WWE Mixed Match Challenge results: Season two premiere

Season two of WWE Mixed Match Challenge kicked off on Tuesday night. Unlike the inaugural season being single elimination, the latest mixed tag tournament is round-robin style. Two blocks representing Raw and SmackDown will decide which teams advance to the finals.

The commentary team consisted of Michael Cole, Renee Young, and Vic Joseph. A short pre-show had Joseph and Kayla Braxton hyping the debut of season two.

Ember Moon & Braun Strowman defeated Natalya & Kevin Owens

Moon pinned Natalya after an Eclipse off the shoulders of Strowman. That finish played off the previous finisher of Strowman and Alexa Bliss when they teamed in the tournament. This match pitted “Monster Eclipse” against “Team Pawz” in the first round. They started off doing some walking and talking as they all argued back and forth. 

Moon and Natalya chain-wrestled to a stalemate. Moon was gaining ground when she climbed the turnbuckles. Natalya tripped Moon up to send her crashing down off the top rope. After powerbombing Moon, Natalya applied the Sharpshooter in the center of the ring. Strowman grabbed Moon’s hand to pull her to safety — breaking the hold.

Strowman tagged in to maul Owens. Strowman was mowing down Owens when Owens caught him with a superkick on the outside. Owens rammed Strowman into the ring post — and then he shoved Strowman over the announce desk. They teased a countout like this was on a New Japan show. Strowman barely broke the count.

The women tagged back in for the finish. Moon hit Natalya with an enzuigiri. Moon then ordered Strowman into the ring. Moon leapt off the shoulders of Strowman into an Eclipse for a pinfall on Natalya. Monster Eclipse start the tournament at 1-0 — while Team Pawz are now 0-1.

Charlotte Flair & AJ Styles defeated Naomi & Jimmy Uso

Flair submitted Naomi with the Figure Eight leglock. This match — with “Phenomenal Flair” against “Day One Glow” — had a lot of gaga early on. That is understandable considering Styles was working double-duty after defeating Andrade “Cien” Almas in a match on SmackDown. Charlotte was also pulling double-duty in a sense. Though she was not in an actual match, she was involved in a physical angle with Becky Lynch during the closing segment on SmackDown.

Styles and Uso did some comedy at the outset. Both went to kick the other when teasing a knuckle lock. They both had a hold of each other’s leg, and eventually they both agreed to let go after some bickering. They shook hands. They bickered about that too — arguing over the firmness of the handshake. Both angry, they tagged out instead of fighting. Interesting strategy in a combat sport.

Flair and Naomi paired off for some exchanges. Flair twerked at one point. She also strutted. They had a callback to the comedy spots done earlier by the men. Flair was sent outside. Naomi went to dive, but Styles caught her. Uso got upset at Styles for touching his wife. Flair then did a pescado onto the married couple. From there, the pace quickened and the intensity increased.

Naomi missed a split-legged moonsault. Flair capitalized with a moonsault off the top. A hot tag brought in Styles to clean house. Uso countered a Styles Clash into a Samoan drop. After a double-down and an exchange of kicks, Naomi made a blind tag.

As a melee developed, Flair locked in a Figure Four leglock on Uso. Naomi splashed Flair to break the hold. Styles rushed in to make the save on a pinning attempt. Naomi hit Styles with a Rear View. Flair cut off Naomi to apply the Figure Eight. Naomi tapped out. Phenomenal Flair are 1-0, and Day One Glow drop to 0-1.

Next week on Mixed Match Challenge, the Raw block has Bobby Lashley & Sasha Banks against Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox. The SmackDown block has the inaugural tournament winners — Asuka & The Miz — facing Carmella & R-Truth.