• ESPN Not Impressed With WWE Wrestlepalooza
The dust has settled on WWE’s first-ever Wrestlepalooza, and ESPN has now delivered its verdict on the historic event. The show, which marked WWE’s debut on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming platform, came loaded with marquee attractions – including Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, and AJ Lee’s first match after 10 years.
But while expectations were sky-high, reactions have been mixed, both from fans online and now from ESPN’s own review. ESPN’s combat sports writer Andreas Hale graded the overall event a C, calling the show “average” with one notable exception: the Women’s World Championship clash between IYO SKY and Stephanie Vaquer, which earned praise as the highlight of the night. Hale described it as “a phenomenal display inside the squared circle” and awarded it the highest match grade of B+.
Elsewhere, Hale was less impressed. He noted that the Rhodes vs. McIntyre bout underdelivered due to its short length, while Lesnar vs. Cena was dismissed as little more than a setup for future angles, receiving the lowest individual score of the night at C-.
For a card hyped as a monumental crossover between WWE and ESPN, Hale felt the execution didn’t fully live up to the billing:
“The excellent Vaquer vs. Sky match saved this show from being truly average. It was a phenomenal display inside the squared circle. Everything else was either underwhelming (the short Rhodes-McIntyre match) or a setup for a future match (Lesnar dominating Cena). For a card that promised to have epic moments, it fell a little short of expectations.”
• SmackDown Star Is Injured
According to Fightful Select, SmackDown wrestler Piper Niven of The Secret Hervice is currently dealing with an injury. The exact nature of the issue hasn’t been revealed, and those within WWE are unsure of the severity at this stage.
Niven last competed a month ago, scoring a victory over Charlotte Flair on SmackDown. Since then, she’s been absent from the ring.
On the September 19 episode of SmackDown, her usual partner Chelsea Green instead teamed up with Alba Fyre. They failed to defeat Charlotte and Alexa Bliss for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
At this time, there’s no confirmed timetable for her return. We wish Piper Niven a full and speedy recovery.
• Another WWE Champion Announces Pregnancy
Kylie Rae signed with WWE ID in November last year after a match at Freelance Wrestling. She made history in August by becoming the first-ever WWE ID Women’s Champion at GCW Presents WWE ID Showcase, winning a Triple-Threat Match against Zayda Steel and Zara Zakher.
Rae recently shared some personal news. A fan asked her on X why she vacated the Relentless PNW Title, and she revealed that she is pregnant, posting a mirror selfie of her baby bump.
This will be her second child, after having her first in 2023. She is engaged to fellow wrestler Isaias Velazquez.
The 33-year-old has been active in WWE Evolve, with her latest match against Masyn Holiday in August.
Congratulations to Kylie and her fiancé on the wonderful news!
