WWE pulled out all the stops for Wrestlepalooza, its first PLE on ESPN, with Brock Lesnar and AJ Lee both stepping back into the ring for the first time in a long time for marquee matches.
The show received a mostly positive response from fans, though John Cena's defeat at the hands of Lesnar didn't sit well. Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre was also an odd choice of main event (especially as the Undisputed WWE Championship didn't change hands).
The ESPN website was among the outlets that reviewed Wrestlepalooza, awarding the show a disappointing overall "C" grade.
"The excellent Vaquer vs. Sky match saved this show from being truly average," the site concluded. "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."
Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer was awarded a B+, The Usos vs. The Vision got a C (as did CM Punk and AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch and Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre), with Cena vs. Lesnar given a lowly C-.
According to @WrestleVotes, there were people in WWE who were "stunned" that ESPN published an article giving the company's first PLE on its platform such a negative review.
Inside WWE, the show was viewed as a solid, if not spectacular, effort, and officials wondered why ESPN would want the "online stigma" of negatively reviewed Wrestlepalooza, given what a big deal its premiere on the platform was.
However, a critic giving a fake positive review just because their company they work for is showing WWE events would be suspect at best. Even so, it will be interesting to see whether the same person is asked to weigh in on the upcoming Crown Jewel PLE in Perth, Australia.
Let us know your thoughts on WWE's reaction to ESPN's Wrestlepalooza review down in the comments section.