Backlash Restored Confidence Heading Into A Summer Of Chaos

The Road to SummerSlam Begins

The Road to SummerSlam Begins. RAW after Clash in Italy felt less like a fallout show and more like WWE finally starting to show us where some of these major stories are heading. King and Queen of the Ring are underway. The SummerSlam picture is starting to come into focus. And while some of those directions are exciting... Others feel a little too familiar. Has WWE already started repeating the same Bloodline story with Jacob Fatu? Why does WWE keep loading multiple major stars into the same tournament qualifiers? And what exactly is WWE trying to tell us through the King and Queen of the Ring brackets? ⸻ On this episode: Roman Reigns gets exactly what he wanted from Jacob Fatu. Why the new Bloodline dynamic feels a lot like the old one. King and Queen of the Ring officially begin. Oba Femi advances and continues his path back toward Brock Lesnar. Why WWE's Fatal 4-Way qualifier obsession continues to frustrate us. Iyo Sky advances while Giulia gets pinned in Italy. The growing confusion surrounding Liv Morgan's place in the Queen of the Ring tournament. Why Chad Gable isn't underrated — he's underutilized. The future of American Made. Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker delivers one of the best RAW main events of the year. And our full SmackDown preview from Bologna, Italy. ⸻ Quick shoutout to the family business — Zarc International. Be Prepared. Protect Yourself. Carry Vexor. ⸻ If you're a wrestling fan who cares about storytelling, character direction, and wrestling philosophy, you're in the right place! Follow Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Follow Alexander the Great on X and TikTok: @Froe87 Chapters 00:00 The Road to SummerSlam Begins 02:56 Roman Reigns Gets What He Wanted 07:37 King & Queen of the Ring Begin 12:20 Oba Femi Advances 22:45 WWE's Fatal 4-Way Problem 36:22 Your New Women's IC Champion 39:21 Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs Rusev & Ethan Page 43:57 Finn Balor, Jey Uso & Backstage Fallout 57:23 Chad Gable Isn't Underrated 01:02:30 Iyo Sky Advances — Giulia Gets Pinned?! 01:14:03 Quick Hits: Maxxine, Danhausen & Bayley 01:20:30 Next Week's RAW Looks Weird 01:30:20 Seth Rollins vs Bron Breakker 01:40:00 Final Thoughts on RAW 01:48:28 SmackDown Preview

SAFE ISN'T MEMORABLE

There was nothing objectively wrong with Clash in Italy. That's the weird part. The matches were good. The crowd was hot. A Championship changed hands. Storylines moved forward. And yet by the time the wrestling weekend was over, the show we couldn't stop thinking about wasn't Clash. It was AAA Noche de los Grandes. This week, we break down a wrestling weekend that ended up becoming a conversation about something much bigger than wins and losses. Why did Clash in Italy feel good... but not memorable? Why does WWE keep choosing the safe version of the story? And why did a four-match AAA special television event leave a bigger impression than a WWE Premium Live Event packed with stars? ⸻ On this episode: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther and why their WWE Championship match left so much on the table. Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill and the performance that finally made us rethink Jade's future. Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi and why Oba may have needed this loss more than another dominant victory. Sol Ruca captures her first main roster championship. Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu and the growing frustration with WWE's reliance on the safest possible direction. Our full Clash in Italy review and final thoughts. AAA Noche de los Grandes results. El Grande Americano vs. El Grande Americano in a legitimate Match of the Year contender. Why Ludwig Kaiser's accidental masterpiece may have become the biggest success of his career. And why Undertaker's approach to booking professional wrestling feels completely different right now. ⸻ Quick shoutout to the family business — Zarc International. Be Prepared. Protect Yourself. Carry Vexor. ⸻ If you're a wrestling fan who cares about storytelling, character direction, and wrestling philosophy, you're in the right place! Follow Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Follow Alexander the Great on X and TikTok: @Froe87 Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Wrestling Weekend Thesis 01:54 Building a Community of Wrestling Nerds 10:39 Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther — Left So Much on the Table 23:10 Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill — I'll Eat the Crow 36:06 Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi — Oba Needed This 54:24 Sol Ruca vs. Becky Lynch — Becky Hogan Strikes Again 01:06:52 Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu — WWE Chose the Safe Option 01:11:51 Clash in Italy — Final Thoughts 01:24:49 AAA Noche de los Grandes — Quick Results 01:29:08 El Grande Americano vs. El Grande Americano — Match of the Year 01:45:55 MVP of the Weekend — Undertaker 01:55:46 Good Isn't the Same as Memorable

Summer Starts in Italy!

Clash in Italy is almost here, and WWE has some major decisions to make. This week on Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling, we break down the Go Home RAW before Clash in Italy, look ahead to SmackDown from Spain, run through the final card, and make our official Clash in Italy predictions. RAW delivered another strong night of wrestling with standout performances from Oba Femi, Montez Ford, Penta, Je'Von Evans, Seth Rollins, and more. We discuss why WWE seems to be getting back to focusing on the wrestling itself, why Austin Theory is suddenly becoming one of the most interesting characters on RAW, and whether WWE made the right call giving Rey Mysterio an Intercontinental Championship opportunity over Rusev. We also break down the latest developments between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu ahead of their Tribal Combat showdown, the continued rise of Oba Femi heading into his rematch with Brock Lesnar, and what WWE still needs to accomplish before Sunday. Inside this episode: Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar Montez Ford's breakout performance against Seth Rollins Penta vs Je'Von Evans Austin Theory and The Vision The Intercontinental Championship picture Go Home SmackDown preview Updated Clash in Italy card Official TTW Clash in Italy predictions If you're a wrestling fan who cares about storytelling, character direction, and wrestling philosophy, you're in the right place. Follow Alexander the Great: @Froe87 Join the TTW Discord for live PLE watch-alongs, reactions, and wrestling discussions throughout the week. Sponsored by Zarc International. Check out the VEXOR Venom™ Gel Pocket Guard at www.zarc.com [http://www.zarc.com] Be Prepared. Protect Yourself. Carry Vexor.

The Night Brock Broke The Timeline

Brock Lesnar is back! And after RAW, the biggest debate coming out of WrestleMania suddenly feels completely reopened. Was Brock’s retirement real? Was it a work? Or did WWE slowly turn a real-life situation into a worked-shoot storyline after plans changed behind the scenes? This week on TTW, we break down Brock Lesnar’s shocking return, why the entire Oba Femi timeline feels strange, and how RAW accidentally turned Clash in Italy into a legitimately massive WWE event. We also discuss: * Roman Reigns accepting Tribal Combat against Jacob Fatu * Why Finn Bálor feels hotter than he has in years * Ethan Page continuing to rise on RAW * Becky Lynch and Sol Ruca building momentum * Why Oba Femi may have been accidentally booked into a creative corner * And why Brock Lesnar returning may actually SAVE Oba creatively long term Upcoming WWE Events Discussed: Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV Clash in Italy Quick shoutout to the family business — Zarc International. If you’re looking for serious everyday protection, check out the new VEXOR Venom Gel Pocket Guard — one of the strongest consumer pepper sprays on the market. Visit: www.zarc.com [http://www.zarc.com] Be Prepared. Protect Yourself. Carry Vexor. TTW Available on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music. Episodes every Monday and Friday! Follow Alexander the Great: X & TikTok — @Froe87 Join the TTW Discord for: * Live PLE watch-alongs * Real-time reactions * Wrestling debates during the shows * And general wrestling nerd chaos Chapters 00:00 The Night Brock Broke The Timeline 03:14 Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu & Tribal Combat 08:11 Finn Bálor vs JD McDonagh — This Feels Backwards 10:31 Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca — This Is How You Build A Star 13:16 Ethan Page, LA Knight & RAW’s Direction Problem 15:45 Women’s Tag Division — Is Anybody Actually Moving Forward? 18:42 Brock Lesnar Returns And Destroys Oba Femi 20:41 Seth Rollins vs Austin Theory — This Should Not Have Closed RAW 25:08 Brock Lesnar / Oba Femi — THIS DOESN’T FEEL CLEAN 49:38 Work vs Worked-Shoot — Was Brock’s Retirement Real? 01:00:50 Why Brock Returning Might Actually SAVE Oba Femi 01:07:20 WWE Under TKO Feels Different 01:15:24 Clash In Italy Suddenly Feels Huge 01:20:49 Final RAW Verdict + Upcoming WWE Shows

SMACKDOWN NEEDED GUNTHER

This week finally felt like SmackDown started showing signs of life again. Not perfect. Still inconsistent. Still too long at three hours. …but parts of this show finally felt IMPORTANT again. This episode breaks down Trick Williams’ hometown star presentation, why the U.S. title scene FINALLY feels like it can be connected, Melo/Ricky/Sami/Fenix building a real ecosystem, why Gunther instantly makes SmackDown feel bigger, Cody vs Gunther contract signing chaos, Royce Keys getting elevated in the main event, Saturday Night’s Main Event updates, RAW preview discussion, and the much bigger conversation about why WWE feels completely different in the TKO era. We also dive deep into WWE feeling more corporate and less alive, the shrinking feeling of weekly television, the five-match PLE structure problem, fans spending more money for less rewarding weekly content, why long-time fans feel disconnected from the modern product, and why RAW currently feels far more stable than SmackDown. ⸻ Follow: Alexander the Great — @Froe87 ⸻ JOIN THE TTW DISCORD PLE watch-alongs. Live reactions. Real-time wrestling discussion during the shows. ⸻ Quick shoutout to the family business — Zarc International. If you’re looking for serious everyday protection… Check out the new VEXOR Venom™ Gel Pocket Guard — one of the strongest consumer pepper sprays on the market. You can find our products on Amazon and at www.zarc.com [http://www.zarc.com] Be Prepared. Protect Yourself. Carry Vexor. ⸻ If we earned your listen… please leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music. That stuff genuinely helps more wrestling fans find the show. 00:00 — SmackDown Needed Gunther 03:03 — Trick Williams Homecoming / U.S. Title Scene Finally Feels Alive 05:59 — The U.S. Title Ecosystem Is Starting To Work 08:26 — Sami Zayn’s Character Spiral Continues 11:08 — Women’s Tag Division Still Needs STORIES 13:45 — Cody Rhodes / Gunther Contract Signing Chaos 16:05 — Melo vs Ricky Saints — SmackDown Needed THIS Match 18:36 — DANHAUSEN ❤️ 36:53 — WWE Finally Understanding Character Variety Again 38:46 — Why Midcard & Comedy Wrestling Matter 40:14 — Michael Cole Deserves More Respect 42:39 — Why Comedy Wrestling Still Works 44:23 — WWE’s Body Type Shift & Why It Matters 46:08 — LA Knight Main Event Debate 52:01 — Sami / Gargano / Candice — This Story Is Getting Weird 57:58 — Jade Cargill / Charlotte / Alexa Bliss 01:05:23 — Saturday Night’s Main Event Update 01:07:40 — Gunther vs Royce Keys — REAL SmackDown Main Event Energy 01:13:31 — Final Thoughts — SmackDown Finally Showing Signs Of Life 01:17:08 — WWE FEELS UNRECOGNIZABLE POST-TKO 01:27:46 — WWE Is Becoming Too Expensive To Follow 01:38:10 — RAW Preview / Roman Reigns / Oba Femi