10 Modern WWE PPV Matches Allocated Far Too Much Time

9. John Cena Vs. The Rock - WrestleMania XXVIII

John Cena Randy Orton Hell in a Hell 2014
WWE.com

Match length: 30:33

Why it was too long: WWE severely overestimated Rock's conditioning and seriously underestimated his ring rust.

The Rock is an underrated in-ring performer, but in truth, unless they featured several shortcuts, like crazed arena-wide brawls, he never truly excelled in matches which exceeded the twenty-five minute mark. That was when he was a leaner, fitter, active member of the WWF roster.

The 2012-onwards model Rock is an over-muscled and under-conditioned behemoth who is even less of a marathon man. Perhaps the tag bout against the Awesome Truth at Survivor Series 2011, in which Rock barely did anything, convinced him that he was up to the task.

Whatever the reason, the realisation that he wasn't was etched on his face within five minutes; completely gassed, the match was a heated if boring and protracted parade of restholds and rest periods. Shortening the match length would have created a sense of urgency about the affair, which would have added to its entertainment value and saved the Rock the embarrassment of sucking air like a beached fish.

There isn't enough space here to debate the merits (or lack thereof) Cena has between the ropes, but one thing's for sure: he's no Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, or anybody else capable of hoisting an opponent comprehensively beyond his ability or fitness level.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!