WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025 Discussion

[tiger_rick]

17 hours ago, Kamran said:

For anyone who missed it, here's the new intro:

 

Nice that Bray Wyatt is in it. The faults are obvious but that's a nice thing.

I saw the Steph announcement on Facebook. Apologies for bringing non-UKFF content into it but it was just such a ludicrous post. The short version being that Vince was a bastard (true) who'd never recognise his own family in the Hall Of Fame but Triple H is a great guy who is finally giving the poor bastards their due.

Whoever wrote that post will love that the poor lad finally got some recognition in the above vid and the cold open by being in the thumbnail, voiceover and having two different shots of himself framing the "NOW" portion.

[BomberPat]

11 hours ago, RedTwoster said:

Firstly, the only people potentially complicit are those named in the lawsuit. It’s a different regime in charge now, although I personally think they’re pretty shitty.

But you can care strongly about something and object to aspects of it - maybe it’s AEW and Ric Flair, Disney and it’s bowing to the Trump regime, or Xbox and its mass-layoffs. A lot of companies have done really shitty things, and balancing that with still enjoying the things that make us happy or provide entertainment can be really fucking tough.

I think I’ve reached my breaking point with WWE, but I don’t judge anyone who hasn’t, unless they’re actively supporting Vince McMahon or something. 

The entire company of WWE is named in the lawsuit. As are (in subsequent reports) Brock Lesnar, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan, along with other unspecified executives and board members. Almost everyone complicit is still around. 

I get that it's nice to compartmentalise, and think that because Vince and Laurianitis are gone, the problem has gone away, but almost everyone who is involved in the company at a top level during their time is still there. The people running the company were largely doing so on his watch too, and his immediate family are still in charge. They keep making it as clear as they possibly can that they don't care about the lawsuit, and that they have made a business decision that bringing in Lesnar (and openly supporting Trump, and plugging nonsense pseudoscience, and everything else) isn't going to harm their bottom line, and that's the only thing that matters. It's putting your head in the sand to pretend that the company as it is now is materially any different to as it was when Janel Grant filed her lawsuit.

And I get it. I kept watching WWE long after I felt I should have stopped, because it's habit viewing, because it's been part of my life for so long, and because I've always clung to this idea that if you're involved in the wrestling business you need to keep up with what WWE are doing. I still watch stuff on the WWE Vault Youtube channel, so I haven't cut the cord as much as I should. Maybe I would still be watching the odd PPV if I didn't find them borderline unwatchable - it's a lot easier to start boycotting something when you don't particularly enjoy it in the first place! I still use Amazon and Spotify, it's hard to completely shift away from some of this stuff. 

I do think WWE is a marked difference to AEW booking problematic figures, though. Obviously I'd rather AEW hadn't booked Flair, but I think there's a big difference between a company employing someone you would rather they didn't and the entire corporate structure and business model being rotten to the core while they cosy up with totalitarian regimes at home and abroad. Though, again, I loved mad old Antonio Inoki, and he loved a dictator.

[Hannibal Scorch]

8 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

Whoever wrote that post will love that the poor lad finally got some recognition in the above vid and the cold open by being in the thumbnail, voiceover and having two different shots of himself framing the "NOW" portion.

I told everyone Cena/Lesner was not opening the show, and I was right! The framing of the now over him was also special.

8 hours ago, BomberPat said:

The entire company of WWE is named in the lawsuit. As are (in subsequent reports) Brock Lesnar, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan, along with other unspecified executives and board members. Almost everyone complicit is still around. 

This is the discussion I’ve been having. Yes, Vince is gone but those who covered up, turned the other cheek, complicit even, a lot of them are not only still there but in positions of power. The company is still the same until they are all gone. And all this whilst bringing back Mr 44 times Brock Lesner proves it.

Edited September 22, 2025 by Hannibal Scorch

[TheScarlettChad]

AJ is abysmal. She can fuck off for another decade. 

[digforvictory]

I listened to a review of both shows by John Pollock and Wai Ting and Wai's description of the opening made me go and watch it. It really is ridiculous at this point.

You have a new WWE signature at the start of the show voiced by Triple H, then a WWE/ESPN retrospective video package voiced by Triple H, then an in ring promo by Triple H and then Pat McAfee arrives at the arena and who runs up behind him to get more screen time and let everyone know they're great pals? Why it's Triple H ! 

His ego is fucking out of control. 

[RedTwoster]

53 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

The entire company of WWE is named in the lawsuit. As are (in subsequent reports) Brock Lesnar, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan, along with other unspecified executives and board members. Almost everyone complicit is still around. 

I get that it's nice to compartmentalise, and think that because Vince and Laurianitis are gone, the problem has gone away, but almost everyone who is involved in the company at a top level during their time is still there. The people running the company were largely doing so on his watch too, and his immediate family are still in charge. They keep making it as clear as they possibly can that they don't care about the lawsuit, and that they have made a business decision that bringing in Lesnar (and openly supporting Trump, and plugging nonsense pseudoscience, and everything else) isn't going to harm their bottom line, and that's the only thing that matters. It's putting your head in the sand to pretend that the company as it is now is materially any different to as it was when Janel Grant filed her lawsuit.

And I get it. I kept watching WWE long after I felt I should have stopped, because it's habit viewing, because it's been part of my life for so long, and because I've always clung to this idea that if you're involved in the wrestling business you need to keep up with what WWE are doing. I still watch stuff on the WWE Vault Youtube channel, so I haven't cut the cord as much as I should. Maybe I would still be watching the odd PPV if I didn't find them borderline unwatchable - it's a lot easier to start boycotting something when you don't particularly enjoy it in the first place! I still use Amazon and Spotify, it's hard to completely shift away from some of this stuff. 

I do think WWE is a marked difference to AEW booking problematic figures, though. Obviously I'd rather AEW hadn't booked Flair, but I think there's a big difference between a company employing someone you would rather they didn't and the entire corporate structure and business model being rotten to the core while they cosy up with totalitarian regimes at home and abroad. Though, again, I loved mad old Antonio Inoki, and he loved a dictator.

A great post from you as usual. I’m long past my breaking point with WWE, but my objection is more to calling a random person a ‘plonker’ for holding up an anti-Lesnar sign while (potentially) paying to attend than it is the idea WWE is being unfairly maligned. 

Society is really shitty right now, and living in Trump’s America must be particularly grim. If that person finds WWE enough to help them escape that, fair enough. I don’t think it’s fair to slag them off for objecting to Lesnar because of that.

[TheScarlettChad]

1 hour ago, RedTwoster said:

A great post from you as usual. I’m long past my breaking point with WWE, but my objection is more to calling a random person a ‘plonker’ for holding up an anti-Lesnar sign while (potentially) paying to attend than it is the idea WWE is being unfairly maligned. 

Society is really shitty right now, and living in Trump’s America must be particularly grim. If that person finds WWE enough to help them escape that, fair enough. I don’t think it’s fair to slag them off for objecting to Lesnar because of that.

I called him a plonker, not any serious insult. 

[Devon Malcolm]

1 hour ago, RedTwoster said:

I don’t think it’s fair to slag them off for objecting to Lesnar because of that.

Loathe as I am to agree with a berk like @TheScarlettChad, especially over a great poster such as yourself, it's entirely fair. This person can't have their cake and eat it. It just doesn't make any sense to me, this idea of 'protesting from within'.

This person objects to Brock Lesnar appearing at this event so much that they still put money in their pocket. It's a similarly idiotic mindset (and I apologise to football haters for the following) to Manchester United fans who pay a small fortune to go to Old Trafford and then complain about the amount of money the Glazers are pocketing. Oh you chanted "We want Glazer out"? Oh you held up an anti-Lesnar sign? So what. If you cared that much then you wouldn't go.

If you want to still watch the product, which I'm fine with, then find an illegal stream. I don't know what's so hard about this.

[The Reverend]

Was it just me, or did anyone else hear a bit of a louder cheer when VKM appeared on that ESPN video package at the start? Sadly so many fans still miss the old sex-pest. 

I did think the aisle was better. I'm not a regular watcher of the product, but was this a unusually short aisle for them? I don't mind a big one (matron!) at Wrestlemania, but having a short aisle does mean less downtime waiting for someone to get to the ring. I wish they had had the same size at this year's Royal Rumble when the entrances seemed to go on forever.

It still raises a smile that Old Spice is seen as a premium brand in the US, when over here it's a bit of a retro joke. 

Enjoyed most of the card, especially the women's match, but that mixed tag was painfully done.  

[DavidB6937]

11 minutes ago, The Reverend said:

Was it just me, or did anyone else hear a bit of a louder cheer when VKM appeared on that ESPN video package at the start? Sadly so many fans still miss the old sex-pest. 

Nope, it was massively obvious. And he'll get one when he inevitably comes back too.

[TheScarlettChad]

ESPN have reviewed the show and said it was sub par. Great start. 

[RedTwoster]

57 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Loathe as I am to agree with a berk like @TheScarlettChad, especially over a great poster such as yourself, it's entirely fair. This person can't have their cake and eat it. It just doesn't make any sense to me, this idea of 'protesting from within'.

This person objects to Brock Lesnar appearing at this event so much that they still put money in their pocket. It's a similarly idiotic mindset (and I apologise to football haters for the following) to Manchester United fans who pay a small fortune to go to Old Trafford and then complain about the amount of money the Glazers are pocketing. Oh you chanted "We want Glazer out"? Oh you held up an anti-Lesnar sign? So what. If you cared that much then you wouldn't go.

If you want to still watch the product, which I'm fine with, then find an illegal stream. I don't know what's so hard about this.

I see your point, and @TheScarlettChad’s, but I also feel that not everyone thinks things through in the way many of us do, and a gesture like that is better than no gesture at all. It’s not something I’d have personally done, but at least it rams the consequences of doing something as problematic as bringing Lesnar back in their faces, potentially creating awkward conversations with sponsors who may not be aware of the situation.

Nothing that’ll make much difference realistically, but…something.

Edited September 22, 2025 by RedTwoster

[theringmaster]

What an odd show.

-Brock looked like he was about to have a heart attack, he was a really unhealthy colour of purple. Looked ridiculously roided.

-The mix tag, what a marathon! I thought i was at a britwres show where 2 weekenders were getting every move they know in. AJ is really a step below all the other women now, I don't think this return will work out unless she goes to PC and ups her game (which i don't think she will)

-Women's title match was easily the best part of the show.

-The whole Undertaker/Steph/HHH love in is proper eye rolly, let's put you in the hall of fame for your career you booked yourself...

When you consider how important this show was in theory (Bubba Ray went as far as to claim it's the most important show since the first Wrestlemania). this was a real damp squib.

[TheScarlettChad]

1 minute ago, theringmaster said:

What an odd show.

-Brock looked like he was about to have a heart attack, he was a really unhealthy colour of purple. Looked ridiculously roided.

-The mix tag, what a marathon! I thought i was at a britwres show where 2 weekenders were getting every move they know in. AJ is really a step below all the other women now, I don't think this return will work out unless she goes to PC and ups her game (which i don't think she will)

-Women's title match was easily the best part of the show.

-The whole Undertaker/Steph/HHH love in is proper eye rolly, let's put you in the hall of fame for your career you booked yourself...

When you consider how important this show was in theory (Bubba Ray went as far as to claim it's the most important show since the first Wrestlemania). this was a real damp squib.

Bully Ray says a lot of things 

[RedTwoster]

53 minutes ago, theringmaster said:

When you consider how important this show was in theory (Bubba Ray went as far as to claim it's the most important show since the first Wrestlemania). this was a real damp squib.

I don’t really understand their logic in trying to create a make-good Wrestlemania substitute out of a dead brand. Why not elevate Summerslam or something? Ram it with big matches and promote it as the ‘biggest Summerslam ever’ or something. It’s a really odd choice.