Update: When contacted by POST Wrestling and asked if Hale’s grading of Wrestlepalooza and/or credential denial played a role in his departure, an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment for our story.
ESPN’s latest round of cuts includes combat sports reporter Andreas Hale.
Hale shared the news on Tuesday:
I was just informed that my time at ESPN has come to an end, as I am one of the casualties of the company-wide layoffs. I’ve been here before. Change is constant, but the outcomes are uncertain.
There will be those who are overjoyed with the news and others will be shocked. Either way, I gave my all covering boxing, MMA and pro wrestling and will continue to do so wherever the next chapter of my career takes me.
Once again, you know where to find me because I’m not going anywhere.
Hale was denied credentials by ESPN’s broadcast partner, WWE, for WrestleMania 42 this past April in Hale’s hometown of Las Vegas. WWE didn’t provide reasoning for the credential denial but came months after Hale reviewed WWE’s Wrestlepalooza show.
After grading the September 2025 show a “C”, Hale provided one more premium live event review with letter grades before the grades were dropped after objections by WWE. Hale continued reviewing UFC events with letter grades, showing it was a WWE issue and not a broader objection by TKO.
Hale was interviewed by Jonathan Coachman after the letter grade controversy and defended his stance, “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.”
It contradicted public comments made by ESPN Senior Vice President John Lasker last year stating its reporters would operate with full independence in covering WWE.
The reporter was the only ESPN staffer continuing to cover the Janel Grant case and provided a detailed timeline of Conor McGregor’s many legal incidents, including the Nikita Hand case, before UFC 329.
Hale previously worked at The Sporting News, DAZN, Sherdog, and The Ring over the past two decades.
