WWE Wrestlepalooza Report Card: Wrestling.news vs. ESPN’s Andreas Hale
The first-ever WWE Premium Live Event on ESPN Unlimited had all the makings of a blockbuster — John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre, AJ Lee’s return, and a new Women's World Champion was crowned. On paper, Wrestlepalooza should have been historic. In reality? The show was underwhelming, overly safe, and delivered very little of the “epic” it promised.
Across the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) — from Reddit threads to X posts to YouTube reactions — the prevailing sentiment can be summed up in one word: frustration. With the price tag for this PLE nearly tripling (from Peacock) to $30 on the ESPN app for U.S. viewers, expectations were sky-high. Instead, many fans walked away disappointed, while those who skipped the live broadcast and just watched the highlights are the only ones smiling — because they kept their thirty bucks in their pocket.
With the being said—ESPN combat sports reporter Andreas Hale graded the event as a solid “C.” We believe he was far too generous. In our eyes, Wrestlepalooza barely passed, and at times, failed altogether. No disrespect to Andreas Hale — he’s a great journalist, one of the best. But let’s be honest: with ESPN now in business with WWE, there’s no way he could come out and absolutely bury this show. Corporate won't allow that.
Here’s our breakdown.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
- Andreas Hale’s Grade: C-
- Our Grade: D
Hale correctly noted that Cena–Lesnar VII felt like a setup for another match rather than a definitive clash. We’ll go further — this bout actively hurt Cena’s ongoing retirement tour. A nine-minute “greatest hits” exchange with six F-5s and three AAs does nothing for Cena’s legacy. It doesn’t feel special, it feels recycled. WWE seems intent on setting up another “revenge” win for Cena, but after two decades of this rivalry, it feels hollow. For effort, sure, we’ll give Cena credit. For booking? It’s a straight D.
Note: The sight of Brock Lesnar back in a WWE ring was undeniably exciting, and Paul Heyman’s surprise voice cameo was downright thrilling — but that rush of nostalgia faded quickly.
Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO SKY
- Andreas Hale’s Grade: B+
- Our Grade: C+
Hale praised the technical brilliance, and he’s right — Vaquer and SKY delivered crisp, innovative wrestling. But matches don’t exist in a vacuum. With almost no storyline build or meaningful background amongst the two competitors, the in-ring effort gets lost. Yes, a new champion was crowned, but the lack of narrative robbed it of the emotional punch it deserved. In a PLE debuting on ESPN, WWE needed more than just “great work rate” — it needed storytelling.
Note: The only reason this match earned the grade we gave it is because it’s been confirmed that Stephanie has been battling serious illness in recent weeks. Her in-ring ability is undeniable — she’s phenomenal, and so is IYO. But Triple H and WWE creative dropped the ball here. With plenty of time to build a meaningful feud, they failed to give fans an emotional investment. In the end, nobody truly cared who walked out with the championship — and that’s the real disappointment.
The Usos vs. The Vision (with LA Knight as referee)
- Andreas Hale’s Grade: C
- Our Grade: D
This was the perfect chance for WWE to deliver a shocking moment. Instead, fans got another by-the-numbers Usos tag match with a predictable finish. Where was the drama? Paul Heyman pulling strings? A new Vision member? A Jimmy turn on Jey? Nothing. Just recycled tropes we’ve already seen on Raw a dozen times. The Usos reuniting was a cool visual, but it felt like a cheap pop, not a meaningful story beat. For WWE’s first ESPN PLE, this was a safe, boring miss.
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
- Andreas Hale’s Grade: C
- Our Grade: D
AJ Lee’s return was undeniably a headline moment — for about 60 seconds. After that, the match plodded along with little energy, no intergender action (teased at times), and a few botched spots. AJ looked tentative and slow at times, not embarrassing, but far from the explosive comeback many hoped for. Instead of leveraging this as a wild, anything-can-happen showcase, WWE played it conservative. The result? A match that felt flat and unworthy of the hype surrounding AJ’s return.
Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
- Andreas Hale’s Grade: C
- Our Grade: C (with an asterisk)*
On paper, this was a big-time main event. In execution, it was rushed, predictable, and unsatisfying. The match barely crossed 15 minutes, with an awkward finish that did little for either man. Rhodes retaining made sense politically — he’s WWE’s golden boy, even while balancing Hollywood commitments — but as fans, we can’t help but feel shortchanged.
McIntyre deserved this moment. His COVID-era reign never had the crowd it deserved, and this was the chance to right that wrong. Instead, WWE doubled down on Rhodes, who increasingly feels like a part-timer. If Raw is to be the true flagship on Netflix, fans deserve a Undisputed WWE Champion who carries both shows weekly (we have previously explained this is necessary in the new Netflix/ESPN/Peacock/USA Network ERA to keep fans tuning in, giving true reason), not someone who pops in for 2–3 minute segments on SmackDown. This wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t the main event that a debut ESPN PLE needed either.
Final Grade: D- (vs. ESPN’s C)
Andreas Hale suggested that SKY vs. Vaquer saved this show from mediocrity. We disagree. One good match cannot salvage an event that was otherwise safe, repetitive, and creatively lazy. WWE had the world’s attention for its first ESPN PLE, and instead of swinging for the fences, it played not to lose.
Cena–Lesnar was empty calories, Punk & AJ disappointed, The Usos’ reunion was uninspired, and the main event wasted McIntyre’s momentum. The women’s title change was the only fresh spark, but even that lacked story.
In short: ESPN may be happy with a passable debut, but fans deserved far more than a night of missed opportunities.
👉 You can read Andreas Hale's full article here
🗣️ Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
Wrestlepalooza should have been a line in the sand — WWE proving it could deliver ESPN-sized spectacle. Instead, it was an exercise in holding back. Triple H and creative played it too safe, and the result was a show that will be forgotten almost as quickly as it ended. If WWE wants to keep fans invested on Netflix and ESPN, it needs to stop recycling storylines and start trusting its talent — and its audience — with real risks.
