ESPN writer gives WWE debut on ESPN underwhelming grade

On a conference call last week, ESPN executives were asked whether the company’s pro wrestling coverage would remain independent as the network becomes the home of WWE Premium Live Events.

“I think the answer to that is an emphatic yes,” senior vice president of ESPN+ John Lasker answered.

“Unequivocal yes,” ESPN VP of acquisitions Matt Kenny added. “That’s separation of church and state.”

It didn’t take long for their promises to be put to the test.

While WWE’s debut show on ESPN, Wrestlepalooza, was certainly heavily promoted, it would be tough to argue that the PLE lived up to the hype from a creative standpoint. Outside of the women’s world championship match between Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky, the five-match card largely fell flat, with many fans considering the co-main event matches of John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre to be especially underwhelming.

As such, many were curious to see how ESPN would evaluate the show, as it has typically done for WWE’s biggest events over the years. And if there was still any question as to whether the company would remain editorially independent, it was seemingly put to rest with Andreas Hale’s review, which gave Wrestlepalooza an underwhelming ‘C’ letter grade, with only the Vaquer vs. Sky match earning a grade higher than a C+.

“The excellent Vaquer vs. Sky match saved this show from being truly average. It was a phenomenal display inside the squared circle,” he wrote. “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 expectation.”

While opinions about pro wrestling are obviously subjective, it would tough to disagree with Hale’s overall assessment. For such a historically hyped show, the results didn’t match, as the card did little to advance the current state of WWE’s storylines.

Ultimately, some shows are going to perform better than others and it’s also worth noting that WWE’s current creative under Paul “Triple H” Levesque is widely considered to be lightyears better than it previously was under Vince McMahon just a few years ago. Still, it was certainly noteworthy to see the company’s newest media rights partner label the debut with a lackluster grade, which also lent credence to the executives’ promise of a separation of church and state.

Given the scripted nature of the product, it’s a far different realm of criticism for pro wrestling compared to other sports leagues ESPN is partnered with. Questions are always circling around ESPN’s balance between their business interests and journalistic freedom. But at least for their debut together, ESPN’s WWE coverage passed the test.