Potential truth about Daniel Cormier allegedly costing Seth Rollins the Fight Pit Match with delayed count-out
As revealed by Dave Meltzer, a contentious spot from Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle's Fight Pit Match seems to have been influenced by an infamous boxing incident.
Matt Riddle finally got his big win over Seth Rollins as he emerged victorious in the Extreme Rules main event. The match wasn't without controversy, however, as Daniel Cormier allegedly delayed starting the count after Rollins laid out Riddle with a brutal Curb Stomp.
Seth Rollins was also heard screaming at DC as the UFC legend checked on Riddle instead of initiating a ten-count. For those wondering, the spot was allegedly planned and not a botch from Cormier.
The delayed count-out angle was reportedly inspired by "The Long Count Fight" between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey from 1927, as explained below during the latest Wrestling Observer Radio:
"What they were doing was the Dempsey/Tunney, which is a super, super, super famous boxing match from literally 95 years ago. But it was one of the most famous finishes where you know, the referee took way too long to start the count, and the guy got up, but in theory, he would have probably been knocked out had the referee started," revealed Meltzer. [22:00 - 22:50]
So since Riddle took a full 9-count to get to his feet after that Curb Stomp -- but Cormier took about 15 seconds to even begin the count -- that means Rollins technically already won, right? #FightPit #ExtremeRules
Dave Meltzer speculated that Cormier might have pitched the unique idea as it isn't a common sight on WWE TV.
He was also surprised that WWE did not let Cormier throw a punch or two at Seth Rollins. Meltzer felt the company missed out on a perfect angle for the Fight Pit showdown:
"It's an out so that Seth has to b**** about you know why, but the thing is. When I saw it, I was like, 'Okay, so it's the perfect thing when Seth loses, he shoves Cormier, and Cormier decks him. It's so perfect, but that didn't happen," Meltzer added. "Maybe they were just afraid Cormier's punch wouldn't look good." [22:50 - 23:20]
Daniel Cormier comments on his heated interactions with Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules
It's safe to say that the former UFC Champion did a fine job in his first outing as a pro wrestling referee. Daniel Cormier enforced several rules throughout the match and wasn't afraid to get a little tough with the competitors.
While Cormier had a few tense moments with both Rollins and Riddle, the UFC Hall of Famer felt disrespected by The Visionary and didn't see anything wrong with how he dealt with the former WWE Champion.
In an exclusive backstage interview after the show, Cormier also opened up about his memorable Extreme Rules experience, which you can read right here.
Did you enjoy Daniel Cormier's performance as the Special Guest Referee at Extreme Rules? Sound off in the comments section below.
Please credit Wrestling Observer Radio and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.