7 Things WWE Must Do In The Mixed Match Challenge
We already want a sequel...
Behold, the Mixed Match Challenge is almost upon us. As if SmackDown needed any further programming hitching a ride, WWE's MMC will push 205 Live back by 30 minutes each Tuesday for the next 12 weeks. The sole reason for this is so WWE can experiment with Facebook Watch and potentially earn some extra cash using the service to stream more content in 2018.
Each program will be short, but the MMC overall is a curious idea. Some of the 12 included teams look a little random, if not totally weird, and the one-match-per-week format could make it hard for fans to become invested. The onus is on WWE's decision-makers to make sure this doesn't happen.
So, what must happen in order to make the first ever Mixed Match Challenge a success? Keeping things simple, ensuring the tournament doesn't exist in a separate bubble outside pre-existing storylines, and ignoring a tired concept that bored the pants off everyone just a few months ago would be a good start...
7. Ignore Any Brand Rivalry Guff
Let's start with the latter.
Each year, WWE likes to pretend that wrestlers from each brand suddenly hate the other show. We saw this in the lead-up to Survivor Series (remember that SmackDown invasion and mass beatdown of Raw's roster on their own turf?), then the whole thing was suddenly put in a box, no doubt until November, 2018.
The Mixed Match Challenge features teams comprised of one male and one female from the same brand. There's no crossover; exactly zero of the duos star someone from Raw and another from SmackDown. WWE are keeping things straightforward there, but we just hope there's no 'Us vs. Them' nonsense to dilute the focus on inter-gender wrestling.
Fans don't need to see more Raw vs. SmackDown guff, WWE. It's a jaded concept and one the company would benefit from retiring for at least a few years. The Mixed Match Challenge is about promoting equality, donating to charity and providing something unique, not continuing a lazy booking idea.