Booker T Slams ESPNâ€s C Grade for WWE WrestlePalooza

WWE WrestlePalooza is already in the books but some people were shocked when ESPN writer Andreas Hale gave the show a C grade. Thatâ€s why itâ€s not a surprise that Booker T has now come to WWEâ€s defense and criticized the rating.

While speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T strongly disagreed with ESPN writer Andreas Haleâ€s C grade for WrestlePalooza, saying the show deserved a much better score.

Booker T explained that there were only five matches and none of them were bad. Two were outstanding, with the womenâ€s world title match as the biggest highlight. He praised Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre as a hard-fought battle and called the mixed tag team match possibly the best of its kind heâ€s ever seen. Because of this, he felt giving the event a C grade made no sense.

Booker compared it to the recent Crawford–Canelo boxing match. Some people rated that fight low even though it was a skilled and well-planned match. He said wrestling is similar: itâ€s about long-term stories, not just instant action. He believes that the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar match is only the first chapter of a bigger story that fans havenâ€t seen play out yet.

“There were five matches on the show — only five — and not one was bad. Two of them were absolutely stellar. The womenâ€s world title match was the crown jewel, Cody and Drew had a hell of a time, and the mixed tag might have been the best of its kind Iâ€ve ever seen.

So how do you give a show like that a C? Thatâ€s crazy — thatâ€s a crazy take. I look at it from different angles. Coming off the Crawford–Canelo fight: it wasnâ€t the greatest fight ever, not Haggler–Hearns or Leonard–Durán, and it wasnâ€t an all-out war. But it was a technical battle between two experts, and some people still called that a C.

When I look at professional wrestling, I look at the whole story. Itâ€s not easy to knock it out of the park every time. We have to layer and build stories to reach the bigger picture. We donâ€t even know where the John Cena–Brock Lesnar story might go. So when people rush to judgment — as Johnny Cochran would say — I always say sit back, watch, and wait, because the best is yet to come.â€

The WWE Hall of Famer admitted the Cena–Lesnar match might rank last of the five but said it was full of drama and emotion. He pointed out how some children in the crowd were crying real tears, which he sees as proof the match worked. For him, getting that kind of reaction matters more than high-flying moves or five-star ratings.

Booker also questioned why wrestling is now graded like a school test with letters like A or C. To him, the show told great stories and set up what comes next, making it far better than the grade suggested.

Booker said while the match could always be improved, it was still a classic Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena fight and an important part of WWEâ€s larger storyline.

“What more did people want from Brock and Cena? Iâ€m not saying it was the best match of the night — if I ranked them, it would probably be last out of the five — but it had strong dramatic moments. For the naysayers, go back and watch the footage. When they pan the crowd, youâ€ll see kids crying real tears. As a babyface, if I can get a real tear from someone in the audience, Iâ€ve done my job.

Donâ€t just watch the match; watch the crowd. Youâ€ll see emotion, drama, and real theater. Was it the greatest match ever? Was it a five-star bout full of flips? No. But for pure drama, it was very good — and the announcements added to it.

I donâ€t know when wrestling became about letter grades. We went from star ratings to A, A+, maybe A++. For me, it was simply a damn good match leading to whatever comes next. Could it have been better? Sure. Could it have been worse? Absolutely. Was it a classic Brock Lesnar–John Cena fight? I think so.â€

WrestlePalooza may not have been filled with nonstop five-star action, but Booker made it clear that it gave fans what truly matters: drama, real emotion and storylines that set up the future, which is everything that makes pro wrestling great.

Do you agree with Booker Tâ€s defense of WrestlePalooza? Was ESPNâ€s C grade too harsh, or do you think the event didnâ€t live up to the hype? Sound off in the comments.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

September 23, 2025 10:39 am

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