– The start of a new era for WWE began with a new signature intro.
At the start of Wrestlepalooza on Saturday night, WWE debuted a new version of its “Then. Now. Forever. Together” opening video. Still voiced by Paul “Triple H” Levesque and featuring footage of WWE legends and current stars, the video ends with the Las Vegas crowd from WrestleMania 41 doing Jey Uso’s “Yeet” motion.
– WWE then played its Wrestlepalooza cold open celebrating the company’s new partnership with ESPN. After that, Levesque made an appearance and welcomed everyone to the ESPN PLE era.
“What you are about to witness is the final form of sports an entertainment,” he said. “If tonight is your first night, let me welcome you to WWE. Let me welcome you to ESPN. Let me welcome you to Wrestlepalooza.”
– Pat McAfee — a hometown hero in Wrestlepalooza’s host city of Indianapolis — then joined Michael Cole & Wade Barrett on commentary for the start of the show. Before his appearance tonight, McAfee had been away from WWE since June. He was in Miami this morning for his duties on ESPN’s College GameDay before making the trip to Indy.
LA Knight will make his presence felt at tonight’s WWE Wrestlepalooza as he has been announced as the special guest referee for The Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed.
Adam Pearce revealed the news during the pre-show.
Knight and Jey Uso have been at odds for several weeks with Uso spearing Knight two weeks ago on Raw. After a shoving match to start Raw this past Monday, Knight teamed with Jimmy Uso against Breakker and Reed in the main event. Breaker and Reed picked up the win and Knight got a measure of revenge by hitting Jey with a BFT after the two exchanged a post-match handshake.
WWE Wrestlepalooza | Saturday, September 20 | 7 p.m. Eastern time:
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant Women’s World Championship
Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed with LA Knight as special referee
It’s a historic day. For the first time in 38 years, two competing pro wrestling PPVs are going head to head on the same day: AEW All Out and WWE Wrestlepalooza.
Jim Valley previews both on Saturday’s Wrestling Observer Live.
Plus, Jim talks an incredible CMLL Aniversario show from Friday, and a new champ in Defy Wrestling.
Plus, Wrestlepalooza sounds so 90s and why does Drew McIntyre always have to carry his feuds all by himself only to lose in the end?
WWE has released a new hype video celebrating the start of a new era for the company.
Starting with Wrestlepalooza tonight, WWE PLEs will be broadcast on ESPN’s new streaming service. It’s a partnership that will now see WWE’s biggest events featured alongside ESPN’s sports offerings. While there are differences between WWE matches and those traditional sports, this opening video for Wrestlepalooza celebrates the WWE & ESPN relationship as a natural marriage between two companies that were once upstarts and have risen to the top through their storytelling.
“Wrestling isn’t a metaphor for the national condition, but a reflection of it. As are all games we play,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said while narrating the video. “Sports is entertainment. Always has been, always will be.”
The WWE-ESPN PLE deal is for five years and will include select future events being simulcast on ESPN’s traditional TV channel. Wrestlepalooza is only airing on the streaming app.
To promote the PLE, the cast of ESPN’s College GameDay made predictions for John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar this morning in addition to their regular college football picks.
The 'College GameDay' crew makes their WWE WrestlePalooza picks.
In case you hadn’t heard, WWE presents Wrestlepalooza tonight live from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It’s the first PLE aired in the U.S. under their new ESPN deal and WWE is going to pull out all the stops to make it both a fun and newsworthy event. They are expecting new eyeballs and some lapsed eyeballs on this show, so expect them to do everything they can to rope those viewers in.
When looking at the lineup, it seems as though the results are a foregone conclusion. However, the betting lines don’t always line up with what you think is going to happen.
Below are previews, predictions, and betting odds for each match at Wrestlepalooza (7 PM Eastern start on ESPN domestically & Netflix internationally):
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Cena is a -350 favorite to defeat Lesnar (+225) and I’ve never been more baffled by a wrestling betting line in my life.
Cena is retiring in a few months and Lesnar just signed a new WWE contract, so it feels a little odd to have the retiring guy beat the one you likely want to be a big part of storylines moving forward. But, the betting line has favored Cena ever since odds were released.
There are a few reasons I can think of as to why Cena is favored: belief that WWE primarily wants babyfaces to win on their first ESPN show, it could set up a second match between them afterward, or perhaps some believe Lesnar only signed a short-term deal to come in, lose to Cena, and leave again. I don’t really think any of those are particularly strong possibilities, though.
When the odds were first released, Cena was a -300 favorite. In yesterday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, I had the odds at -400. Now, they have simmered down to -350.
Prediction: The scrappy +225 underdog Lesnar wins
The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Breakker & Reed are currently -500 favorites to defeat The Usos (+300), but I’d give them better odds than that.
Their odds of winning have fluctuated around -500 and -400 since they were released. Considering the current storyline with The Usos seems to involve a building rivalry between Jey and LA Knight, having the Bron Brons go over, possibly due to something Knight does, feels like the most likely finish to this match. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, Reed will steal somebody’s shoes as well.
Prediction: Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker
Vacant WWE Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer
Vaquer is only a -200 favorite to defeat SKY and win the vacant WWE Women’s World title, and the line has been a little funny since it was released.
Last week, Vaquer was a -600 favorite to beat SKY. Considering WWE has been spending a lot of time building a storyline involving SKY, Asuka, and a somewhat stuck-in-the-middle Kairi Sane, it feels likely that Vaquer walks away with the title, but confidence in that has been slipping the last two weeks.
One thought is that Vaquer’s odds dropped due to rumors she was injured, which she denied, stemming from her missing Raw two weeks ago. She’s wrestled twice on television since then, however, so it’s a little confusing why her odds have continued to drop all week.
Regardless, Vaquer walking away with the title here feels much more likely than -200, but I guess we’ll see.
Prediction: Stephanie Vaquer is the champ
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
I don’t think too many people are giving McIntyre much of a chance to win the title here, and the oddsmakers agree with Rhodes a -1500 favorite.
This match could be a turning point for McIntyre’s character. For years, his bitterness had grown due to The Bloodline, and later CM Punk, costing him matches for a World title. He said during the contract signing on SmackDown last night that he knows Rhodes will give him a fair shot at the title with no interference. I’m expecting McIntyre to lose clean here which would mean he no longer has that chip on his shoulder.
So then what happens to McIntyre’s character? That part is far more in question than the results of this match.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes retains
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
Punk and Lee are currently -2500 favorites to win.
When the odds first came out, they were -1000 favorites. By Thursday, those odds had increased to -3000, and they’ve now settled back down to -2500. Barring a mid-match injury, AJ getting the pin or submission on Lynch seems like the most likely conclusion to this match, setting up a singles match for the women’s Intercontinental title between them somewhere down the line on a future ESPN show.
WWE has revealed which bout will go on last at Saturday’s Wrestlepalooza premium live event on ESPN’s new direct to consumer service.
As confirmed by WWE on Friday’s SmackDown, Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre will headline Wrestlepalooza on Saturday in Indianapolis.
A contract signing segment involving Rhodes and McIntyre closed Friday’s SmackDown go-home show, ending with McIntyre laying the champion out.
WWE announced Thursday that Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena will open Saturday’s card which begins at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
A total of five matches are official for the PLE, the first to be offered on ESPN’s DTC Unlimited service. The show can be viewed through the ESPN app on any number of smart devices.
The lineup for Saturday’s show:
WWE Wrestlepalooza, Saturday, September 20, 7 p.m. Eastern time —
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant Women’s World Championship
Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Dave Meltzer and I are back with the Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Here were some of the things we discussed:
Will Ospreay’s neck surgery
Ticketmaster and Live Nation
Dave’s over/under for AEW All Out buys
Whether or not Wrestlepalooza will add a sixth match
Discussion on All Out, Wrestlepalooza, and CMLL’s Anniversary show
AEW All Out will kick things off in the mid-afternoon followed by WWE Wrestlepalooza with several hours of crossover. From WWE’s ESPN debut to the return of Brock Lesnar to how AEW will perform with their third-straight afternoon PPV are among the many topics covered by Dave Meltzer this week.
There’s all that, plus a look at CMLL’s anniversary show Friday, the other news of the pro wrestling week and more.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar won’t be the main event of WWE Wrestlepalooza after all.
Last week, WWE commentator Joe Tessitore stated on ESPN that Cena vs. Lesnar would be the Wrestlepalooza main event. It’s now been confirmed that the match will actually be opening the card on Saturday, with Cena vs. Lesnar serving as the official start of WWE’s new PLE era on ESPN.
The announcement of Cena vs. Lesnar opening Wrestlepalooza was made by Pat McAfee on Thursday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show.
This will be one of the final matches of Cena’s career, with him only having five appearances left on his retirement tour after Wrestlepalooza. It’s Lesnar’s first time competing in the ring since 2023. Lesnar spent nearly two years away from the company after his name was mentioned in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.
WWE hasn’t announced which match will be going on last at Wrestlepalooza, but the main event would figure to be AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins or the WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
Wrestlepalooza is taking place from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and has a start time of 7 p.m. Eastern. It’s airing live on ESPN’s new streaming service in the United States and on Netflix elsewhere.
WWE Wrestlepalooza (Saturday, September 20) —
Mixed tag match: AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO SKY for the vacant Women’s World Championship
Neither the Usos nor The Vision will have to worry about electromagnetic radiation on Saturday.
In a press release on Monday, it was announced that the sponsor for the Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed match at Wrestlepalooza will be Aires, a company that markets products advertised to reduce the negative impacts of radiation caused by cellphones, computers, and other electronic devices.
As part of the sponsorship, a product named the Aires Lifetune Zone Max will be placed on each ring post during the match.
“The most advanced EMF protection for large spaces—Lifetune Zone Max neutralizes radiation across expansive areas like living rooms, bedrooms, and shared workspaces,” a description of the product reads.
Aires branding will also be placed ringside. WWE first entered into a partnership with the tech company in August 2024, making Aires an official WWE sponsor. A press release announcing the deal reads:
“The collaboration will educate fans worldwide about safeguarding against ubiquitous electromagnetic frequency (EMF) sources’ potential long-term health effects and support WWE Superstars in enhancing their physical performance, maintenance, and recovery.”
The effects of EMF exposure are controversial. The World Health Organization, however, states there’s no evidence that everyday EMF exposure is harmful below safety limits.
INVESTORS: Like Aires, the fed gov is focused on healthy physical environments…which is what the recent MAHA Report is about…including addressing electromagnetic radiation. Learn more in our blog post summary…https://t.co/9yBeN3DTx3
ESPN will have no creative control or jurisdiction over WWE talent as part of their five-year deal that kicks off this Saturday with Wrestlepalooza.
ESPN+ senior vice president JT Lasker and vice president of programming & acquisitions Matt Kenny were asked that question during a Wednesday media call with Kenny confirming they don’t have or want any say on creative.
He said their relationship in that regard is not dissimilar to relationships they have with other rights holders, acknowledging that the stick/glove/ball sports are different than combat sports.
“They retain creative control which, by the way, we are fine with. I don’t need to opine on what a script should be to WWE,” he said. “I think we’re excited about what they do, how they do it and we’re excited for Saturday.”
The question was tied into the inclusion of Brock Lesnar on the show given he was named in the still-ongoing lawsuit between Janel Grant, Vince McMahon and WWE.
Wrestlepalooza will be part of the ESPN’s multi-view option, allowing fans to watch action alongside other ESPN live sports programming.
They are continuing to work out deals with various cable/streaming providers that ESPN airs on in order to give those subscribers access to ESPN Unlimited. It was said that “by the turn of the calendar year,” the “vast majority” of their existing ESPN subscriber base will have access to the service with the ultimate goal of turning “vast majority” into “all.”
As of now, deals with providers like Xfinity/Comcast and YouTube haven’t been completed while subscribers of DirectTV, Fubo, Spectrum, Hulu Live and Verizon FIOS do.
Asked about the future of WWE archive content, it was noted their deal is for PLEs which will be available on demand. They directed questions about the broader library to WWE.
They deferred questions about a Baseball Tonight or NFL Live-esque WWE coverage show, but said it’s a big deal for SportsCenter to be on site at Wrestlepalooza considering it’s a college football Saturday.
Just like with UFC, WWE will continue to handle all production.
Asked if any new PLEs will be added on the calendar and specifically in December that is absent of one, Kenny didn’t have any real answer as the relationship is still very, very news, saying, “anything on that will bear itself out.”
Asked about what metrics they are using to determine whether this relationship is a success, Lasker couldn’t share target numbers, but said they want to grow ESPN’s overall audience and attract new subscribers who might not subscribe in another way. They also want to create new value for existing subscribers.
Kenny said there is a “minimum threshold” of times when WWE PLEs will simulcast on ESPN’s linear networks. That will be determined in a collaboration between them and WWE that begins with the ESPN content strategy team to identify opportunities that exist within the massive amount of commitments with ESPN’s existing portfolio of rights. Kenny said it’s still very early in all of this, but acknowledged the simulcasts could end up being more beneficial which would result in a change in how they look at doing them.
Kenny was asked about the reaction internally to the WWE deal given what it is. He said he lived the same question when UFC was brought on and it’s a challenge to create advocacy within the company. He used the example of The Usos coming to their headquarters in Bristol Tuesday which was a short notice thing, announced internally with a sign on the door for employees coming in. Despite that, the demand was enormous with north of 250 employees wanting to get pictures and a line that had to be cut off, showing there is more of an interest and acknowledgment than some realize.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton will be part of ESPN’s coverage of WWE Wrestlepalooza.
In a press release on Tuesday, ESPN announced several pre- and post-event shows for Saturday’s PLE in Indianapolis.
A one-hour ESPN Wrestlepalooza special hosted by Haliburton and Peter Rosenberg will air Friday, September 19, from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2 and the ESPN app.
Also, part of Friday’s 6 p.m. episode of ESPN SportsCenter will be filmed live in Indianapolis, with anchor Elle Duncan joined by Haliburton and multiple WWE performers.
ESPN Radio will broadcast Hall of Fame’s Countdown to Wrestlepalooza show on Friday from 10 p.m. to midnight Eastern, hosted by Booker T and Brad Gilmore.
On Saturday, September 20, ESPN Road to Wrestlepalooza will air from 3 to 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN social media platforms and the ESPN app, hosted by O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson of the No Contest Wrestling podcast.
WWE’s official Wrestlepalooza pre-show will then begin at 5 p.m. Eastern on the ESPN app, with a post-event show streaming immediately following the PLE.
The WWE Championship match for Wrestlepalooza is official.
During Raw, it was confirmed that Cody Rhodes would defend the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre this Saturday at WWE’s first-ever PLE on the ESPN app. This follows Rhodes’ return on SmackDown, where he not only took out Drew McIntyre but officially threw down the challenge for their upcoming WWE Championship match.
Additionally, it was announced that Rhodes would appear on Friday’s SmackDown, just one day prior to Wrestlepalooza.
Prior to Friday, Rhodes hadn’t been seen on television for over a month. Back in early August, McIntyre laid out Rhodes following a match and gave him a running dropkick on the outside, with Rhodes’ head crashing through the bottom of the announce table. The storyline injury took place so Rhodes could film his part for the upcoming ‘Street Fighter’ movie out next year.
On SmackDown, McIntyre continued to assault Randy Orton after their match when Rhodes made his return, laying out McIntyre with a Cody cutter.
Here are the updated lineups for this Friday’s SmackDown and the following day’s Wrestlepalooza PLE:
WWE SmackDown (September 19)
United States Champion Sami Zayn defends against Carmelo Hayes
Cody Rhodes will appear
WWE Wrestlepalooza (September 20)
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer
