Vince McMahon Would Have Fired ESPN's WWE Wrestlepalooza Reviewer - WWE Hall of Famer Claims

Hale's review of Wrestlepalooza went viral after he graded the PLE a 'C' grade and said that Stephanie Vaquer's Women's World Championship victory over Iyo Sky "saved the show from being truly average".

The ESPN journalist was disappointed with the manner of Brock Lesnar's win against John Cena, while he felt the main event, which saw Cody Rhodes successfully retain his WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre, fell flat. His verdict is thought to have took WWE by surprise and reports claim they question why ESPN would want that kind of "online stigma".

JBL echoed that stance when asked how former WWE chairman Vince McMahon would have responded to the article. The WWE Hall of Famer said on Something to Wrestle that his ex-boss would have ensured Hale was no longer employed by ESPN: "Mr Hale would be looking for a new job. There's no doubt about it, and that's what should happen. Look, you're writing for a platform that you spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this product, and you're bashing the product. I just don't think that's well thought through. You know, I don't think that's the place for it."

Hale defended his review in response to backlash, stating that if he hadn't been honest, his "journalistic integrity" would have come under fire. JBL added: "Mr Hale has a right to say whatever the heck he wants and, you know, it's his prerogative. But when you're writing about the first show and you're writing for it on the company that's paid hundreds of millions of dollars and you undermine the very product that they're paying hundreds of millions of dollars for because your opinion is that it wasn't an A-level show, it was a C-level show, I doesn't seem like that person has much job security."

There were rumors that WWE were pushing for Hale to be fired by ESPN after the low grade dropped and the online debate over the review ensued. Those claims were debunked by Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp, who reported that both WWE higher-ups and Hale himself denied them.

ESPN Hadn't Graded WWE Shows Before Partnership Deal

While ESPN have covered WWE events in the past they have done so from a results perspective rather than reviewing and grading a PLE. It appears that the new partnership has resulted in a new concept which will see their writers, including Hale, review and grade each major event.

That's quite understandable given how much money ESPN have spent on securing the rights to stream PLEs. Hale voiced his own opinion and not that of the network because his job is to analyse as a boxing, MMA and pro wrestling reporter.

It would be unlawful for Hale to be removed from his job because he gave a WWE show an average grade rather than pretending it lived up to expectations. The response from fans and the reported feeling within WWE arguably did more harm than the article itself.