10 Absolute Worst Ways WWE Dragged Out Feuds

9. Balls To Internal Narrative Logic

Blue Balls
WWE.com

In the fiction of WWE, there is little more decisive than the Iron Man stip. How else can one prove their superiority over an opponent than by defeating them multiple times in one match?

Having traded wins on RAW, it was decided that Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins would wage war under those rules not to determine the better man once and for all, but to prolong the programme and the Extreme Rules '18 stream. WWE management had a bloody cheek by removing the countdown clock to deprive the crowd of its defiant joy; they themselves were counting down to the four-hour mark, knowing a minutes-viewed bonus awaited.

Fans were in a defiant mood because the preceding PPV was unadulteratedly awful, and because the main event was a victim of timing, circumstance, and over-booking. Contrived falls were front-loaded arbitrarily; between them, we're going long rest holds and I have more endurance than you star jump taunts. Drew McIntyre cost Ziggler a fall in the early going, as a long-term tactical measure, but settled the match without incurring another penalty at the finish. WWE dragged out the programme by defying the continuity established less than 30 minutes prior in a match that was pitched as something decisive but settled not a bloody thing.

So much of WWE is "meh" in how disposable it is - even a supposed 30 minute epic contested by the most hardcore popular act on the roster.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!