While WWE has officially only announced one championship contest for WrestlePalooza, a new report from PWInsider has shed light on the expected top of the card for the September 20 event. The reported matches include a clash between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, as well as a marquee bout featuring Brock Lesnar taking on John Cena.
So far, the only match confirmed by the company is for the vacant Women’s World Championship. As announced on the September 1 episode of Raw, IYO SKY will face Stephanie Vaquer to determine the new champion. The title was vacated by Naomi on August 18 following the announcement of her pregnancy. A formal contract signing for the championship match is scheduled for the upcoming September 8 episode of Raw.
The reported bout between Lesnar and Cena carries significant weight, as Cena is confirmed to be retiring from professional wrestling at the end of 2025, making this one of his final major appearances.
This event marks the first time WWE will produce WrestlePalooza, a name acquired from the original ECW promotion which held four similarly named events between 1995 and 2000. Set to take place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the show is also notable for being the first premium live event to be broadcast on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service in the United States. This partnership began earlier than originally planned after WWE’s deal with Peacock was terminated prematurely.
Adding another layer of intrigue to the night, WrestlePalooza is scheduled to air directly opposite All Elite Wrestling’s All Out pay-per-view. This marks the first instance of a main roster WWE PLE going head-to-head with a major AEW show, a move that has drawn considerable attention from the wrestling community.