Episode Details

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Episode 206 of Wrestling Tonight begins with one of the biggest "what ifs" surrounding John Cena's retirement run. Adam Copeland says he believes Tony Khan would have allowed him to step outside AEW for one final Edge vs. Cena match in WWE. Copeland made it clear that nothing was ever formally proposed, Tony was never actually asked and WWE never officially rejected the idea, but his belief is that AEW would not have been the obstacle. It is especially interesting because Cena and Edge were so important to one another's careers, and a final match could have been more than nostalgia. It could have been one of those rare moments where WWE and AEW put the promotional rivalry aside for something that made sense historically. We look at whether it was ever realistic, what Tony allowing it would have meant for the relationship between the two companies and why one of the most obvious matches for Cena's farewell never got beyond the hypothetical stage.

We then turn to AEW, where Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay have made their All In match increasingly personal. The story has become about far more than simply determining who the better wrestler is, with their history stretching back through PWG, New Japan and Ospreay's years of being compared to the standard Omega established before him. That rivalry now intersects with Ospreay's return from neck fusion surgery and his attempt to prove that he has finally surpassed Omega. Their sit-down with Renee Paquette revisited Omega questioning whether Ospreay ever truly replaced him and the lingering issue of Ospreay needing Don Callis' involvement to defeat Kenny at Forbidden Door. Omega then crossed another line by bringing Ospreay's family into the discussion before ultimately putting him through a table with the One-Winged Angel. With Ospreay back in front of his home crowd at Wembley after everything surrounding his surgery and recovery, AEW has turned this into one of the most important matches of his career.

Pat McAfee's WWE future also appears increasingly clear. More than a year after stepping away from Raw commentary because of burnout, McAfee has added another major ESPN responsibility by joining Monday Night Countdown throughout the NFL season. His daily show will also broadcast from the site of Monday Night Football each week while he continues working College GameDay on Saturdays. McAfee has now reiterated that he does not intend to return to WWE television following the WrestleMania 42 stipulation where Cody Rhodes defeating Randy Orton meant McAfee would leave WWE programming for good. He even acknowledged that he may have been wrong about Cody after spending the storyline attacking him. Wrestling stipulations can always be undone, but between McAfee's comments and an ESPN schedule that now consumes both Saturdays and Mondays throughout football season, a regular WWE return looks increasingly unlikely.

Josh Alexander is also moving closer to an in-ring return just over four months after undergoing knee surgery. Alexander resurfaced on Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling Mayhem and confronted Stu Grayson, teasing the eventual unification of MLP's Canadian Championship. Alexander has remained champion throughout his injury while Grayson became interim champion, giving them a ready-made program whenever Alexander receives clearance. No date has been announced, but MLP's Northern Rising on October 3 in Toronto would be a logical destination if Alexander is ready. The return is particularly meaningful considering Alexander has spoken about how disappointing it was to be unable to fulfill his responsibilities as champion after becoming the inaugural Canadian Champion following Scott D'Amore's relaunch of the promotion.

On the WWE injury front, Logan Paul appears to be making prog