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WWE Wrestlepalooza grades: Did Rhodes-McIntyre, Cena-Lesnar get above-average marks?

Wrestlepalooza promised exciting matches and entertaining action. Did it deliver?

GNN Web Desk
Published 2 hours ago on Sep 25th 2025, 6:00 am
By Web Desk
WWE Wrestlepalooza grades: Did Rhodes-McIntyre, Cena-Lesnar get above-average marks?
The era of WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs) on ESPN Unlimited kicked off with Wrestlepalooza from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday.

The seventh singles meeting between John Cena and Brock Lesnar started off the night, and it would be "The Beast Incarnate" who would dominate and pin his rival, Cena, in stunning fashion. A new Women's World Champion was crowned, as Stephanie Vaquer defeated Iyo Sky in an excellent showdown.

The card also featured the return of former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee after a decade away from the ring. She joined her husband, CM Punk, in a mixed tag team match against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and his wife, Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes headlined the event by putting his title on the line in a surprisingly short outing against Drew McIntyre.

After each PLE, we assess the quality of each wrestling match based on effective storytelling, in-ring performance and overall entertainment. We also grade the event as a whole.

Did Wrestlepalooza deliver on its promise of epic moments?

Result: Vaquer def. Sky by pinfall
Grade: B+

This was exceptional work from two of the best women's wrestlers in WWE. The first half found Vaquer and Sky engaged in a chess match in which counters reigned supreme. However, the later stages of the match saw Vaquer focus on working over Sky's knee, giving her an edge when she needed it most. Vaquer couldn't keep Sky down after countering an Over The Moonsault and hitting the SVB. Sky swung the pendulum in her favor with a bevy of knee strikes and a beautiful avalanche Spanish Fly. But her knee slowed her down on her second attempt at an Over The Moonsault, which Vaquer rolled out of the way of and headed to the top rope to hit a Spinal Tap for the finish. This was a match you should go out of your way to see.

Result: The Vision def. The Usos by pinfall
Grade: C

The first half of the match was sluggish in action, as the focus primarily was on what liberties LA Knight, the special guest referee, would extend to both teams. Surprisingly, he allowed both teams to introduce chairs and tables into the match. The action picked up after a near fall following a 1-D from The Usos. Both teams landed a series of spears before Jey Uso hit the Uso Splash for a near fall on Bron Breakker. Somehow, Jey was busted open after hitting both Bronson Reed and Breakker with chair shots, which led to an awkward delay before Breakker speared Jey. Breakker then speared both Usos through a table and Reed followed with a Tsunami to seal the victory for The Vision. The slow early pace appeared to be heading toward a strong finish before Jey was busted open, which led to a disjointed finishing stretch. This wasn't a bad match, but The Usos have certainly had better outings.
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