Over the past few weeks, WWE has been hyping a new tournament: the Mixed Match Challenge. There are several layers to this historic tournament between the signature match type and how it is being aired. This is a single-elimination tournament featuring 12 teams with every team competing for a charity.
The Teams
Each team will be composed of one male and one female Superstar. Both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live will be represented, but every team only represents one brand. The following list of teams include spouses, good friends, and weird pairings.
Each team fights to win a $100,000 grand prize that will go to a charity of their choice. However, every team’s chosen charity will automatically receive $10,000.
Bayley & Elias
Bayley was one of the last women left without a partner, so hers was left up to fan vote. Fans voted between Elias, Jason Jordan, and Samoa Joe to be her partner, and Joe actually won the tournament. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury on Raw last week and had to be pulled from the event. They are competing for the Americares charity which helps those suffering from disaster or poverty.
Jimmy Uso & Naomi
Current SmackDown Tag Team Champion Jimmy Uso and former SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi have been married for a few years, but this is their first time teaming up in the squared circle. They are representing Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which “provides the resources needed to enable all young people.”
Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman (Raw)
This is one of the strangest teams in the tournament if only for their size difference. Alexa Bliss is barely over five-feet tall, while Braun Strowman is over six-foot-eight and 385 pounds. Regardless, they are Raw’s most successful Superstars of 2017. They are fighting for WWE’s partner for ending childhood cancer, Connor’s Cure.
Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair (SmackDown)
There is probably only one reason why the glorious Bobby Roode is teaming up with Charlotte Flair: they both have elaborate robes in their entrances. The Robe Warriors, as they call themselves, are representing Girl Up, which is a leadership program to help young girls impact their communities.
Rusev & Lana (SmackD0wn)
The second married team of the tournament is Rusev and Lana. The Bulgarian Brute has held the United States Championship and is currently striving in the SmackDown Tag Team Division alongside Aiden English. Lana, on the other hand, has almost no experience on WWE television. They represent Global Citizen which has a huge goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
Goldust & Alicia Fox (Raw)
This was one of the last teams to be put together but it works. Goldust has made a career out of being weird while Alicia Fox is the least stable woman on the main roster. They are trying to help military members and their spouses by supporting Hire Heroes USA.
Big E & Carmella (SmackDown)
Like Bayley, Carmella was left without a partner and her fate was decided by fan vote. Fans had to choose which member of the New Day would join the Princess of Staten Island and they chose the powerhouse. They fight for KaBOOM!, which provides safe places for children to play.
Shinsuke Nakamura & Natalya (SmackDown)
Team Myeaoh (“meow” plus “Yeaoh”) is one of the weird mashups. Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the stranges Superstars in recent memory while Natalya is a crazy cat lady. They compete for Make-A-Wish, which WWE partners with all year round.
The Miz & Asuka (Raw)
No one could have imagined The Miz teaming up with the Empress of Tomorrow. However, The Miz can leave Asuka to do all of the work and take credit for nothing like he tends to do. They are supporting the animal rescue charity of Rescue Dogs Rock.
Sami Zayn & Becky Lynch (SmackDown)
Becky Lynch did not know who her partner was until last week when Sami Zayn disguised himself as a fan and surprised her at an autograph signing. Lynch wants to see the “Sami Zayn of old” while Zayn thinks he can bring something new out of the Lass Kicker.
Finn Balor & Sasha Banks (Raw)
Ever since the Mixed Match Challenge was announced, Sasha Banks was tweeting that she wanted to be partnered up with Finn Balor. The former Universal and Raw Women’s Champions are two of Raw’s top stars. They fight for the Special Olympics, a worldwide sporting competition for those with intellectual disabilities.
Apollo Crews & Nia Jax (Raw)
A victory over the Bar might not be the only good thing in store for Titus Worldwide in 2018. Apollo Crews teams with Nia Jax, who is the [second] most dominant force that the Raw Women’s Division has to offer. Crews and Jax are representing Susan G. Komen, whose mission is to prevent and cure breast cancer.
The Bracket
The bracket, as pictured above, shows a four-round tournament in a single-elimination format. The first round depicts a Raw vs. SmackDown matchup in each bout and the entire tournament will span over the course of twelve weeks. Let’s take a look at the first round of matchups.
- Finn Balor & Sasha Banks (Raw) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Natalya (SmackDown)
- The Miz & Asuka (Raw) vs. Big E & Carmella (SmackDown)
- Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss (Raw) vs. Sami Zayn & Becky Lynch (SmackDown)
- Goldust & Alicia Fox (Raw) vs. Jimmy Uso & Naomi (SmackDown)
- Elias & Bayley (Raw) vs. Rusev & Lana (SmackDown)
- Apollo Crews & Nia Jax (Raw) vs. Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair (SmackDown)
Predictions:
Since this is a twelve-match long tournament, we are not going to go through all of our individual picks. However, we will choose the winners of each opening round match as well as the final two teams and lastly, the winner.
First Round Winning Picks
- Nakamura & Natalya def. Balor & Banks
- Miz & Asuka def. Big E & Carmella
- Strowman & Bliss def. Zayn & Lynch
- Uso & Naomi def. Goldust & Fox
- Elias & Bayley def. Rusev & Lana
- Roode & Flair def. Crews & Jax
Second Chance
Since there are only twelve teams, the semifinals features an open spot. This spot called the “Second Chance” will feature a fan-voted team to receive another opportunity after being eliminated. Based on our opening round predictions, the fans are most likely to give Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch another opportunity.
The Final Two & The Winners
The Miz and Asuka have an easy ride to the finals with the undefeated Empress of Tomorrow being involved. They will probably face Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair in the finals. Of course, the A-Lister will take credit for Asuka pinning Flair. Winners: The Miz & Asuka
How To Watch
Surprisingly, the Mixed Match Challenge is not on the WWE Network. It is being streamed exclusively on Facebook Watch, which is available on both mobile and desktop versions. The first edition of the Mixed Match Challenge will feature Finn Balor & Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Natalya on Tuesday, January 16 at 10 PM ET. This is competing with WWE’s own programming, as 205 Live airs at the same time.
