WWE Reportedly Has Major Plans For Future Wrestlepalooza Events

The inaugural WWE WrestlePalooza is just days away and it's very likely to be the first of many big shows for both the company and ESPN in the future.
The sports & entertainment empires had a joint goal of loading up this card for the launch of their new five-year media rights agreement. All main roster Premium Live Events are set to stream on the ESPN DTC app, starting with Wrestlepalooza on Saturday, September 20 and the WWE creative team has put together a star-studded line-up.
John Cena will headline one of the final appearances of his career when he squares off one last time with Brock Lesnar inside of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will defend his title against Drew McIntyre and AJ Lee will come out of retirement to team with her husband, CM Punk, in a Mixed Tag Team Match against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch.
The motivations for stacking this card, which will also feature a Women's World Title Match and the reunion of The Usos, reportedly stretch far beyond making a good first impression with ESPN or outshining AEW All Out — which is taking place on the same day.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of of Fightful Select, WWE really has its sights on making Wrestlepalooza a major event going forward. Especially after last Friday's announcement that WrestleMania 43 would be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
MORE: WWE Makes Historic Announcement Regarding WrestleMania 43
"Fightful Select was told that was a big reason why WWE has went heavy into WrestlePalooza, the branding, and will likely continue that in future years," Sean Ross Sapp reported Wednesday. "Sources in WWE tell Fightful Select that it is being looked at as something that can also help fill the gaps in future years if WrestleMania takes place outside of North America."
It had previously been reported that WWE was workshopping the idea of holding a WrestleMania-type event as part of a deal with Saudi Arabia, which would have been very similar to the Greatest Royal Rumble that was held back in 2018. The Saudi Arabian government, however, was very insistent that they wanted "the" WrestleMania, according to Ross Sapp.
WWE Wrestlepalooza Card (announced):

John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship
Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch vs. CM Punk & AJ Lee
Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO SKY for the vacated Women's World Championship
The Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
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Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com