Wrestling Tonight: WHY WWE IS TAKING OVER NEW YORK FOR WRESTLEMANIA 43, WAS BRON BREAKKER SUPPOSED TO WIN THE ROYAL RUMBLE? & AEW REDEMPTION PREVIEW | 195

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 195 is headlined by WWE Unreal Season 3 pulling back the curtain on one of the company's biggest creative decisions as Triple H reveals Bron Breakker was originally planned to win the 2026 Royal Rumble, the fallout from Saturday Night's Main Event at Madison Square Garden, growing speculation surrounding Tom Brady's WWE future, AEW's inaugural Redemption pay-per-view, and a dramatically reshaped G1 Climax 36 after four nights of tournament action. We begin in WWE with the fallout from Saturday Night's Main Event as CM Punk and Cody Rhodes preserved their SummerSlam Undisputed WWE Championship showdown after defeating Gunther and Sami Zayn in a controversial main event. We break down Nick Aldis' decisive involvement, why Gunther has every reason to feel robbed, and how WWE protected its SummerSlam main event while leaving unresolved issues between all four competitors. We also discuss Fatal Influence capturing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Lyra Valkyria taking her rivalry with Bayley to an even darker place following a vicious post-match assault, Danhausen defeating JD McDonagh with memorable assistance from NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns, Trick Williams retaining the United States Championship over Laredo Kid, Oba Femi sending another warning to Brock Lesnar before Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns closing the show alongside NBA Champion Jalen Brunson before a confrontation with Seth Rollins and Tyrese Haliburton, and why the celebrity-heavy closing segment made for an unusual ending after the night's biggest wrestling match had already concluded. We also examine the show's impressive Google Trends performance and how Madison Square Garden once again delivered one of the strongest Saturday Night's Main Event performances of the modern era. We then shift to WWE Unreal Season 3 as Netflix's behind-the-scenes series reveals Bron Breakker was originally scheduled to win the 2026 Royal Rumble before WWE changed course. We discuss Triple H's concerns over whether Breakker was ready for the pressure that comes with winning WWE's biggest annual match, whether fans would accept the push, and how Breakker's hernia injury the following night ultimately changed the trajectory of his WrestleMania season. We also examine John Cena's candid stories from his farewell tour, including why he refused to perform Rey Mysterio's 619 during his final match with AJ Styles at Crown Jewel, the handwritten introduction he personally gave Alicia Taylor honoring Styles' legendary career across TNA, NJPW and WWE, and why that unscripted tribute unexpectedly landed Cena in trouble with WWE management. We also discuss reports that Tom Brady and WWE are engaged in ongoing conversations following Brady's recent confrontations with Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest and the FIFA World Cup Final. We examine how Brady's relationship with Fanatics, his comments about potentially wrestling, and his ties to WWE could make an eventual appearance a realistic possibility. We also cover popular streamer N3on's public apology to Penta after accidentally livestreaming the Intercontinental Champion without his mask at Fanatics Fest, plus the latest legal development as Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE officially moves into private arbitration. Over in AEW, we preview the inaugural Redemption pay-per-view from Montreal as the Bell Centre hosts its first-ever AEW pay-per-view event. We break down Kenny Omega defending the AEW World Championship against Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher defending the International Championship against Bandido, Mark Davis putting the National Championship on the line against Andrade El Ídolo, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage defending the AEW World Tag Team Championship against Claudio Castagnoli and PAC, Thekla defending the AEW Women's World Championship against Willow Nightingale, Hikaru Shida defending the TBS Championship against Maya World, Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay joining forces against The Young Bucks, Chris Jericho facing Tommaso Ciampa in a No Holds Barred Match, and the Rougeau wrestling dynasty celebration scheduled for the pre-show. From there, we head to AAA, where Rey Mysterio has officially launched the tournament to crown a new AAA Latin American Champion following El Hijo del Vikingo's injury. We discuss El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. becoming the first qualifier for the TripleManía 34 championship match, preview the remaining qualifying matches, and break down La Hiedra and Laredo Kid earning a AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship opportunity against Lola Vice and Mr. Iguana as Verano de Escándalo rapidly approaches. Over in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, G1 Climax 36 has become even more unpredictable after four nights of tournament action. We recap Hirooki Goto's victory over IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura's career-defining upset of Zack Sabre Jr., Ren Narita shocking Callum Newman, Gabe Kidd rebounding after his opening-night loss, and then break down Night Four as Oleg Boltin scored a statement victory over Shingo Takagi, SANADA handed Tsuji another costly defeat, Jake Lee knocked off Goto to erase his undefeated record, and Konosuke Takeshita and Ryohei Oiwa continued their impressive tournaments. We examine why A Block has transformed into a five-way tie for first place while B Block remains just as competitive heading into the next round of matches. Plus, we preview the week ahead across professional wrestling, including Monday Night Raw featuring Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins face-to-face, Oba Femi confronting Brock Lesnar, Sol Ruca defending the Women's Intercontinental Championship against Raquel Rodriguez, and Joe Hendry and Danhausen's concert. We also preview AEW Dynamite, TNA Impact, WWE SmackDown, AEW Collision, AAA on Fox, NWA Powerrr, and continue looking ahead to SummerSlam as CM Punk defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns battles Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship, Brock Lesnar collides with Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell, Penta defends the Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable, and several more blockbuster matches continue taking shape. 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.