Note On SummerSlam Match Being Cut Short Due To Time Constraints

By Sai Mohan

The Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan match at Saturday's SummerSlam premium live event reportedly "had a lot of time cut" due to time constraints.

According to Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer, The Miz vs. Logan Paul match went longer than anticipated, which forced WWE producers to cut short the Rousey vs. Morgan bout for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

While The Miz vs. Paul match went for 14 minutes and 15 seconds, the Rousey vs. Morgan match lasted all of 4 minutes and 34 seconds.

WWE also aired several video packages in-between the four-hour SummerSlam, featuring the career highlights of Superstars such as Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair and Kevin Owens. Alvarez noted that the video packages also contributed to the Rousey vs. Morgan match being cut short.

Most of the SmackDown Women's Title match was built around Rousey inflicting damage on the champion's arm, forcing the trainer to repeatedly check on Morgan. As she continued to attack Morgan's arm, Rousey locked in the Armbar, but Morgan stood up to plant Rousey's shoulders on the mat for a pinfall victory. However, Morgan had tapped before the referee counted to three, which the announcers acknowledged on the live broadcast. After the match, an irate Rousey destroyed Morgan and put her in another Armbar. When the referee tried to contain her, Rousey did the same to him, forcing WWE officials to make a run-in to restrain her.

The post-match angle essentially established Ronda Rousey's heel turn. Seeing as she laid her hands on a WWE referee, it's likely that she's suspended or fined for her actions on "SmackDown" this coming Friday. With Becky Lynch turning babyface on the same night, many fans on social media are hopeful for the long-awaited Rousey vs. Lynch match down the road.

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