Veteran wrestling personality Vince Russo has accused WWE of “conning” its broadcast partners, Netflix and ESPN. Speaking on the Coach and Bro Live podcast, Russo argued that the company is manipulating both platforms, which he believes will eventually demand accountability for content and viewership.
Russo suggested a “learning curve” exists for the streaming giants but stressed their executives would not remain passive. “Netflix is not run by idiots. ESPN is not run by idiots,” he said, forecasting that both will soon question the absence of top stars like Roman Reigns and why certain talents appear on one program but not another.
Drawing from his past experience consulting for the USA Network, Russo highlighted what he sees as a shift in power dynamics. He claimed that in earlier years executives feared Vince McMahon and allowed WWE to dictate terms. Now, with the substantial money involved in current rights deals, he argued, “those days are over.” According to Russo, WWE has been exploiting its partners’ lack of wrestling knowledge to “work” them.
His remarks follow the lukewarm reception for WWE’s Wrestlepalooza, which debuted on ESPN on September 20, 2025, in Indianapolis. The event underperformed despite heavy promotion. ESPN’s Andreas Hale gave several main event matches “C” grades in his review, describing Wrestlepalooza as “falling short of its lofty ambitions.”
Stephanie Vaquer’s Women’s World Championship win over Iyo Sky earned the highest score at B+. However, The Vision’s victory over The Usos, Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship defense against Drew McIntyre, and AJ Lee’s in-ring return alongside CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch all received “C” marks. Brock Lesnar’s decisive win over John Cena, featuring multiple F-5s, was graded C-, the lowest of the night. 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).”
Fan sentiment online echoed ESPN’s critique. Many expressed disappointment at the lack of surprises despite heavy promotion from Triple H. Cena’s loss to Lesnar was seen as a letdown in the middle of his retirement tour, with speculation of a rematch complicating his farewell. The mixed response may have cooled excitement for Wrestlepalooza’s future, even as WWE reportedly intends the event to grow into an annual WrestleMania-level tradition.