WWE Announce New 'Mixed Match Challenge' Show On Facebook Watch
The 12-episode show will air on Facebook immediately after SmackDown Live.
WWE have announced a new show entitled 'Mixed Match Challenge', set to premiere on January 16th 2018. It will air on Facebook Watch at 10pm ET, interestingly on a Tuesday.
This seems to imply that WWE will move 205 Live from its current 10pm slot, as they'd surely be unlikely to pit the two shows against one another.
The shows will run for 20 minutes each, and last for 12 episodes - with the winners receiving $100,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. The format of the competition will be a single-elimination tournament, although it's unclear how this will be scheduled so far.
In a pair of videos, Raw and SmackDown General Managers Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan confirmed the competitors. The teams are as follows:
SmackDown Women: Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Naomi, Carmella, Lana, and Becky Lynch.
SmackDown Men: Shinsuke Nakamura, Jimmy Uso, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Bobby Roode, and one member of the New Day.
Raw Women: Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks.
Raw Men: Enzo Amore, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Goldust, Finn Balor, Elias, Jason Jordan, and Samoa Joe.
The reason there are eight male Raw competitors - and the reason that the New Day member isn't yet decided - seems to be because of an upcoming fan vote.
This vote was alluded to in Angle and Bryan's videos, and some more information was revealed on WWE.com's news announcement, which states:
'Fans will have the opportunity to vote on Facebook for the final competitor from the Raw roster, as well as which tag team member of The New Day will be added to the SmackDown LIVE roster. Teams will be announced beginning Thursday, Jan. 4.'
The show is interesting for two main reasons; it seems to represent a new foray for WWE into mixed wrestling, something which has been very infrequently booked over the years. It also shows their interest in Facebook Watch, a platform which could well take off in the future.
This seems to imply that WWE will move 205 Live from its current 10pm slot, as they'd surely be unlikely to pit the two shows against one another.
The shows will run for 20 minutes each, and last for 12 episodes - with the winners receiving $100,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. The format of the competition will be a single-elimination tournament, although it's unclear how this will be scheduled so far.
In a pair of videos, Raw and SmackDown General Managers Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan confirmed the competitors. The teams are as follows:
SmackDown Women: Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Naomi, Carmella, Lana, and Becky Lynch.
SmackDown Men: Shinsuke Nakamura, Jimmy Uso, Rusev, Sami Zayn, Bobby Roode, and one member of the New Day.
Raw Women: Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks.
Raw Men: Enzo Amore, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Goldust, Finn Balor, Elias, Jason Jordan, and Samoa Joe.
The reason there are eight male Raw competitors - and the reason that the New Day member isn't yet decided - seems to be because of an upcoming fan vote.
This vote was alluded to in Angle and Bryan's videos, and some more information was revealed on WWE.com's news announcement, which states:
'Fans will have the opportunity to vote on Facebook for the final competitor from the Raw roster, as well as which tag team member of The New Day will be added to the SmackDown LIVE roster. Teams will be announced beginning Thursday, Jan. 4.'
The show is interesting for two main reasons; it seems to represent a new foray for WWE into mixed wrestling, something which has been very infrequently booked over the years. It also shows their interest in Facebook Watch, a platform which could well take off in the future.
Written by Jack King
jack.king@cultaholic.com Twitter: @JackTheJobber