5 superstars who can replace Enzo Amore in the Mixed Match Challenge

WWE will be venturing into uncharted waters later this month as they roll out The Mixed Match Challenge. Vince McMahon’s promotion will be joining hands with Facebook for the tournament which is scheduled to start on January 16th.

The 12-episode series will see superstars from both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live compete in a single-elimination mixed tag team tournament to win $100,000 to support a charity of their choice.

While everything seemed perfect heading into this ground-breaking tournament, WWE apparently hit a roadblock last day when Cruiserweight champion Enzo Amore went down with flu.

Raw General Manager Kurt Angle immediately went on Twitter to announce that Enzo will no longer be part of the MMC. The Olympic gold medallist also said that he will be finding a replacement for Enzo soon.

As Kurt takes his time to weigh his options, we are going to list down some superstars who could be a major boost for the tournament.

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#5 Curt Hawkins

The Losing streak of Curt would make a good storyline for MMC

What works for Curt Hawkins is his losing streak. He would be dying to get back on winning ways and since an opportunity has opened up in the Mixed Match Challenge, Hawkins could petition Kurt Angle for the spot.

Hawkins running behind Angle for the opportunity can be the plot driver for some good segments on Raw. In addition to this, once Angle allows Hawkins to be in the tournament, things will be more interesting.

From a kayfabe point of view, none of the women would want to team up with him due to the losing streak. All these conflicts can result in a great storyline for the tournament and of course a great start to the year for Hawkins.

#4 Matt Hardy

The unique character of Hardy will certainly entertain the fans

While the losing streak works for Curt Hawkins, two things favor Matt Hardy.

One: the nostalgic appeal that he brings in.

Hardy is one of the pioneers of the Attitude Era and some old fans could be attracted to the tournament because of him.

Second: the uniqueness of his character.

The Woken gimmick is still in its infancy but it’s safe to say that there isn’t anything like it in the WWE. If provided some creative freedom, Hardy could give the fans something different altogether. His presence would be a breath of fresh air amidst all the regular wrestling personas that WWE has lined up for the tournament.

The Woken version of Hardy working with a women performer would be fun to watch as well.

#3 Jason Jordan

Angle favoring Jordan once again can garner a lot of heat from the fans

The Kurt Angle – Jason Jordan storyline has been well crafted by WWE so far. The Mixed Match Challenge could be added to this story as a new chapter.

Angle, as the general manager of Monday Night Raw, has enough power to choose whoever he wants to replace Enzo. If Angle picks Jordan over other deserving candidates just because Jordan is his son, it would gel in with WWE’s on-going storyline.

Jordan would generate a good amount of heat in the process. This, in turn, will sow the seeds for a heel turn that could happen in the future. Just like the case with Hardy and Hawkins, the possible teammates of Jordan also make his addition intriguing.

#2 Roman Reigns

Reigns can bring star power to the tournament

Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura locking horns in the ring or Roman Reigns and Sasha Banks teaming up: these are just a couple of mouth-watering scenarios in which WWE can use Reigns.

The possibilities are many. One other thing that puts Reigns into the discussion is his popularity. Whether you like him or not, he has a huge fan following that could skyrocket the MMC viewership.

And as it’s such an important deal for WWE (more about this in the next slide), it would make sense for them to use one of their biggest stars to draw more fans. There is one other superstar that could serve a similar purpose and he is featured on the next slide.

#1 John Cena

Cena can bring more mainstream attention to the MMC and benefit WWE in the long run

The reason why John Cena is on the list is the same reason why Roman Reigns is on the list.

It doesn’t get bigger than Cena. The popularity of the Cenation leader is unmatched and there need not be any debates about it. And this drawing power of Cena is why WWE should include him in the tournament.

The MMC tournament will be WWE’s first major deal with Facebook. For both parties, it’s a case of testing waters.

For Facebook, they need to know whether wrestling would sell on their platform. For WWE, they need to show that wrestling would sell on the platform as it would open the doors for future broadcast deals.

As we have seen in many reports that came up, a broadcast deal with Facebook would give WWE huge monetary benefits. And the amount of money involved will be much higher than what they get from their current television rights.

Having Cena in the tournament instantly makes it more popular and credible, which will essentially translate to more viewership. This can benefit WWE in the long run and explore further deals with Facebook.

The only problem here would be the tight schedule of Cena. But if WWE manages to think around it, it would be a win for everyone.

Who else do you think can replace Enzo Amore? Let us know in the comment section.