None, yes, the wife is relevant. That is a reason in some sources to learn before marriage! There might be social differences – in Bavel, one could marry and then travel to learn. In EY, people stayed “in town” when they learned and thus had family responsibilities, and thus learned intensely before getting marriage.
I don’t think Rabbis saw marriages as a negative circumstance that interfered with the yeshiva schedule. If they did, they would put some takanot out, like no taking out garbage before the end of the first zman. It is just a normal thing for a normal Yid to take care of his family. R Avigdor Miller answers a question: “when is the right time to quit kollel, my wife and I have a disagreement”. Answer: whenever your wife says so, you have your obligations that she voluntarily suspended for a time.
And in today’s world, it is really not difficult to spend a couple of years half a day in one’s youth to prepare for a reasonably paying ehrliche job, whether a lawyer or a carpenter, and then work part time to support your family and be able to learn to you 120… So, as you are saying, it is hard to understand thinking of people who insist on burdening their families for the rest of their lives.