5 WWE PPVs That Were Way Too Long (& 5 That Were Too Short)

PPVs are the big events that WWE spends weeks and months building towards, therefore the company always tries to give the shows a significant amount of time to pay off those storylines. However, getting that timing just right is easier said than done.

Throughout WWE history, especially in more modern times, some shows really have dragged on for far longer than anybody wanted them to. Lasting for what seems like an eternity is not something anybody wants, yet on the flip side, there have also been events that have just been too short as well, leaving people wanting a little more. While it's better to leave fans wanting extra, the sweet spot really is somewhere between these events.

10 Too Long: SummerSlam 2016

While SummerSlam 2016 saw some really good matches, like John Cena and AJ Styles putting on a clinic, the show was also four hours long. With the pre-show considered, it was actually around five hours' worth of wrestling.

This was the point where WWE really started beefing up its run times, but this one was just too long. The show was also padded out with too much filler, such as a five-minute match between The Miz and Apollo Crews, and it would have benefitted from cutting that out.

9 Too Short: The Horror Show At Extreme Rules

In the pandemic era of WWE, the PPV events have tended to be a lot shorter, purely because there isn't a live crowd to provide the usual energy. However, that hasn't stopped some of the events from being absolutely fantastic.

The Horror Show At Extreme Rules was one of those, with this being an incredibly entertaining night of wrestling. It could easily have lasted an hour longer and benefitted from it.

8 Too Long: Crown Jewel 2019

For an event that featured two matches with non-wrestlers in Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury, this show had no reason to last nearly four hours. However, that is exactly what happened on what was an overly long and drawn out evening of wrestling.

The PPV had a house show feel, which wasn't improved by the fact that a lot of the matches, including the main event, were lackluster. The WWE Tag Team World Cup lasting over 30 minutes certainly played its part in this show dragging on, with a tournament that nobody was invested in not being needed.

7 Too Short: Takeover: In Your House

Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Io Shriai

NXT Takeover events are never long shows, often hitting the three-hour mark nicely. However, even by Takeover standards, the In Your House event was very short, lasting just over two hours.

The show was a ton of fun from start to finish, but nobody would have complained if this had lasted 40 minutes longer, with one more big match being fit into the event.

6 Too Long: Hell In A Cell 2016

Sasha Banks and Charlotte prepare for HIAC

Having three Hell in a Cell matches on one show is often overkill, but if the PPV is kept to a decent time, there's no reason it can't work, as the 2020 event proved. However, the 2016 show really dragged a little too long, with all three cell matches being a bit too long.

The show lasted way over three hours, which is a very long run for a 'B' PPV, and while the main event was fun, seeing Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks go to war, the rest of the night was fairly forgettable.

5 Too Short: WrestleMania 14

As far as WrestleManias go, this was an incredibly short show. These events typically average just short of four hours, so the fact that this event didn't even last three showcases how surprisingly quick it was over by.

The event itself was enjoyable with some great moments such as Steve Austin facing HBK and Kane battling The Undertaker. However, had this card had an extra couple of matches, or given more time to the existing ones, this could have been one of the elite 'Manias.

4 Too Long: Greatest Royal Rumble

Nobody ever wanted, nor asked for a 50-man Royal Rumble match with zero rewards for the winner outside of a pointless title. However, WWE gave it to fans anyway, and they did so with an event that lasted almost five hours.

This was an incredibly tedious show that nobody was invested in and was done far too close to the actual Royal Rumble event of that year, which only decreased the interest even more.

3 Too Short: Takeover: Blackpool II

The NXT UK Takeover events have been consistently fantastic shows, and NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II was one of those. However, this just left fans wanting more, whether it be an extra match or more time to what was already put on.

The fact that the following Takeover ended up being far longer is a sign that WWE certainly paid attention and listened to its audience wanting more. However, this show itself was one of the very best that any NXT brand has produced.

2 Too Long: WrestleMania 35

WrestleMania 35 simply left fans completely burnt out. With the main show lasting just over five hours and a two-hour pre-show taking place before that, it was an incredibly long night for everyone involved, which some would argue was too long.

It's impossible for fans to be connected and invested in everything, and by the end, the main event did suffer from fans being burnt out. Nobody wants to watch that much wrestling, with this being a show that desperately needed to trim down on the extras.

1 Too Short: Takeover: London

The 10 Best NXT Takeover main Events Ever, Ranked

During this period of time, NXT Takeovers were very short, with this show lasting just around two hours. However, that is a real shame, because this event was done in front of a red hot English crowd, which made the show feel very fun from start to finish.

The show isn't seen as one of the all-time greats for NXT, which is a disappointment because it really had the potential to be exactly that had it been given a little more time.

NEXT: 10 Wrestlers Who Opened A PPV They Headlined A Year Prior