WWE RAW Main Event Finish Was Reportedly Botched
Monday's WWE RAW main event saw Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley of The Hurt Business defeat T-BAR, Mace and Slapjack of Retribution via disqualification. The DQ came when Lashley had the Full Nelson on Slapjack, and T-BAR hit Lashley from the apron to break the submission.
The ending to the match was reportedly botched. The finish was supposed to be an eye poke, and not the save, which is why the match was called with the DQ, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
This was another example of one of WWE's "secret rules" coming into play. It was noted that WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, when laying out matches, is very adamant that in a tag team match, the illegal man cannot hit a legal man or it is an automatic DQ, unless it's done behind the referee's back.
There can be double team off-tags for five seconds because that's an old rule, and you are allowed to make saves, so that it's not a DQ. The Observer noted that this is where things can get complicated as producers and the wrestlers have to be very careful with brawling dives and four-ways in tag team matches because an illegal man is never allowed to touch a legal man, because if they do, the referee is supposed to call the DQ. The referees are told to call the match as a shoot.
Regarding Monday's match, T-BAR hit Slapjack and was actually making a save when Lashley had the Full Nelson applied, and by the rules, this was actually not a DQ. However, it happened anyway as it slipped through the cracks, and they ended up violating their own rule because no one thought Lashley's finisher at that moment was a finish, thinking it was just a Full Nelson and not a pin.
Another source noted to The Observer that referees are told that any eye pokes or low blows are supposed to be called as disqualifications, which is why they always set up the distractions for them. The finish to Monday's six-man was supposed to have been an eye poke, and not a save, which explains the disqualification.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
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