After a string of a couple lackluster episodes, this week's Mixed Match Challenge tournament bout was the most exciting we've had. Asuka
By now, the teams in the Mixed Match Challenge have already perfected the way these intergender matches are wrestled. I mean, given enough time, they'd have figured out how to maximize the tag rule, and a lot of the matches since the early rounds create some pretty good and logical drama using this mechanic. I liked how both Miz and Alexa tried to keep tagging out in the beginning to avoid their much more intimidating counterparts. In the end, Asuka's streak had to live on, because she and Miz are winning the whole thing, as expected.
However, the fact that we only really get interesting episodes when AweSuka and Little Big are on the docket points to a problem the tournament's had since the first round: only around half of the teams are truly compelling.
Beyond the initial "will you be my partner" videos, not everyone got a good push heading into the tournament. While I understand that a lot of them were meant to put over more popular teams, the least they could do was figure out better ways to make them work—and, in turn, make the tournament a little more legitimate and must-watch.
It doesn't even have to be something done before the tournament. If Little Big's sudden romantic development is any precedent, they could even write new stories during the whole thing. I've seen this happen for most of the RAW teams, while among the SmackDown teams, only the real-life married couples the Usos and the Rusevs had something to build on. Natalya and Shinsuke Nakamura and Big E and Carmella didn't get much—and to think they were pushing MeowOh for a shot at the second chance bracket.
It's just something for the WWE to think about the next time they're putting up a tournament like this. The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic gets good stories. The Cruiserweight and Mae Young Classics get good stories. Even if it's only just for Facebook, there's no reason something like the Mixed Match Challenge can't get compelling either.
Mixes and Matches
- Why on Earth would Miz want to break up Braun and Alexa's kiss? Didn't he realize that that would have been a tag?
- That said, I'm really digging the budding relationship between Little Big. If there's anything we should carry over from this whole thing into the main shows, it should be this—it humanizes Braun, and the two of them make such a good pair.
- Finn and Sasha get the second chance vote, which isn't really surprising to anyone for the reasons I stated in the review.
*****
Romeo Moran (@roiswar) is the Editor in Chief of Smark Henry, one of the three hosts of the Smark Gilas-Pilipinas Podcast, and is associated with Philippine Wrestling Revolution. He gets by in this hard knock life through working in publishing. Smark Henry was his and Stan Sy's original vision of a watering hole for local wrestling fans. He roots for the undersized guys who hit hard, but really hates Davey Richards with his entire soul. He likes taking your wrestling questions over on his Curiouscat account.
