Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Mixed Match Challenge Starts Off with a Bang

1. The Boss Club Brings It

Put a check in the win column for the Mixed Match Challenge.

One match in and there's a good amount to love from the debuting event. Finn Balor and Sasha Banks defeated Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya on Tuesday night in the tournament's first bout. Facebook Watch aired a high-energy, fresh and entertaining contest. 

Nakamura looked more electric in the ring with Balor than he has in months. The two former New Japan Pro-Wrestling stars' chemistry whirred on-screen.

Banks seemed to be having a blast. She tussled with Natalya on the mat and dove into Nakamura. 

Overall, there was an exciting energy throughout the clash. This was no classic but instead free-flowing action featuring two teams we had never seen before. 

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman summed up the appeal of the Mixed Match Classic opener quite well:

Fun is the key word here. The combination of unique pairings, the inherent stakes of the tournament format and good wrestling made for the squared circle equivalent of comfort food.

The fact that the Mixed Match Classic aired after a sluggish SmackDown played up its entertainment value.

Tuesday's SmackDown featured sleepy in-ring action and canned promos. What followed had a lot more vivacity to it.

Credit: WWE.com

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net noted: "The live crowd seemed hotter for this match than they were for anything on the entire SmackDown Live broadcast."

The rest of the tourney promises to build on this. Pairings like The Miz and Asuka or Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss intrigue. The simple, one-match-at-a-time presentation is easy to digest. And if Banks and Balor vs. Natalya and Nakamura is any indication, there should be a number of quality contests ahead.

2. MLK Day Success

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been kind to some of WWE's Superstars.

Since 2013, three wrestlers have standout records on the holiday. Big E, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are all 3-1 in that span on Raw, per CageMatch.net.

Uso and Big E didn't get a chance to improve on their records this year as they are a part of the SmackDown roster. Reigns, though, knocked off The Miztourage to continue his success on that celebrated day.

On the flip side, The Swiss Cyborg and The One-Man Band haven't been as lucky. 

Cesaro, who fell to Titus Worldwide on Monday alongside Sheamus, is 0-4 on the holiday. Heath Slater almost matches him in the loss department with an 0-3 record on MLK Day since 2013.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston's 10-year anniversary with WWE is fast approaching. The New Day member debuted as part of the ECW brand on Jan. 22, 2008. 

Touted as WWE's first Jamaican Superstar, Kingston took on David Owen in a short match: 

Kingston's gimmick didn't stick. His pasted-on accent went away. But the potential he showed as an electric athlete in this debut led to title win after title win.

4. Kicking Ass and Winning Hearts

Candice LeRae is officially a member of the WWE roster.

That's great news for the company. The Mae Young Classic competitor was one of the most talented women working on the independent scene today.

LeRae is a babyface who creates great pathos. She's endearing, tough, athletic and fiery. She has a smile that could power a small town.

She's thrived in tag team action, against men and women, and will now get to do so on a whole new stage. LeRae will be one to watch moving forward.

5. Saints Stunner 

No one may be able to ever explain what New Orleans Saints defensive back Marcus Williams was doing on the final play against the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday. He whiffed on a tackle in a spectacular way. 

Former NFL punter Pat McAfee posted a shot of Stone Cold Steve Austin getting involved in the action:

Unfortunately, Williams is the subject of many a photo like this, including one of Randy Orton RKOing him. Mistakes become memes in a hurry these days. 

6. Alone to Seek Retribution

The National Wrestling Alliance continues to offer striking content. In the form of an Empty Arena match between Jocephus vs. Tim Storm, the promotion delivered something both different and disturbing.

This no-holds-barred fight showcased Storm's hunger for retribution. The former NWA champ looked possessed as he hunted down the man who brought his family into their rivalry. Storm rolled the husky, braying brute down bleachers, choked him with a railing and whacked him with steel chairs.

It was a tale of the dangers of an eye-for-an-eye approach, a brutal post-modern stage play. 

Storm vs. Jocephus won't remind anyone of the Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega classics, but it worked. The stakes and savagery stood out. And NWA's recent storytelling is making it something to buzz about again. 

7. Roode Wins Gold

Bobby Roode joined the list of wrestlers to claim the United States Championship as his own. On Tuesday's SmackDown, he defeated Jinder Mahal in a tournament final to win the vacant title.

It sure didn't take The Glorious One long to own gold on the blue brand.

To be exact, he won the championship only 147 days after his SmackDown debut. Meanwhile, it took Neville 671 days after his Raw debut to win the Cruiserweight Championship. But Roode has nothing on Balor in terms of rising to the top at an impressive pace. Balor was universal champ just 27 days after moving to Raw.

Roode's victory shortened the list of NXT titleholders who haven't been champion at the next level. 

Of all the men who have won the NXT Championship and moved up to the main roster, only four have not won a title on Raw or SmackDown—Bo Dallas, Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn and Nakamura.

Zayn can change that at the Royal Rumble as he goes up against AJ Styles for the WWE title. Dallas, on the other hand, is so low on the WWE food chain that it's hard to imagine him wearing gold, not counting his jacket.

8. A Paige Retrospective 

Although she's only 25, we may have seen the last of Paige in the ring. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported that due to injury the former Divas champ is "done as an in-ring wrestler."

If that winds up being the case, that's heartbreaking. What an early end to such a promising career.

While fans wait to see if Paige makes a comeback or officially calls it quits, it's a good idea to reflect on some of her best work between the ropes. Be sure to seek out and soak up these bouts: 

• Britani Knight vs. Jessie McKay: Shimmer Volume 43
• Paige vs. Emma: NXT Arrival
• Paige vs. Nikki Bella: Main Event, Jan. 6, 2015
• Paige vs. Charlotte Flair: Survivor Series 2015
• Paige vs. Charlotte Flair: TLC Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2015

Paige had so much left to deliver. She missed much of the rise of the women's division as she dealt with a neck injury and waited out a suspension for violating the Wellness Policy.

A long feud with Banks would have been terrific. Paige vs. Asuka would have torn down the house. And The Anti-Diva would have made an ideal opponent for women like Ruby Riott, Nikki Cross and Ember Moon down the road.

Here's hoping this is a case where the doctors are proved wrong in the end.

9. Please Don't Flatten The Revival

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder's trash talk foreshadowed the smashmouth tag team crossing paths with some of the legends heading to Raw for its 25th anniversary next week. The Revival dismissed names like Steve Austin as they bragged about themselves.

That sounds like a recipe for a whooping from some blasts from the past. A similar situation played out in 2015 when the New World Order ran over The Ascension.

It would be a mistake to repeat that scene. The Revival need to be elevated, not be made punching bags for the sake of nostalgia.

They should absolutely face off with big names from yesteryear, but that meeting is a chance for them to intimidate, earn respect, be on the right side of a big moment. The Revival getting pushed around instead would be a disappointment.

The company has to reflect on the path the once-dominant Ascension has taken. Old guys manhandling them on Raw did them no favors in trying to establish themselves. And now, Viktor and Konnor are comic-relief wrestlers who hang around hoping to earn Breezango's friendship.

The Revival deserves better than that.

10. Ryan on Ricochet

The wave of talent heading to NXT includes arguably the best high-flyer in the world. WWE announced on Tuesday that it had signed Ricochet.

Indy wrestler Joey Ryan is among Ricochet's many fans. The mustached grappler had high praise for the newest member of the WWE family:

That potential will soon be on display at NXT, where Ricochet is poised to tear it up opposite talent like Johnny Gargano, Lio Rush and Aleister Black. Who knows if WWE will fully appreciate him, but the moonsaulting marvel is going to be a blast to watch in his new home regardless.

The duration between days courtesy of TimeandDate.com.

Ryan Dilbert covers WWE and pro wrestling for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @ryandilbert.