Though the second season has been hampered by a string of unfortunate injuries that make a mockery of a potentially valuable prize (the winners receive the #30 spots in their respective Royal Rumbles and...oddly, a vacation to a destination of their choosing), the first go-around for the Mixed Match Challenge was an unassuming delight.
Pairs wanted to win but accepted much of the silliness that surrounded them. Designed for Facebook Live (and the potential younger audience that engaged with it), the matches were a break from the norm just for the fact that talent actually seemed to enjoy their jobs.
Asuka and The Miz were the highlights of the original, with the 'A-Lister' put in charge of maintaining his partner's winning streak. Unlike WWE themselves, he didn't make a total hash of it.
A gif of Asuka giving him a thumbs up was for a while a rare moment of cutesy from a performer that was otherwise a total killer. 2019's not even here yet and this entry already feels woefully out of date.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
