By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Aired on Facebook Watch
Dallas, Texas at American Airlines Center
Michael Cole welcomed viewers to the show and apologized that they were not opening the show the normal way due to what happened at the end of Smackdown. They showed Daniel Bryan being stretchered up the ramp while Cole recapped the show closing angle. Cole urged viewers to check WWE social media for updates on the situation…
Cole was joined on commentary by Corey Graves and Beth Phoenix and they quickly switched into normal mode by hyping the match. Charlotte and Bobby Roode were shown chatting with fans on their phone. Cole hyped that voting was still open to determine which team would receive a second chance and face Roode and Charlotte next week…
Ring entrances took place for the match. In a pre-taped promo, Asuka expressed concern to Miz about her streak. Strowman and Bliss’s pre-match promo featured Bliss saying Asuka’s streak was about to end, and Strowman saying Miz would never forget “these hands”. Bliss said they were going all the way. Strowman looked at her and said they were going all the way. She added “in the Mixed Match Challenge”…
1. Asuka and The Miz vs. Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss in a semifinal match. Miz and Asuka debated over who would start. Miz let Asuka start, but Bliss tagged in Strowman, which brought Miz into the match. Strowman dropkicked Miz’s stomach, but the announcers still put it over as an athletic feat. Miz tagged out and teased leaving, but Strowman got in his way. Asuka knocked Bliss off the apron and into the arms of Strowman. They teased kissing, but then realized that she was close to being counted out.
Later, Strowman tagged in and ended up tossing Miz over the ropes and into the ring. Strowman worked over Miz. Strowman gave a thumbs down. Asuka freaked over her streak in the corner, but Miz slipped away and ended up dropkicking Strowman’s knee. Miz threw his Daniel Bryan kicks, which Strowman no-sold. Asuka called out for Miz while Strowman went to his corner. Bliss grabbed him by the beard and pulled him in for a kiss, but Miz hit Strowman from behind before they could lock lips. Strowman chased Miz at ringside and ran him into the barricade.
Strowman tossed Miz back inside the ring where he tagged Asuka, who then dominated Bliss and got a near fall. Later, Bliss kicked Miz through the ropes and then Asuka and Bliss hit each other simultaneously and fell to the mat. At ringside, Strowman plowed Miz through the timekeepers barricade and both men stayed down. Bliss scored a couple of good near falls on Asuka. Bliss set up for a DDT, but Asuka countered into the Asuka Lock for the win…
Asuka and The Miz defeated Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss in 11:20 to advance to the finals.
It was announced after the match that Finn Balor and Sasha Banks won the second chance vote with 40 percent of the fan vote. They showed Charlotte and Bobby Roode reacting to the news backstage. Asuka comforted Miz at ringside and they bumped fists to close the show.
Powell’s POV: The show peaked with 92,700 live viewers, which is way above the norm. These are two of the funner teams in the tournament and while the hook of Asuka’s streak being on the line makes the tournament outcome feel predictable, it also makes the near falls in these matches feel more suspenseful than the would if her streak was not on the line. This was a quality edition of the MMC with a fun matchup, good drama, and some fun romance teases from Bliss and Strowman.
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This was a fun match. It’s crazy how fast Strowman is, too. The way he ran Miz down and drove him through the barricade was a sight, as well as hilarious. This match really should’ve been the final match up, and I expect the drop-off in the future ratings to prove me right there.
Two side notes to this… First, I hate that they brought Asuka’s streak into this. I hate the “streak” to begin with because it makes most of Asuka’s matches boring and predictable. And as someone who’s just not into Asuka that much to begin with, that doesn’t help. If Miz were allowed to take a fall, and the stupid streak would stay intact, it’d have added more to all of their tourney matches.
Secondly, I wish they would’ve made Bliss Strowman’s tag partner at Mania. If the whole idea is Strowman’s going to win the tag titles by himself, that’d have made for a fun story. They have a good chemistry, and she’d never actually have to tag into the matches. Plus how Kurt would’ve handled that could’ve made for some comedy gold.