The finish of the main event of WrestleMania did not go down as planned.
The controversial pinfall win that saw Becky Lynch beat Ronda Rousey and claim two WWE Women's titles was the plan, but unfortunately, the plan went awry when Rousey's shoulders were not on the mat for the count. Fightful Select reported several backstage details on the match this afternoon.
Initially, referee Rod Zapata gained heat for the finish among some backstage, but that quickly seemed dissipate. However, at Monday's WWE Raw, Zapata was pulled aside by Vince McMahon, who discussed the situation, and Zapata was subsequently fined for the main event finish.
WWE referees are often instructed to call matches as shoots, and to only count when a wrestler's shoulders are on the mat. The stance from many, including Zapata, was that the match was laid out ahead of time and that Rousey in particular could have struggled to regain her bearings if the scheduled finish didn't work out. The pinfall was supposed to happen off the crucifix, but McMahon told Zapata that he should have waited until the shoulders were down to count the three, and if any of the performers in the ring ended up struggling to regain their footing, that would be on them.
The match was worked out ahead of time, and WWE cameras actually filmed Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch preparing for it. Rousey had to battle through a big cut on her leg from last week, which required over a dozen stitches.
There was also said to be an incident during the Gable & Roode vs. Ricochet & Black match on Raw in which Dan Engler (formerly known as Rudy Charles) ended up getting fined. The spot was said to be a small one, but that Vince McMahon wanted to set an example.
The referees in question were brought to the production truck and shown video of how and where the errors were made. It was reiterated that Vince McMahon did not call for any change to the finish of the main event of the match as some have speculated
Ronda Rousey was said to "not be happy" as she returned from backstage. Whether or not that had to do with her hand or the finish is unclear.
