Becky Lynch and Bayley were supposed to have a Steel Cage Match tonight Monday Night Raw as the latest chapter in “The Man’s” rivalry with Damage CTRL. However, Lynch was attacked by Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky before the bell rang and ended up on the receiving end of a 3-on-1 beatdown while locked in the cage before the match could officially begin. The fight was eventually knocked out by Adam Pearce as Lynch was clearly unable to compete, leaving many fans wondering why a Steel Cage fight was teased in the first place.

According to Sean Ross Sapp van Conflicting selection, there’s a reason behind that. The match was reportedly going to be given two segments for entries and the match itself, but when the “Tribal Court” segment with The Bloodline and Sami Zayn ended up running long, the match had to be shortened significantly. The only options the showrunners had were to make it a two-minute contest or turn it into a storyline. They clearly chose the latter.

Damage CTRL has made an important statement against @BeckyLynchWWE in the #Steel cage Match on #RAWXXX!@itsBayleyWWE @Iyo_SkyWWE @ImKingKota pic.twitter.com/mF9r8KAXRw

— WWE (@WWE) January 24, 2023

Are you all angry? 😭😭😭 #RAWXXX #DamageCTRL pic.twitter.com/9PqtlLHAUT

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) January 24, 2023

This story develops…