In 2014, WWE launched the WWE Network, a streaming service offering original programming and a vast archive of past content from WWE and acquired promotions like WCW. Priced at $9.99 per month, the service also included live pay-per-view events at no extra cost.
Despite its clear value, many fans were slow to make the switch. In response, WWE — often through announcer Michael Cole — mocked those who continued paying over $60 to watch its signature events on pay-per-view instead of subscribing to the Network.
In 2021, the WWE Network moved to Peacock in the U.S., giving fans access to WWE’s full library and live specials — now called Premium Live Events (PLEs) — along with a wide range of content from NBCUniversal, all for around $10 a month.
Fast forward to today: WWE’s PLEs are now available on ESPN’s new streaming service, priced at $29.99 per month. On Saturday, Wrestlepalooza marked the first event under WWE’s new deal with ESPN — and the start of a new era for PLEs. Featuring a potential final showdown between Brock Lesnar and John Cena, a heated mixed tag team match, and a high-stakes world title bout, Wrestlepalooza seemed like a can’t-miss event.
But was it worth the new $30 price tag?
Brock Lesnar Still Owns John Cena
Brock Lesnar’s dominance over John Cena continued at Wrestlepalooza, leaving fans stunned and in tears.
As ring announcer Alicia Taylor delivered championship-style introductions for both men, Paul Heyman made a surprise appearance to introduce Lesnar, dubbing him “the last real ass-kicker.” That was the last fans would see of Heyman in this match.
Early on it felt like old times as Cena charged Lesnar at the bell and was immediately overpowered. Despite a two-year absence, Lesnar looked sharp, setting a slow, punishing pace. After a powerslam, he declared it was “Suplex City” time, launching Cena with a German suplex that sent him out of the ring.
Early on, it felt like a repeat of SummerSlam in 2014, when Lesnar suplexed Cena over a dozen times. But this time, instead of a barrage, Lesnar slowed things down with a bear hug, giving both men a brief breather.
Cena eventually mounted a short-lived comeback, surviving a second suplex and landing four shoulder tackles and three Attitude Adjustments. Still, Lesnar wouldn’t stay down.
As Cena set up for a Five Knuckle Shuffle, Lesnar countered with an F-5 — then delivered a second. And a third. Then a fourth, fifth, and finally a sixth F-5 to secure the pin.
Even after the bell, Lesnar wasn’t finished. He F-5’d the referee and attacked Cena again, as cameras panned to young fans crying in the crowd.
With only a few stops left on Cena’s farewell tour, WWE may have just set the stage for his final mountain to climb.
Or reminded the world that some beasts were never meant to be slain.
The Future Looks Bright For The Vision
During the pre-show, The Usos came face-to-face with Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker of The Vision backstage, but were separated before things escalated. As a result, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce called for a special enforcer, and named LA Knight as the special ref.
Knight admitted he wasn’t interested in being the official, and that the rules were likely to be ” a little flimsy.” He said his only job was to count the pin or call for the bell in case of a submission. He showed no love for Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and even Jey Uso, but said Jimmy was fine.
Knight stayed true to his word, letting both teams trade chair shots freely. Ironically, when he finally enforced a rule — against Reed — he was nearly taken out by a dive from Jey that ended up hitting Reed instead.
Later, Jey nearly hit Knight with a chair while going after Breakker, stopping just in time. Still, the close call added tension between the two fan favorites. As he hit Breakker with a chair, Jey appeared to cut himself as the chair ricocheted off Breakker’s back and hit Jey’s head.
With Jey bloodied and weakened, Breakker speared both Usos through a table. Reed then finished off Jey with a Tsunami for the win.
This match accomplished two things. First, it gave Reed and Breakker a strong win over the Bloodline, avenging their SummerSlam loss to Jey and Roman Reigns.
Second, this established Reed and Breakker as a bona fide team. They came out wearing matching leather jackets with spikes. They controlled Jimmy Uso by cutting the ring in half and keeping the action on their side of the ring, an old-school tag team tactic. Reed and Breakker even pulled off an homage to Breakker’s father and uncle with a Steiner Brothers’ flying bulldog. A run at the tag team titles seems like an obvious next step for these two.
Meanwhile, Jey’s frustrations were evident. He barked orders at Jimmy and clashed with Knight throughout the match. Given his recent setbacks in chasing the World Title, this loss is another blow. How Jey responds to Knight — and even Jimmy — will be something to watch this Monday on Raw.
The “La Primera” Era Has Begun
In the best pure wrestling match of the night, Stephanie Vaquer defeated Iyo Sky to claim the vacant Women’s World Title.
Following two chaotic openers, Vaquer and Sky took a more methodical approach, exchanging holds and counters. Credit to the Indianapolis crowd, who stayed engaged throughout, applauding both stars. The match steadily escalated, delivering a performance that could have easily headlined the show.
Notably, the only time the crowd booed was when Sky prevented Vaquer from delivering her signature Devil’s Kiss.
The pace picked up after Sky landed a dive to the floor. Vaquer answered with a springboard body press, also to the floor. She later followed up with a dragon screw leg whip that drew oohs from the fans and put Sky back on her heels.
Despite an injured knee, Sky rallied with a running Frankensteiner. She would later pull down her knee pads and score with a series of knee strikes that rocked Vaquer.
As Sky moved in for the kill, she missed with an Over the Moonsault, and her knee hit the canvas hard. “La Primera” then struck with a spiral moonsault to score the pin and claim the title.
After the match, the two embraced and each was cheered by the crowd, who showered them with “This Is Awesome” chants during the match.
Before the match, WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton was shown in the crowd. Announcer Michael Cole noted that she would face the Women’s World Champion at Crown Jewel in Perth — assuming she retains her title against Nia Jax and Jade Cargill this Friday on SmackDown.
Regardless of who wins, they may end up as fodder for the surging Stephanie Vaquer. Just 14 months into her WWE career, Vaquer has already captured both of NXT’s top women’s singles titles and now reigns as Raw’s Women’s World Champion. As Michael Cole declared, “A new era has begun,” with Vaquer standing tall atop the division.
Time To Play Family Feud
The mixed tag team match featuring the husband-and-wife duo of CM Punk and a returning AJ Lee against Seth Rollins and his spouse Becky Lynch was one many fans were looking forward to. But what seemed like a match worthy of a PLE quickly unraveled into something more fitting for an indie show.
Tension built early, with Lynch teasing a showdown with Lee before tagging in Rollins. With Lynch’s help, Rollins controlled Punk for most of the match. At one point, as Punk reached for the tag, Lynch yanked Lee off the apron to stop it.
When Lee finally got her hands on Lynch, the crowd erupted. She landed a flurry of strikes and a flying body press as fans chanted “You still got it.” Though she briefly forgot to kick out of a pin — forcing the ref to pause the count — Lee still looked sharp overall.
But things soon got awkward when Lynch locked Punk in a Sharpshooter. For a moment, Punk looked like he was struggling to break the hold, a moment that felt off given the size disparity. He ultimately reversed the move until Rollins broke it up.
As the action spilled to the floor, Lee and Punk looked to put their tormentors away by putting them through a table. Instead, as Punk went for the GTS on Rollins, Lynch shoved Lee into him, sending all three crashing through a table.
Lynch tried to capitalize, dragging Lee from the wreckage, but Lee countered with her patented Black Widow arm lock. After a brief struggle, Lynch tapped out.
With the win, AJ Lee appears poised for a shot at Lynch’s Intercontinental Title. However, the crowd seemed to lose interest. While most were standing, the reactions to what was going on seemed muted at times.
Perhaps the frequent — though light — male-on-female exchanges turned some fans off. Maybe the awkward Sharpshooter spot hurt the match’s credibility. Or maybe the issue was that a personal feud, built on both sides disrespecting each other’s spouse, never delivered the explosive payoff a rivalry of this magnitude deserved.
Either way, this performance felt like the fifth best match on a five-match show. That said, AJ Lee looked very good for someone who hadn’t wrestled in over a decade.
WWE Continues To Live The Nightmare
Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship with a win over Drew McIntyre. But the standout performers were announcers Wade Barrett and Michael Cole, who masterfully told the story of the match.
Early on, Rhodes stumbled attempting a Cody Cutter, dropping to a knee and appearing dazed. Barrett immediately pointed out that Rhodes had looked off from the start, and this moment confirmed it.
Barrett referenced the previous night’s SmackDown, where McIntyre hit Rhodes with a boot to the face and a stomp to the head — possibly explaining the champ’s condition. In storyline, a Claymore to the head over a month ago had also sidelined Rhodes.
And so all signs pointed to a possible title change. But when Rhodes kicked out of pin after a reverse Alabama Slam onto the ring steps and later a Claymore, the writing was on the wall for McIntyre.
Once more, credit to Barrett and Cole for subtly building an “out” for McIntyre.
After nearly colliding with referee Ryan Tran, McIntyre had Rhodes pinned for a clear three-count, but the ref was stumbling to get back into the ring, a fact Cole and Barrett harped on. Later, when McIntyre went for a Claymore at the Spanish announce table, Tran stopped him. As McIntyre tried to force it, his foot went through the table, injuring his leg.
Back in the ring, McIntyre set up for another Claymore, but his leg gave out. Rhodes seized the moment, hitting a Super Cody Cutter from the top rope, followed by Cross Rhodes to retain the title.
Where WWE takes both men next is compelling. Rhodes is on track to face World Champion Seth Rollins next month in Perth at Crown Jewel.
As for McIntyre, this was yet another heartbreaking loss. He could take time off to sell the leg injury and return refreshed. Still, the announcers’ storytelling felt like it was setting him up for a big win. When it didn’t happen, it felt like: “Okay, thanks for coming, Drew. Next.”
Other notes:
- The Wrestlepalooza Countdown Show gave fans the polished look they expect from WWE while welcoming new viewers through several video packages. Hosted by Michael Cole, Big E, Wade Barrett, and later Jackie Redmond, it featured rotating panelists Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, The Miz, and Stephanie McMahon.
- In the second hour, Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque promoted WWE’s partnership with ESPN. He shared his optimism for the company’s future, especially with rising NXT stars. He also noted a cultural shift that has drawn interest from former stars and new talent.
- Country music duo The War and Treaty kicked off the show with their rendition of God Bless America. A video package followed, highlighting the rise of ESPN and WWE — once upstarts, now global powerhouses and broadcast partners. Levesque then greeted fans live.
- Michael Cole, Wade Barrett, and a returning Pat McAfee, the former Indianapolis Colt, served as the show’s announce team before McAfee completed his duties midway through.
- Ticket tracker WrestleTix reported that Gainbridge Fieldhouse was nearly at capacity an hour before the show, with over 14,000 tickets having been distributed.
- The Undertaker made a surprise appearance. He shared a moment with Stephanie McMahon before revealing that she will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next year.
Final Bell
WWE’s new era of PLEs under the ESPN banner didn’t feel all that new. While there were some surprises — like Paul Heyman introducing Brock Lesnar before vanishing, and The Undertaker revealing Stephanie McMahon’s 2026 Hall of Fame induction — the show largely played it safe.
For a debut on ESPN, this felt like a missed opportunity to go big.
Cody Rhodes retained his title despite every setup for a possible loss. The mixed tag match lost the plot by the finish. The Usos helped elevate Reed and Breakker, but the bout barely rose above a solid Raw main event.
Still, there were highlights. Lesnar’s return could set up a compelling final challenge for John Cena. And for fans of great wrestling, Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer delivered a world title–worthy performance.
Bottom line: It wasn’t a bad show. If you caught it for free, it was a win. But if you paid for ESPN’s new service just to watch WWE, you might feel let down especially after the company spent years telling you that you were silly for paying anything over $10.
Rating: At a $30 price point, it was worth $9.99 — maybe. Worth a free trial? Definitely.
