Say what you will about WWE — and there’s plenty to say — but, they know how to make a big splash on an even bigger stage.
The first-ever WWE Wrestlepalooza event on ESPN felt like a massive deal and featured a corporately polished product that will please sponsors in board rooms all around the world. The action for fans was pretty darn good too.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
This was the right call for the show opener, especially once Lesnar pinned Cena after multiple F5’s. That match itself was a Lesnar style match, so it was fine at best. The booking was insanely curious. Three months before Cena retires he does a clean job to Brock Lesnar? This sets up a rematch that will likely serve as Cena’s last match and last attempt at vengeance on Lesnar. With Gunther, Bron Breakker, Solo Sikoa, and other young stars sitting in the locker room, is that really the right call for Cena in the end?
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO
The Usos vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed
A good tag team match, but one that could have easily happened on WWE Raw and it wouldn’t have looked out of place. The action was solid and the right team won in Breakker and Reed. Their push continues.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Iyo Sky - WWE Women’s World Championship
Absolutely fantastic. Vaquer and Sky were smooth, but vicious, and set a competitive match tone early on. The spots were crisp and both came across as premiere pro wrestlers in their prime. They milked Sky’s knee injury all the way to the end and used it as a reason for Vaquer to get the upper hand. Crowning Vaquer as champion makes perfectly good sense right now. She’s the hot hand in WWE, so why not go with it. Big time matches between Vaquer and Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, AJ Lee, Roxanne Perez, and others loom.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO 1/2
CM Punk and AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch
Not a five star mat classic by any stretch of the imagination, but a really fun fight with many bells and whistles. The match was designed to get Lee her moments to shine and in each one she did — striking aside. This had fun, but not over the top interactions between the men and women. Rollins and Lynch were brilliant as the dastardly heels. They sold perfectly during and after the match was over.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre - Undisputed WWE Championship
I’m glad this was the main event. World championship bouts like this should carry the weight of this spot on cards. Rhodes and McIntyre went shorter than I expected, but they had a full match that was built on their history. In the end, it was all about the Claymore through the table and Rhodes got the better end this time around. McIntyre lost another title match here, but it’s Cody’s time. He needed to stand tall at the end of the show and on the big ESPN stage.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO
What did you think of WWE Wrestlepalooza? Let us know in the comments!
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