Report: Backstage News On The Double Count-Out Botch On WWE Raw

The New Day faced off against Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander for the third time on this week's Raw. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods retained the Raw Tag Team Championship after 20 minutes. However, the match will primarily be remembered for its faux finish.

During the match, Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin were brawling on the outside and neither man managed to get back in the ring by the count of 10. The referee, therefore, ruled the match a double count-out. The babyface New Day then headed up the ramp with their titles and only reluctantly returned to the ring after MVP asked for the match to be restarted.

Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Live that the match was supposed to end in a count-out win for The Hurt Business but Shelton Benjamin didn't get back in the ring in time. WWE has told referees to call the match like it's a shoot, which is why the official didn't hesitate when counting to 10.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider has provided additional details about the botch. He noted the official called the match like it was a shoot because there has been a "renewed push" within WWE for referees to enforce the rules as if they are legitimate.