WWE kicks off its new ESPN deal forward of schedule with Wrestlepalooza this weekend in Indianapolis. Wrestlepalooza was the identify of a present run by ECW within the late Nineteen Nineties to early 2000s and WWE selected to revive the identify for the beginning of their new deal when the present lands at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
To kick off the brand new partnership, WWE has introduced in two of its legends. John Cena and Brock Lesnar are set to kick off the present with what needs to be a brutal match. The 2 have a longstanding rivalry that dates again to their debut with the corporate in 2002. Now, 20 years later, they meet one remaining time earlier than Cena formally retires from professional wrestling on the finish of the yr with only a handful of appearances left on his schedule.
One other return is about for the present as AJ Lee is again to group along with her husband CM Punk. Lee has been out of WWE since her retirement in 2015 however now comes again to assist Punk and world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins and girls’s intercontinental champion Becky Lynch.
John Cena retirement: Date of ultimate WWE match set for Saturday Evening’s Essential occasion in December
Shakiel Mahjouri
The opposite main featured match on Saturday pits undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes in opposition to Drew McIntyre. Rhodes made his return to TV two weeks in the past when he saved Randy Orton from a McIntyre beatdown. That is the place he additionally challenged the massive man to a title match at Wrestlepalooza. On the go-home version of SmackDown, the 2 signed the contract for the match, however McIntyre continued his underhanded methods by attacking Rhodes after the very fact as the 2 brawled with the present going off air and Rhodes laid out.
Let’s check out the matches we all know are taking place, together with a number of we predict could also be on the best way earlier than issues get underway in Indianapolis.
2025 WWE Wrestlepalooza matches
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar: Cena’s retirement tour continues with one other match in opposition to one in all his biggest rivals. Lesnar made a controversial return to WWE to assault Cena after Cena dropped the undisputed WWE championship to Cody Rhodes. Lesnar attacked Cena once more throughout Cena’s United States championship match with Sami Zayn on SmackDown. This all led to a match between the 2 as Cena’s time as an expert wrestler winds down.
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch: Punk and Rollins have had points since Punk’s return to WWE at Survivor Sequence in 2023. After Becky Lynch interfered within the Conflict in Paris four-way match for Rollins’ world heavyweight championship, she continued to antagonize Punk, figuring out he couldn’t put his palms on a girl. This led to the predictable return of Lee to WWE to arrange this battle of married {couples}. Lee has not wrestled since 2015 and appeared as if she would by no means return to motion, however the state of affairs offered itself too completely for her to remain away.
Undisputed WWE Championship — Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: Rhodes personifies a combating champion. Rhodes returned to SmackDown on Sept. 12, rescuing Randy Orton from McIntyre’s assault. Rhodes, who was absent for weeks after McIntyre attacked him, challenged McIntyre to a title match at Wrestlepalooza.
Ladies’s World Championship — Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer: The title was vacated by Naomi after she introduced her being pregnant in August. This left the 2 ladies who had earned title pictures as the apparent pairing to crown a brand new champion. Whereas Sky has already been to the mountaintop, that is the largest match of Vaquer’s WWE profession.
The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) vs. The Imaginative and prescient (Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker) — LA Knight particular visitor referee: The Imaginative and prescient have terrorized Uncooked since coming collectively beneath Rollins’ steering. Jey has had loads of points with The Imaginative and prescient and that led to him reuniting with Jimmy. There are different layers to the match, nevertheless, with Jey’s current points with LA Knight resulting in him blindside spearing Knight on Uncooked. An obvious backstage brawl between The Usos and The Imaginative and prescient simply earlier than the PPV occasion was set to kick off led Uncooked normal supervisor Adam Pearce to call LA Knight because the particular visitor referee for the match.
