Rawdown #244: SNME RAWcap Review

It's time to get RAW! It's time to get DOWN! We recap that week the week of WWE in Mexico City and highlight the title changes that happened. Plus, our usual off topic discussions that we have not regarding anything current in wrestling. All that and more on your #1 source for all things WWE on the Turnbuckle Tavern...this is the RAW DOWN!

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 214 of Wrestling Tonight begins with Sami Zayn shocking CM Punk in Mexico City to become WWE Champion for the second time, with a chaotic finish involving Kevin Owens, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. With Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn now reportedly being discussed for Crown Jewel in Riyadh, we look at what WWE's latest championship change could actually mean for Sami Zayn's second reign. Roman Reigns survived Penta in front of a Mexico City crowd that desperately wanted the upset, and we question whether WWE passed on the perfect opportunity to create one of those moments people would remember for years. Roman Reigns now moves directly into a World Heavyweight Championship program with LA Knight for Money in the Bank. Another surprising championship change came in Chile as Stephanie Vaquer defeated Liv Morgan to regain the Women's World Championship in her home country before WWE immediately carried the story into Raw. We discuss why the unusual live event title change worked and where the Liv Morgan rivalry goes from here. Outside WWE, Fightful Select reports Ilja Dragunov is coming to AEW following the expiration of his WWE contract. The fit inside the ring feels obvious, but how Tony Khan introduces and positions Ilja Dragunov on such a deep roster could determine whether this becomes one of AEW's most important recent additions. We also break down Triplemania 34 and the numbers coming out of WWE and AAA's biggest weekend, including the massive digital performance of El Grande Americano vs. Dominik Mysterio. At the same time, CMLL countered Triplemania at Arena México with an international card featuring talent from AEW, NJPW and Stardom, creating a fascinating look at the two very different alliances developing around Mexican wrestling. Plus, AEW honors Andy Williams, Triangle of Madness continue their run as champions in Stardom, AEW sets a loaded November with Blood & Guts, Full Gear and the Continental Classic, and Bronson Reed finally addresses the unscripted moment with Oba Femi that reportedly caught WWE off guard. Episode 214 covers a huge week across WWE, AEW, AAA, CMLL and Stardom, with major championship changes, a potentially significant AEW signing and plenty of questions about where everything goes next.

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 213 of Wrestling Tonight begins with Oba Femi, whose future may suddenly be much bigger than the backstage conversation surrounding his unscripted moment with Bronson Reed on Raw. During The Vision's beatdown, Bronson Reed reportedly placed his foot on Oba Femi without the spot being planned, prompting Oba Femi to immediately shove it away. WrestleVotes reported that the reaction generated backstage chatter, with some WWE personnel taking issue with how Oba Femi responded. We examine both sides of the situation, including whether Oba Femi should really be criticized for rejecting a dominance spot that apparently was never agreed upon in the first place. That story becomes considerably more interesting with Roman Reigns vs. Oba Femi reportedly viewed as the current direction for the Sunday main event of WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh. Dave Meltzer reports that the match is believed to be what WWE is building toward, although nothing is locked in and plans can change. With The Rock's filming schedule potentially complicating the long-discussed Roman Reigns match, WWE could instead use its first WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia to establish Oba Femi as a defining star of its next generation. If that direction holds, the Bronson Reed situation becomes a small part of a much larger question: how WWE protects Oba Femi's aura while preparing him for the vulnerability and responsibility that come with becoming a true WrestleMania main-eventer. WWE is also reportedly extremely high on Royce Keys, with WKRD Wrestling reporting significant internal praise for his recent work and False Finish indicating that WWE higher-ups view Royce Keys as a potential future World Champion. We look at how quickly WWE has elevated Royce Keys into The Bloodline orbit alongside Bronco Nima and Lucien Price in 946, and why the more important story may be WWE testing his ceiling rather than rushing him toward a championship. Bayley has not officially signed a new WWE contract, but all indications continue pointing toward her staying. Dave Meltzer reports that Bayley and WWE were essentially in agreement on terms several weeks ago, with her return to Raw serving as one of the clearest signs that the company expects the deal to be finalized. Bayley immediately resumed her issue with Lyra Valkyria, costing her a Money in the Bank qualifying match and putting months of AEW speculation involving Mercedes Moné further into the background. Paul "Triple H" Levesque says WWE's return to Hawaii will not be a one-time event. WWE is running two shows at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu on October 16 and 17 while also holding a two-day tryout, with Paul Levesque emphasizing WWE's historical connection to Hawaii and the Pacific Islands through names including Peter Maivia, The Rock, Roman Reigns, The Usos and Nia Jax. We examine why WWE's recruitment effort may be just as important as the live events themselves as the company looks to establish a more permanent pipeline in the region. TNA's road to Bound for Glory is beginning to take shape, but the company has a much larger problem to solve. WrestleTix reports that only 675 tickets have been distributed for the October 11 event at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, with just 43 tickets moved over the previous week. Nic Nemeth vs. Leon Slater and the vacant X-Division Championship six-way are currently announced, while Fabian Aichner has joined KC Navarro in qualifying for the X-Division match. TNA is at least adding meaningful stakes on television, with Moose putting his TNA career on the line against Frankie Kazarian next week on Impact. M by Elegance will also defend the Knockouts Television Championship against Kiera Hogan, while Elijah and Ricky Sosa face two members of The System. The bigger question is whether TNA can turn increased visibility and online momentum into actual ticket demand for what is supposed to be its biggest event of the year. AEW World Champion Will Ospreay says he has discussed entirely new match concepts with Tony Khan, taking inspiration from the Casino Gauntlet and his love of sports-based competition. Will Ospreay also wants to test himself against AEW's previous generation of champions, with Jon Moxley already awaiting him at All Out and Chris Jericho mentioned as someone Will Ospreay would like to revisit. We discuss whether AEW needs another match type at all—or whether a genuinely simple, competitive concept could become another signature format. NJPW has added Aaron Wolf vs. Kosei Fujita for the NEVER Openweight Championship to King of Pro Wrestling on October 12 at Sumo Hall. Kosei Fujita earned the match by pinning Aaron Wolf during the Road to Destruction tour and would become the first junior heavyweight to hold the NEVER title since Will Ospreay in 2019. The match also creates a potentially massive night for TMDK, with G1 Climax winner Ryohei Oiwa scheduled to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event. Episode 213 covers the latest across WWE, AEW, TNA and NJPW, from Oba Femi's unscripted Raw controversy and the possibility of a WrestleMania 43 main event against Roman Reigns to WWE's growing belief in Royce Keys, Bayley's expected new deal, WWE's renewed investment in Hawaii, TNA's Bound for Glory ticket struggles, Will Ospreay's creative ambitions and a potentially historic night for TMDK at King of Pro Wrestling.  

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!

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 212 of Wrestling Tonight begins with AEW Rebel Heart Dynamite and the wrestling world coming together to support Tanea "Rebel" Brooks. Gail Kim, Killer Kross, Dasha Gonzalez, Scarlett Bordeaux, Allysin Kay, Christy Hemme and Marti Belle were among those reportedly backstage in Athens, Georgia, while Rebel reunited with Britt Baker for The Waiting Room and appeared again during the six-woman tag team match. TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro says WWE and UFC have "resized" talent compensation following their massive new media-rights agreements with ESPN and Paramount. We examine what that language actually tells us about talent pay, along with Shapiro's comments on WWE's developmental system, premium experiences and his belief that attendance has become "a social currency." WWE President Nick Khan has responded to fan complaints surrounding WWE Premium Live Events on ESPN Unlimited, acknowledging that there is "some truth" to accessibility concerns. We discuss the difference between criticism of WWE creative and legitimate consumer frustration, especially as Mark Shapiro says WWE PLEs are performing "well" on ESPN but should soon be "doing much better" as distribution expands. Nick Khan also revealed that WWE is already "across the creative" for WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first WrestleMania held outside the United States or Canada. WWE is also planning official viewing experiences in New York and other markets, further expanding WrestleMania into a global weekend even for fans who will not travel to Riyadh. The AEW, CMLL and NJPW relationships continue to produce major crossover matches, with Claudio Castagnoli accepting Shingo Takagi's challenge for NJPW Destruction in Kobe on September 27. Meanwhile, AEW is sending PAC, "Speedball" Mike Bailey, Bandido, Komander and Divine Dominion to Arena México as CMLL goes head-to-head with the second night of AAA Triplemanía this Sunday. CMLL's 93rd Aniversario has also added Jeff Jarrett vs. Blue Panther, giving the September 18 event another unique attraction. The loaded card also includes Hechicero defending against Claudio Castagnoli and Zack Sabre Jr., Andrade El Idolo vs. Volador Jr., Bandido vs. Soberano Jr. and Titán defending against Komander. Maple Leaf Pro will crown an undisputed Canadian Champion at Northern Rising on October 3, with Josh Alexander returning from injury to face interim champion Stu Grayson. Adam Copeland vs. Steve Maclin is also set as MLP continues using major outside talent while building its own identity. We also preview the week ahead across WWE, AEW, TNA, NXT, AAA and NWA. Raw in Mexico City features Roman Reigns vs. Penta and Chad Gable vs. Dragon Lee, while SmackDown has CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn, Chelsea Green vs. Nia Jax, Paige vs. Nikki Bella and two AAA championship matches. Next week's AEW Dynamite features Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne and Will Ospreay, Andrade El Idolo & Francesco Akira vs. PAC, Jon Moxley & Gabe Kidd, while Saturday's Collision will serve as an Andy Williams tribute show. TNA Impact is headlined by Nic Nemeth vs. Matt Hardy in a No DQ TNA World Heavyweight Championship match, with NXT, AAA on Fox and NWA Powerrr also on the schedule. Episode 212 covers the latest across AEW, WWE, CMLL, NJPW, AAA, TNA, NXT, Maple Leaf Pro, Stardom and NWA, from the emotional Rebel Heart Dynamite to TKO's latest WWE business strategy and another massive week of international crossover wrestling.

It's time to get RAW! It's time to get DOWN! This week, we recap the abysmal week that was WWE with starting with Smackdown, dragging ourselves to watch Sunday Night's Main Event, and hopefully be happy with RAW. All this and more on your #1 source of all things WWE on the Turnbuckle Tavern!. This is the RAW DOWN!

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 211 of Wrestling Tonight begins with the passing of Andy "The Butcher" Williams at 48. We look back at Andy Williams' career as a founding guitarist of Every Time I Die and his transition into professional wrestling as The Butcher in AEW, as well as the tributes from those who worked alongside Andy Williams in both wrestling and music. We also remember "Superstar" Bill Dundee, the Memphis Wrestling legend who passed away at 82. WWE Sunday Night's Main Event saw Randy Orton defeat Cody Rhodes, while Bron Breakker vs. Oba Femi ended without a decisive winner following the return of Bronson Reed. Trick Williams also regained the United States Championship from Baron Corbin to begin a second reign. AAA Triplemanía 34 takes place across two nights in Las Vegas and Mexico City. Rey Mysterio faces Omos on Night 1 with Omos' status in AAA at stake, while Dominik Mysterio defends the AAA Mega Championship against El Grande Americano on Night 2. We preview both cards and the WWE crossover surrounding the weekend, including an AAA World Tag Team Championship match on SmackDown and the subsequent open challenge at Triplemanía. On WWE Raw, Bayley returned during Lyra Valkyria's Money in the Bank qualifier, helping Sol Ruca advance before attacking Lyra Valkyria after the match. Bron Breakker also qualified for Money in the Bank, while WWE's Mexico City schedule continues with Roman Reigns vs. Penta and Chad Gable vs. Dragon Lee set for Raw. Netflix VP Gabe Spitzer says WWE has "hit every metric" Netflix hoped for since the partnership began, pointing specifically to international performance as an area of growth. We examine those comments, what Netflix is saying about its relationship with WWE and what can actually be measured publicly about the partnership. Meanwhile, WWE Worlds Collide has distributed 10,149 tickets compared with 8,501 for AEW All Out ahead of the two events running in the Chicago area on September 26. We look at the numbers and the important differences between the two events as WWE and AEW compete for the same market on the same day. Also discussed: John Cena's assessment of his 2025 heel turn, Malakai Black becoming PROGRESS Men's World Champion, WWE's latest round of NXT departures and Triangle of Madness defending the Artist of Stardom Championships. Episode 211 covers the latest across WWE, AEW, AAA, NXT, PROGRESS and Stardom, along with the wrestling world remembering Andy Williams and Bill Dundee.  

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!

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 210 of Wrestling Tonight looks at the immediate fallout from AEW All In 2026, with Will Ospreay's first World title defense already set against Jon Moxley at All Out. Moxley enters with a 2-0 singles record against Ospreay, while Andrade El Idolo still holds a future title shot and Ospreay is also teasing a new AEW faction separate from the current United Empire. New Level remain one of the biggest stories coming out of Wembley, with Kofi and Austin Creed confirming WWE offered them deals with pay cuts of more than 50 percent and Conrad Thompson saying he heard the actual number was 75 percent. We get into why they turned those deals down, why AEW was always their preferred destination and how their contracts came together less than 24 hours before All In. We also break down the actual All In attendance, with 41,102 people going through the Wembley turnstiles compared with an estimated 46,987 tickets distributed. The number is down from both previous Wembley shows, but AEW still announced a $6 million gate and remains at a level very few wrestling events reach. All Out is already taking shape elsewhere as Adam Copeland and Christian Cage defend the AEW Tag Team titles against FTR and The Young Bucks in a three-way ladder match. Josh Alexander is also back from injury, while Copeland has Steve Maclin waiting for him in his Maple Leaf Pro debut one week after All Out. On the WWE side, Roman Reigns is heading toward a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Penta in Mexico City, with Tommy Dreamer comparing the potential atmosphere to John Cena at ECW One Night Stand. Sunday Night's Main Event in Atlanta has also moved 9,177 tickets so far, still below WWE's 2026 average of 12,476. Elsewhere, Chelsea Green revealed how serious another impact to her broken orbital bone could be and discussed her pitch for Royal Rumble winners to challenge for the United States or Intercontinental Championship. The Creed Brothers are back in NXT, WWE has officially retired the Speed Championships and we look at what all of those moves mean going forward. Episode 210 of Wrestling Tonight covers Ospreay vs. Moxley, New Level's rumored 75 percent WWE pay cut, All In's 41,102 turnstile count, Roman vs. Penta in Mexico City, the growing All Out card, Chelsea Green, the Creed Brothers, Josh Alexander and the end of the Speed titles.  

It's time to get RAW! It's time to get DOWN! This week, we preview Sunday Nights Main Event and recap the past week that was WWE in all its wonderful glory! All this and more on your #1 source for all the things WWE on the Turnbuckle Tavern, this is the RAW DOWN! Transcript