Episode Details

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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 a