Wrestlepalooza 2025 was WWE’s first premium live event to stream on ESPN, as the company’s top shows now call the top sports network home. It needed a bang to start the partnership, and WWE did it with a card full of mega stars.
Near the end of his farewell tour, John Cena went against the returning Brock Lesnar. After she made her stunning return, AJ Lee had her first match in more than 10 years, tagging with CM Punk against rivals Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. Also, the Undisputed WWE Championship was on the line, and a new Women’s World Champion was crowned.
Watch: Wrestlepalooza postshow
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
No trying to feel the match in this one with an aggressive start from both competitors and several changing swings in momentum. Yet McIntyre looked a step ahead of Rhodes, with the champion looking like he was playing defense after McIntyre got some solid shots in. McIntyre landed an Alabama Slam on the steel steps to rattle Rhodes.
The champion eventually recovered and had his first real offensive rhythm, which including a Cody Cutter. He went for a Cross Rhodes that was quickly foiled by McIntyre, who then turned the tide back in his favor. He wanted a Claymore that Rhodes was able to avoid, and he got out of a second attempt. With McIntyre on the ground, Rhodes locked in the Figure Four. The challenger broke it up and got up to rip out one of the turnbuckles. However, he was soon thrown into it.
McIntyre finally landed the Claymore later on just for Rhodes to kick out of the pin attempt. McIntyre was aiming for a Claymore into the announcer’s table but the referee held him back. He still ended up trying it, only for Rhodes to get out of the way and McIntyre to hurt his leg on the table. Hobbled, McIntyre tried a Claymore but couldn’t get it because his leg gave out.
He went down and Rhodes landed the Super Cody Cutter to set up the Cross Rhodes. It landed and Rhodes got the successful pin to retain his championship.
Analysis: The champion isn’t dropping the gold just yet. All the signs pointed to this being the event Rhodes would drop the title or something stunning would happen, but instead it ended with ‘The American Nightmare’ on top. Now it feels like Rhodes will keep the championship for the remainder of the year and into WrestleMania season. It feels like the clock is ticking on McIntyre to get his hands back on gold, so it will have to happen soon or he’ll get lost back in the shuffle.
This match was kinda funky and nothing really eventful happened, but still a quality performance put on by the two. This could be a rivalry that has a few more matches coming up, and that could be when the title change happens.
The Undertaker appears to surprise Stephanie McMahon
The WWE Hall of Famer comes out on his motorcycle and sits next to Stephanie McMahon to tell her she will be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.
AJ Lee and CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins
The mind games were going on for Lynch and Rollins as they baited their opponents early, including a slap from Lynch to Punk to start the match. The champions embraced each other and left themselves open to Punk attacking Rollins outside of the ring. When the referee wasn’t looking, Lynch hit Punk, and then Lee did the same to Rollins a few moments later.
After the frenzied start, the match settled in with Rollins on offense against Punk. He was in full control, taunting Lee while getting some kisses from Lynch in between attacks. Rollins would distract the referee so Lynch could get her own shots on Punk.
There were several failed attempt tag attempts for Punk that were thwarted by Rollins. He eventually got it, but Lynch caught the referee’s attention and didn’t see Lee get tagged in. Rollins and Lynch assaulted Punk and the World Heavyweight Champion tried to launch his wife for a high attack, only for Punk to miss. The window for a tag looked to be wide open, but just as Punk got there, Lynch pulled Lee down to prevent it. Rollins then taunted Lee by skipping around his opponents.
That decision proved costly as Punk surprised Rollins with a GTS. Lynch tried to prevent Punk from tagging in, and Punk blew her a kiss as he finally got Lee in the ring. The returning star smiled before going full crazy on Lynch to turn the tide.
It took Rollins to slow down Lee, but she unleashed the same fury to him and teed off on the couple. Punk then got it to help his wife for a sweet sequence. Lee and Punk mirrored each other in the ring as they brought the fight. Lee was able to executed the Black Widow on Lynch while Punk had Rollins in a sharpshooter. Rollins got out of it and he got Lee off his wife, but Lee used the Black Widow on Rollins.
Lynch recovered and broke up the hold on her husband and the champions landed a synchronized Pedigree to try to finish the match. Lee and Punk both kicked out of pin attempts. They tried to finish the match once more, but it failed. Lee was closing in on a win before Rollins tripped her.
Punk then came in with a stomp to his rival, and was beating him down until Lynch slapped Punk. He confronted Lynch and she was able to get Punk in the sharpshooter. Punk reversed it and Rollins came back in time to land the Pedigree and stomp. Rollins was going to get the pin until Lee stomped Rollins. Then came a Manhandle Slam from Lynch on Lee and that nearly was enough to win.
Lee and Punk soon cleared the announcers’ tables to try and land a huge blow, but it was countered by Lynch throwing Lee into Punk. Lynch threw Lee back in the ring and went for the Manhandle Slam, but Lee caught her in the middle for the Black Widow. Lynch tapped out to get Lee and Punk the victory.
Analysis: Not bad for a 10 year break. It wasn’t the perfect performance, but Lee showed she still definitely has the talent that made her such a beloved star. This match had plenty twists and turns and whether you believe it or not, all of the competitors work so well in the ring together. The entertainment was there from start to finish, exactly what people envisioned when Lee made her triumphant return.
Now that Lee is officially back, she can set her eyes on challenging Lynch for her title. Meanwhile, Punk and Rollins may have to take a brief pause since the World Heavyweight Champion will be occupied with the Undisputed WWE Champion at Crown Jewel.
AJ Lee, CM Punk enter ring together
The best entrance music combination in WWE?
‘Cult of Personality’ plays for Punk before ‘Light it Up’ takes over for Lee.
Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins make epic entrance
The championship marriage comes out in style.
Women’s World Championship match: Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer
A meeting between two of the best wrestlers on the roster started in strict technical fashion, each trying to get an early leg up on each other. There were plenty of smiles and nods to each other before Sky was the first one to get a real offensive rhythm. Vaquer changed the tone when she had Sky’s arm locked on the turnbuckle. Sky countered the momentum with a backbreaker to Vaquer that left both stars laying on the mat.
When both stars got up, Sky was the one rolling and after doing her signature emote, went flying outside of the ring for another shot at her opponent. Sky tried a power bomb on the apron, and Vaquer reversed it for her own leap outside of the ring. The tide kept turning again back in the ring with shots and counters being traded at a quick pace.
Another rapid sequence unfolded and Sky had the Over-the-Moonsault readied, only for Vaquer to get her knees up. Vaquer was taking any chance to target Sky’s right knee and the pain she handed helped her finally get the Devil’s Kiss in. The crowd did it with her and she followed it with a SVB, but Sky kicked out. Vaquer took to the top rope and Sky got up to meet her to execute the Spanish fly.
Sky was started to feel the victory get closer, even exposing her knee for to land more damage. She tried the Over-the-Moonsault again and it didn’t land after Vaquer rolled out. ‘La Primera’ got up the turnbuckle and did her own Spiral Tap off the top. It landed and she got the pin for her first main roster title.
After the match, Vaquer and Sky showed respect to each other as the new champion celebrated.
Analysis: Another amazing match, what else did you expect? Sky and Vaquer are among the best in the business and they showed their excellent chemistry in what could end up being the match of the night. The momentum changed so frequently and allowed both stars to display their top-tier talent.
A case could have been made for either wrestler to win but Vaquer’s sensational rise continues. She’s achieving so many things at an incredible rate and she’s bound to become one of the faces of the company real soon. This championship reign should be fun to watch as ‘La Primera’ is indeed first in the women’s division.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed)
There was back-and-forth shots traded to start the match, and The Vision tried to see what they could get away with by using a chair. LA Knight didn’t like that and Jimmy Uso took it, and the referee allowed it as Reed took a shot to the back. It didn’t seem to affect The Vision much as they began to tee off against Jimmy Uso, including reciprocating a shot with the chair.
It was a heavy assault from Breakker and Reed, not allowing Jimmy Uso to tag his brother in. After several missed attempts, it finally landed and Jey Uso went to work on Breakker, using his family’s signature moves in the process. The Usos brought tables into the ring as they were riding the momentum, including delivering a 1D to Breakker. The move has brought them plenty of victories, but Reed came in just in time to break up the pin.
Everyone was laid out in the ring when a finisher bonanza happened, lastly with Jey Uso landed a spear on Breakker. He then did an Uso Splash to try and get the win, only for Breakker to kick out. Uso and LA Knight were arguing over the incident and LA Knight nearly got an inadvertent hit with the chair. During this sequence Uso was badly cut and bleeding.
The Usos were caught off guard, allowing The Vision to seize the moment. Breakker speared his opponents through the table and Reed landed a tsunami on Jimmy Uso to capture the big victory for The Vision.
Analysis: Finally, The Vision picks up a much needed victory. The group have been wrecking havoc, but it needed to start winning matches. Now the momentum can keep on going rather than halting and having to start all over again. The Usos brought back some of the great things that made them one of the best tag teams in WWE history, and it showed they definitely should take another crack at a run together.
A funky match, this one wasn’t bad but wasn’t great either. The pacing was a little bit off, and the cut to Uso made it seem like the ending was rushed rather than let it naturally develop.
The Usos come out to old entrance music
Jimmy and Jey Uso are running back for their tag team match, coming out with their old signature entrance song before they change it up to Jey’s song to Yeet.
LA Knight will be a special guest referee
There will be another star in the ring for the tag team match between The Usos and The Vision as LA Knight will be the special guest referee.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Feeding off Paul Heyman’s electric introduction, Lesnar immediately attacks and gets Cena on the ground. He throws Cena around the ring while gloating to the fans. There’s also an introduction to Suplex City. Cena nearly turned the tide with a sudden Attitude Adjustment, but Lesnar quickly got out and put him back on the mat.
It took time, but Cena is able to land some shoulder shots to get Lesnar down. He delivers three consecutive AAs, yet Lesnar kicks out. Cena then goes for the five-knuckle shuffle but Lesnar gets up to deliver his own signature move, the F5. He executes two and gets Cena up for a third. After standing over Cena, Lesnar delivers a fourth but doesn’t attempt a pin.
Cena got up only for Lesnar to deliver a fifth and sixth F5 in brutal fashion. He finally went for the pin and got the victory.
Lesnar wasn’t done after the bell rang. He delivered an F5 to the referee and another one to Cena before walking away.
Analysis: All of that build for that. This match was heavily hyped by ESPN, but people seem to forgot Lesnar matches haven’t been great in some time. Much like most of his recent bouts, this one was quick and just a finisher bonanza with Lesnar ending up on top.
It’s hard to see how this match sets anything up, especially with such little dates left for Cena. He had been putting on exceptional performances recently, but this one seemed to be a waste.
Paul Heyman joins Brock Lesnar
The advocate is back for Lesnar, as Heyman introduces his longtime friend after the two had a conversation on SmackDown the night before.
John Cena makes entrance with several kids
It’s a party for the 17-time champion as children join Cena in his iconic entrance.
Pat McAfee arrives
The sports media giant makes trip from ‘College GameDay’ in Miami earlier in the day to Indianapolis. McAfee is accompanied by Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton as will be back on commentary.
Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque begins ESPN era
WWE chief content officer takes the microphone to welcome people ‘to the final form of sports and entertainment’ with the company now on ESPN.
When is WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025?
The event takes place Saturday, Sept. 20.
WWE Wrestlepalooza start time 2025
Wrestlepalooza begins at 7 p.m. ET. The Wrestlepalooza preshow begins at 5 p.m. ET.
Where is WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025?
Wrestlepalooza 2025 will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025
WWE Wrestlepalooza will stream on ESPN’s streaming service. Viewers can sign up for a subscription to the site here. Subscriptions start at $29.99 a month.
ESPN’s streaming service is available through select cable and TV packages, including:
- DIRECTV
- Fubo TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- Spectrum
- Verizon FiOS
If your cable or TV package includes ESPN, steps to activate it can be found here. The event will also be shown at select movie theaters nationwide.
Internationally, Wrestlepalooza will be available on Netflix in most markets.
Stream WWE Wrestlepalooza on ESPN
WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025 preshow: how to watch
The Wrestlepalooza preshow will be available to watch on ESPN and WWE’s social platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025 match card
Matches not in order
- John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
- AJ Lee and CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins
- The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed)
- Women’s World Championship match: Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer
- Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
What will be first match at Wrestlepalooza?
As announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Sept. 18, John Cena and Brock Lesnar will be the opening match of Wrestlepalooza.
What match will close Wrestlepalooza?
The Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre will end the night.
Wrestlepalooza predictions
USA TODAY Sports’ wrestling writers predict what will unfold at Wrestlepalooza. See the full predictions for the entire event here.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
- Jordan Mendoza: John Cena
- Richard Morin: John Cena
AJ Lee and CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins
- Jordan Mendoza: AJ Lee and CM Punk
- Richard Morin: AJ Lee and CM Punk
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed)
- Jordan Mendoza: The Vision
- Richard Morin: The Vision
Women’s World Championship match: Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer
- Jordan Mendoza: Stephanie Vaquer
- Richard Morin: Stephanie Vaquer
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
- Jordan Mendoza: Drew McIntyre
- Richard Morin: Drew McIntyre
WWE moves to ESPN
Wrestlepalooza marks the start of WWE’s new partnership with ESPN, as it will now stream its premium live events on the platform after previously doing so on Peacock.
According to CNBC, the deal is for five years with an average of $325 million per year. All WWE premium live events will air on ESPN. ‘WWE has an immense, devoted and passionate fan base that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform,’ said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro. ‘This agreement, which features the most significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.’
AJ Lee returns to WWE
It’s time to light it up.
AJ Lee has made her triumphant return to WWE after she retired from wrestling 10 years ago. Lee made her comeback during the Sept. 5 edition in SmackDown, joining her husband CM Punk in his hometown of Chicago.
Her return to wrestling is something fans had been hoping and anticipating for years. Known for her unstable persona along with her elite promo skills and signature skip, Lee is considered one of the best wrestlers in the early 2010s. She was consistently at the top of the women’s division and is a three-time Divas Champion, tied for the most reigns in what was once the top women’s title. She retired in 2015.
John Cena farewell tour reaching end
Time is almost up for Cena as his 2025 farewell tour is in its final months. In his last year of in-ring competition, Cena has won the Elimination Chamber and the Undisputed WWE Championship, becoming the first 17-time title holder in WWE history.
Wrestlepalooza will mark the 31st appearance of 2025, and with 36 promised in his final year of wrestling, there are only five shows left for Cena after the show. His career will culminate with Saturday Night’s Main Event on Dec. 13.
His next appearance won’t be until Oct. 11 for WWE Crown Jewel: Perth. Here are the rest of the dates of his final run:
- Oct. 11: WWE Crown Jewel: Perth (Perth, Australia)
- Nov. 10: Raw (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Nov. 17: Raw (New York City, New York
- Nov. 29: Survivor Series (San Diego, California)
- Dec. 13: Retirement Match at Saturday’s Night Main Event (Location TBD)
Vacant Women’s World Championship to be awarded
A new Women’s World Champion will be crowned after Naomi vacated the title due to her pregnancy. She was set to face Vaquer at Clash in Paris but she dropped the championship prior to the event.
Vaquer, who won a title opportunity at Evolution, was still given her chance, and she’ll face Sky, who was the champion before Naomi won it by cashing in her Money in the Bank contract.
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