The dawn of the ESPN era for WWE arrived not with a bang, but with a series of distinct, and at times discordant, notes. The inaugural Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis was a microcosm of what fans can expect from this new media partnership: a high-production, sports-centric presentation that doesn’t always align with the artistic and narrative expectations of the core wrestling audience.
The show’s biggest misfire came in the opener. The much-hyped return of Brock Lesnar against John Cena, a final showdown on Cena’s career tour, was a textbook example of poor booking. The match was over in under ten minutes, a brutal and one-sided squash that saw Lesnar dominate Cena from pillar to post. For a company that had spent weeks promoting this as a major event, the abrupt and decisive nature of the victory left a hollow feeling. While it re-established Lesnar as an unstoppable force, it did so at the expense of a beloved icon, and many questioned why such a significant moment on Cena’s farewell tour was handled with such dismissive brevity.
In sharp contrast, the Women’s World Championship match between Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky was a wrestling purist’s dream. Vaquer, a powerhouse with a penchant for submission, and Sky, the agile and inventive high-flyer, delivered what was undoubtedly the match of the night. The two women put on a clinic, with a pace that built flawlessly and a series of near-falls that had the crowd on its feet. Vaquer’s victory was a crowning moment, solidifying her as a legitimate star and validating her a long, hard-fought journey to the top of the division.
The mixed tag team match was also a rousing success. The return of AJ Lee, pairing with her husband CM Punk against the formidable duo of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, was a masterclass in emotional storytelling. The crowd was invested from the moment Punk and Lee’s music hit, and the match lived up to the immense hype. The rivalry between Punk and Rollins was the dramatic core, but the in-ring work was fluid and engaging, proving that despite her time away, Lee hasn’t lost a step. It was a well-paced, well-executed match that hit all the right notes and gave the crowd a perfect feel-good moment.
The rest of the card, however, felt a bit like an afterthought. The tag team match between The Usos and The Vision, with LA Knight as the special guest referee, was a solid enough bout, but it lacked the spark and intensity of a pay-per-view match. It felt more like a showcase for Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed than a competitive contest, and the use of Knight as a special referee seemed to have little impact on the final outcome. It was a serviceable match, but it wasn’t a memorable one.
The main event, while featuring some of the night’s best in-ring chemistry, was a bit anticlimactic. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre told a great story, playing on their history and McIntyre’s obsession with tables. But the finish, where McIntyre accidentally injured his leg on the announce table, felt oddly abrupt. It was a logical conclusion to the story they were telling, but it didn’t have the grand, definitive feel of a championship match. Rhodes’ victory was clean, but it didn’t feel like a statement win, leaving fans with a sense that something more was coming.
Ultimately, Wrestlepalooza was a show with incredible highs and confusing lows. The ESPN era may have begun, but it’s clear the company is still figuring out how to translate its unique brand of sports entertainment for its new broadcast partners.
