SmackDown Live women’s champion Charlotte Flair and “Glorious” Bobby Roode are one of 12 teams competing in the Mixed Match Challenge. The upcoming WWE series on Facebook Watch is set to start this week with the all the teams comprising of many odd partnerships. The Mixed Match Challenge will last for 12 weeks and each episode is set to air for 20 minutes right after SmackDown Live .
As recapped by WWE.com , the remaining teams in the Mixed Match Challenge are Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman, Sasha Banks and Finn Balor, Lana and Rusev, Naomi and Jimmy Uso, Nia Jax and Apollo Crews, Asuka and The Miz, Alicia Fox and Goldust, Bayley and Elias, Natalya and Shinsuke Nakamura, Becky Lynch and Sami Zayn, and Carmella and Big E.
Many fans are wondering why these teams are put together but it’s great for fans to see these WWE superstars are working as teams. Bliss and Strowman are already the favorites while Fox and Goldust have the same unpredictability. Real-life couples Lana and Rusev, and Naomi and Jimmy makes sense but teams such as Charlotte-Roode, Asuka-The Miz, and Natalya-Nakamura are just odd pairings. However, a recent report has revealed the reason why one of those teams were put together.
According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer (h/t Cageside Seats ), the reason why Charlotte Flair and Bobby Roode were put together is for the WWE Universe to call them “The Robe Warriors.” It’s a play on the Road Warriors and the fact that both superstars wear robes for their respective entrances.
Charlotte is the daughter of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair so it makes sense for her to put on the robe while Roode was simply influenced by the wrestling legend. He also looks glorious in a robe. The odd duo has already started preparing for the Mixed Match Challenge as they trade robes in a recent post on social media by Roode, per Sportskeeda .
In the first round of the Mixed Match Challenge, Charlotte and Roode are going to face the team of Nia Jax and Apollo Crews. If they win that match, they will fight the winner of the match between Bayley and Elias, and Lana and Rusev. So far, Charlotte and Roode are among the favorites to win the tournament.
The Mixed Match Challenge is set to debut on Facebook Watch on January 16 right after SmackDown Live around 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The tournament will temporarily replace 205 Live , which will begin to air on the WWE Network right after the Mixed Match Challenge.