Getty Image
WWE WrestleMania 42 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is set to stream exclusively on ESPN Unlimited in the United States. However, ESPN reporter Andreas Hale will not be covering the event despite serving as the company’s lead pro wrestling reporter.
Hale posted on X Saturday, revealing that the WWE refused to credential him for the event and blocked his access. When both he and ESPN asked the company to clarify why his credential request was denied, it refused to supply an answer.
I will not be covering #WrestleMania for ESPN.
WWE denied my credentials and blocked my access.
Neither I nor ESPN has been told why.
You can speculate on the reasons, but if you want answers, ask WWE.
Let me know what they tell you.
~FIN~
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) April 18, 2026
“I will not be covering #WrestleMania for ESPN,” Hale wrote. “WWE denied my credentials and blocked my access. Neither I nor ESPN has been told why. You can speculate on the reasons, but if you want answers, ask WWE. Let me know what they tell you.”
Andreas Hale Has Been Critical Of Recent WWE Shows
Hale, while working for one of WWE’s biggest broadcast partners, has not been afraid to be critical of the company.
Following WWE’s debut event on ESPN Unlimited, entitled WrestlePalooza, Hale gave the show a “C” grade and noted that the women’s match between Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky “saved this show from being truly average.”
“Everything else was either underwhelming (the short Rhodes-McIntyre match) or a setup for a future match (Lesnar dominating Cena). For a card that promised to have epic moments, it fell a little short of expectations,” he continued.
Additionally, Hale recently covered former WWE employee Janel Grant’s detailed allegations against both the company and former owner Vince McMahon, who many believe could soon return to the fold in some capacity.
Grant accused McMahon of sexual battery and trafficking during her time with the pro wrestling promotion from 2019 to 2022.
“I felt used, leveraged, humiliated, shamed, dehumanized, intimidated, and exploited for the business and the sexual gratification of these men,” Grant said in a 40-page affidavit.
McMahon has denied the allegations throughout the process.
WWE has not yet commented on either the most recent allegations or the decision not to credential Hale.