Personnel within WWE were reportedly surprised by ESPN’s official “C” grade for the inaugural Wrestlepalooza, according to a new report. The reaction stemmed from the network’s harsh critique of the company’s first Premium Live Event on September 20 in Indianapolis.
The sentiment of surprise was detailed on a recent episode of WrestleVotes Radio on WrestleBinge. According to the report, the internal perception was that Wrestlepalooza was a standard PLE, making ESPN’s pointed public criticism unexpected.
ESPN’s review, written by Andreas Hale, delivered lukewarm assessments for most of the card. The Women’s World Championship match, where Stephanie Vaquer defeated Iyo Sky, earned the highest mark with a B+. Several marquee bouts, including Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship defense against Drew McIntyre and the mixed tag featuring AJ Lee’s in-ring return, were both graded a C.
The opener received the lowest score, a C-, for Brock Lesnar’s dominant victory over John Cena. In his summary, Hale wrote: “The excellent Vaquer vs. Sky match saved this show from being truly average. It was a phenomenal display inside the squared circle. Everything else was either underwhelming (the short Rhodes-McIntyre match) or a setup for a future match (Lesnar dominating Cena). For a card that promised to have epic moments, it fell a little short of expectations.”
The professional critique mirrored fan sentiment online, with many expressing disappointment in Cena’s decisive loss during his retirement tour. With WWE planning for Wrestlepalooza to become an annual tradition on par with WrestleMania, the underwhelming reception to its debut may shape future installments.