WWE Raw XXX, the special episode to celebrate the flagship show’s thirtieth anniversary was a major success by a number of measures. Guest appearances by Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, DX, Kurt Angle, Teddy Long, and other resonated with fans on a nostalgic note. The Bloodline’s trial of Sami Zayn was one of the most entertaining promo segments in recent memory, and the surprise return of Brock Lesnar ended the show on a high note. Perhaps most importantly, the episode was a major ratings success.

Related: Raw Winners and Losers: Lesnar Returns as Raw Turns 30 Years OldIndeed, the one piece of the show that fell flat was what happened to the advertised Becky Lynch vs. Bayley Steel Cage Match. The match was over before it started, with Damage CTRL attacking Big Time Becks, beating her down inside the cage, and bout itself never officially starting.

What Were The Original Plans For The Becky Lynch Vs. Bayley Steel Cage Match

Damage CTRL Becky Lynch Cage WWE Raw XXX

Word emerged the day after Raw that the episode’s opening segment had run long, and so it was The Bloodline’s trial of Sami Zayn that precluded the women’s cage match from having time to go on as originally scheduled. That left the question: what were the original plans for Becky Lynch vs. Bayley?

PWInsider (h/t SEScoops) offered answers, suggesting that the original plan was for a full-fledged match to occur. Therein, Lynch was lined up win, only for Damage CTRL to attack her afterward, allowing Bayley to get her heat back. As such, the heel faction leaving The Man sprawling in the ring wasn’t so different from the end result of what they were working toward, minus simply having a match and Lynch picking up the duke.

Was WWE Raw XXX Hurt By The Canceled Cage Match?

the undertaker on a motorcycle
via WWE

On hand, Raw XXX had a stacked enough card with enough memorable moments that it’s hard to call the show anything but smash success for WWE. However, as fans on social media were quick to point out with the hashtag WWEWomenDeserveBetter, it was a disappointment for the biggest women’s match on the card—not to mention to top-shelf talents from the women’s division—to lose their spot.

Raw XXX did include a moment between Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair, followed by Belair defeating Sonya Deville (a short match, much of which happened during a commercial break). Rhea Ripley made her presence felt when Judgment Day challenged The Usos, and Alexa Bliss cut a promo. All of these pieces mean women did have a place on the show. However, two weeks after Stephanie McMahon resigned from her co-CEO post with WWE, this episode felt like a bit of a throwback in a not-so-positive sense with women getting short shrift on such a high profile episode.

Becky Lynch and Bayley have both proven themselves to have not only incredible talent, but staying power. The two performers and their feud will be just fine, but it is a shame they didn’t have the opportunity to put on what likely would have been the match of the night in front the large audience tuned in for WWE Raw XXX.

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