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.
