By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Aired on Facebook Watch
Los Angeles, California at Staples Center
The broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Beth Phoenix checked in from ringside. They hyped that Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya were backstage answering fan questions via chat… Ring entrances took place…
1. Sasha Banks and Finn Balor vs. Asuka and The Miz in a second-round match. Miz started the match. He teased tagging in Asuka and got the crowd worked up, then said, “I got this” and remained in the match. Miz teased tagging her in a couple more times and would reach out whenever he was in trouble. Cole played up a near fall for Balor as nearly being the end of Asuka’s streak.
Asuka tagged herself into the match at 5:00. Banks mocked Asuka, who responded with a slap and then went on the offensive. Asuka threw Daniel Bryan style kicks, which Miz applauded. Banks came back and delivered double knees while Asuka was in the ropes and then covered her for a two count. Phoenix spoke about how aggressive and frustrated Banks seemed to be.
The men checked back into the match around 10:00. Balor dominated Miz and had him pinned, but Asuka ran in and broke it up. Banks tossed Asuka to ringside and then she performed double knees off the apron, which Balor followed up by kicking Miz from the apron. Back in the ring, Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale and had Balor pinned, but Banks broke it up. Miz bickered with the referee about whether it was a three count.
Balor hit the Coup de Grace on Miz and had him pinned, but Asuka broke it up. Banks applied her finisher on Asuka while Balor applied a crossface on Miz. Asuka countered out of the Bank Statement, which distracted Balor long enough for Miz to roll him up for the win…
Asuka and The Miz defeated Sasha Banks and Finn Balor in 12:45.
Cole hyped Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss vs. Jimmy Uso and Naomi as next week’s second round match.
Powell’s POV: The show peaked with 62,000 live viewers on Facebook Watch. It felt fairly obvious that Asuka and Miz would go over when Cole spoke about Asuka’s winning streak being at risk. Of course, they could always refer to her being unbeaten in singles matches if she had, and Cole’s tease of the streak ending did provide additional suspense. I get a kick out of Miz and Asuka together. He’s decent to her, yet she acts very naive when he gets selfish. Whenever their run ends, which could be as winners of the contest given that her streak is at stake, I assume she will end up blasting him with a kick.
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