September 30, 2025

Wrestling Tonight: CENA VS STYLES SET FOR PERTH | IYO SKY RETURNS HOME TO JAPAN | GAIL KIM SPARKS RIHO DEBATE | TNA/NXT INVASION & MASHA SLAMOVICH CONTROVERSY

1 hour 17 minutes

Welcome back to Wrestling Tonight, your weekly look at the stories shaping wrestling across WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, and beyond. Episode 144 arrives at a moment when legacies and momentum converge. WWE has confirmed John Cena against AJ Styles one final time at Crown Jewel in Perth, a meeting that feels less like a simple booking and more like the closing act of an era. Cena's farewell tour has been both celebratory and bittersweet, while Styles has spoken candidly about the end drawing near. This encounter is not about championships but about legacy, and about two icons crossing paths before the curtain falls.

In Japan, IYO SKY returns home to face Mayu Iwatani at Marigold's Dream Destiny on October 26. The match is more than a dream pairing. It is a homecoming steeped in personal history and shared rivalries, a moment charged with emotion that underscores just how deeply both women have shaped modern wrestling.

TNA continues to walk the line between revival and uncertainty. The Beautiful People's induction into the Hall of Fame at Bound for Glory honors the company's past influence, yet the ongoing Masha Slamovich investigation casts an undeniable shadow. The crossover with NXT has brought fresh attention, but it also raises questions of dependency, leaving many to wonder if TNA's momentum is truly its own or if it remains tied to WWE's spotlight.

AEW has finally introduced Women's Tag Team Championships, a long requested step forward for the division. Eddie Kingston's return to the independent scene adds another chapter to his career, while Jazwares extending its partnership through 2026 offers stability for AEW's collectors and branding. Yet the company has also been at the center of renewed debate. Gail Kim's recent remarks about Riho's presentation during AEW's early days drew criticism, while Kenny Omega defended her, pointing to production struggles in AEW's infancy and the rich tradition of smaller joshi wrestlers headlining major events in Japan. The exchange has reignited a wider conversation about how Japanese women's wrestling is understood and respected in the United States.

The aftermath of TNA Victory Road and NXT No Mercy continues to ripple. Ricky Saints stunned the wrestling world by ending Oba Femi's dominant reign, Tiffany Stratton weathered controversy to secure a match with Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel, and Je'Von Evans once again stood out as a rising star even as his story became entangled with Josh Briggs. Championships have changed hands, rivalries have reignited, and the path to Bound for Glory is marked by both opportunity and instability.

Episode 144 is about moments that appear to be turning points but could just as easily prove to be fault lines. Cena and Styles are closing a rivalry that defined an era, SKY and Iwatani are giving Marigold a showcase that will resonate for years, TNA is testing whether it can sustain true independence, and AEW continues to grow while navigating questions of stability in both its booking and its presentation of women's wrestling. This week reminds us that momentum can be borrowed, but legacy must be earned, and that the matches which endure are remembered not only for the victories but for what they represent when the lights fade.

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