The Mixed Match Challenge Season 1 champions are back in action! Can Team AWESKA win against Ravishing Rusev Day? Or will Rusev & Lana CRUSH their streak?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Bobby Roode & Natalya VS Bobby Lashley & Mickie James; Lashley & James win.
• The Miz & Asuka VS Rusev & Lana; Miz & Asuka win.

PLAY BY PLAY

It’s episode 5 of the Mixed Match Challenge!

So far, the #MonsterEclipse and #FenomenalFlair have been the first to make it to 2-0 in the round robin, but that could change tonight. The season one winners, The Miz & Asuka, are 1-0 on top of being completely untouched in last season’s tournament. However, can the Ravishing Rusev Day ruin all that with a win tonight? Meanwhile, in the Raw Block, it’ll be a battle of Bobbies as Bobby Lashley and his new partner, Mickie James, take on Bobby Roode, who is the new partner to Natalya. Will #CountryDominance dominate again? Or will Roode & the Queen of Harts be paw-sitively GLORIOUS?

Backstage interview with Bobby Roode & Natalya!

The Queen of Harts and the GLORIOUS One are new partners after what happened between Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley. Kevin wasn’t a big cat person, but Natty still feels bad for what happened to the Prizefighter. As for Roode, he himself is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, in Natty’s opinion. Roode was in the previous season with The Queen of Flair, Charlotte. They were finalists but lost out to Miz & Asuka. However, Roode vows to take this new team to the finals and win this time. And then TLC will be Absolutely… GLORIOUS! Also, Roode does like cats, so there’s another point in his favor.

But after Natty & Roode leave, in comes the Hype Man of the Hour to “Lashley! Lashley!”, Lio Rush. The 23 year old piece of gold says hey to Kayla but not Vic. He knows there are rumors about Lashley and the #MickieoftheHour. This team is tight, and are strong tag team partners, but that’s all they are. They’re just a tag team. The two of them just want to dominate and to collect, to then emerge the best Mixed Match tag team. No more rumors, okay? Lio Rush takes his leave, but is his denial actually confirmation of the rumors? Will said rumors disrupt the dominance and give LJ&L their first MMC L?

Bobby Roode & Natalya VS Bobby Lashley & Mickie James!

It’s a battle of teams who have been through some substitutions. The Legit Boss got hurt before the Mixed Match Challenge started, but the six-time Women’s Champion stepped up to join the Rocky Mountain Machine. However, that same machine injured The Prizefighter, and now Kevin Owens has to drop out early. Can Natty’s second partner help her turn it around? Or will this new partnership be anything other than GLORIOUS?

The teams sort out and we start with Bobby VS Bobby! Natty rallies DC behind Roode but Lashley has Mickie and Lio on her side. Though, wait, everyone is chanting “Bobby!” either way… Roode and Lashley argue over who is the better Bobby, with Natty and Mickie backing their Bobbies up. Lashley has to keep Mickie back, but then Natty takes off the cat ears. And she puts them on Lashley. Roode high fives Natty over that one, but then Lashley takes the ears off and stomps them! Maybe Lashley’s more of a dog person… Roode rolls up Lashley! TWO, but Roode bumps Lashley off buckles. Roode climbs up and gives punches, but only gets 4 before Lashley carries him off. Roode sunset flips through, TWO!

Lashely gets up but Roode gets a headlock. Lashley powers out and things speed up, and Lashley runs Roode over with a lariat. Fans boo as Lio starts the “Lashley! Lashley!” chants. Natty tags in so Mickie comes in automatically. These former women’s champions tie up and Natty gets the headlock takeover. Mickie gets a headscissor and snaps back to squeeze Natty more with her “thighs of steel.” But Natty pops out and strikes a pose. Mickie runs in but into an arm wrench. Natty whips Mickie to a corner then runs in, but into Mickie’s elbow. Mickie reaches up for the Mick-Rana and then takes a bow. But she turns around into Natty’s lariat! Cover, TWO!

We check backstage as Miz helps Asuka warm up with punches. His hands hurt, he forgot to wear gloves. They’re obviously ready for their match after this. Back to the ring, Natty has Mickie in a facelock on the mat. Mickie endures the grind and fights her way up. She hits her way out, but her kick gets caught. Mickie demands Natty to put her foot down, and so does Lio. Natty tells them both to shut up before throwing Mickie down by that foot. Natty walks all over Mickie to then dropkick her down! Cover, TWO! Natty grabs the legs and wants the Sharpshooter, but Mickie gets to the ropes. The referee counts and Natty backs off, then dares Mickie to tag in her Bobby to bring her Bobby in. Natty turns to walk to her corner, but Mickie knocks her down!

Mickie drags Natty away and then drops a fist. She also stomps and kicks Natty while she’s down, “It’s good!” Mickie wraps Natty in a sleeper hold, but fans rally behind Roode. Natty feeds off the energy and gets up. She fights out of the hold but Mickie throws her down by her hair. Mickie covers, TWO! Mickie wraps another sleeper on Natty, but Natty keeps fighting back. Natty breaks free, runs, ducks but collides with crossbodies! Both women are down and both Bobbies rally up. Mickie and Natty crawl, hot tag to them both! The Bobbies run in but it’s Roode who rallies on Roode with haymakers. He kicks Lashley then hits him with a clothesline. Lashley doesn’t fall so Roode runs for another clubbing clothesline. Lashley still doesn’t fall, so Roode runs again, but into the tilt-o-whirl! Roode slips out but runs into a back drop!

Lashley fires up while Natty coaches up Roode. Lashley winds it up like Roode does before hitting the big corner clothesline! He runs again, but into boots. Roode hops up for the blockbuster! Cover, TWO! Natty rallies for “Bobby! Bobby!” but so does Mickie. Roode grabs Lashley but Lashley puts him in the corner then on the top rope. Lashley haymakers Roode and climbs up, but Roode hits back with body shots. Lashley staggers back but comes back to toss Roode down! Lio and Mickie are liking what they see, and Lashley takes aim at Roode. Natty looks worried as fans duel between “Let’s Go, Bobby!” “Bobby Sucks!” Who do the mean? Lashley tastes it coming as he runs in at Roode, but Roode sends the spear into the post! Roode winds it up and DC fires up… GLORIOUS!

But Mickie comes in to get in Roode’s face? Natty gets in her face, and the two argue. Mickie SLAPS Natty while Lashley staggers to his feet. Both Natty and Roode get takedowns, and Sharpshooters! Mickie taps but she’s not legal. Lashley endures while the women are separated, but Lio comes up to get on Roode’s nerves. Roode chases Lio off, but turns around into a kick from Lashley. Lashley lifts Roode but Roode slips out. Roode kicks and wants his DDT, but Lashley slips out to run and SPEAR! Cover, Country Dominance wins!

Winners: Bobby Lashley & Mickie James, Lashley pinning

We have another 2-0 team in the Raw Block as Roode & Natty feel the #VeteranImpact of Lashley & Mickie. They join #MonsterEclipse, who will be THE top team come TLC?

As for the GLORIOUS Paws, they’re moving on to face Team B’n’B, Finn Balor & Bayley. This match will be crucial to both teams as they’re 1-1! Who avoids going below 500 while the other rises above?

Another backstage interview with Natalya & Bobby Roode.

This new team-up didn’t make it work, any thoughts? Tonight wasn’t their night, but Natty wants Roode to stay positive because B’n’B is next. Things will turn around so long as they stay positive. Roode apologizes for not being better, but he agrees, Team Paws still has a chance. Against Team B’n’B, they will be victorious, and will still make Mixed Match Challenge– Asuka interrupts with Japanese trash talk, and tops it off with English, “We will win.” Her match alongside The Miz is next!

The Miz & Asuka VS Rusev & Lana!

The Most Must-See Mixed Match Challenge combination went all the way in season one’s single elimination tournament, but Asuka would still lose her singles streak at Wrestlemania. However, The Miz is hoping to help Asuka build this new streak all the way to TLC. Will the MMC continue to be AWESKA? Or will the Bulgarian Brute & the Ravishing Russian CRUSH their aspirations?

As Rusev and Lana make their entrance, Rusev seems to be channeling John Cena as he says “They can’t see us, our time is now!” DC chants “Rusev Day!” for Mr. & Mrs. Machka as the bell rings. Asuka wants to start, and Lana joins her because “Lana is the best~! Lana Number One!” They circle and tie up but then break. Lana has new strength since the last time she faced Asuka and Asuka can tell. They go again but Asuka dodges to show off her shimmy and shake. Seems Asuka has new dance moves since they last met, too. Lana shows her twerking power! Asuka is impressed, and gives her a high-ten. To then mule kick her! Asuka whips Lana into a corner but Lana kicks her away. Lana runs and hits a bulldog! And a Lana-rooni!

Miz comes in but Rusev is in now. Rusev tells Miz to go back to his corner like a “nice boy.” The fans know “Lana is the best~! Lana Number One!” But Miz says he’s the best, only to get boos. Mr. & Mrs. Machka raise their hands and get cheered. Asuka raises her hands and DC erupts, they love her! But Miz raises his hands and gets boos. Mr. & Mrs. Machka go again, and get cheers. Asuka goes again and gets a thunderous cheer! Miz still gets boos. They keep going around, “Yay! YAAAY! Boooo!” But wait, Rusev & Lana kiss and get big cheers. Miz and Asuka can’t kiss, Maryse is Miz’s wife! They kick at Rusev & Lana, but get blocked and rocked with right hands!

The husband and wife control the ring while the team of just friends regroups outside. Rusev builds up speed, but Miz uses Asuka as a shield, again! So Lana leaps on both of them! Lana puts Asuka in the ring, covers, TWO! Lana keeps on Asuka with a whip but Asuka dropkicks her back. Asuka grabs Lana for an armlock. Rusev coaches Lana while the Fabulous Truth comments. Truth is still upset that Ric Flair didn’t face Carmella and instead sent his injured daughter out. Carmella still has to correct Truth on which Flair they were fighting. Back in the ring, Lana endures but Miz says Lana is NOT the best nor is she number one. Asuka reels Lana in for the pop-up knee! Cover, TWO! Asuka climbs up top and leaps but Lana dodges the dropkick! Tag to Rusev!

Miz comes in but Rusev rallies with big lariats. This is payback for the WWE World Cup qualifier during SmackDown! He barrels into Miz with a shoulder in the corner, then keeps moving to hit the heel kick! Rusev keeps moving and DC fires up with him. He stomps the mat as he aims at Miz. Miz dodges the Machka Kick but Rusev denies the Finale to roundhouse! Cover, TWO!! The MMC streak almost ended, but Rusev keeps on Miz. Miz slips out of the back suplex to chopblock. Speaking of Flair, Miz wants the Figure Four but Rusev pushes him away. Asuka tags in, and in comes Lana. Team AWESKA swings on Rusev & Lana, but get reeled into double Accolades! But they aren’t on tight and Aweska escapes. Rusev clotheslines Miz out while Lana roundhouses Asuka. Cover, TWO!! But Lana is ready to CRUSH!

Wait, is that Aiden English?! No, it’s just Miz pretending to be him. It does distract Rusev & Lana long enough, though, and Miz swings on Rusev. Rusev dodges and then chases him. Lana scares Miz into a roundhouse. Asuka hip attacks Rusev but then Lana dumps her out. Lana realizes Miz is down, and decides to CRUSH him! She stomps Miz and puts the Accolade on?! Asuka runs in but Lana dodges to then kick back and hit the Ravishing Facebuster! Cover, but Miz drags her off! Lana finger pokes then slaps and pokes and slaps Miz. She then SLAPS Miz across the face, but ends up in the Asuka Lock! Rusev is too busy going after Miz, Lana taps, Team AWESKA wins!

Winners: The Miz & Asuka, Asuka by submission

And the streak survives! It seems The Drama King is still in the minds of Mr. & Mrs. Machka, even when he’s not around. Rusev & Lana are already 0-2, do they still stand a chance of taking the SmackDown Block? Or will they be better off shifting into spoiler mode?

As for Team AWESKA, they’re 2-0 alongside the #FenomenalFlair. These two teams will meet eventually, but Miz & Asuka must first face the #DayOneGlow in Jimmy Uso & Naomi! Can the season one winners sweep married couples? Or will they end up in the Uce-GLOW Penitentiary with their first loss together?