Nikki Bella and Paige had spent weeks making their SmackDown feud increasingly personal, only for the actual match to be over almost as soon as it started. Fans weren’t happy about it, and WWE quickly started taking heat over how little time the two women received.
During the September 11 episode of SmackDown in Mexico City, Nikki and Paige finally went one-on-one after trading increasingly nasty shots in the build to the match. Despite all that attention, the match lasted only around three minutes. That immediately became the story for fans watching at home. One questioned why WWE couldn’t find more time for the two Hall of Famers.
“couldn’t give them more than 3 minutes because???”
Another fan was seriously shocked that a match involving two names who had managed to get so much attention ended almost immediately.
“Wtf was this @WWE???? Having these 2 legends trending and you give me a 2 minute match?!”
That’s not all, because another fan made the same point while questioning how WWE handled two of the most talked-about women on the show.
“One of the most popular feuds on smackdown and you gave them a 2 minute match??? Glad I don’t watch ts 😭”
The frustration kept coming, with another fan wanting an explanation for the short runtime: “Couldn’t even give them more than three minutes? Seriously, what was the reason for that?” Another went directly after WWE’s booking and argued that a men’s match involving comparable names wouldn’t have received the same treatment.
“More garbage booking. 3 minutes, really?? You would never do that to the men.”
The reaction came after Nikki and Paige packed plenty of action into the limited time they had. Paige controlled much of the match, hitting multiple superkicks, sending Nikki into the barricade and eventually driving her hip-first into the steel steps. None of that was enough to get Paige the win. Once they returned to the ring, Nikki stole the win by pinning Paige while using the ropes for leverage.
Nikki walked out of Mexico City with the win, but the match length ended up getting nearly as much attention as the result itself. If WWE intends to run this one back, fans have already made it clear what they want changed the second time around.
Do you think Nikki Bella and Paige deserved considerably more time on SmackDown? Let us know in the comments.
