By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Aired on Facebook Watch
Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena
The broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Beth Phoenix checked in at ringside. Rusev and Lana were shown chatting with with fans via their phone, and they also showed Big E and Carmella in another locker room… Ring entrances for the match took place…
1. Asuka and The Miz vs. Charlotte and Bobby Roode in the Mixed Match Challenge Final. Cole once again pointed out that Asuka’s unbeaten streak was on the line. Asuka and Miz are fighting for the Rescue Dogs Rock charity. Graves noted that Miz is a new father and loves dogs, then asked what’s not to love about him. Miz begged Asuka to let him start the match and she agreed.
Miz took chops from Roode and then Charlotte and then pointed at Asuka before tagging her in. Charlotte also checked in per the rules of the mixed tag matches. The women locked up and Charlotte took Asuka down. They got back to their feet and Asuka took Charlotte down. They stood up and ended up rolling to ringside and glaring at one another before returning to the ring. Miz tagged himself in, which Asuka and the crowd were not pleased by.
Roode rolled up Miz for a two count, then got the same count off a backslide. Asuka was animated in the corner over the threat of her streak ending without her actually losing. Miz came back by tripping up Roode on the apron. Miz worked over Roode in the ring and then taunted Charlotte as he set up for the figure four, but Roode avoided it. Miz strutted in front of Charlotte and laughed at her before running into a Roode clothesline. Both men tagged out.
Asuka caught Charlotte with a series of kicks and then ran the ropes and ran her backside into Charlotte before covering her for a two count. She went for the same move again, but Charlotte caught her. Asuka rolled through for a two count. Charlotte came back with two chops and a belly to back suplex. Charlotte went up top and performed a moonsault for a near fall. Charlotte went for the figure four, but Asuka kicked her away. Miz taunted Charlotte through the ropes. Charlotte tried to slap him, but Miz moved and Asuka rolled her up for a two count. Charlotte came back with a big boot. The women tagged out again around 8:00.
Roode got the better of Miz and then performed a top rope clothesline. Roode went for his DDT finisher. Miz countered into an attempt at his own finisher, but Roode avoided that and rolled him up for two. Miz caught Roode with a kick and then threw the Daniel Bryan kicks. As usual, his opponent avoided the big kick. Roode performed a uranage for a two count. Miz went to his corner, but Asuka was selling on the floor. Miz caught Roode with a DDT for a two count. Miz held up four fingers and went for the figure four, but Roode kicked him away. He tried for the hold again, but Roode countered into a pin for a two count.
Miz tried for the figure four yet again, but Charlotte speared him and then applied the figure four on Miz while Cole pointed out that she technically could not beat Miz due to the rules of the match. Asuka ran in and kicked Charlotte to break the hold. Roode went for his finisher, but Asuka caught him with a kick. Asuka took out Charlotte. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Roode and pinned him…
Asuka and The Miz defeated Charlotte and Bobby Roode to win the Mixed Match Challenge in 13:00.
After the match, Renee Young entered the ring to talk to the winners. “Let’s hear it for the puppies,” Miz said in reference to the charity. He spoke about it being a great week due to the birth of his daughter and winning $100,000 for the Rescue Dogs Rock charity. Miz put over some of the other charities that were in play. Miz said he would retain the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. Asuka took the mic and said she would become the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Miz said that just like Rescue Dogs Rock, “We are awesome.” Miz thanked the crowd. Cole thanked Phoenix and said it had been an honor to work with her throughout the tournament…
Powell’s POV: The show peaked with 111,600 live viewers. A good match, though they did a better job in past weeks of making it seem like Asuka’s streak was at risk because of Miz. They wisely limited how much Asuka and Charlotte did in the match prior to their WrestleMania match. In fact, Miz taunting Charlotte was actually more fun than the brief Asuka and Charlotte exchanges. Overall, the tournament had some fun moments. I got a kick out of the winning team and Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss. It will be interesting to see what’s next for the WWE and Facebook relationship.
“A good match, though they did a better job in past weeks of making it seem like Asuka’s streak was at risk because of Miz.”
I assume this has been pointed out before, but if Miz being pinned in a tag-team match would count as Asuka’s streak being broken, then she doesn’t have a streak anyway, as she lost a battle royal on NXT! Or am I missing something?