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WWE announced today a mixed-gender tag team tournament scheduled to begin in the middle of January. In an innovation, it will be broadcast live on Facebook's YouTube competitor, Facebook Watch, starting January 16th at 10 PM, after SmackDown. Is WWE looking to get digital broadcasting rights and move away from traditional TV in the future? With all the cord cutting, it's a wise experiment.
As such, WWE wasted no time in announcing the participants, many of which are the company's biggest stars. The following superstars will compete for their respective brands:
Fans will vote to determine the final member of each brand's team, narrowing it down from 14 to 12.
This tournament could be quite a bit of fun, but what really matters is pairing each team up properly. With the lineup as it looks, here are superstars that seem obvious teammates, based on alignments, booking, and gimmicks.
We'll begin with RAW's teams.
Team 1: Alexa Bliss and The Miz
Both are outstanding heel mic workers. The pre-match promos the two would be able to cut together would make for an instantly memorable program, which is what WWE should be aiming for in an experiment of this potential importance. Their safe, villainous styles of wrestling would also complement each other well in the ring.
This pairing has a very high chance of happening, and should it happen, they will go far.
Team 2: Alicia Fox and Goldust
Their gimmicks are kind of alike in that they're both somewhat crazy, but what really makes these two an almost certain tandem is that, unfortunately for them, they're low on WWE's totem pole. Someone has to lose first and these two are probably there to do that.
Team 3: Asuka and Braun Strowman
This one is a possibility that should frighten every other participant. Worse for them, the odds are good for it to happen. Both are in the midst of monster pushes. Both stood tall as survivors at Survivor Series. Both will be huge parts of WrestleMania.
Both have undeniable auras that make them a spectacle to watch. Perhaps most importantly, both are currently babyfaces. If WWE wants to construct a monster babyface team, Braun Strowman and Asuka are obvious partners.
If that indeed winds up being the case, they must be considered the heavy favourites to win the whole thing. Someone has to, after all.
Team 4: Bayley and Finn Balor
These two superstars were immensely important to the success of NXT and headlined its golden age as champions. Bayley's victory over Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship was probably the most iconic moment in its history. Finn Balor, meanwhile, was the longest-reigning NXT Champion, who was in the glory of his run at the very same time.
Both are babyfaces with an underdog aura as well.
This pairing has a pretty good chance of happening.
Team 5: Nia Jax and Enzo Amore
Of all the teams, this is probably the most likely. With their budding romance on 205 Live, pairing them together in this tournament would be the most logical thing to do.
Though I'm not really a fan of either, and their ring work will certainly be a drag, the dynamic of the monstrous Nia alongside the weaselly trash talker Enzo who cheats to win his matches should be quite a funny one, if done properly.
Team 6: Sasha Banks and Samoa Joe, Elias, or Jason Jordan
This one will likely be most influenced by the fans, with Samoa Joe being the favourite to take part in the tournament. Whoever winds up being the winner, it's something of an odd pairing given Sasha Banks is a babyface while Samoa Joe and Elias are heels, and Jason Jordan is rapidly becoming one.
Regardless, Sasha Banks and Samoa Joe should make for great ring work together. Look for them to go far. It's too bad we won't get to see the heel side of Sasha team up with Joe, as that would make for an amazing spectacle.
Now, let's move on to the SmackDown teams.
Team 7: Charlotte Flair and Bobby Roode
Both are faces, both have similar entrances and entrance attire, and both have similar gimmicks. The Queen and the Glorious One would certainly make the most sense to team together out of the blue brand's announced participants.
Team 8: Natalya and Big E, Xavier Woods, or Kofi Kingston
Much like RAW's side, the announced participants necessitate an odd pairing, and this seems most likely to be SmackDown's.
The face/heel dynamic could be confusing, but both Natalya and all the New Day members are very good workers. It would also be rather funny to see the normally stodgy Queen of Harts teamed up with someone much more flamboyant. The comedic element would make up for Natalya's biggest problem in her lack of mic work and charismatic presence.
Team 9: Carmella and Sami Zayn
This announcement was kind of sloppy, as it gives away the result at Clash of Champions. Regardless, Carmella and Sami Zayn both seem like a good match for each other as obnoxious heels.
Carmella isn't as good as Sami Zayn is in the ring or on the mic, but he should help her here, and their acts should mesh well together. Expect a lot of cheating and shenanigans.
Team 10: Naomi and Jimmy Uso
This one seems fairly obvious, given that these two are married in real life.
They have very different entrances and personas, so it will be interesting to see how the off-screen couple meshes together as an on-screen team. Ring-wise, Jimmy has a very strong claim to being the best tag team wrestler in the world, and pairing him with Naomi should help her to have even stronger performances.
This is a team that could go deep into the tournament and might be an outside a sleeper favourite to win.
Team 11: Lana and Rusev
Like Jimmy Uso and Naomi, these two are married in real life. Unlike them, they had heat backstage because of their off-screen partnership, so the chances of this pairing are lower than the previous husband/wife duo, but still fairly high. After all, they are on Total Divas, a show which is advertised heavily on both RAW and SmackDown. More odiously, they're both foreign heels.
The biggest weakness with such a pairing will obviously be Lana's subpar ring work, but Rusev can carry the tandem. Both are very entertaining on the microphone and should make for excellent promos.
Sadly, Rusev is one of the most criminally underused superstars on the roster, so I expect them to lose in the first round. Someone has to, after all.
Team 12: Becky Lynch and Shinsuke Nakamura
An electric team in the making, though it comes more as a result of the process of elimination more than as a likely pairing on its own. Regardless, both are immensely popular babyfaces who can go at 100 in the ring. Both are fiery personalities who can entertain a crowd.
And if indeed Shinsuke Nakamura is favored to win the Royal Rumble, while Becky Lynch is likely to take part in the big horsewomen match at WrestleMania, they could go deep into the tournament, if not be an outside bet to win.
We'll find out more about the makeup of the teams as the tournament draws closer, but these are my early predictions. Agree? Disagree? If so, what are yours?
