By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Aired on Facebook Watch
Indianapolis, Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
The broadcast team of Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix, and Corey Graves welcomed viewers to the show and played up MMC as the most interactive show anywhere… Ring introductions for the match took place…
Pre-taped promos aired. In a shocking twist, Roode stated that beating Rusev and Lana would be glorious. Rusev told Lana that she would crush Charlotte. Lana told him he would destroy Bob Roode…
1. Bobby Roode and Charlotte vs. Rusev and Lana. Before the match, Charlotte shoved Rusev. Lana got upset. She tried to slap Charlotte, but ended up hitting Roode instead. A few minutes into the match, Lana performed a facebuster for a two count. Cole laid it on thick about being impressed by Lana. Charlotte performed a fallaway slam and the women tagged out.
Roode performed a blockbuster on Rusev for a two count. Roode went for his finisher, but Rusev avoided it and caught Roode with a kick for a two count. Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya were shown chatting on their phones with fans. They said Charlotte and Roode were tan and tall. Rusev worked over Roode and yelled, “Lana is the best, Lana number one.” Lana scolded the crowd for booing her. Rusev connected with another kick to the shoulder of Roode. Rusev went to the middle rope and played to the crowd. He went for a headbutt, but Roode avoided it and made the tag.
Charlotte caught Lana with a big boot and then went for her finisher, but Rusev dragged Lana to the ropes. Charlotte walked over and slapped Rusev. Lana rolled up Charlotte for a two count and then made the tag. However, Roode was still down selling at ringside. Rusev smiled as he looked at Charlotte. Cole said the referee needed to make a decision. Apparently, counting out Roode was not an option. Charlotte chopped Rusev, who put his hands behind his back. Roode returned to the ring, kicked Rusev, and then hit the Glorious DDT for the win…
Bobby Roode and Charlotte defeated Rusev and Lana in 11:00 to advance to the semifinals.
Next week’s match is The Miz and Asuka vs. Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss in a semifinal match. Brief promos aired from both teams. The following week will feature Roode and Charlotte facing the winners of the second chance vote with the fans selecting a losing team to bring back. Cole said the winners of the vote would be announced on next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: The show peaked with roughly 81,000 viewers during the live broadcast. It flirted with 70,000 for a good portion of the match, but then shot up to the peak mark just before the finish. The match was fine and Rusev was comical. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out April Lavalle’s latest blog on the WWE Mixed Match Challenge.
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