WWE Wrestlepalooza generated mixed reviews when all was said and done, including from the network it was broadcast on in the United States, ESPN.
The first show on the new ESPN streaming service marked a new era for WWE, as moving forward, all Premium Live Events will be broadcast on the platform. Loading up the card with bug names and hyping up the show ahead of time, fans expected something big when all was said and done, potentially to rival WrestleMania in terms of big matches and major headlines coming out of the event.
However, with a disappointing John Cena loss to Brock Lesnar, no title changes and the biggest headline being Stephanie McMahon’s 2026 Hall of Fame induction, fans were left underwhelmed by what took place at Wrestlepalooza. The only exception was the match between Stephanie Vaquer and IYO SKY, which was easily match of the night and what many believed was responsible for elevating the show quality overall.
A few days later, an ESPN article awarded the Premium Live Event a C grade, which many fans were both surprised and humoured by, given that it was the new home of WWE shows. The review noted that the PLE “fell a little short of expectations”, and that it was effectively saved by the Vaquer vs. SKY match, echoing the sentiment of many online fans.
As reported by WrestleVotes Radio, those within WWE were said to be “stunned” by the low grade, adding that people within the promotion were wondering why the network would want the “online stigma” of a bad review for what they considered a “fairly ordinary” or “fairly standard” PLE.
WWE And ESPN Get Set For Next Show Down Under
Now that Wrestlepalooza is all said and done, the next time that WWE will be broadcast live on ESPN will be October 11, when the company will present Crown Jewel live from Perth, Australia.
Featured image: WWE
