Podcast appearances and mentions of Bryan Alvarez

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 204 of Wrestling Tonight begins in Japan, where G1 Climax 36 is officially down to Yota Tsuji, Ryohei Oiwa, Callum Newman and Yuya Uemura, guaranteeing a first-time tournament winner. Tsuji faces Uemura and Newman meets Oiwa in the semifinals Saturday, August 15 at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, with the winners advancing to Sunday's final. Both blocks ended with three wrestlers tied at 12 points. In A Block, Tsuji, Oiwa and Konosuke Takeshita all finished 6-3, but Tsuji and Oiwa advanced because both held head-to-head victories over Takeshita. Oiwa clinched his spot by beating Takeshita in the final A Block main event, while Tsuji defeated Jake Lee and benefited from Great-O-Khan eliminating Boltin Oleg by countout. B Block produced almost the same situation, with Newman, Uemura and Gabe Kidd all finishing 6-3. Kidd's losses to both semifinalists eliminated him on the head-to-head tiebreaker. With Tsuji already holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the stakes are different for the other three. If Oiwa, Newman or Uemura wins the G1, that wrestler earns a future championship opportunity against Tsuji. If Tsuji wins, the reigning champion would presumably be positioned to select his own future challenger. Saturday's tournament matches will not headline the show, however. Hiroyoshi Tenzan wrestles the final match of his NJPW career against longtime TenKoji partner Satoshi Kojima in a five-minute exhibition, followed by Tenzan's retirement ceremony. The show begins at 2 a.m. Eastern on NJPW World. We then turn to Adam Copeland's first appearance inside Arena México, where he received a reaction he compared to one of the defining moments of his career. Tony Schiavone revealed that after AEW Grand Slam Mexico, he contacted Copeland to ask whether he had ever experienced a crowd response like it. Copeland's comparison was his 2020 WWE Royal Rumble return, when he returned to the ring nine years after neck issues had seemingly ended his career. Arena México had been a bucket-list destination for Copeland, and Bandido provided additional context for what the building represents by comparing it with Korakuen Hall, the Tokyo Dome and Madison Square Garden. Bandido described competing inside Arena México as the type of achievement that allows someone to call themselves a "real luchador." Copeland is also preparing to check off another deeply personal venue on October 3, when he wrestles for Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, located on the grounds of the former Maple Leaf Gardens. Copeland has called Maple Leaf Gardens his wrestling "hallowed ground" and explained that Tony Khan allowed the appearance because AEW and Maple Leaf Pro are partners, Khan wants professional wrestling to flourish and he understood what the opportunity meant to Copeland personally. We also break down the growing uncertainty surrounding Bayley's WWE future. Bayley has reportedly been offered a new WWE contract but has not signed it, and there is conflicting information about exactly when her current deal expires. Bayley's own comments from April 2025 point toward October 2026, Fightful has reported that the deal is expected to expire by the end of 2026 unless additional time is added, and Bryan Alvarez has heard January 2027 but has not been able to verify that date. Dave Meltzer says Bayley has a decision to make and confirmed that she will not become a free agent in August. The speculation intensified after Bayley posted a training video featuring Mercedes Moné, captioned it "all or nothing, baby" and used the song "All In." WrestleVotes reported through Fightful Select that the post raised eyebrows backstage in WWE and did not land well with everyone. Despite the obvious AEW references, the available contract timelines make an appearance at All In on August 30 extremely unlikely. The bigger story is whether Bayley eventually re-signs with WWE or becomes one of wrestling's biggest free agents later this year or in early 2027. Swerve Strickland is also back in AEW, making his first appearance since losing to Will Ospreay in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament final at Forbidden Door. Swerve and Prince Nana confronted AEW World Trios Champions Hangman Page, Bandido and Brody King before Ricochet, The Demand and Lethal Twist entered the picture. With Jay Lethal, Blake Christian and Lee Johnson challenging Hangman, Brody King and Bandido for the Trios Championship on Collision, Swerve immediately finds himself surrounded by old enemies and a developing championship program. We also discuss the Fightful Select report that Austin Creed and Kofi are expected to join AEW soon. The report stopped short of confirming that either has officially signed, and no debut date has been established. The timing naturally creates speculation around All In, while both men have also been announced for Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise in November. AEW All In 2026 continues to take shape at Wembley Stadium. Kenny Omega defends the AEW World Championship against Will Ospreay, Willow Nightingale defends the AEW Women's World Championship against Mercedes Moné, and Adam Copeland & Christian Cage defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against The Young Bucks. One of the biggest additions is Kyle Fletcher defending the AEW International Championship against Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada. Takeshita defeated Okada for the title at Double or Nothing before Fletcher defeated Takeshita at Beach Break. Importantly, Takeshita has since left the Don Callis Family, while Fletcher and Okada remain aligned with Callis, adding another layer to the three-way. Kevin Knight defends the TNT Championship against Darby Allin in a Falls Count Anywhere match, with Knight entering their fourth singles meeting holding a 2-1 advantage. The men's Casino Gauntlet will begin with Andrade El Idolo entering No. 1 and MJF entering No. 2. MJF secured his position by defeating Mike Bailey and Nick Wayne on Dynamite, guaranteeing that his rivalry with Andrade will be part of the match from the opening bell. The winner receives a future AEW World Championship opportunity. The Wembley card currently includes Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay, Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné, Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks, Kyle Fletcher vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada, Kevin Knight vs. Darby Allin, Divine Dominion vs. The Brawling Birds, the men's Casino Gauntlet and the Continental Challenge Cup Final. We also look at the latest Wembley ticket business. WrestleTix reported exactly 38,909 tickets distributed as of August 12, an increase of 1,400 over the previous four days. The current setup is 45,023, leaving 6,114 available and putting AEW at approximately 86.4 percent of its currently configured inventory. All In 2024 finished with 53,922 tickets distributed, meaning the 2026 show currently sits 15,013 tickets behind that mark. With All In taking place August 30, AEW now has 16 days to continue closing that gap, although matching the 2024 total would also require thousands of additional seats to be opened. Additional 500-level inventory has already begun to appear. Be sure to support the show and join our Patreon for just $2.99 a month at Patreon.com/TheTurnbuckleTavern for exclusive content. Follow us on social media @TurnbuckleTavern for all the latest updates. Until the following week, when we wine and dine with you kings and queens, stay out of the alley and away from the pork and beans. Good luck and good speed.

Bryan and Lance recap Raw and talk... Bluegrass music?

Bryan and Tom recap the weekend in wrestling.

Bryan and Lance recap Raw.

Bryan and Lance recap Raw.

Bryan and Lance recap Raw.

Bryan and Lance recap Raw.

Bryan is back from his one show suspension and recaps Summerslam with Lance.

Andrew Zarian is breaking down Summerslam!

A recap of a lengthy AEW Dynamite and Bryan's employment status is in question.

Nixi XS joins Bryan in studio and they recap a meh NXT with Tom.

Bryan and Lance recap Monday Night Raw.

Bryan and Lance recap another looooong AEW PPV.

Jim Valley has all the latest in the world of wrestling.

It's fun Friday!

Bryan didn't get fired!

Bryan and Tom try to get through the latest news and Tom recaps NXT solo.

Today, I do something I have never done before. The Patreon extra section (about 30 minutes) is at the BEGINNING of the show discussing is the Wrestling Observer Website Failing or Dying? I've been talking with Bryan Alvarez, front page editors, and more this week. Today on the DragonKingKarl show I begin a deep, deep dive into the true history of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World heavyweight title. The NWA World title actually began before most people realize it did. Although the National Wrestling Association World title had been around for years before the Alliance, there was an actual NWA World title associated with Orville Brown before the official version. Today, I look back at the forgotten origins of the NWA World title and its earliest years.

Bryan and Lance talk about almost everything wrestling besides Monday Night Raw.

Bryan and Tom feel old and try to talk wrestling.

It's Fun Friday!

Bryan and Tom recap Dynamite.

Bryan and Tom recap NXT.

Bryan and Lance recap Monday Night Raw.

Bryan and Lance recap week 1 of the G1 and change shirts often.

Bryan and Lance recap AEW Dynamite.

Bryan and Tom recap NXT and discuss eggs.

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 193 is headlined by one of the most shocking championship changes of the year as CM Punk reclaimed the Undisputed WWE Championship in his hometown of Chicago, major backstage reports revealed WWE's long-term plans for Oba Femi, AEW prepares for Beach Break, and questions continue to surround WWE's handling of its ID program. We begin in WWE, where CM Punk stunned Chicago by defeating Sami Zayn in a surprise Raw main event to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. After Cody Rhodes was attacked backstage by Gunther before his scheduled title match, Punk stepped in as the replacement challenger and defeated Zayn in a thrilling 20-minute championship match, ending Sami's reign after just nine days. We discuss Punk capturing his eighth recognized WWE/World Championship, his emotional 2011-inspired celebration through the crowd, the refrigerator callback on Instagram, and what this title change means heading into SummerSlam for Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Roman Reigns, and the rest of WWE's main event picture. We also break down reports that WWE's decision to have Oba Femi give up the World Heavyweight Championship opportunity he earned through King of the Ring was the plan from the very beginning. According to Dave Meltzer, WWE wants to build Femi vs. Roman Reigns into the biggest match possible rather than rushing it at SummerSlam. Instead, Femi will face Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell in the deciding match of their trilogy while Reigns defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins. We discuss the reported long-term strategy, whether WWE made the right decision, and what it says about how highly the company views Oba Femi. We also examine the growing criticism surrounding WWE's ID program after reports that scheduling changes to Evolve tapings and communication issues forced independent wrestlers to cancel previously scheduled bookings. Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez both detailed the challenges facing WWE ID talent, who are reportedly expected to secure regular high-profile independent bookings while remaining available for WWE commitments. We discuss why some independent wrestlers are reportedly questioning whether signing a WWE ID deal is actually beneficial. Plus, we discuss reports that Sheamus is nearing the end of his WWE run after reportedly declining both a contract extension and a restructured deal. We look back at the career of the former WWE Champion, Royal Rumble winner, Money in the Bank winner, and King of the Ring winner, and discuss what could be next if his nearly 20-year run with WWE comes to an end. We also discuss the continued crossover between WWE and AAA after the AAA World Tag Team Champions, The War Raiders, challenged WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth to a winner-take-all championship match featuring both companies' tag team titles. Over in AEW, we preview Dynamite: Beach Break from Clearwater, Florida, where MJF defends the AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega in one of the biggest television main events of the year. With Omega permanently losing his ability to challenge for the championship if he comes up short, we discuss the enormous stakes, Konosuke Takeshita defending the International Championship against Kyle Fletcher, the Women's Casino Gauntlet Match, Chris Jericho facing Tommaso Ciampa, and AEW's first-of-its-kind partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Twitch featuring Agent00 and CashNastyGaming. We also look at the latest business news surrounding AEW as Beach Break has distributed 2,686 tickets according to WrestleTix, while All In has reached 26,915 tickets distributed for Wembley Stadium with just over 55 days remaining. We discuss the latest All In build, Mercedes Moné and Will Ospreay's championship opportunities, and Tony Khan officially bringing All Out back to the Chicago area on September 26 while explaining why the event will remain separate from Labor Day weekend. From there, we head to New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the field for G1 Climax 36 is officially complete. Ryohei Oiwa and OSKAR claimed the final tournament spots, Chicago prepares to host opening night this weekend, and we preview one of wrestling's most prestigious tournaments as 20 competitors begin their pursuit of an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. Plus, we preview the week ahead across professional wrestling, including AEW Beach Break, TNA Impact featuring multiple championship matches and the Knockouts Television Championship Tournament, CM Punk's first SmackDown appearance as Undisputed WWE Champion, NJPW G1 Climax opening weekend in Chicago, WWE Saturday Night's Main Event from Madison Square Garden, and everything else to watch this week across WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, AAA, and the NWA. Be sure to support the show and join our Patreon for just $2.99 a month at Patreon.com/TheTurnbuckleTavern for exclusive content. Follow us on social media @TurnbuckleTavern for all the latest updates. Until the following week, when we wine and dine with you kings and queens, stay out of the alley and away from the pork and beans. Good luck and good speed.

Bryan and Tom recap Monday Night Raw while Tom trolls Bryan.

Bryan and Tom recap a busy news weekend in wrestling.

It's Fun Friday!

Bryan and Tom recap Dynamite and prep listeners for a loooooong Collision.

Bryan and Tom recap NXT and talk about the first ever PRODUCE show.

Bryan and Lance review Monday Night Raw.

Bryan recaps the PLE-filled weekend!

Fun Friday ahead of a PLE busy weekend!

Bryan and Lance talk ladders, preview a busy weekend in wrestling, and recap Dynamite.

Bryan and Tom recap NXT and welcome Orange Crush back to the show.

Bryan and Lance discuss injuries and recap Raw.

Bryan and Tom share the news from the weekend in wrestling.

Fun Friday gets you ready for the weekend in wrestling!

Bryan and Lance talk about TNA departures and recap Dynamite.

Bryan and Tom recap Smackdown (kind of) and are joined by wrestler Nixi XS.

Lance recaps Raw while Bryan tries to figure out where the fire alarm noise if coming from.

Bryan and Tom recap Smackdown and the rest of the weekend in wrestling.

Bryan and Lance talk Janel Grant, Dynamite, and sprinklers?

Lance is back to recap NXT with Bryan!

Tom tries to motivate Bryan before they recap Raw.

Bryan and Tom attempt to recap the weekend in wrestling.

This week on the Experience, Jim reviews AEW Dynamite and WWE Smackdown! Plus Jim talks about the OVW referee incident, Dave Meltzer & Bryan Alvarez arguing over AEW's alleged PPV buys, and much more! Also, Jim reviews his 1993 WCW Saturday Night showdown with Cowboy Bill Watts! Thanks to our episode sponsors: SHOPIFY: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/jce RAYCON: The Essential Open Earbuds are perfect for refreshing your routine this spring. Go to buyraycon.com/jceOPEN to get 20% off! BRUNT: Get $10 Off at BRUNT with code JCE at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/JCE #Bruntpod PRIZEPICKS: Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/JCE and use code JCE and get $50in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Follow Jim and Brian on Twitter: @TheJimCornette @GreatBrianLast Join Jim Cornette's College Of Wrestling Knowledge on Patreon to access the archives & more! https://www.patreon.com/Cornette Subscribe to the Official Jim Cornette channel on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/c/OfficialJimCornette Visit Jim's official site at www.JimCornette.com for merch, live dates, commentaries and more! You can listen to Brian on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com or wherever you find your favorite podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.