Debuting on January 16, 2018, at 10pm EST, and only available on Facebook Watch, the WWE Mixed Match Challenge will allow teams we as viewers would rarely have a chance to see compete for $100,000 for their respective charities. The tournament will be run under the traditional Mixed Match rules which state that male superstars will face off with male superstars and female superstars battle female superstars. Once a tag is made both competitors must switch.
One of the teams already announced, and expected to go deep into the tournament is that of Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and the Monster among men Braun Strowman. The four-time women’s champion teamed up with the powerhouse of Stroman is an almost certainly unstoppable tandem. It is hard to imagine a team that could be their equal and they are the frontrunners to win even though it does not start for more than a week.
The Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair has been paired up with fellow robe wearer Bobby Roode. Flair, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and a six-time champion will need to get Roode up to speed if they want to go deep into the tournament. While they are one of the stronger teams announced from Smackdown Live so far, Roode has struggled since being on the main roster, and Flair’s tutelage may be just what he needs to break out in the tournament.
Bayley begged and pleaded with WWE management to be paired up with Finn Balor. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as it was recently announced Balor will be teamed up with Sasha Banks. Balor was the first-ever Universal Champion and never lost the title in a match. He had to relinquish the championship due to an injury and since his return has not been able to challenge for it again. Banks is a former four-time women’s champion who has seen her presence on Raw diminish thanks in part to a very large woman’s division. A deep run in the tournament could help both the Demon and the Boss gain some momentum and improve their standings on Raw.
Everyone expected Enzo Amore to be teamed with Nia Jax. That was until Amore contracted the flu several hours before his title defense against Cedric Alexander on Raw. Amore to his credit had to be forced to leave the arena and has reportedly been given a few weeks off to recover. Much to Jax’s displeasure, she has been teamed up with Titus Brand athlete Apollo Crews.
Rusev and Jimmy Uso were also each paired with their wives, Lana and Naomi respectively.
This leaves quite a few announced wrestlers without teams so far and there are some really interesting combinations that we could be seeing. The talents who have not been paired up include, from Raw, Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Goldust, The Miz and a male determined by fan vote. From Smackdown there is still Becky Lynch, Carmella, Natalya, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and a member of the New Day determined by fan vote.
