10 Modern WWE PPV Matches Allocated Far Too Much Time

7. Bret Hart Vs. Vince McMahon - WrestleMania XXVI

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

Match length: 11:07.

Why it was too long: 11:07 might not seem too long, on the surface, but the whole mess shouldn't have made it on to the card at all. Hart was both incapable of and uninsured to take any flat-back bumps as a result of a Lloyds of London insurance policy payout. Unable to sell any real offence, Hart could only smash McMahon with a lead pipe ad nauseam.

The whole thing, which was received with nothing more than widespread bemusement, could have been concluded in under two minutes. Better still, it could have easily been tacked on to another match as a Teddy Long special; at least then, there might have been some drama as fans anticipated the moment Hart was to exact his long sought after vengeance.

As it happened, even the famously egotistical Hitman couldn't possibly have gleaned any catharsis.

Consider Rey Mysterio and CM Punk, who were well on their way to assembling a 'Mania midcard match for the ages. They had to cut their bout short just as it was getting great. If they'd had an extra seven minutes to work with, we might have been treated to a spiritual sequel to something as vaunted as Angle Vs. Benoit at 'Mania X-Seven.

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!