WWE Mixed Match Challenge results: "The Boss Club" def. Nakamura & Natalya in whirlwind premiere

On the premiere of the groundbreaking WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament, "The Boss Club" squares off against The King of Strong Style & The Queen of Harts, courtesy of Facebook Watch.

LAREDO, Texas – WWE Mixed Match Challenge debuted on Facebook Watch with a dynamic new feel and an explosive first-round matchup pitting Raw’s Finn Bálor & Sasha Banks against SmackDown LIVE’s Shinsuke Nakamura & Natalya.

How to watch WWE Mixed Match Challenge

Whether Mixed Match Challenge hosts Renee Young and Byron Saxton were offering their reaction to the showdown from ringside or WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix was bringing her expertise to the broadcast table alongside Michael Cole and Corey Graves, it was clear from the get-go that the groundbreaking 12-week tournament would be something special.

With the sound of the opening bell, however, all the team hype, selfies and backstage shenanigans came to a sudden halt, as two of the tournament’s most intense tandems squared off and began their quest to win $100,000 for their charity.

Competing under traditional mixed tag team rules, the early goings of the bout featured the male and female team members feeling out their counterpart. An all-out war soon broke out between Sasha and Natalya, which stopped only momentarily when Nakamura caught The Boss mid-attack outside the ring. Then, when Banks finally managed to tag Bálor back into the action, a furious back-and-forth ensued between Bálor and Nakamura that proved just as intense.

In the height of the action, Bálor and Banks displayed superior teamwork, which proved to be the difference in neutralizing their opponents. The surging Banks dropped The Queen of Harts with the backstabber, then quickly locked her in The Bank Statement to force the tapout!

Check out photos from the opening match in WWE Mixed Match Challenge Tournament, featuring Bálor & The Boss against The King of Strong Style & The Queen of Harts.

The hard-fought victory moved Bálor and Banks one step closer in their bid to win $100,000 for the Special Olympics. In Week 2, their opponents will be decided when The Miz & Asuka clash with Big E & Carmella. Don’t miss WWE Mixed Match Challenge, every Tuesday at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.
 

WWE Mixed Match Challenge premieres on Facebook Watch on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 p.m. ET. Here is how you can catch all the action on Facebook Watch.