Derrick Kosinski Reveals 1 Thing He Would've Done Differently on The Challenge 40: 'Really Unnecessary' (Exclusive)

• Derrick Kosinski and Cory Wharton faced off in a men’s elimination match on the October 9 episode Challenge 40: Battle of the Epochs
• Kosinski competed with an injured leg and tells PEOPLE, “Win or lose, I had to get an MRI.”
• “I felt like I almost did the impossible, and I didn’t. It was emotional,” Kosinski says

When the elimination between Derrick Kosinski and Cory Wharton ended on the October 9 episode Challenge 40: Battle of the Epochsno one knew who won.

“When I looked into his eyes and we had that emotional moment, which brought tears to my eyes after I looked at him again, because I really appreciated it. He said, ‘I just want to bring the heart that you bring Challenge one day.’ And at that point, I felt like maybe he thought he lost,” Kosinski, 41, tells PEOPLE. “It was one of those moments where both boxers put their hands up after the fight was over, and as a spectator you think, ‘Oh man, that person won. That person won.'”

Challenge 40 Trailer: CT exits on a stretcher, Johnny ‘Bananas’ calls himself ‘the devil’s right hand’

Kosinski and Wharton, 33, both hit all the targets, so it came down to who could do it in the shortest time.

“When I put my fist to my eyes, I was about to raise my hands,” says Kosinski. “It was like TJ took the last sword out of Gladiator II and just pushed it through my body. I felt like I had almost done the impossible and I hadn’t. It was emotional.”

Kosinski went into elimination with a torn ACL and meniscus and a mild LCL tear after jumping into a shallow mud pit during the Cloud Catcher Daily Challenge on the September 25 episode.

“When I jumped into the mud pit and hurt my leg, I fell to the bottom. I didn’t know how long I would last,” says Kosinski. “I have been an athlete all my life. I was curious to see how far you could push the body and how the body would respond to something like that. I just want to say thanks Challenge Gods for not letting me die by my own sword.”

‘The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras’ contestant Cory Wharton.

MTV

The three-time Challenge champion felt like he had to go to elimination after sparring with Wharton throughout Gladiator II-inspired daily challenge in the October 9 episode. “You’ve got Cory saying, ‘You wanted this,’ and you’re damn right I did. I wanted all the smoke and I got it,” admits Kosinski. “And I came damn close to winning this thing by hopping on one leg. I almost fucking had her.”

From Kosinski’s perspective, the problem with Wharton “started when I decided to vocally support Theo [Campbell] and the pink team as they battled each other up there.”

“I think this is where Cory realizes that Derek is rooting against him now, which is fine in my book because I made a deal with the pink team that nobody really needs to know about,” Kosinski explains. “But now you know, he’s chirping at me while he’s playing the game, and I just accept it. After the game was over, he got in my face multiple times, and then one last time I said, ‘Dude, if you really want to do this, then let’s— do it.’ I take off my life jacket — unplanned — throw it in his direction, accidentally hitting him in the neck. If it was a joke, it would be funny, but it’s clearly not a joke. He doesn’t think it’s funny.”

The cast of ‘Challenge 40: Battle of the Epochs’.

MTV

From there, Kosinski admits he would fight Wharton.

“I’m a kid from Chicago, I got into fights for a lot less growing up, and now I’m 40 years old, obviously it still lives in me,” Kosinski says. “I thought, ‘Look at big bad Cory up there lowering his gladiator shield, hitting his chest,’ and then he’s here whining about the life jacket hitting his back. Despite all the super hot guys that were there for me, I was a little taken aback. But luckily, we have two huge security guards who have already been there.”

Kosinski thought Wharton and his Era 3 teammates, Devin Walker and Jordan Wiseley, had a “crying mentality” when it came to signing Campbell.

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“They knew I was a wounded animal,” said Kosinski, who picked up his 12th and 13th elimination wins of Season 40. “They were like sharks that smelled blood or hyenas from The lion king. Was I angry that they came after me and took me out? No, because that’s the game. For them to say, ‘You voted against me or you didn’t ally with me,’ I thought that was a little more than a cry-baby mentality during Gladiator II promo episode.”

Kosinski also believed his playing time was limited due to the injury. “I knew I was literally on my last leg,” he says. “I didn’t know how much time I had left. Win or lose this elimination, I was going to go home the next day.”

Derrick Kosinski on ‘Challenge: All Stars’.

Juan Cruz Rabaglia PARAMOUNT+/MTV

Kosinski has no regrets about forming an alliance with Campbell, 33, in Era 4 or going after Wharton. But “I just wouldn’t jump into that mud pit,” Kosinski says. “I would just pass because it was really unnecessary to jump.”

The father of two ended up seeing his elimination as “God’s way of saying, ‘Dude, you’ve got to go take care of your family,'” because his wife was nine months pregnant when he returned home.

Kosinski waited six weeks after his wife, Nicole, gave birth to their son Maverick in May before having surgery on his leg.

“I had to wait six weeks until she got her medical clearance, and then I had the operation,” he says. “Then it’s the whole struggle of standing up and sitting on one leg as you go through the first few weeks of being a newborn. I am now three months post surgery. It will take at least another nine months to get back to thinking about a new job Challenge.”

Challenge Champion Jordan Wiseley Says Season 40 Cast Got ‘Worst Treatment We’ve Ever Had’

The Rules of the road alum says he hasn’t spoken to Wharton since filming Battle era and expects not until the Season 40 reunion.

“But that whole episode, from how it started to how it ended, I don’t feel like I’ve ever experienced anything like it on Challenge“, says Kosinski. “Like I said, win or lose, I had to get an MRI. It’s been 20 years since I did Rules of the road and the fact that I can still compete in this sport, it’s just a blessing. Hopefully, Challenge The gods want me back.”

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Challenge 40: Battle of the Epochs airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET on MTV.

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