WWE makes last-minute change to Wrestlepalooza 2025 match card lineup

The upcoming PLE will usher in the ESPN era for WWE!

WWE is all set to revive the Wrestlepalooza Premium Live Event this month. The event is set for Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will usher in the new era of WWE PLEs on ESPN.

The name Wrestlepalooza was originally used for an ECW event series that ran from 1995 to 2000. WWE will now deliver the inaugural PLE this week, in hopes of making it a yearly and grand affair.

John Cena vs Brock Lesnar was set to headline the show

During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter last week, SmackDown announcer Joe Tessitore announced that the clash between Cena and Lesnar is set to headline the upcoming PLE.

However, it seems like the promotion has changed its plans for the show since Tessitore’s announcement. Pat McAfee, on the latest edition of his ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ hyped the Cena vs Lesnar match for Wrestlepalooza on his show and revealed it will open the PLE, not close it.

“Him (Lesnar) and Cena are gonna be battling for one last time here in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it’s gonna be must-watch, it’s gonna be show-stealing, it’s gonna be something that’s talked about for generations and generations,

And that fight will be taking place at the top of the show. Kicking off the ESPN-WWE era will be John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar here at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is obviously gigantic, what a way to start the best partnership I’ve ever seen, and the smartest partnership I’ve ever seen between ESPN and WWE, and also, two GOATs going at it,” McAfee said.

Per McAfee, the final clash between Cena and Lesnar will kick off the ESPN era for WWE. The match will be the first one-on-one match between the two stars since 2014. Furthermore, it will be Lesnar’s first match since SummerSlam 2023, where he suffered defeat at the hands of Cody Rhodes.

As of the writing of this article, there is still no clarity on which match will now headline the show after the initial plans for Cena and Lesnar to headline have been scrapped. Fans are speculating for either the mixed-tag team match or the Undisputed title clash between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to headline the show.

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