Wrestling Tonight: WWE CROWN JEWEL IN PERTH PREVIEW | TNA BOUND FOR GLORY PRIMER | AEW TITLE TUESDAY vs. NXT TNA SHOWDOWN

It’s one of the biggest and most unpredictable weeks of the year in professional wrestling, and Wrestling Tonight is here for all of it. Episode 145 takes you from the glow of Perth to the grit of Lowell, from The CW’s cross-promotional chaos to AEW’s calm confidence on Title Tuesday. Every company is making a statement and not all of them are speaking the same language.

WWE Crown Jewel heads to Australia for the first time, trading the desert lights of Riyadh for the arena shine of Perth. On paper, it’s a landmark: the first Crown Jewel outside Saudi Arabia, another PLE on ESPN in the US, and John Cena’s final international PLE before retirement. But beneath the historic veneer, this show feels more corporate than creative. Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins is technically “brand warfare,” but the Crown Jewel title still feels like a branding exercise without meaning. Stephanie Vaquer vs Tiffany Stratton offers contrast and quality, but the match’s stakes are as vague as the men’s. Rhea Ripley’s homecoming with Iyo Sky and Cena’s farewell with AJ Styles will give the event its emotion, but the rest feels like presentation over purpose — a global commercial dressed up as a PLE.

Across the ocean, TNA returns to Lowell for Bound for Glory, a show that should be the company’s proudest moment but instead feels like a balancing act between rebirth and identity crisis. Trick Williams defends the TNA World Championship against Mike Santana in a match that will showcase charisma and intensity, but still carries the shadow of crossover influence. The Hardys and Team 3D will blow the roof off in a nostalgia-fueled tables match, yet it’s a reminder that TNA’s tag division still leans too heavily on its past. Leon Slater vs Je’Von Evans for the X Division Championship might be the purest wrestling of the night — a true flash of the TNA that once made fans believe. And Kelani Jordan vs Indi Hartwell for the Knockouts title should deliver, even if it highlights how much of the division’s spotlight now comes from NXT. Bound for Glory 2025 will probably be a strong show bell-to-bell, but it’s also an identity test — can TNA still feel like TNA while sharing its spotlight with WWE’s developmental system?

Meanwhile, AEW isn’t flinching. Title Tuesday goes head-to-head with WWE and TNA’s Showdown special on The CW, but Tony Khan isn’t chasing the scoreboard anymore. AEW knows exactly what it is — and it’s not playing defense. With Andrade El Idolo’s shocking return and the debut of El Clon as the newest member of The Don Callis Family, AEW’s creative direction feels confident, deliberate, and entirely its own. The “no-win” narrative misses the point: AEW doesn’t need to win the week — it just needs to keep telling stories that matter.

Elsewhere, Hikaru Shida confirmed she’s re-signed with AEW, ending retirement rumors sparked by her stage work in Japan. And in Mexico, Bandido suffered a shoulder injury during his successful ROH World Title defense against Hechicero at CMLL Viernes Espectacular. Despite the setback, he’s expected to continue teaming with Brody King as the AEW Tag Team Champions “Brodido.”

The other side of that fight — the NXT/TNA Showdown — looks sharper than anyone expected after WWE scrapped the “Invasion” branding. The teams are locked, the captains are set, Mustafa Ali finally gets the North American Title shot he was promised before his 2023 release, and the tag titles from both companies go on the line between The Hardys and DarkState. Joe Hendry’s vow to appear and Jordynne Grace’s role as guest referee add the kind of wild-card energy that could make this one of the more memorable Tuesday nights in years.

From Perth’s global showcase to Lowell’s nostalgia-fueled battleground, from AEW’s quiet confidence to WWE’s marketing machine, this week proves just how fragmented and fascinating the modern wrestling landscape has become. Every company is thriving — but not all of them know who they are.

💥 PLUGS: PATREON.COM/THETURNBUCKLETAVERN
Support independent wrestling media. Join the conversation. Keep it Tavern.