By Jake Barnett, ProWrestling.net Co-Senior Staffer (@jakebarnett)
WWE Wrestlepalooza
Indianapolis, Indiana, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Streamed live September 20, 2025 on ESPN Unlimited (Netflix internationally)
The War and Treaty opened the show with a rendition of God Bless America. The Usos were shown walking around the arena, along with the full roster of The Vision, and CM Punk and AJ Lee. Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer were shown, and finally Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. The lights in the arena went down, and a video package aired that detailed some shared history between WWE and ESPN, and celebrated the return to the platform.
Triple H stood in the ring after the video and asked the crowd if they can feel it. He told the crowd they were about to witness the final form in sports and entertainment. Triple H then addressed the crowd and said if it was their first night, welcome to WWE and ESPN for Wrestlepalooza. The lights then came up and Michael Cole was joined by Wade Barrett on commentary.
Pat McAfee was then shown in the back, and he was greeted by Tyrese Halliburton in the back. He was then greeted by Triple H and others as he walked through the Gorilla position. He eventually joined Cole and Barrett at the announce table for commentary. Brock Lesnar then made his ring entrance for the opening match. He stalked around ringside as Michael Cole cowered in fear. John Cena’s entrance followed, and he had a large group of kids with him that he took around the stage with him that wore identical outfits to him.
Alicia Taylor performed the ring introduction for John Cena, and Paul Heyman appeared from the darkness to introduce Brock Lensar. He called him the last real asskicker.
1. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena: Lesnar got out to fast start with strikes and shoulder charges in the corner. Cena tried to fire back, but Lesnar cut him down with a clothesline. He landed a second clothesline, and tossed Cena chest first into the turnbuckles before posing for the crowd. Lesnar hoisted up Cena and delivered a running powerslam, and then taunted Cena about suplex city. He then delivered a German Suplex that caused Cena to roll out to the apron.
Cena battled back briefly and lifted up Lesnar into position for an AA, but Lesnar slipped out the back door and landed a lariat. Lesnar then delivered a release German Suplex. Cena fired back with a couple of shoulder blocks, and eventually knocked him down with a third. He picked him up and delivered a couple of AA’s after Brock popped back to his feet after the first one. Cena then delivered a third and covered for a close near fall. He then hit the ropes for his signature fist drop, but Lesnar sprung to his feet and hit two back to back F5’s.
Lesnar picked him up for a third, and then sold his midsection as he got to his feet. He then picked up Cena and delivered another F5 as the crowd panned to some children in the audience. Lesnar stomped around and then delivered two more F5’s and covered him for a three count.
Brock Lesnar defeated John Cena at 8:50
Lesnar stood over Cena after the match and put his hands on his hips. He then exited the ring and circled the ring. He returned to the ring and delivered an F5 to the referee. He picked up Cena and delivered another F5. Kids in the crowd were shown wearing Cena gear and crying. Lesnar then took off his fist wraps and walked to the back. A replay of Lesnar’s victory and the post match attack was shown. Cena rolled out to the floor and struggled to walk to the back as the crowd said thank you. He turned to face the crowd from the stage and then walked into the back.
My Take: Well, that was not the direction I thought that was going. Lesnar wasted Cena similarly to their encounter ten years ago, and now looks poised to go after a World Championship, unless somebody else is going to get in his way first. The match itself was mostly German Suplexes and F5’s, with a brief interlude for Cena to have a hope spot with a few AA’s. Pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Lesnar matches over the last several years.
An ad for the upcoming WrestleMania aired. An “earlier tonight” video aired where LA Knight was designated the referee for The Usos vs. The Vision. He then made his entrance in the arena dressed in his referee shirt. The Usos then made their entrance through the crowd. Jimmy got on the microphone and asked the crowd if they were ready to party. He asked the crowd to turn on their phone flashlights, and said they were going to show ESPN how WWE to gets down. Jey gave the crowd a “yeet’ and got the crowd bouncing to his music. They partied their way to the ring and got on the turnbuckles to bounce again, and then did an encore after that. The Vision then made their entrance with Paul Heyman.
2. The Vision (Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker) w/Paul Heyman vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey): Bronson Reed and Jey Uso started the match. Jey used his speed to avoid Bronson and make some quick strikes. He tagged in Jimmy and they landed a double kick. Reed fired back and took down Jimmy with a back elbow, and made a tag to Breakker. He landed some shoulder blocks and jawed with referee LA Knight. The distraction allowed Reed to grab a chair, but Knight noticed in time to prevent its use.
Jimmy managed to take the chair, and Knight turned his back to allow him to use it. Jey then came off the top rope to take out Bronson and Bron at ringside. Jimmy landed punches on Reed back in the ring while Jey and Breakker fought at ringside. Breakker and Reed gained control, and Breakker landed a big shoulder tackle on Jimmy on the floor. Back in the ring, Breaker delivered some punches before tagging in Reed. They landed a double team splash of sorts and covered for a two count.
Reed hit Jimmy over the back with a chair and Knight did not call for a DQ. The heels continued the beat down on Jimmy for the next few minutes. Reed setup a chair and was going to stomp Jimmy’s head onto it, but got surprised with a low dropkick that sent him crashing onto the chair himself. Breakker got a tag first, and bolted across the ring to knock Jey off the apron before he could tag into the match. Reed and Breakker then performed a Doomsday Bulldog for a close near fall.
Jimmy used his quickness to escape a charging Reed, and he collided with a chair that was wedged between the ropes. Jimmy made a hot tag to Jey, who then landed some heavy punches on Bron Breakker. He fired up the crowd and landed a big hip attack in the corner. Jey then went to the top rope for a cross body that got a two count. The Usos set up a table, but were met by Reed and Breakker. After some brawling, the Usos landed 1D on Breakker, but Reed broke up the attempted fall.
Reed attempted a Moonsault a moment later, but got nothing. Breakker managed to regain control with a spear on Jimmy, but Jey landed a spear on him seconds later. He then landed an Uso Splash on Breakker and got a close near fall. He then jawed with LA Knight about the count in frustration. Jey delivered a superkick to Reed, and then Knight rolled to ringside to argue. Jey performed as dive that appeared aimed at Knight, but he hit Reed instead.
Things got chaotic as Heyman tossed a chair into the ring. Jey nearly hit LA Knight with it, but managed to pull it back. Breakker landed a spear on Jey, who appeared to be bleeding from an undetermined spot. Breakker speared both Jey and Jimmy through a table set up in the ring. Reed then finished off Jey with a Tsunami and covered for the win.
The Vision defeated The Usos at 17:12
Looking at the replays, it was difficult to tell where Jey had gotten cut, but he was being attended to by WWE officials. The Vision celebrated their win in the ring.
My Take: A well worked match, but it seemed like Knight was added as referee so they could put in a few intrigue spots and take shortcuts with the weapons. I would have rather seen the Vision win clean, or at least with some clever subterfuge, in a more traditional match format.
Various celebrities were shown at ringside, including Tyrese Halliburton and some ESPN Executives. Tiffany Stratton was shown in the crowd. If she holds onto her WWE Women’s Championship, she will face the winner of Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky in Saudi Arabia next month. Stephanie Vaquer then made her entrance, followed by Iyo Sky. Alicia Taylor made ring introductions.
3. Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship: The match began with some counters and reversals but not much impactful offense. This continued with some rapid fire pinfalls where both women got near falls. Iyo landed a basement dropkick as the crowd continued to observe without making much noise. Iyo applied an ankle lock to silence. Both women ended up in the corner a moment later, and Vaquer applied an armbar over the top rope. She followed up with a running leg drop and a back suplex.
Vaquer applied another submission, but Iyo was able to reverse the leverage. She followed up with a double underhook backbreaker and both women were down. Iyo fired up and delivered a missile dropkick from the top. She then fired up and landed a suicide dive onto Vaquer on the floor. Iyo attempted a sunset flip powerbomb off the apron, but Vaquer avoided it and delivered a double knee drop. Vaquer then performed a springboard splash out to the floor. She then performed another springboard cross body into the ring, followed by a snap suplex.
Iyo avoided a running attack in the corner and landed a German Suplex. Vaquer replied with a German Suplex of her own seconds later. Both women traded blows, and Vaquer ended the exchange with a back suplex. She set up for a Devil’s Kiss, and Iyo escaped and landed a double stomp. She then applied a crossface, and Vaquer had to claw her way to the ropes. Vaquer replied with a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. She attempted an SVB afterward, but Iyo stuffed in and took her down with a head scissors for a two count.
Vaquer crawled to the corner, but Iyo followed up with a double knee attack. She then went for an Over the Moonsault, but Vaquer got her feet up. Vaquer followed up with another gnarly dragon screw and then the Devil’s Kiss. She then delivered an SVB and covered for a close near fall. Vaquer went to the top rope, but Iyo rolled to the ropes to avoid the attack. She then delivered a shotei and climbed to meet Vaquer on the turnbuckle. Iyo delivered a Spanish Fly, but couldn’t make a quick cover due to the attacks on her knee.
Iyo delivered a double knee attack in the corner, followed by another running knee. She then went for another Moonsault, but Vaquer avoided it. Iyo had rolled down her knee pads and took additional damage from the missed splash. Vaquer then climbed to the top and landed a Spiral Tap borrowed from AJ Styles and got the win.
Stephanie Vaquer defeated Iyo Sky at 20:11
The two women bowed to each other after the match, and Iyo handed the title to Vaquer. Vaquer celebrated on the turnbuckle with some pyro. She went to ringside to greet her father, who had traveled from Chile to support her. He held up the title and celebrated with the crowd.
My Take: The crowd wasn’t immediately captured by this match due to the slow pacing in the opening minutes, but they came around about midway through and were fully invested in the finish. Vaquer has had one of the best first year performances on the main roster in recent memory, and this match was no exception. Both Vaquer and Iyo deserve praise, and I would personally consider Iyo the best big match performer in wrestling this year as of the end of September.
A video package aired that recapped the mixed tag feud, focusing on AJ Lee’s return and the subsequent promos between the two husband and wife teams. Seth Rollins music hit, and Seth and Becky were lowered from an elevated stage wearing ridiculous matching purple outfits. There were columns of fire and steam involved. A CM Punk chant started, and his music played. He walked out onto the stage, and the music switched to AJ Lee’s theme. She skipped her way to the ring as Punk walked behind. Punk wore an AJ’s Husband logo on his jacket.
4. AJ Lee and CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins: The bell run as the crowd chanted for AJ Lee. Rollins humorously covered Becky’s ears. AJ wanted to start the match, but Becky refused to enter the ring. Punk got in the ring and faced off with Rollins. Becky then got in the ring and put on a ridiculous performance taunting and slapping at Punk. A “GTS” chant broke out, and Punk brought AJ into the match. Becky rolled to ringside, and the match started out there as Punk and Rollins got into a brawl on the floor.
Rollins and Punk ended up back in the ring. AJ freaked out as Rollins distracted the referee so Becky could mess with Punk. AJ and Punk returned the favor a moment later by doing the same thing to Rollins. Punk controlled the pace and landed a top rope double axe handle onto Rollins. He then got back up top and delivered another one. He attempted a third, but Rollins kicked him in the gut on the way down. Rollins jawed with the referee so Becky could kick Punk in the kidneys. She then shoved him into the steps on the floor.
AJ tried to get involved on the floor, but was met by Rollins standing in her way. Rollins dragged Punk over to the announce table and landed some punches there. Back in the ring, Rollins landed some chips and a kick to the face. Becky and Rollins kissed obnoxiously to get some heat. Rollins draped Punk over the ropes and jawed with the referee so Becky could slap him in the face. Punk attempted to battle for a tag, but Rollins played the part of Lucy and yanked away the football.
Punk and Rollins traded vertical suplex attempts, and Punk eventually found a way to execute. Rollins managed to recover enough to prevent a tag as AJ looked exasperated. Punk finally fought into the corner for the tag, but Becky distracted the ref so she couldn’t see the tag. Rollins tried to use Becky as a weapon, but Punk moved and Becky pancaked onto the mat. AJ laughed hysterically. Rollins tried a charging attack in the corner, but Punk avoided it. Punk then had an opening for a tag, but Becky pulled AJ from the apron and prevented the tag.
Rollins mocked AJ on the floor and skipped around her to some heavy boos. He then skipped around the ring while Punk was laid out on the mat. Rollins managed to skip right into a GTS. Becky panicked and tried to wake up Rollins. She then tried in vain to prevent Punk from making a tag, but failed. AJ entered the match while Becky froze in fear. AJ landed a couple of Thesz Presses and punches. She then tossed Becky into the corner and stomped on her.
She landed 9 punches in the corner. Becky tried to powerbomb her on the 10th, but it was reversed into a head scissors. AJ then landed a flying cross body for a two count. A “You still got it” chant broke out. Becky and AJ traded wild slaps. Rollins intervened to stop her and got slapped in the face. AJ slapped him repeatedly. AJ used Punk for an assisted sliced bread on Rollins that caused her to land on Becky for a near fall. They then hit double team bulldogs and shining wizards to both Rollins and Lynch.
AJ and Lynch traded some reversals. AJ was able to lock in a Black Widow Submission, and Punk locked in a Sharpshooter on Rollins. They managed to escape in what amounted to a Benny Hill sketch. Lee managed to apply the Black Widow to Rollins, but Becky made a save with an exploder suplex. Lynch and Rollins landed synchronized Pedigrees for near falls. Rollins signaled for a double team GTS, but Punk broke free. AJ landed an exploder suplex on Lynch and backed into a corner.
She fired up and Rollins tripped her in the corner. Punk was incensed and delivered a Stomp to Rollins. Becky slapped him repeatedly but he grabbed her arm on the last attempt. She then tried to kick him and Punk grabbed her leg. Rollins tripped up Punk, and Becky surprisingly applied a Sharpshooter on him. Punk eventually reversed, but Rollins quickly broke it up. Rollins then landed Stomp, but AJ broke it up with a stomp of her own.
Becky then landed a Manhandle Slam on AJ, and she kicked out pretty late. The teams ended up in opposite corners and then joined in the middle for two separate hockey fights. Becky and Seth were sent to the floor. Punk tossed Rollins over the announce table. AJ removed some of the gear from the Spanish Announce table, and Punk did the same to the English one. They set up for a Manhandle Slam on Becky and a Pedigree on Seth. After some reversals, Becky threw AJ into Punk, and they crased through a table with Rollins landing on top of them. Becky dragged AJ back into the ring.
AJ managed to surprise Becky and applied a Black Widow submission in the ring, and Becky was forced to submit.
AJ Lee and CM Punk defeated Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins at 29:18
Punk and AJ celebrated after the match and had their hands held up by the referee. AJ jumped into Punk’s arms and they shared a kiss.
My Take: A fun match, but not a technical masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. AJ is definitely still shaking the rust off, and the match was smartly designed around minimizing the opportunities for her to get exposed for that fact. Rollins and Lynch carried the humor here with their heel antics, and the crowd was happily along for the ride. I assume this sets up AJ and Becky for a title match coming up soon, and hopefully AJ can spend some more time in the ring in the meantime to get her legs underneath her a bit.
Before the Main Event, American Badass Undertaker rolled down to the ring on his bike. Stephanie McMahon was shown on camera clapping for him near the ring. He walked over to her and she recoiled a bit. He asked if the seat next to her was open, and they sat down together. He said he saw her last week in Vegas, and now he’s in Indianapolis trying to steal a check, and asked if she was following him. After some awkwardness, he asked the crowd if they were ready, and told Stephanie that it was his honor to announce her as the first inductee in the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame. She then got some hugs from WWE folks nearby including Nick Khan. Stephanie teared up and seemed genuinely touched.
We got a video package that focused on the main event. Drew McIntyre was out first, followed by Cody Rhodes.
My Take: The Taker thing with Stephanie felt a bit awkward, but it didn’t take up too much time so it was ultimately harmless. Stephanie will make for an interesting induction speech. If she cuts loose a little and turns down the corporate speech it could be quite entertaining.
Alicia Taylor made ring introductions for the main event.
5. Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship: Rhodes slapped McIntyre after they met center ring. McIntyre backed Rhodes into the corner and delivered a back elbow. He followed up with some chops. Cody replied with a drop down punch to the face, but Drew quickly seized control with a side headlock takedown. Cody broke free and landed a Cody Cutter, but seemed sluggish. The announce team made a point to talk about Cody not being as sharp since the head injury he suffered several weeks ago at the hands of McIntyre.
Cody sent McIntyre to the floor and then dove on him with a suicide dive. He went for a second one, but Drew caught him and slammed him into the ring post. He then slung him over the Spanish announce table. Drew continued the attack in the ring with a kick and some chops. Cody bought himself some space by moving out of the way of a charging McIntyre, who went shoulder first into the post. It didn’t last, as McIntyre managed to capture Rhodes and deliver an inverted Alabama Slam into the ring steps. He quickly sent Cody back into the ring and covered for a near fall.
Both men battled in the corner, and Cody delivered a superplex. They then traded strikes in a hockey fight, and Rhodes ended the sequence with a powerslam. He followed up with a Cody Cutter, and fired up the crowd. He then set up for a CrossRhodes, but McIntyre delivered a knee to the head. They battled back onto the ropes in the corner and McIntyre delivered Sheamus’ white noise out of the corner. He then set up for a Claymore, but Rhodes reversed into the World’s Shittiest Powerbomb for a two count.
Rhodes applied a Figure Four and McIntyre had to struggle to escape with a hard punch to the jaw. McIntyre threw Rhodes into the corner, but the referee was in the way and had to bail out of the ring. He then rolled up Rhodes, but the referee was late to make the count for a near fall. Cody then shoved McIntyre into the corner and landed the CrossRhodes for a near fall. McIntyre threw Rhodes to the floor and then landed a dive over the top rope onto him. He followed up with a Claymore Kick in the ring for a close near fall as well.
McIntyre sold frustration and Rhodes rolled to the floor. He set up Rhodes for another Claymore through the announce table, but the referee tried to stop him. McIntyre went for a Claymore anyway, and Drew’s foot went through the front of the table. Drew sold like he could barely stand afterward, and fell down attempting another Claymore in the ring. Cody then delivered a Cody Cutter and a CrossRhodes for the win.
Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre at 17:17
A replay aired after the match of the important events as Cody celebrated in the ring. Trainers attended to Drew McIntyre who was selling his leg. The PPV ended with Cody celebrating on the turnbuckle.
My Take: A good match up until the finish, which made Drew look a little foolish in an attempt to give him some cover for taking the loss. I think the idea is that he’ll be able to gripe about the referee costing him the match, but I don’t know if that will do much to dispel the notion that he’s just the guy who perpetually slips on a banana peel on the way to losing big matches. Overall, this was an entertaining show, but with only 5 matches in 3 hours, the pacing dragged it down slightly. I’ll have more to say with Jason Powell later as we discuss both AEW All Out and WWE WrestlePalooza in our audio reviews.
i didn’t mine brock wining but if your bring those kids out cena who i’m assuming are make a wish kids, wwe basically said FU we don’t care if your sick and dying. that i don’t know really upset me.
Clearly you’re upset about this but I don’t think WWE was saying F you, we don’t care that you’re sick and dying. That’s a little much.
Reckon they fly the kids to the rematch. Otherwise it’s terribly funny
I’m still not sure where Jey got busted open. Fun night so far with star power instead of 8,000 flips and dives.
JP. Your praise of the slow motion, completely unbelievable and poorest acting performer anywhere near the top of the card, Iyo, is embarrassing. The best big match performer of the year? Yikes.
Wrong guy (or wrong initials). Jake covered the show.
Ooohhhh…. my bad. Sorry.
(See how I did that, internet?)
No, no, no. That’s not how it’s done. You have to claim that JP is your nickname for Jake and that I’m an idiot for not knowing that. Question my manhood, throw in some insults about my mother, and threaten to stab me if we ever meet in person. That’s how things are done on the internet.
The blood was from a chairshot to Breaker. Look like it ricocheted off his back and bounced into Jeys head which looked to mess him up. Wouldn’t be surprised if they called an audible and finished the match early because it got very awkward after that.
That makes sense. I looked for it but didn’t see the actual contact so I thought maybe it was something else.
Wtf was that cena match. Lazy match. Did lesnar have somewhere else to be.
Iyo is good. But best big match wrestler? Give over … she cant touch Mercedes or Toni Storm. Thats a fact. Steph Vaquer is very good and they should build the whole thing around her.
This show smelt worse than 2 week old milk left out in the heat. All Out shat all over it and it wasnt even close.
Rhodes/drew didnt get anywhere near Hangman/Fletcher. AEW is so much better bell to bell and gives far better value for money. $150 minimum to watch that rubbish? If that was in my back garden i’d draw the curtains. A snoozefest
Mercedes and Toni are sexier tier compared to Stephanie. She is on an island of her own currently
Ugh. What a terrible typo. Shall I try this again
Mone and Storm cannot touch Stephnie in the ring. No one can right now
Also. What happened to Guilia exactly. I’ve seen her matches from Japan and she was sensational. She has been totally flat in both NXT and the main roster. Did they “dumb down” her skills (like they did with Nakamura) or does she just not look like a big deal on a bigger stage?
Giulia can’t cut a promo and WWE already has the weird charisma Japanese woman with Iyo. Nothing really sets Giulia apart at the moment, especially since she came in at the same time as the significantly better Vaquer.
Next poll for your website should be how many people would have watched this PLE on Peacock but won’t bother paying $30 a month just to watch WWE PLE’s on ESPN.
A better poll is what kind of goof is getting a streaming service just for WWE.
I get peacock free (phone carrier maybe?). I am in no way paying $30 a month for ESPN.
Peacock has gotten pricy in its own right. Granted I have the premium plan or whatever it’s called but with tax, it’s over $18 a month now. Too many streaming services. Thankfully I get ESPN Unlimited for free with my Hulu + Live subscription. Somehow it feels like a win for me.
Peacock has offered their ad-supported level for $19.99/yr for a while now. Usually a summer sale and a Black Friday sale. I’m baffled that anyone pays monthly.
I got it at Black Friday for 1.99 per month for 12 months. No way is it worth 18 per month, especially with WWE gone.
Yep. Even the sports on Peacock aren’t that great. They get all the NBC stuff but anything that’s on USA Network doesn’t simulcast on Peacock which takes out a good 40% of what they air.
The NBA will help them a bit, but they’re really missing that one consistent thing to get people to go to the service.
A kiss should be a tag.
I agree with the Iyo statement. Ber matches have consistently been the best on the cards. A few years back, her NXT battle against Raquel Rodriguez I thought was the best match of the year.
Iyo just hasn’t connected with the fans in the way others have, and that’s tough to define. Mr. Perfect was Bret’s in-ring equal, but people just love Bret. People loved JYD, Hogan. Rhea, Liv, Punk.
In the ring, there’s nothing more Iyo can do to win over fans. They haven’t really showcased her otherwise to bring her to see if she can rise to that other level Liv, Cody and others reached.
She can’t cut a promo in English, she does the same stuff in every single match, and honestly there’s only so many times that someone can do the “I’m crazy, look at me” bit before it gets old.
She’s living proof that the vast majority of wrestling fans couldn’t care less about move sets and work rate. If your character isn’t compelling then you aren’t going to draw money, and if you’re not drawing money then none of your matches are the best match of the card/year.
What a night for the Stephanies!lol
Vaquer wins the title and McMahon is HOF bound!