Why Becky Lynch Vs. Bayley Steel Cage Match On WWE Raw Is XXX Didn't Happen

Fans looking forward to the Steel Cage Match between bitter rivals Bayley and Becky Lynch on "WWE Raw is XXX" were left puzzled as the match ended abruptly, with the referee never calling for the bell. 

According to Fightful Select, WWE called an audible on the Bayley vs. Lynch bout due to the earlier "Tribal Court" segment featuring The Bloodline going longer than planned, which meant that "several segments needed to be trimmed" through the rest of the show.  

Fightful added that the original plan was for "the match and entrances to get two segments," which would have typically meant a 10-14 minute match at the least. Once the opening Bloodline segment ran too long, WWE felt it made sense to "work an angle to set up to a full on match" at a later date, rather than having a short cage match lasting barely a few minutes. WWE obviously had a ton of segments already planned for the rest of its 30-year anniversary edition of "Raw."

The angle in question was set up after Bayley and Lynch got their entrances, following which Damage CTRL's IYO SKY and Dakota Kai jumped "The Man" and launched her into the wall of the cage with a double-team flapjack. Thereafter, Kai once again smashed Lynch's back against the cage before locking the cage to deny WWE Official Adam Pearce and others entry into the cage. Following a moonsault from Kai, Damage CTRL hit a triple-team move planting Lynch face-first to the mat.  

Eventually, Pearce used a boltcutter to enter the ring, but Lynch was deemed unable to compete. The segment ended with Damage CTRL posing atop the cage. 

Both Bayley and Lynch are confirmed entrants in Saturday's Women's Royal Rumble Match. Lynch has the opportunity to win the annual battle royal for the second time in her career, following her victory in the second-ever Women's Royal Rumble in 2019, meanwhile, Bayley has never won the Rumble.