Continuing to prove that they view their women as on par with the men, WWE has partnered with Facebook to bring fans a live 12-week tournament called Mixed Match Challenge.
Per the announcement on WWE.com, the series will stream live on Facebook Watch on Tuesday nights beginning Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. and will feature “WWE Superstars from both the Raw and SmackDown LIVE rosters competing in a single-elimination mixed tag-team tournament to win $100,000 to support the charity of their choice.
And as WWE has always been one to push the envelope when it comes to sports (entertainment) and social media, each 20-minute episode will be “optimized for mobile consumption, experimentation and social interaction, including the ability for the WWE Universe to engage with Superstars during the show.” Additionally, “fans will have the opportunity to select matchups, match stipulations and more, on Facebook.”
In short, it’s Cyber Sunday/Taboo Tuesday on steroids vitamins.
Raw and SmackDown General Managers Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan both filmed videos announcing their rosters’ participants in the challenge, including Alexa Bliss, Finn Balor, and Braun Strowman from Raw; and Charlotte Flair, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Roode from SmackDown. Teams will be announced beginning Jan. 4.
I’m seriously regretting that Asuka and Nakamura aren’t on the same brand now. Could you imagine the carnage they would leave in their wake if they were teamed up? It would be spectacular.
In all seriousness, though, this is a fantastic idea. WWE has been cranking out some fantastic tournaments over the last year and a half, and mixed tag matches were a staple of the Attitude Era. It’s good to see WWE bringing them back in a big way in an era when the women are finally being treated as honest to goodness wrestlers and not just walking sex appeal.
And who knows, maybe the tournament will be such a hit that it will lead to other things. Ever consider a mixed tag team championship? Now that would be awesome.
What do you think of the Mixed Match Challenge? What teams would you like to see? Share your thoughts and comments below!