10 Modern WWE PPV Matches Allocated Far Too Much Time
'Stop! Stop! It's already dead!'
In the main, wrestling matches are fairly easy to time. A squash match should take no less than five minutes, if that. An undercard match should take no longer than twelve, generally. Depending on how stacked the top of the card is, a midcard bout should be between ten and a maximum of twenty. A main event can go up to an hour, but no less than fifteen. Nobody contesting a match for a title, even if it's their first challenge, should be vanquished in less than that time.
You get the idea.
But, apparently, WWE doesn't. There have been countless occasions in recent years which have seen the company completely misjudge the length of a given match. This isn't just infuriating in itself - it can have grave repercussions on the rest of the card, as you'll see in a few clicks.
A match can outstay its welcome for several reasons. The talent involved may be massively overexposed, or may not have the repertoire to justify it. It might feature non-wrestlers who aren't up to the task. In the most infuriating cases, the match have just one objective or point of interest - and take forever to get there...
10. John Cena Vs. Bray Wyatt - WrestleMania XXX
Match Length: 22:24
Why it was too long: Many are convinced Cena won't turn heel in his lifetime - let alone in under twenty three minutes.
The through-line of the match necessitated its length, to a degree, but it was a plot ridden with holes and logic gaps. Kane had already failed in his dishwater-dull quest to have Cena 'embrace the hate' - having Wyatt attempt to 'unleash the monster within Cena' was a nonsensical retread of something which was already assured a place in the annals of Wrestlecrap history.
Worse still, the match betrayed its characters and poured scorn on the audience, who were expected to believe that Cena, as a man who'd previously been in umpteen violent and bloody gimmick matches, was suddenly reluctant to batter somebody with a bit of aluminium.
The match would have been better served as an all-action, fifteen minute war. It would have enhanced the rest of the card, too - both Triple H Vs. Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker Vs. Brock Lesnar had the large-scale epic stakes covered. The time would have been better served putting Cesaro's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory over the top.
WWE has a nasty habit of mistiming matches on its biggest night, as we'll see...