Browsing: Wrestlepalooza

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It’s been over a month since AJ Lee has been seen on WWE television, with her most recent appearance taking place at Wrestlepalooza when she and her husband CM Punk defeated Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in tag team action. Following the event, it seemed like Lee was in line to wrestle Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but her recent absence prompted fans to question if she had picked up an injury. Thankfully, in a now deleted Facebook post, Lee shared an update on her hiatus from the ring and assured fans that she’s healthy.

“On a book tour. Not injured, but I appreciate the concern. Also, thanks Becky Lynch for keeping the title warm for me. Momma will be back, soon.”

Earlier this year, Lee released a comic book titled “Day of the Dead Girl, Volume 1,” which she co-wrote with American actress Aimee Garcia. Both writers have worked on several comic books together for the past six years, and co-founded their own media company in 2020 under the name Scrappy Heart Productions. Lee’s most famous project is arguably the book she released in 2017 called “Crazy Is My Superpower,” which follows her journey living with bipolar disorder and battling mental illness.

As for Lynch, her most recent challenger for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship has been Maxxine Dupri, who has scored two wins over “The Man” without the title changing hands due to both victories occurring via Disqualification and Count Out. Going forward, it remains to be seen if Dupri will get another shot at the title, or if Lee will be Lynch’s next challenger upon her imminent return.

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ESPNâ€s major gamble on WWE content may already be backfiring.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer broke down ESPN Unlimitedâ€s performance after WWE joined the $325 million-per-year streaming partnership. While the service saw a surge during WrestlePalooza, it wasnâ€t nearly enough to justify the dealâ€s massive price tag.

According to Meltzer, the platform reached 2.1 million total subscribers, but the true value to ESPN hinges on whoâ€s paying for WWE. The key weekend—WrestlePalooza—reportedly added around 100,000 to 125,000 subscribers, but Meltzer did the math and it doesnâ€t look good.

“If every month ends up kind of like this one… itâ€s worth $35 million a year. Now, theyâ€re spending $325 million a year for $35 million a year of revenue coming from having these WWE events. Which is a very bad number.â€

Meltzer pointed out that ESPN is betting big on long-term growth, but that strategy might cost them heavily in the short run. He said most of the 30 million existing ESPN subscribers are getting the service for free through cable providers, which means the real revenue is only coming from a small portion of WWE diehards.

“Thatâ€s why these companies are losing lots of money on this type of stuff—with the idea that down the road, when we get 50 million subscribers paying 30 bucks, weâ€ll be able to afford all this.â€

When asked how WWEâ€s value compares to other mega sports deals, Meltzer didnâ€t hold back.

“Theyâ€re probably going to be more valuable to ESPN than UFC will be to Paramount… Thatâ€s a $1.1 billion deal. Thatâ€s going to be a giant, giant, giant money loser. This will be a big money loser too—just like Peacock was for WWE.â€

While the idea of WWE helping launch premium sports platforms sounds exciting on paper, Meltzer says the real winners are WWE executives cashing those checks—not necessarily the platforms footing the bill.

“WWE has managed to get itself in that position—to where people are paying a lot to launch services based on these types of people: WWE, NBA, and all that. So itâ€s good to be those people. But man, a lot of companies are losing a lot of money doing this business.â€

Whether ESPN can turn things around or not, one thing is clear: WrestlePalooza may have brought in short-term hype, but it didnâ€t bring enough paying customers to make the numbers make sense.

ESPNâ€s faith in WWE is costing them more than just rights fees—itâ€s turning into a brutal lesson in subscription economics.

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

Are you subscribing to ESPN after WWE moved it’s content from Peacock? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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WrestlePalooza was supposed to be WWEâ€s grand debut on ESPN, but instead of kicking off a new era in triumph, it turned into a storm of streaming headaches, negative reviews, and fan frustration. Now, a new report sheds light on how WWE leadership has reacted to the criticism — and one line from Triple H is already sparking discussion.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is growing concern behind the scenes at TKO. Even though many believe WWE is running smoother without Vince McMahon, thereâ€s unease that the new leadership doesnâ€t understand the fundamentals of wrestling storytelling or its history. There are also fears about AI integration leading to jobs being cut, whispers of record-low ratings, and the perception that WrestlePalooza was a flop as WWEâ€s first ESPN show.

Amid all of that, Meltzer noted that Paul “Triple H†Levesque addressed the backlash during a production meeting. Rather than showing frustration, Levesque doubled down on WWEâ€s approach.

“We work them (the fans). They donâ€t work us.â€

That line came after WrestlePalooza was hammered with complaints. Fans who paid $29.99 to watch through the ESPN app were locked out by error messages, while others complained about confusing subscription tiers and being pushed into higher-priced bundles. On top of the tech fiasco, ESPNâ€s own review called the event “average,†giving it a lukewarm C grade and criticizing matches like Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for falling flat.

Even so, WWEâ€s business remains financially strong. The company is still reporting packed houses and record revenue, even as some internally believe the boom period for wrestling may have already peaked. The fear among longtime insiders is that Silver Lake and TKO could respond to a slowdown with cutbacks and more reliance on AI.

Triple Hâ€s comment makes it clear that, at least from his perspective, WWE isnâ€t letting the negative reaction dictate their creative direction. But it also raises questions about how much the company is listening to its fans versus controlling the narrative.

Do you think Triple H is right that WWE controls the fans, or is this mindset going to hurt the company in the long run? Share your thoughts in the comments.

October 17, 2025 11:29 am

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WWE Crown Jewel: Perth was a noticeable improvement on the previous month’s Wrestlepalooza, according to those at ESPN. Reviewing the Australian event, ESPN’s Andreas Hale gave Crown Jewel: Perth a B grade with the following explanation.

“A show that stumbled out of the gates with a relatively tame street fight and a far too brief affair between womenâ€s champions was rescued by an absolutely stellar match between Cena and Styles that put an excellent bookend to their rivalry. Rollins finally getting his comeuppance against Rhodes — by any means necessary — and the womenâ€s tag match were both strong and anchored a memorable bounce back for WWE after a middling Wrestlepalooza.â€

Hale added that John Cena Vs. AJ Styles was the clear standout match of the night. He described it as “a love letter to wrestling” and awarded the match an A grade. The bout saw both men pay tribute to past rivals in what was Cena’s final match competing outside of the United States.

Hale had previously given Wrestlepalooza a C rating, criticizing the show’s lack of surprises and failure to deliver on its promised hype. Many saw this as a bad omen for WWE’s partnership with ESPN and believed that a more favorable review would have been given.

With Crown Jewel: Perth in the history books, WWE’s attention will now turn to Survivor Series: WarGames in November. It remains to be seen what ESPN makes of the show, the first of the ‘Big 5’ that will be part of the ESPN deal.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

This was a bizarre episode of Smackdown, full of unintended surprises, great wrestling, and a Crimson Mask! Smackdownâ€s inconsistency, though, shows again, and I wonder if each episode is written and structured by completely different teams. Compared to Raw, Smackdown feels formulaic and tired, with infrequent flashes of energy and excitement. Letâ€s get to it, friends! As always, Iâ€m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think Iâ€ve Missed!

PAUL HEYMAN, CODY RHODES, AND THE BRONS: HIT

My initial reaction to this promo and the whole segment was one of admiration and praise. In particular, it was Cody Rhodes calling out Paul Heyman that made this segment a hit. Running down Heymanâ€s history of going into business for himself cast doubt in the minds of Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, both of whom came out looking less than menacing. Randy Ortonâ€s run-in created an opportunity for him to eye the prize that is the WWE Championship. All in all, a fine yet fun way to open the show.

STREET PROFITS VS. MELO DONâ€T MIZ: HIT

This match was decent, not outstanding. Nothing was outright bad, but nothing really stood out as a truly memorable sequence. What will be remembered is the face of Carmelo Hayes†face as he watched the Miz take a pinfall. Like a cold-hearted killer, he watched his partner get pinned and suffer defeat without a hint of emotion. I was initially critical of the pairing of Hayes and the Miz, but the tension they’ve been playing with has been surprisingly rich. Unfortunately, Iâ€ve come around to liking their pairing just as it seems they’re about to split. If they split before the Street Profits, then their partnership simply wonâ€t get the recognition it deserves. Regarding the Profits, Iâ€m excited to see singles runs from both, but hope it happens without an actual breakup. Let Angelo Dawkins be the corner man for Montez Ford, and vice versa. Teammates donâ€t have to hate each other to move beyond the tag division. A little positivity, please!

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “The Nicky’s Club” with Nick Barbati, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

GIULIA, JAMES, B-FAB, AND MICHIN: HIT

All four of these performers deserved more crowd reaction. At least there was more than crickets by the end of the match. Itâ€s Michin I feel the worst for, as I really enjoy her work, but I must admit that she has yet to establish a strong connection with the crowd. She has it all though: skill, attitude, and natural charisma. There is much to develop in B-Fab, yet she is promising in every aspect. She needs to prove her mettle quickly though, as she could fall to the bottom of the card faster than Hit Row imploded. Giulia and Kiana James seem like odd bedfellows, and if the purpose of pairing them was to give Giulia a mouthpiece, theyâ€re failing. Neither of them has commanded the mic. Props to Kiana James for her selling, though, appearing as if she was unconscious like a true rag doll. This match was a hit, but just barely.

DREW MCINTYRE PROMO: HIT

Seeing Drew McIntyre in an orthopedic boot was worth the price of admission alone. His dour face walking down the aisle gave way to a sullen, self-pitying promo, his specialty of late. He is great in this role, as his own worst enemy. A new feud was thrown into focus with the arrival of Jacob Fatu in the ring, which bodes well for Friday nights. Their chemistry, especially the aggressive back-and-forth exchange of the microphone, was comedy gold. Babyface Fatu FTW!

SAMI ZAYN AND JEâ€VON EVANS: HIT

The match of the night. Sami Zaynâ€s Open Challenge for the United States Championship has delivered some incredible matches, but this one reigns supreme. Jeâ€Von Evans shined in the spotlight, and Sami was as generous as anyone could be. He sold Evans†moves, allowed him literally fly, and showed him respect in the end. In fact, this match felt like it could have gone the other way, with Evans taking the title. When you can inject that kind of tension into the conflict, making it feel natural and organic, youâ€ve succeeded in making professional wrestling more than just pantomimed fighting. They made it real. Amazing!

NIA JAX, JADE CARGILL, AND TIFFANY STRATTON: MISS

What an unfortunate series of events! The match had a fairly good flow, although it often felt like a typical one-on-one with alternating opponents. It fell apart badly after Jade Cargill was busted open and joined the club of the Crimson Mask. Reviewing the footage, it seems both Stratton and Jax were waiting for Cargill to break open the pin. She didn’t, and we got a botched finish that made the referee seem responsible when it was a trainwreck all around with no one person to blame.

Nia Jaxâ€s attitude, including flipping off the referee, was good heel behavior but strange for SmackDown. She likely knows her bloodline keeps her safer than others. Overall, something good turned into something bad, but thatâ€s okay. All three wrestlers made sacrifices for us, and I appreciate it. I just canâ€t call it a hit.

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By Ella Jay

Sept. 25, 2025 9:51 pm EST

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Among the WWE Wrestlepalooza card, Jimmy and Jey Uso marked their first televised tag team match in six months, with The Vision’s Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed as their opponents and LA Knight as the special guest referee. Breakker and Reed ultimately emerged victorious in the bout, courtesy of a double spear followed by a Tsunami. Their collective in-ring performance, however, didn’t win over all the viewers, including WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

“You could tell those guys were off. You could tell the chemistry just wasn’t there. Let’s just be honest here,” Booker said on the “Hall of Fame” podcast. “If I’m not mistaken, that might be their first time working together. Jimmy and Jey just getting back together. It’s like [Buff] Bagwell said when him and I had that match, ‘My timing’s off, Booker’s timing’s off.’ Even from the chair shot, hitting Brunson Reed, for that to happen, for the chair to ricochet back and catch you square in the center of your forehead, things aren’t clicking.”

When further analyzing The Vision vs. The Usos, Booker stated that one of Breakker’s final spears seemed different than his usual ones, though specifics on how weren’t mentioned. On a more positive note, Booker applauded Knight for guiding the match, so much so that Booker gave him an unofficial “A” grade.

“[Knight] went out there and quarterback that thing and got those guys back on the right track when they were actually veering off kilter there a little bit,” Booker said. “It wasn’t the greatest tag match, but there again, it’s hard to go out there and perform at the highest level each and every time.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Hall of Fame” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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By Ella Jay

Sept. 25, 2025 6:15 pm EST

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Brock Lesnar left many WWE fans speechless last weekend when he destroyed John Cena with a half-dozen F5s in the opening contest of WWE Wrestlepalooza. As his former advocate Paul Heyman attests, he also left a number of them crying.

“Here’s what I’ll tell you about Brock Lesnar,” Heyman said on the WWE Wrestlepalooza post-show. “I said it the night after Brock Lesnar conquered The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar is not here to put smiles on people’s faces. Brock Lesnar is here to put tears in the eyes of children.”

The children in reference include those in attendance at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana as well as the thousands watching at home. For this premium live event, however, Cena arrived to the ring with several more while ring announcer Alicia Taylor officially introduced him. In Lesnar’s case, Heyman made a surprise appearance down the entrance ramp to announce him, much like “The Oracle” had done many times before aligning with The Bloodline, and then The Vision.

Lesnar controversially returned to WWE on night two of SummerSlam, and in doing so, laid out Cena with an F5 to set the stage for their eventual in-ring meeting at Wrestlepalooza. Cena and Lesnar had faced off many times in the past, with Lesnar boasting a 4-2 in television singles matches heading into the September 20 PLE. Looking ahead, it has yet to be seen if Lesnar will continue his path of destruction with a new target. It is also unclear whether his reunion with Heyman is temporary or more permanent. Nevertheless, Heyman seems confident that “The Beast” will still have young viewers in tears.

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WWE Wrestlepalooza kicked off this weekend with John Cena taking a shocking loss to Brock Lesnar. But why did things go down that way?

It was reported following Wrestlepalooza that as of Saturday morning, Cena was scheduled to defeat Lesnar. So what took place on Saturday that saw such a sudden shift in booking?

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the finish was Cenaâ€s call, and there are no plans for a rematch before he retires in December.

“Thereâ€s no plan for a rematch,†Dave Meltzer said. “I donâ€t wanna say it was Johnâ€s idea, but what I was basically told is, John is very unselfish, and he knows on the way out, he wants to make people. He wants to make big stars. So he felt that was… itâ€s his call. And that was his call.

“A lot of guys, when theyâ€re on their way out, their call is to lose and to put the other guy over. And that was Johnâ€s call. At the end of the day, itâ€s Paul Levesqueâ€s call, but if John says that, itâ€s not like Paul Levesqueâ€s gonna go, ‘No no no, you have to win.†Especially when Brock is the one staying and heâ€s the one leaving, and whatever they have planned for Brock.†[H/T: WrestlingNews.co]

READ MORE: WWE Hall Of Famer Reveals Vince McMahon Shut Down His In-Ring Return

What do you make of Dave Meltzerâ€s comments? Are you surprised that John Cena made the call at the last minute to lose to Brock Lesnar? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

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This past weekend at WWE Wrestlepalooza, Stephanie Vaquer captured the vacant Women’s World Championship after a hard fought twenty minute battle with IYO SKY, which concluded with the “Dark Angel” hitting a Corkscrew Moonsault to pickup the win. Although Vaquer executed the finisher perfectly, many fans thought she performed a Spiral Tap, which is a move requires the wrestler to deliver a twisting aerial assault and is very similar to the Corkscrew Moonsault. However, it’s also a maneuver that defined the career of former WWE Champion AJ Styles, who clarified on social media that Vaquer performed a Corkscrew Moonsault, not a Spiral Tap.

“It wasn’t the spiral tap. It was phenomenal though.”

It wasn’t the spiral tap. It was phenomenal though.

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) September 22, 2025

Last year, Styles revealed that he removed the Spiral Tap from his in-ring arsenal, as he didn’t believe he was able to perform the move at a high level anymore, and decided to never deliver it again. Additionally, Styles said that he hasn’t performed the move since his days wrestling in TNA, and has also eliminated the Shooting Styles Press from his moveset over the years.

As for Vaquer, her next opponent will be revealed this Friday on “WWE SmackDown” with the winner of the Women’s WWE Championship match between Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax and Jade Cargill facing her at WWE Crown Jewel. The winner of the matchup at the premium live event will be awarded with the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship. Last year, Liv Morgan defeated Jax to win the inaugural Women’s Crown Jewel Title.Â

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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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