WWE Mixed Match Challenge Bracket Released Ahead of Debut Show on Facebook

WWE unveiled the bracket for the inaugural Mixed Match Challenge on Thursday.

The company made the announcement on YouTube:

The six first-round matches are listed below:

• Finn Balor/Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura/Natalya
• The Miz/Asuka vs. Big E/Carmella
• Braun Strowman/Alexa Bliss vs. Sami Zayn/Becky Lynch
• Goldust/Alicia Fox vs. Jimmy Uso/Naomi
• Elias/Bayley vs. Rusev/Lana
• Apollo Crews/Nia Jax vs. Bobby Roode/Charlotte Flair 

A pair of teams from Raw are arguably the early favorites to win the tournament.

Braun Strowman has been almost unstoppable on WWE's flagship show, and he'll partner with Raw women's champion Alexa Bliss. It's hard to see how anybody will be able to topple that pair.

The size differential between the 6'8" Strowman and the 5'1" Bliss also figures to make them one of the most entertaining teams.

Finn Balor and Sasha Banks figure to be a serious threat as well. Balor was the first-ever universal champion, and Banks is a former NXT women's champion and four-time Raw women's champion.

A potential matchup between Strowman/Bliss and Balor/Banks could be one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the Mixed Match Challenge.

Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch, Strowman and Bliss' first-round opponents, could be a dark-horse tandem. In terms of in-ring ability, they're the strongest team in the bracket, and their combined popularity could see them through to the semifinals regardless of whether Strowman and Bliss eliminate them.

According to WWE.com, one of the four semifinal spots will be reserved for a team that has already been eliminated. In that respect, the momentum Zayn and Kevin Owens have built behind the "Yep Movement" could be pivotal to Zayn and Lynch.

The Mixed Match Challenge will officially begin Jan. 16, with the matches shown on Facebook Watch.