WWE Reportedly Unhappy With Mixed Match Challenge Viewership, Trish Stratus Talks Royal Rumble

- WWE officials have soured on Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook Watch, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They were 'very unhappy' with the decline in viewership in Week 2, which for the live show, dropped about 32% from the premiere episode (from a peak of about 132,600 viewers for Week 1 to 92,000 for Week 2).

There was an even steeper live viewership drop during Week 3, which saw Braun Strowman and Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss beat Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch. The show peaked at around 62,400 viewers, a decline of 54% from the premiere episode and 32% from Week 2.

Despite the decline in live viewership, the number of total views has not dropped as much percentage-wise from Week 1. Thus far, the premiere episode has drawn 1.9 million views after 18 days (Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Natalya), Week 2 has drawn 1.7 million views after 11 days (The Miz and Asuka vs. Big E and Carmella), and Week 3 has drawn 1.6 million views after 4 days.

- Last Sunday at the Royal Rumble event, Trish Stratus made her surprise in-ring return as the 30th and final entrant in the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble Match. The WWE Hall of Famer eliminated three competitors (Nia Jax, Mickie James, and Natalya) before getting tossed out by Sasha Banks. Stratus lasted in the match for over five minutes.

In the video below, Stratus discusses the significance of the match, the current stars she's excited to share the ring with, and what she misses most about wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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