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ESPN stopped assigning letter grades to its editorial reviews of WWE premium live events after grading two shows, according to a March 2026 report by POST Wrestling. The reason is not confirmed: multiple sources told POST that WWE objections preceded the change, while another source said ESPN made the decision independently and WWE did not request it. ESPN and WWE did not provide POST with an official explanation.
What changed in ESPN’s WWE event reviews?
ESPN’s editorial reviews initially assigned letter grades to WWE premium live events. ESPN writer Andreas Hale gave Wrestlepalooza a C on September 20, 2025, and Crown Jewel a B the following month. POST Wrestling reported that subsequent WWE event reviews no longer included grades for either the event overall or individual matches. Hale’s UFC reviews continued to use letter grades, according to the same report.
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The change was limited, as described by POST, to ESPN’s grading of WWE event reviews. It does not establish that ESPN stopped covering WWE or that WWE reviews were removed altogether.
Did WWE ask ESPN to stop grading its shows?
POST Wrestling’s March 10, 2026 report describes two accounts that point in different directions:
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| Account | What POST reported | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| WWE objections preceded the change | Multiple sources familiar with the matter told POST that WWE objected to the grades before ESPN stopped using them. | This is a reported account from unnamed sources, not an on-record statement by WWE or ESPN. |
| ESPN decided independently | One source familiar with ESPN’s approach told POST that ESPN discontinued the grades on its own and WWE did not ask for the change. The source did not explain the reasoning further. | This is a conflicting account from one unnamed source, not an official company explanation. |
POST said ESPN declined to comment, and WWE did not return its inquiries, including a question about whether it had expressed discomfort with any part of the reviews. The report therefore supports saying that WWE objections were alleged, but not that backstage discomfort has been confirmed or that WWE caused the policy change.
Why did the grades become a point of scrutiny?
The timing placed ESPN’s stated commitment to editorial independence alongside the later reports about the grades. On a September 17, 2025 media call, before the ESPN-WWE broadcast arrangement began, ESPN Senior Vice President John Lasker said, “I think the answer to that is an emphatic ‘yes,’” when asked whether ESPN reporters would retain full independence in covering WWE. Then-Vice President of Programming & Acquisitions Matt Kenny agreed: “Unequivocal, ‘yes.’ That’s separation of church and state.” POST reproduced both remarks in its report.
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Those public assurances are relevant context, but they do not explain who initiated the later grading change. POST described the ESPN-WWE media deal as five years and $1.6 billion, bringing WWE’s biggest events to ESPN Unlimited in the United States. That figure is POST’s reported description of the deal, not evidence of why ESPN changed its review format.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Andreas Hale afterward?
POST reported that ESPN’s digital reporters had not published a new story with original comments from WWE talent since Hale’s September 18, 2025 ESPN article containing comments from Seth Rollins, published two days before Wrestlepalooza. The publication could not confirm that access had been denied. One source said there were no access issues and pointed to WWE talent appearing on ESPN television; POST said it could not find recent examples of access for digital editorial reporting or interviews. That leaves the status of digital editorial access unresolved.
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In a July 21, 2026 follow-up, POST reported that Hale was among ESPN’s layoffs and that WWE had denied him credentials for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas without giving a reason. ESPN declined comment when asked whether his grading or the credential denial played a role in his departure. The report does not establish that his grades caused either the credential decision or his layoff.
Hale defended his review in comments reproduced by John Pollock in POST Wrestling: “I gave it a C, and it deserved a C. The bigger issue is that if we can’t be honest about how a show really is, then my journalistic credibility is at risk. My grades mean something.” That is Hale’s stated view of the review’s importance, not independent proof of why ESPN stopped grading WWE events.
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What can be concluded from the reporting?
- POST’s timeline says ESPN graded two WWE events—Wrestlepalooza and Crown Jewel—before dropping letter grades from subsequent WWE event reviews.
- Multiple sources cited by POST said WWE objections preceded the change, but one source gave POST a conflicting account: ESPN chose independently, without a request from WWE.
- Neither company provided POST with an official explanation, so the cause remains disputed.
- The reported later events involving Hale do not establish that the grades led to his credential denial or layoff.
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