What’s the story?
Earlier this week Dave Meltzer spoke of potential timing issues WWE may have had at last weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Speaking to Bryan Alvarez on the much lauded Wrestling Observer Radio show, Meltzer reported that wrestlers were coming out of their pods at inconsistent time-periods during the eponymous main event as opposed to coming out at the official five-minute intervals.
Alvarez also said that the SmackDown Women’s Championship match was cut short by two minutes, which led to Alexa Bliss and Naomi rushing somewhat and mistiming a number of spots.
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The nature of professional wrestling is such that it is difficult to time perfectly, such is the physical and chaotic nature of the art, and this is particularly true at the highest level. The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is the latest example of talents being restricted because of timing problems.
The heart of the matter
Even so, committing to WWE official timed intervals is folly at best. The Royal Rumble is supposed to see a new entry every two minutes (or 90 seconds some years) but anyone who decides to watch the match with a stopwatch will know that this simply isn’t true.
This won’t be the first time that Elimination Chamber entrants have entered the match at inconsistent intervals and it almost certainly won’t be the last.
WWE is in control of its own universe and as such can do as it pleases with timing in gimmick matches, but Alexa Bliss and Naomi will have every right to be aggrieved about their match being cut short. This was Naomi’s big moment, and whilst the emotion was almost certainly still there, it was a shame that the full story wasn’t able to be played out.
What’s next?
Absolutely nothing. WWE will continue to control its own universe and commit to certain timed intervals, before flouting those intervals in the matches themselves. It isn’t a big deal in the slightest.
As for the timing problems with the Women’s Championship match, the two competitors will have no choice but to dust themselves off and accept it as occasionally inevitable in the crazy world of professional wrestling.
Sportskeeda’s take
The Bliss/Naomi match may well have suffered because of the few minutes being shaved off, but we are also of the opinion that botches can often help a match, adding to the legitimacy of the combat. Our enjoyment of that match and the Elimination Chamber itself certainly was not compromised by the timing issues.
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