Fans excited about the Steel Cage Match between Bayley and Becky Lynch on “WWE Raw is XXX” were left confused as the match abruptly ended without the referee signaling the bell.
According to Fightful Select, WWE had to change the plans for the Bayley vs. Lynch bout because the “Tribal Court” segment with The Bloodline ran longer than expected, forcing several segments to be shortened for the remainder of the show.
The original plan was for the match and entrances to span two segments, which typically allows for a 10-14 minute match. However, once the opening segment ran over time, WWE opted to set up an angle leading to a future full match rather than rushing through a brief cage match.
Given the packed schedule for the 30th-anniversary episode of “Raw,” adjustments were necessary. The angle kicked off after Bayley and Lynch made their entrances, with Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Dakota Kai ambushing Lynch.
They slammed her into the cage wall with a double-team flapjack, further assaulting her by smashing her back against the cage and locking it to keep WWE Official Adam Pearce and others out. After a moonsault from Kai, Damage CTRL executed a triple-team move, driving Lynch face-first into the mat.
Pearce eventually used bolt cutters to get into the ring, but Lynch was deemed unable to compete. The segment ended with Damage CTRL posing on top of the cage.
Both Bayley and Lynch are confirmed for Saturday’s Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Lynch has a chance to win the Rumble for the second time, having first won in 2019, while Bayley has yet to win the event.