WWE Mixed Match Challenge Coverage & Discussion - January 16th, 2018

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Finn Bálor & Sasha Banks battle Shinsuke Nakamura & Natalya to kick off WWE Mixed Match Challenge tonight

Unlikely male-female WWE Superstar pairings compete in a mixed tag match tournament. Only one Raw or SmackDown combo will win $100,000 for their charity. Each showdown in the competition will follow traditional Mixed Tag Team Match rules: When tagged, male Superstars face off with the opposing team’s male competitor and female Superstars battle fellow female competitors.



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We are in Laredo, Texas and your hosts are Byron Saxton and Renee Young.

Your announcers are Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Beth Phoenix.

We see footage of the other teams in the Mixed Match Challenge.

Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya

The women start things off and the lock up to a stalemate. Natalya retreats into the ropes and goes to the apron. Nakamura is tagged in so Balor enters the match. They lock up and Balor with a waist lock. Nakamura with a side head lock take down but Balor with a head scissors. Nakamura escapes and Nakamura with a side head lock but Balor with a head scissors and Nakamura escapes.

Balor with a wrist lock but Nakamura with a reversal. Balor with a side head lock and he holds on when Nakamura tries to send him off the ropes. Nakamura backs Balor into the ropes and he leans against the chest but Balor pushes Nakamura. Nakamura tells Balor to come on and Nakamura with a knee to the midsection. Balor sends Nakamura to the mat and then both of them miss kicks. Natalya tags in and that brings in Sasha too.

Natalya mocks Sasha and then they lockup. Sasha shows Natalya how it is done and they pie face each other. Sasha with a Thesz Press and she blocks a kick and slaps natalya in the face. Sasha with an Irish whip but she misses a charge into the corner. Natalya with a slingshot atomic drop and then she runs over Sasha's back and hits a drop kick for a near fall. Natalya runs Sasha into the turnbuckles and she kicks Sasha in the corner.

Sasha with a kick to the head and then she sends Natalya into the turnbuckles. Sasha puts Natalya across the middle rope and she hits a double knee drop for a near fall. Natalya goes to the floor. Natalya and Nakamura talk strategy and Sasha goes for a cross body but Nakamura catches her and puts Sasha on the apron. Sasha leaps over Nakamura and hits a cross body onto Natalya on the floor. Natalya with a discus clothesline and she gets a near fall. Natalya with a sleeper and we see Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch in the same room with a monitor showing the match.

Sasha with an arm drag but Natalya prevents Sasha from making the tag and Natalya with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Natalya with an abdominal stretch and she pulls up the leg to add more pressure. Sasha with an arm drag to escape and Natalya stops Sasha from making the tag. Balor tags in and he hits a series of running forearms. Balor with a running chop into the corner. Nakamura kicks Balor but Balor with an enzuigiri and a elbow drop from a reverse DDT for a near fall. Nakamura with a series of strikes but Balor with a chop. Nakamura with a knee and enzuigiri. Nakamura with a running knee into the corner and then he puts Balor on the turnbuckles and hits a running knee to the chest for a near fall.

Nakamura goes for a reverse exploder but Balor with elbows. Nakamura with a sit out gourdbuster and he sets for Kinshasa but Balor with slingblade. Balor with a running drop kick that sends Nakamura into the turnbuckles and Balor goes up top but Natalya hits the ropes to crotch Balor. Nakamura with a sliding boot to the head but Sasha breaks up the cover. Sasha and Natalya go to the floor.

Nakamura sets for Kinshasa but Balor sends Nakamura into the ring post shoulder first. Sasha tags and she hits Meteora off the apron. Sasha with a kick to Natalya and then Sasha and Balor too sweet and they hit drop kicks. Sasha with a lungblower into Banks Statement and Natalya taps out.

Winners: Sasha Banks and Finn Balor

Renee and Byron talk about next week's match featuring Carmella and Big E versus Asuka and Miz. We get comments the New Day and Carmella about giving Asuka her first loss. Asuka starts to scream in Japanese and it freaks out Miz a bit.

We go to credits.