WWE MMC Feb. 13, 2018: Match 5 – Elias & Bayley vs. Rusev & Lana

Tonight on Facebook Watch, the husband/wife duo of Rusev & Lana will go head-to-head against
Bayley & Elias in a first-round showdown on WWE Mixed Match Challenge.
Although Samoa Joe won the right to partner with Bayley in a Facebook fan exclusive vote, his
injury resulted in Elias joining forces with Raw’s favorite hugger to represent Team Red in the
innovative tournament.

The two Superstars may seem like opposites at first glance, but Elias and Bayley share the distinction
of emerging to prominence in the turbulent world of NXT, having dared to bring their respective forms
of self-expression to the main roster – Elias through song and Bayley as the Superstar who isn’t afraid
to hug it out. However, when the bell rings, both competitors are all business, and it’s this mutual
no-nonsense approach that will make them a dangerous tandem.

In the weeks leading up to their first-round match, Bayley, a trailblazing NXT Women’s Champion who
went on to capture the Raw Women’s Title, possessed the foresight to build chemistry with the up-and-coming
Elias. Now that it appears they have indeed found common ground, the stronger alliance could prove
extremely beneficial for both Superstars

On the other side, the in-ring partnership between Rusev and Lana is an intriguing one to say the least.
The Bulgarian Brute is a two-time United States Champion who demands respect in both singles and tag team
competition. While The Ravishing Russian has not competed as extensively as her spouse, the Total Divas
co-star recently participated in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match and has dedicated herself to
her husband’s rigorous and unorthodox training regimen, signaling that she is ready for top-notch competition.
Obviously, success for any tag team requires more than physical skill. There must also be an intuition between
the competitors, something that can take years for two Superstars to develop. However, for a married couple in
love, there is a much higher chance that element will already be intact, raising the odds that tonight’s WWE
Mixed Match Challenge showdown will end up being transformed into Rusev Day!

The two teams will battle in the ground-breaking tournament for the opportunity to win $100,000 for their charity.
Each showdown will follow traditional Mixed Tag Team Match rules: When tagged, male Superstars face off
with the opposing team’s male competitor, and female Superstars battle fellow female competitors.
Rusev & Lana partner with Global Citizen in WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Bayley & Elias to compete for Americares in WWE Mixed Match Challenge
The winning team will take on either the robe-dawning duo of United States Champion Bobby Roode & SmackDown
Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair or Titus Worldwide’s Apollo Crews and the formidable Nia Jax.