be a fight. So I didn't tell him until we got the Purgatory. He had no clue, no clue at all. And when I told him, he broke down. He looked me in my eyes, gave me a hug and said, "Go to work." And I was like, "I got you."

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How are you feeling about that hall brawl itself now, looking back?

I still shiver in my shoes because that elimination, I dropped the ball and it hurt. It hurts now and I wish I could go back in time and I wish I could do things a little differently. But that's what The Challenge is all about. There are no second chances when you're going into elimination.

You looked pretty beat up at the end of it. What was your physical state?

It was a dog fight. I hurt my shoulder, my lower back. You saw the black eye. That showed up real fast. I honestly thought when that first impact hit, "What energy am I going to have to get back up and fight?" Because that first hit and that second hit, you still have to run to your bell. After you felt that hit, you still have to get up. But you're so heated in the moment, you're not thinking about the pain until after.

What was host TJ Lavin’s reaction to you volunteering for elimination?

He commended me. He said, "I respect your decision," and he was proud of me and that means a lot. When TJ says something, it means a lot to us. We take that to heart.

What did Cory say when the elimination was over?

When I ended up losing, no words needed to be said. We looked at each other, he knew what he had to do, and he knew I had no regrets. And I don't regret it to this day.

The Challenge: Total Madness airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.