The Turnbuckle Debate #247

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 patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern to join our Patreon for only $2.99/mo! 

Acefield Retro & Chad are here for episode 149 to discuss all things pro wrestling. Salt Lake City's Saturday Night's Main Event captured WWE's late-2025 identity. CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship win over Jey Uso gave the company a new anchor at the top, Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed Championship in another clean, composed defense, and Jade Cargill officially began her reign as WWE Women's Champion by ending Tiffany Stratton's impressive year-long run. Dominik Mysterio continued his momentum with a smart, character-driven Intercontinental Title defense against Penta and Rusev. Seth Rollins confirmed a six-month recovery timeline following shoulder surgery after his Crown Jewel: Perth injury, officially ruling him out until spring 2026. WWE's creative direction remains centered on continuity, with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed leading The Vision and the CM Punk–Roman Reigns alliance giving the upcoming Survivor Series: WarGames an established focal point. John Cena officially announced his final match will take place on Saturday Night's Main Event December 13 in Washington, D.C., closing a twenty-year career where it began. A 16-man cross-brand tournament will determine his last opponent, and as Cena teased, "not everyone in this tournament works here yet." Reports suggest Gunther is the favorite to face him, potentially setting up one last "passing of the torch" moment before Cena's retirement. Over in AEW, Tony Khan confirmed both lineups for Blood & Guts, set for November 12 in Greensboro. The men's match will see The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O'Reilly, Mark Briscoe, Roderick Strong, and Darby Allin) face The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and PAC), while the first-ever women's Blood & Guts match will feature Mercedes Moné, Megan Bayne, Marina Shafir, Thekla, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue battling Kris Statlander, Toni Storm, Harley Cameron, Jamie Hayter, Queen Aminata, and Willow Nightingale. Meanwhile, Full Gear is beginning to take shape with Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship, Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Moné for the Women's World Title, and FTR vs. Brodido for the Tag Titles among the confirmed bouts. AEW's focus on faction warfare, long-form storytelling, and cross-promotional balance continues to define its late-year build. Elsewhere, Chelsea Green signed a new five-year WWE deal through 2030 and is set to challenge for the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles alongside Ethan Page at AAA Alianzas. Across the industry, promotions are closing the year by emphasizing stability, continuity, and legacy rather than volatility — a trend that defines wrestling's current moment as much as any title change. It was a week that highlighted structure over shock, balance over chaos, and transition over turbulence — a calm before what could be a seismic close to 2025 across all major promotions. 💥 PLUGS: PATREON.COM/THETURNBUCKLETAVERN — Support independent wrestling media. Join the conversation. Keep it Tavern. Sponsors: G FUEL | DICK LAZERS — Code TAVERN saves 20% Fuel up at GFUEL.com for clean, steady energy that keeps you locked in for late-night shows. Pick up a Dick Lazer at DickLazers.com — the ultimate gag gift — and save 20% with code 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!

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 patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern to join our Patreon for only $2.99/mo!

NXT's Halloween Havoc 2025 brought big moments and fresh direction across the board. Je'Von Evans & Leon Slater shined in the opener, Ethan Page retained in a brutal Day of the Dead match, and new champions emerged with Blake Monroe, Tatum Paxley, and DarkState all capturing gold. Ricky Saints closed the night with a clean win over Trick Williams, keeping his title reign steady as new challengers line up. In WWE, Seth Rollins' injury forced changes to Survivor Series: WarGames, but the CM Punk–Roman Reigns alliance remains intact. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed now anchor The Vision, ensuring the match still delivers major star power. Over in AEW, Tony Khan officially launched the Women's World Tag Team Title Tournament, featuring Jamie Hayter's return, Mercedes Moné & Athena's alliance, and Storm & Shirakawa's pairing, with the finals expected at Full Gear. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura is heavily rumored for Wrestle Kingdom 20, potentially serving as Tanahashi's retirement match. Elsewhere, AAA's Heroes Inmortales saw Dominik Mysterio retain his title, and The Wyatt Sicks escalate their eerie takeover. It was a week defined by new champions, shifting alliances, and dream match rumors — proof that wrestling's global storytelling keeps getting bigger and bolder. 💥 PLUGS: PATREON.COM/THETURNBUCKLETAVERN — Support independent wrestling media. Join the conversation. Keep it Tavern. Sponsors: G FUEL | DICK LAZERS — Code TAVERN saves 20% Fuel up at GFUEL.com for clean, steady energy that keeps you locked in for late-night shows. Pick up a Dick Lazer at DickLazers.com — the ultimate gag gift — and save 20% with code TAVERN.

The week we are joined by Jordan from GOAL LINE and The Chick Foley Show! Join us as we ask between WWE and AEW what wrestler is the most long overdue of a world title reign; is it more beneficial or a detriment to storytelling when a wrestler holds multiple titles at the same time in a promotion; and Is a one year non-compete after a firing too far, or if the contract is signed its fair game? It's going to be a fun week here at The Tavern, so to make sure you do not miss anything, go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!

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!

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 patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern to join our Patreon for only $2.99/mo! 

Episode 147 is live. Acefield Retro and Chad are back with a brand-new edition of Wrestling Tonight to break it all down, a massive week across AEW, WWE, and beyond. AEW WrestleDream 2025 in St. Louis felt like a complete show from start to finish. Every match had purpose, and every moment built toward something meaningful. Darby Allin finally defeated Jon Moxley in a violent but deeply emotional I Quit match that ended with Sting's return.  Hangman Page and Samoa Joe delivered the kind of world title match that rewards patience, ending with Page barely surviving before The Opps made their presence felt again. Cracks began to form in Don Callis' camp when Kazuchika Okada accidentally hit Takeshita with a Rainmaker, costing them the tag titles. Kris Statlander's win over Toni Storm was the title defense her reign needed, and Mercedes Moné continued her dominant streak by defeating Mina Shirakawa to break Ultimo Dragon's record. Elsewhere, Jurassic Express reunited to beat the Young Bucks in a fast, fun tag match that raised new questions about Kenny Omega's next move. Fletcher retained against Briscoe, Hayter and Thekla tore into each other, and The Hurt Syndicate picked up a strong win that puts them in line for gold. In WWE, Seth Rollins' shoulder injury could reshape the road to WrestleMania, but the larger story is the company's quiet rollout of an AI-driven storytelling system. Reports suggest WWE creative has begun testing artificial intelligence to help design character arcs, anticipate audience reactions, and fine-tune story pacing before scripts reach production. Whether this becomes a valuable tool or a creative crutch remains to be seen, but it marks a major shift in how wrestling stories might be told. Jacob Fatu's violent write-off and Ilja Dragunov's surprise United States Title win over Sami Zayn arrived with uncanny timing, fueling speculation that elements of the new system are already in play. Across the Pacific, AJ Styles may have wrestled his final match in Japan, closing the night with an emotional farewell speech delivered in Japanese by Shinsuke Nakamura. It was a week that balanced endings and beginnings. AEW delivered purposeful, organic storytelling while WWE stepped into uncharted territory by blending creativity with artificial intelligence. Wrestling keeps evolving, and nights like these remind everyone why they care. 💥 Episode 147 of Wrestling Tonight is streaming now. Watch exclusively at patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern. Support independent wrestling media, and join the conversation. Sponsors: G FUEL | DICK LAZERS — Code TAVERN saves 20%. Fuel up at GFUEL.com for clean, steady energy that keeps you locked in for late-night shows. Pick up a Dick Lazer at DickLazers.com for the ultimate gag gift and use code TAVERN to save 20 percent.

The week we are joined by Tanner from Kicking Out Pod (KOP)! Join us as we ask who should the first inaugural AEW Women's Tag Team Champions be; who says "I Quit" at WrestleDream; and was it the right decision to bring back Jurassic Express? It's going to be a fun week here at The Tavern, so to make sure you do not miss anything, go to patreon.com/theturnbuckletavern for all your Tavern needs!