WWE Forced To Make Major Changes To Women's Royal Rumble?

At least the women's Rumble delivered the right winner...

Io Shirai Riott Squad
WWE.com

Becky Lynch's victory means history will almost certainly be kind to WWE's second women's Royal Rumble, but it was an uneven bout that struggled to get going early on.

There's a good reason for this. Per Dave Meltzer in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE were forced to make multiple changes to the women's Rumble during the course of the bout.

Much of these were down to "timing issues," as a number of ring entrances dragged on too long, and several performers failed to make their scripted spots on time. WWE also failed to account for the massive entrance way, the size of which meant a number of spots had to be drawn out.

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The women's Rumble overran at 72 minutes. To contrast, the men's bout lasted just 57. This helps explain why the main event felt so rushed, as entrants were reportedly instructed to hurry through their ring entrances in order to save time.

A mammoth show at seven hours (including the two-hour Kickoff), Royal Rumble 2019 could have benefited from significant trimming, though WWE's refusal to cut matches short is admirable in an era where "they didn't get enough time" is a common complaint.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.