On Saturday, September 20th, WWE returned to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, for its big event, “Wrestlepalooza.” The event marked the first ESPN premium live event in the company’s history. The show was headlined by Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre.
We also saw John Cena battle Brock Lesnar in Cena’s final match in Indianapolis, AJ Lee return to the ring for the first time in 10 years to team up with CM Punk against Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch, Iyo Sky meet Stephanie Vaquer for the vacant Women’s World Championship, and so much more. So, what were the top three moments of the night?
Honorable Mention: The Undertaker Returns To Deliver Big News To Stephanie McMahon
In perhaps one of the best feel-good and most shocking moments on the show, we saw Undertaker randomly make his entrance right before the main event. He sat down next to Stephanie McMahon and delivered some huge news. Stephanie McMahon is officially the first name announced for the 2026 Hall of Fame. Despite still being seven months away, this was a great moment for someone who has not only done a lot for the WWE but also done a lot for women’s wrestling as a whole. Kudos and congratulations to Stephanie McMahon on entering the WWE Hall of Fame.
3. Stephanie Vaquer Wins The Women’s World Championship
Following her pregnancy announcement, Naomi was forced to relinquish the Women’s World Championship on Monday Night Raw. This threw a massive wrench into the plans of Stephanie Vaquer, who was originally supposed to challenge Naomi for the title at Clash in Paris back in August.
So, with this being the case, the general manager of RAW, Adam Pearce, put Vaquer in a match for the vacant Women’s World Championship at “Wrestlepalooza.” Iyo Sky punched her ticket too, and the match was set. Vaquer and Sky truly left it all out in the ring and put on a fantastic match.
In the end, Vaquer went high-risk to defeat Sky and win the vacant Women’s World Championship. This victory was more than deserved for Vaquer, who has been on a very great run as of late. She’s a terrific talent and more than deserved this moment. Congratulations to the new Women’s World Champion, “La Primavera,” Stephanie Vaquer.
2. AJ Lee Returns To the Ring
In one of the biggest matches of the night, we saw the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, team up with the Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch, to face off with CM Punk and his wife, AJ Lee. This match marked Lee’s first match inside a professional wrestling ring in 10 years.
While it was a big question mark how she would look, Lee didn’t look bad. More than anything, this was such a special moment for Lee, Punk, and all of the fans to see Lee overcome her injuries and get back inside the squared circle. This was a very fun mixed tag team match, which saw all four competitors show up and show out.
Ultimately, Lee locks in the Black Widow on Lynch and forces her to tap out. This was a very fun first match back for Lee. It remains to be seen where we go from here, but one thing we know for sure is that Lee is officially back in the WWE, and it may not be long until she gets the Women’s Intercontinental Championship around her waist.
1. Brock Lesnar Decimates John Cena After He Reunites with Paul Heyman
In the opening match of the night, we saw John Cena make his final appearance in Indianapolis, IN, as he battled “The Beast,” Brock Lesnar. Defeating Lesnar is no easy feat for any man, but if anyone could do it, Cena is that man. However, this was a match that not many people expected.
After Paul Heyman introduced his “Beast,” Lesnar went on the attack. In the end, Lesnar absolutely decimates Cena and defeats him with an F-5. Lesnar wasn’t through there as he continued his onslaught on Cena with a post-match beatdown, and even gave the referee an F-5 for good measure.
This is an angry Lesnar. While we don’t know where things may go from here, one can assume that Cena and Lesnar will do battle at Crown Jewel, where Cena can hopefully get his win back. However, one thing we know for sure is that Lesnar is officially back, and some may even argue more dangerous than ever before.
