WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 20th March 2018

It was time for the semi-finals to begin on this week's Mixed Match Challenge, as Asuka & The Miz teamed up against Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss for a spot in the final in two weeks. But was it any good? Here's our review! 

Mixed Match Challenge Semi-Final // Asuka & Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. Braun Strowman & RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss 

Before the match - Asuka reminded The Miz that her streak was on the line tonight, with Miz insistent that it was "their" streak - Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss promised to go all the way...in the Mixed Match Challenge. 

Considering Asuka's streak was supposedly on the line, it was to the surprise of very few that Asuka & Miz advanced to final of the Mixed Match Challenge over Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss, with The Empress of Tomorrow tapping out the RAW Women's Champion with the Asuka Lock at the end of another typical MMC bout. The match was strongest at it's opening and conclusion, with the bout getting a little lost during it's middle third, relying on the idea that there was a romance between Strowman and Bliss and doing very little else. The random tease of a kiss mid-match worked in order to set up Strowman going nuts at Miz for breaking it up, but beyond being a plot device, it made very little sense to have it happen when it did. Having both Miz and Bliss tag out repeatedly in order to not face their more imposing opponents was a much better idea, played well by all four, before Miz got clattered with Braun's wicked front dropkick (No Corey, I shall not call it the Tyrannosaurus dropkick). This would only be bettered by a wicked series of action at the conclusion, with Asuka and Bliss working much better together than they did on RAW the previous night, building to a double knockout spot before Strowman lost his head and shoulder barged the fuck out of Miz, sending both through the barricade. The streak gimmick was used effectively with the crowd buying into a series of pinfall variation near falls from Bliss, including one very long two count, with Michael Cole playing a strong supporting role on commentary, before Asuka swiftly reversed Bliss's DDT into the Asuka lock to pick up the win. It would seem we're heading to an Asuka & Miz vs. Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode final, which just days before Flair and Asuka clash at WrestleMania could prove an exciting possibility in two weeks time.

Also on the show 

- Daniel Bryan was stretchered to the back following the assault from Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn on SmackDown Live. 

- We found out that Sasha Banks & Finn Balor had won the second chance fan vote and would face Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode in next week's semi-final. 

Written by James Marston // 

@IAmNotAlanDale 

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 13th March 2018

The quarter finals concluded on Mixed Match Challenge this week as Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode took on Lana & Rusev. But how did it all go down in Indianapolis? Lets take a look! 

Commentary - Michael Cole, Corey Graves 
Ring Announcer - Greg Hamilton

Mixed Match Challenge Quarter Final // 

Charlotte Flair & "The Glorious" Bobby Roode vs. Lana & Rusev 

Before the match - Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair spoke about Rusev & Lana calling their robes cheap before promising it wouldn't be so funny in their match - Lana & Rusev replied with a promo most notable for Rusev being super close to the screen and doing a really weird "Woo" at the end - Before the bell rang there was a weird interaction that included the questionable moment where Rusev and Roode held their partners back when they wanted to scrap with each other. 

Not my favourite bout from the Mixed Match Challenge this week, as Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode booked their place in the Semi-Finals, as Roode pinned Rusev following the Glorious DDT. This was another character driven bout, with most the action ranging from passable to awkward (pretty much anything with Lana), whilst the Rusev & Lana team came out as the most entertaining of the two pairs. This involved a lot of vocality from the husband and wife duo, including Lana getting the crowd riled up nicely by shouting "How dare you boo?!" and Rusev saying "Zoom in camera man" as he had Roode clasped in a basic rest hold, whilst its clear that the two have heaps of chemistry together. It was interesting to hear Rusev actually get some heat during this, as he's been super popular during the Rusev Day run, perhaps the fact that he'd competed earlier in the night meant that the crowd had got it out of their system by this point and were much more inclined to go along with the structure of the match. The crowd were pretty into it by the time of a hot tag to Flair and this produced the best wrestling of the match as Flair teed off with chops, before hitting a Queen's Boot that looked like it might have decapitated the Ravising Russian. The highlight of the match was a convincing near fall from Lana, who took advantage of Flair arguing with Rusev (after the Bulgarian had saved Lana from a Figure Eight) to get a roll-up for a long two count. Whilst the earlier portion of match between Flair and Lana was sloppy, my main problem here was with the finish, that saw Flair chopping Rusev to no avail, because Roode was downed on the outside, before Roode would eventually come to and nail Rusev with a surprise Glorious DDT for the win. I'm not sure what anyone gained from Rusev shotuing "It's not hurting me, Charlotte" and why WWE continues to use woman-on-man violence in the Mixed Match Challenge, when competitors are supposed to stay separate. I'm half expecting Rusev & Lana to win the fan vote for a spot in the semi-finals and have a rematch with Flair & Roode in two weeks time, but we'll see.

Also on the show 

- The Miz & Asuka cut a promo on their semi-final opponents, that mostly consisted of Miz using Strowman's catchphrases and Asuka chatting away in Japanese.

- Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss talked about their semi-final match next week, with Strowman telling Miz that when "these hands go up, your mouth goes shut" 

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 6th March 2018

The quarter finals of the Mixed Match Challenge continued this week as RAW Women Champion Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman took on Naomi & Jimmy Uso. But how did it all go down in Green Bay? Lets take a look! 

Mixed Match Challenge Quarter Final // 

Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss vs. Jimmy Uso & Naomi 

Before the match - Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman cut a handheld promo claiming that they would be putting an end to "the Glow-ish" tonight, whilst continuing to tease at sexual tension - In another handheld promo, Naomi said her husband wasn't afraid of Braun Strowman, whilst Jey Uso looked uncomfortable in the background 

Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman booked their spot in the semi-finals with a victory over Naomi & Jimmy Uso, guaranteeing RAW a spot in the final. As has been the case for the majority of Mixed Match Challenge contests, this was an entertaining, focused on the relationships between the partners and the opponents. The action wasn't always the best and lulled towards the end with a section involving Bliss and Naomi, but the various story spots were done well and did a good job of getting over the various relationships involved. I'm not sure how much I'm into the Bliss & Strowman stuff and having them fall into awkward positions felt a little unnecessary, but the crowd was into it and it did lead to the best part of the match, which was Uso taking the piss out of Strowman for having a crush on Bliss and then realising he'd just angered the Monster Amongst Men. Uso would eventually get sent crashing into the barricade and in the biggest spot of the series so far, powerslammed through the announce table, allowing Bliss to get the roll-up victory for her team. Bliss & Strowman will return in two weeks time for their Semi-Final clash with Intercontinental Champion The Miz & Asuka.

Also This Week 

- Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair spoke about their match next week, claiming it wouldn't be "Rusev Day" but "Woo Day" 

- Rusev & Lana also talked up their involvement, saying that no one would be singing "Glorious" but instead the rather catchy "Lana is the best, Lana number one" 

ATPW Scale Rating // 5 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 27th February 2018

This week's Mixed Match Challenge saw the Quarter Finals begin, as two RAW teams collided for a spot in the final four, as Intercontinental Champion The Miz & Asuka took on Finn Balor & Sasha Banks. But how did it all go down in Los Angeles? Lets take a look! 

Mixed Match Challenge Quarter Final // The Miz & Asuka def. Finn Balor & Sasha Banks // Pinfall

The Miz & Asuka advanced to the semi-finals, as Miz pinned Finn Balor after a very fun start to the Quarter Finals. This was another character driven contest, mostly focusing on the relationship between Asuka and Miz, with the two disagreeing on a number of occasions as the Empress of Tomorrow seemed terrified that the Intercontinental Champion would end up costing her her streak anytime he was in the ring. This was handled well early doors with Balor getting a lot of quick pin attempts way on Miz, whilst Asuka freaked out on the apron, providing the match with not just a solid story, but also a sense of urgency. Both male and female opponents would work good sequences together with Banks slapping Asuka hard in the face to drive that section that was full of big strikes done, whilst Balor and Miz's second stint in there was pacy and crisp after a hot tag. After the women had broken up nearfalls off the Skull-Crushing Finale and Coup de Grace, before a lovely submission sequence where Banks and Balor caught Asuka and Miz in a Banks Statement and a Crossface simulatenously. Sasha having her move reversed into a Crossface Chickenwing causing the distraction that lead to Miz being able to roll-up Balor for the win was a clever moment, that was smoothly performed and will also allow Miz to boast about helping to keep Asuka's streak alive in the future.

The Miz & Asuka will be back in three week's time to face the winner of next week's match between Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman and Naomi & Jimmy Uso in the semi-final. 

Also This Week

- Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman and Naomi & Jimmy Uso cut fun handheld promos, ahead of their match next week.

ATPW Scale Rating // 6 out of 10 

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 13th February 2018

It was the penultimate First Round match of the Mixed Match Challenge this week, as RAW's Bayley & Elias took on SmackDown's Rusev & Lana for a spot in the Quarter Finals. But how did it all go down in Bakersfield, CA? Lets take a look! 

Mixed Match Challenge First Round Match // Rusev & Lana def. Bayley & Elias // Pinfall 

Rusev & Lana advanced to the Quarter Finals past Bayley & Elias, when Lana picked up her first win in WWE by tripping Bayley off the middle rope for the pin. Apart from the lame finish, this week's match continued the theme of relatively entertaining, relatively light-weight wrestling action, having some nice story elements, but never really producing any action to get excited about. Rusev firing Lana up on the apron, carrying on the theme that we'd seen in a vignette earlier in the show was really nice and provided reasoning for how she was able to hold her own against the much more accomplished Bayley. I also enjoyed Bayley's confusion at Lana's in-ring competence, as well as the fact that Elias was heavily taped and selling a rib injury after being assaulted by Braun Strowman on RAW the night earlier. The finish ended up really letting down the match and making Bayley look a bit silly as Lana escaped a mid-rope Bayley to Belly and then just pulled her off the middle and got the pin, clean as you like. Obviously they didn't want Bayley taping to Lana's Accolade submission finish, yet they wanted Lana to get the win, so why WWE didn't opt for a heely foot on the ropes or something similar I'm not entirely sure. It couldn't have been much worse than what they actually went for. Rusev & Lana will return to the show in four weeks time to face the winner of next week's match between Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode and Apollo Crews & Nia Jax.

Also This Week

- Promos from next week's teams Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode and Apollo Crews & Nia Jax, highlighted by Jax telling Crews she had no plans to apart of Titus Worldwaaaaaaaiiiiiidddde. 

ATPW Scale Rating // 2.75 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 6th February 2018

The first round of Mixed Match Challenge continued in Kansas City, Missouri this week, as RAW's Goldust & Mandy Rose faced of with SmackDown's Naomi & Jimmy Uso. But how did it all go down? Let's have a look.

Mixed Match Challenge First Round Match // Naomi & Jimmy Uso def. Goldust & Mandy Rose // Pinfall

Naomi & Jimmy Uso became the first SmackDown tandem to make it through to the Quarter Finals of Mixed Match Challenge, as they picked up a victory over Goldust & Mandy Rose, after Goldust received the Rear View from Naomi and a Superfly Splash from Uso. Whilst hardly a wrestling classic, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this easy watch of a match, that pushed the comedy elements of the character, with Uso in particular getting a chance for creative, clearly enjoying himself in there with the veteran of laughs, Goldust. This was helped by a crowd who were happy to play along with the jokes, mostly regarding Goldust being unable to keep up with Jimmy. The wrestling that there was solid stuff and featured a fun sequence where both teams hit signature moves in tandem and a solid near fall for Goldie off a sloppy Final Cut. The highlight of the match was Rose hiding behind the Bizarre One on the outside to avoid Naomi, only for the former SmackDown Women's Champion to slingshot right over Goldust's head and flatten Rose anyway. The most off-putting part of the presentation was having Michael Cole tell us what Rusev and Lana were saying in the Facebook comments section on the feed, because surely the point is that if you're interested in what they're saying you'll be reading the comments. The Bulgarian Brute and the Ravishing Russian actually came out after the match, claiming to be the strongest husband and wife team and getting the crowd to sing a cute little song ahead of their First Round match with Bayley & Elias next week. Naomi & Uso will return to face Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman in the Quarter Finals in four weeks. 

Also this week...

- Elias and Bayley cut a promo on next week's match with Elias not letting Bayley sing along and also refusing a hug.

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.5/10

Written by James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale) 

WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review // 23rd January 2018 // The Miz & Asuka vs. Big E & Carmella

The first round rolled on this week on Mixed Match Challenge as the Facebook Watch show hit Washington, D.C. This week offered up The Miz & Asuka vs. Big E & Carmella...but how was it? Let's take a look.

Mixed Match Challenge Round One Match // The Miz & Asuka def. Big E & Carmella // Submission

The weird stuff with the soft-play L aside, this was a fun bout that did a good job of combining the various characters in the match and their offence to create an enjoyable ten minutes of online television. The main theme I'm getting from Mixed Match Challenge so far is fun, with both matches focusing on creating a handful of moments that raise a smile, without ever feeling like their going to get all that deep, technical or indeed must-watch. It's the wrestling equivalent of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, but about three hours shorter. Highlights in this one included Asuka and Miz doing the Yes Kicks to their opponents, followed up by the finish in which the Empress of Tomorrow decimated the Princess of Staten Island with strikes, after Mella foolishly slapped her opponent, before the submission win came with a cross armbreaker. Also shoutouts to Corey Graves for getting so many pancakes thrown at him by the New Day, Beth Phoenix for a much improved performance on commentary, Asuka & Miz for some lovely character work after the match and referee Mike Chioda for the loudest and most obvious call in professional wrestling history. #AsukasGoingOver.

Also

Next week's match is Sami Zayn & Becky Lynch vs. Braun Strowman & RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, so we got promos from both of those teams discussing their strategies etc.

Finally...

No much else to put in this conclusion section. It was a short fun show, that served its purpose well, but isn't worth going out of your way to see.