PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

WHY WWE STOPPED THE CLOCK DURING LAST NIGHT'S CENA VS. ORTON IRON MAN MATCH AT BRAGGING RIGHTS

As Dave Scherer and I discussed on last night's PPV Post-Game Show in the PWInsider.com Elite section, when John Cena was busted open last night during the WWE Bragging Rights PPV Iron Man Match, it was hardway and not planned.  Cena was cut by the corner of the box that surrounds the microphone and as soon as it happened, I was told Vince McMahon barked orders that Cena was to be cleaned up immediately.

While he wasn't seen on camera, WWE's John Laurinaitis rushed down to ringside with the WWE trainers.  The first time they tried to clean Cena off, he wasn't aware what they wanted to do and went into a babyface comeback on Randy Orton.  They finally were able to clean him off and glue the cut shut after the following fall.

I am told WWE wanted the blood cleaned up immediately because Cena and Orton were scheduled to go into the crowd and they didn't want a health issue with a bloody wrestler among fans (it's one of the major sticking points of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission) and because they didn't want to give Linda McMahon's Senate race opposition any new ammunition.

Not knowing how long it would take to clean the cut and stop the bleeding, WWE stopped the clock momentarily during the bout - because the blood was an unplanned moment and they wanted it stopped ASAP.