WWE Mixed Match Challenge Review - December 11, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox def. Apollo Crews and Bayley in a Semifinal Match

It was announced on Monday's Raw that Crews would be filling in for Finn Balor due to the injuries Balor sustained at the hands of Drew McIntyre last week (in reality, I believe he was just ill). Even if Balor was able to compete, I don't think that would have changed the outcome of this contest, if only because Balor was already slated to compete on the card at TLC. If anything, Crews taking Balor's place should have led to him and Bayley going over (TLC will be in Bayley's hometown of San Jose, anyway), but no such luck. The middle portion of this match was painfully boring, but at least they picked up the pace down the stretch before Mahal and Fox scored the victory (and the crowd went mild...).

R-Truth and Carmella def. The Miz and Asuka in a Semifinal Match

Miz and Asuka have been teasing tension all season, especially since they suffered their first loss as a tandem a few weeks back. It was at that point Miz began blaming Asuka for the defeat and Asuka was having none of it. I'm glad she finally reached her breaking point here by hitting Miz with a series of strikes, but unfortunately, it cost them the win, which you could see coming from a mile away. As a match, it was among the better bouts I've seen on the show in recent memory, thanks to the suspenseful nearfalls in the final few minutes and the storytelling from Miz and Asuka. Truth and Carmella were just kind of there and just so happened to win.

Overall Show

At TLC, the finals of the Mixed Match Challenge will see Mahal and Fox take on Truth and Carmella with the winners earning an all-inclusive "vacation" and, more importantly, the final spots in the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches, respectively. I'm not a fan of either tandem emerging victorious and it's frustrating that it has come down to this (injuries or not). If that doesn't get put on the Kickoff show, I have officially lost all hope for this company. In all seriousness, this was a fine edition of Mixed Match Challenge, but per usual, neither match is must-see by any means. Fingers crossed a third season isn't in the cards because Season 2 was atrocious and a colossal waste of time.