Wrestling Tonight: PUNK VS. CENA IN SAUDI ARABIA | GUNTHER WORLD CHAMP | AEW GRAND SLAM: MEXICO PREVIEW | NJPW DOMINION FALLOUT
Release Date: 06/17/2025
The Turnbuckle Tavern
It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from One Bad Chad and "Ol Reliable" Hoch! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!
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The RAWDOWN boys discuss all of the news coming out of RAW and Smackdown and get you caught up on all of the news happening inside and outside the ropes in WWE. Everything is on the table. This is just the tip of the iceberg with all of the stories and news going on in the WWE. Let's talk about it and everything else in the WWE Universe! WWE RAW, WWE Smackdown, NXT... It's all there! Come get your best weekly fix for all things WWE on The RAWDOWN, right here at The Turnbuckle Tavern! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, SHARE, & CLICK THE BELL! TELL A FRIEND ABOUT US! Go to...
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Welcome to Wrestling Tonight: your weekly deep dive into WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA, and everything in between. This is Episode 137, and it’s one of the most significant weeks for wrestling’s future we’ve covered all year. WWE has officially signed a landmark five-year, $1.6 billion agreement to bring all U.S. premium live events to ESPN starting in 2026. It’s a media move on par with the original WWE Network launch, but with major implications for what it will cost fans to follow the product year-round. We’ll break down exactly how this changes the wrestling landscape, from pay-per-view...
info_outlineThe Turnbuckle Tavern
It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from The Two Bad Chads! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!
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The RAWDOWN boys discuss all of the news coming out of RAW and Smackdown and get you caught up on all of the news happening inside and outside the ropes in WWE. Everything is on the table. This is just the tip of the iceberg with all of the stories and news going on in the WWE. Let's talk about it and everything else in the WWE Universe! WWE RAW, WWE Smackdown, NXT... It's all there! Come get your best weekly fix for all things WWE on The RAWDOWN, right here at The Turnbuckle Tavern! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, SHARE, & CLICK THE BELL! TELL A FRIEND ABOUT US! Go to...
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This week on Wrestling Tonight, we break down a landmark weekend in pro wrestling. WWE’s first-ever two-night SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium featured two massive world title changes, a shocking return from Brock Lesnar, and the naming of The Vision. CM Punk’s long-awaited championship win over Gunther was immediately erased by Rollins’ Money in the Bank cash-in, while Cody Rhodes closed out Night Two by defeating John Cena… only to watch Lesnar drop Cena with a post-match F5. We recap the full SummerSlam card, including Naomi’s crafty title defense, the Wyatt Sicks’...
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It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from One Bad Chad and "Ol Reliable" Hoch! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!
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IT IS TIME TO GET RAW, IT IS TIME TO GET DOWN. IT IS TIME FOR THE NUMBER ONE SPOT FOR ALL THINGS WWE! Tune in every week as J-Bone and Marco break down all of the WWE news and action! Head over to patreon.com/turnbuckletavern to join the Patreon only $2.99/mo
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Welcome to Wrestling Tonight: Chad returns with Acefield Retro for your weekly deep dive into WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA, and everything in between. On July 24, 2025, the wrestling world lost its most recognizable icon. Terry Bollea, Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71, leaving behind a legacy as towering as his persona. From Saturday morning cartoons to WrestleMania main events, Hogan was the face that launched wrestling into pop culture. But his story is as complicated as it is influential. This week, we reflect on the full scope of Hogan’s life, the glory, the controversy,...
info_outlineThe Turnbuckle Tavern
It's Thursday, and you know what that means! It is time to walk through those Tavern doors and order up a round of professional wrestling coverage from The Two Bad Chads! This week we talk AEW and all the happenings of the week! Make sure you go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!
info_outlineOn Episode 129 of Wrestling Tonight, we examine a wrestling landscape defined by momentum, contradiction, and long-overdue reckonings.
Gunther has once again ascended to the top of WWE’s mountain, reclaiming the World Heavyweight Championship with a decisive victory over Jey Uso on Raw. After a legendary Intercontinental reign and a prior world title run, this latest chapter only reaffirms what many already knew—Gunther represents stability, precision, and quiet dominance in an era often ruled by noise.
But if Gunther embodies discipline, CM Punk continues to wrestle with dualities—especially his own. Punk is now officially headed to Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, where he’ll face John Cena in a high-profile rematch years in the making. The match is compelling on paper, but the context is impossible to ignore. For much of his career, Punk positioned himself as a vocal critic of WWE’s Saudi partnership. His participation now marks a sharp pivot—and raises fair questions about where principle ends and pragmatism begins.
Across the globe, AEW prepares for a milestone event with Grand Slam: Mexico, a historic collaboration with CMLL at Arena México. The card brings together AEW’s signature stars and Mexico’s rich lucha tradition: MJF vs. Mistico, Mercedes Moné defending the CMLL Women’s Championship, Ricochet returning to his roots in a four-way spectacle, and a lineup of elite trios competition featuring Okada, Ospreay, FTR, and more. It’s not just a supercard—it’s a cultural statement about what AEW wants to be.
In Japan, NJPW’s Dominion delivered a slate of meaningful outcomes and subtle shifts. Hirooki Goto retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Title after a grueling defense against Shingo Takagi, Konosuke Takeshita continues to cement his position ahead of the G1 despite his loss to Oleg Boltin, and EVIL's vicious dog collar match win over David Finlay paired with the Bullet Club’s unraveling. With questions lingering around Hiroshi Tanahashi’s G1 future, Dominion felt less like a culmination and more like a prologue to what’s ahead.
From Toronto to Tokyo, Mexico City to Riyadh, professional wrestling continues to evolve—sometimes with purpose, sometimes with contradiction, and always with stories that reflect more than what happens in the ring.
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