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WWE TALKING SMACK REVIEW
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
BY CRAIG ELBE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Renee Young introduces herself and Daniel Bryan to Talking Smack. They talk about the stress and difficulty for Bryan the end of tonight’s battle royal. Renee says they need instant replay as there was no clear visual as to who landed first, A.J. Styles or Luke Harper. Bryan reiterates his match announcement for next week, Styles vs. Luke Harper, to determine who will face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
After Renee tells us A.J. Styles will be on the show, she talks about how Luke Harper looks to be in peak performance mode, making it a scary task for A.J. Styles. Bryan further elaborates on Harper’s performance, saying he was elbowing everybody. He said Baron Corbin was very tough to tolerate the punishment.
Renee brings up the heartbreaking decision to force Naomi to relinquish her Women’s Championship due to her knee injury. Renee hints that they may bring on Dr. Phil to help Bryan with the situation. Bryan wants to be clear that it was not his decision as it was a group decision involving Shane McMahon and the doctors. Bryan goes on to say Naomi would normally receive an opportunity to recover, but with WrestleMania coming up soon he wanted the other women to have a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Renee asks Bryan what the level of difficulty was in giving Naomi the bad news as he has seen her through all of her ups and downs over the years. Bryan brings up the WrestleMania mixed tag team match she was supposed to have with three which got cut short right before the match was supposed to start. He goes on to say that that she overcame the odds over the time and finally won the championship, and having to take the title back from her was the hardest thing he’s had to do as general manager, especially because it happened to him twice.
First guest: Becky Lynch
Renee then welcomes Becky Lynch to the show. Renee and Becky exchange pleasantries with Becky agreeing it was hard to watch Naomi give up the title. Renee asks Becky for her take on the situation. Becky says she’s an amazing athlete and a hard worker but also saying that the situation is two fold. All her consistent hard work over the years being cut short by injury sucks, but she was prepared to have a match but did not know her title opportunity would come due to Naomi’s injury. Lynch says it was heartbreaking to see Namoi go through that. Bryan asked Becky if she feels her title opportunity was taken away tonight with her loss to Alexa Bliss. Becky thinks about it and says Alexa Bliss always finds a way to cheat and beat her, providing Bliss’s past tactics but calling back Alexa not knowing the Patriots won the Superbowl but finding a way to cheat and win and become a two-time champ, calling her another letter C word, a cheater! That comment raises the energy between the three, Bryan expecting a different word! Becky does take ownership of her mistake and that she should know better and she will correct that going forward.
Becky brings up her frustrations lately with Mickie James, with Renee and Becky both wondering what her problem is with Lynch. Becky recalls Mickey claiming nobody giving her respect during the initial Women’s Revolution, but Becky remembers being the least relevant one and having to work hard all the way up until now to claim her spot. Becky says during the Women’s Revolution she just wanted to have good matches, not necessarily a revolution. She brings up the Nikki Bella and Natalya match tonight that had her jaw on the ground for the entire match. Becky goes on about Mickie James, still not sure what her problem with her is, while also not knowing why she is siding with Alexa Bliss. She says that back in the day she absolutely loved and respected Mickie James. Becky wonders if it’s just because Bliss can use Google and look up Mickie James’s accomplishments where Bryan also agrees, saying that it’s always nice for an old-timer to get praise from an up and comer, stopping just short of calling Mickie James and old-timer! That prompts Renee to start chanting “talking smack, talking smack.” Becky says if sucking up to James is how to get her on her side, she will not do it. Renee asks what her plan is. Becky, in a deeper voice, tells Bryan she wants a match with Mickie James. Bryan feels put on the spot with no disagreement from Lynch. He says that he has other people to talk to regarding a decision like that, including the spirits of Lloyd Peacock. Bryan tells her they will work on that and thanks for being on the show.
Renee ask Brian if he would like to give Lloyd Peacock some love and attention with his story. Bryan asks if Renee is trying to start a peacock chant. Bryan says, to Renee’s disagreement, insisting that starting chants something they do on the show but this is not the time or place for the Lloyd Peacock story.
Brian then wishes to tell Mick Foley to suck it because as the Smackdown women were on the first three segments of the show tonight, plus a tag team match, and finally another two segments. Bryan dares Foley to have the Raw women on an hour and a half of TV to Renee’s agreement.
Renee segways to the Natalya and Nikki Bella in a Falls Count Anywhere match and that they tore the place apart tonight. Renee asks Bryan if he has talked to Nikki since the match. Bryan says he has not yet. They detail the punishment the women put themselves through during that match. Bryan says that he briefly saw Nikki in the trainer’s room but he didn’t have a chance to stay because the battle royal controversy was going on. He says that he thought Maryse got injured as we see footage of her involved in the match tonight.
Bryan gives props to both women for what they endured in that match adding that something has to be done about Maryse involvement that ultimately helped Natalya win. Renee hopes for a medical update on both women, especially with how close we are to WrestleMania and the importance of making the show.
Second Guests: The Usos
Renee welcomes the Usos to the show. Jimmy and Jey make the way to the desk promising to talk smack, Bryan saying they’ve already done some smack talking tonight. Renee asks them what their problem is with American Alpha. They said they were just letting America Alpha know that they’re there and they want their titles and that they’ve been around and the American Alpha are just Young Bucks-oooo what a reference! Jimmy uses Bryan use of the words “suck it” as a warning to Renee about Bryan’s mood tonight. Jey asks if they’re the type it looks like who would just go up and punch somebody, Bryan quickly says yes. Jey then warns American Alpha, saying that they have their number really good.
Renee brings up all the attention American Alpha have received since their Smackdown arrival and wonders to the Usos if they feel they have gone under the radar. Jimmy describes American Alpha’s accomplishments as a big wave they’ve been riding but he and his brother are going to burst their bubble and stop the wave. They go on about busting bubbles, Bryan saying he’s busted some bubbles in his day. Jimmy talks about Brian busting Mick Foley’s bubble on the “suck it” phrase and Bryan pleads ignorance, saying it’s been said in wrestling for years and he just says it not knowing what it means.
Renee then asks Jimmy about Naomi’s injury and title relinquishment situation. Jimmy says he did not think Bryan would do it and Jey said it was hard to watch. Bryan asks how they would feel if American Alpha were injured and did not relinquish the titles? That gave brief perspective to them but Jey asked why did he have to do that to his sister. Bryan said he told her he was sorry but that everyone’s proud of her and then apologizes again. Jimmy asks Bryan to let him in on a future situation so he won’t be watching and not have to hold back tears, as that’s how he was tonight. Renee says despite those tears they surely did rip into American Alpha afterwards. Jey said they just had to get in the zone. Renee remarks that their hoodies are some good tear wiping shirts to have on and then Jimmy and Jey plug their merchandise. Renee thank themfor being on the show and Jimmy call Bryan a Bubble Buster and they leave the set.
Renee tells Bryan that she must like the Usos. He says they seem really mean on TV but they are just cool guys he wants to hang out with instead of fight. He asks Renee if he looks cooler just sitting next to them because that’s how he felt. Renee says when he was in the camera angle with the three of them he did, single shot not so much.
Renee and Bryan bring up the swagger that the Usos carry themselves with and Renee talks about how badass they are as well as former champions Renee reiterates the warning from the Usos to American Alpha while Bryan recalls that Chad Gable suffered a knee injury at the hands of the Usos, adding they are dangerous guys. Renee says that you don’t want them hot on your tail while Bryan says he does not want to be the bubble burst guy to them for fear of having them burst his bubble.
Renee brings up John Cena and Miz fighting during the Battle Royal, eventually eliminating each other. She doesn’t remember the last time where they work picking at each other previously. Bryan disagrees on the picking at each other part but buries The Miz and his horrible “homage” kicks, saying he missed the big kick on Cena and Cena just simply eliminated him immediately. Renee’s brings up how The Miz eliminated Cena after Cena eliminated him and then runs to the crowd. Renee feels Miz now believes his own hype.
Bryan calls Baron Corbin and Miz sore losers for the manner in which they conducted their eliminations, also recalling how they have come on to Talking Smack complaining and whining for opportunities.
Renee announces that next week’s Smackdown will feature a Miz TV segment with John Cena as the guest. Bryan wonders how the this happened, Renee asks if he can run interference and cancel it. Bryan says he should just stay far away from Miz.
Renee and then brings on A.J. Styles detailing that he did not get his wished upon title opportunity tonight.
Third Guest: A.J. Styles
A.J. quickly shows Bryan his teeth, Bryan wondering if he’s just showing his crooked teeth. Styles says it’s just a chipped tooth, calling Brian a jerk. Styles continues to claim that Luke Harper’s feet hit the ground first and tonight’s battle royal. He’s an ask Bryan why the match just didn’t simply continue. Bryan says it’s a live show and they ran out of time, but he did make a match between Harper and Styles for next week, sarcastically asking Styles if he heard the news. Styles says that he would have gotten the job done tonight. Renee insists that having the time to prepare and rest is to his advantage. Styles says he is in much better shape then Harper and he had more stamina left and could have beaten him easily.
A clip is shown of Styles and Luke Harper to the floor and Bryan says that if he were to guess, Styles’s feet hit the floor first, obviously to Styles’s disagreement. He claims Harper’s foot hit the floor first, but Bryan says two feet equal elimination. Styles jokes about hopping around on one foot being technically legal, then Bryan asks Styles if he read the new WWE Rulebook that was just released, adding he wrote the forward. Styles asks if punching is allowed, Bryan said it’s more or less allowed now where it used to not be. Styles said that he has perfected the forearm and that was taken away.
Bryan thinks Styles got a chipped tooth because he throws forearms and Luke Harper throws elbows. Styles says his chipped tooth occurred on a clothesline from Harper and tells Bryan to shut up. Bryan says that was a horrible clothesline to take. Styles disagrees with Brian’s criticism of Miz’s kicks as they hurt. Bryan says Miz is kicking with his toes and doing it all wrong. Styles talks about the footprint on his face from Miz at Elimination Chamber, asking Bryan if he saw it. Bryan thinks it was a foot drag instead.
Renee says with a win against Luke Harper next week he gets a title shot at Wrestlemania. AJ says it won’t be a problem to beat Harper. Bryan wonders why Styles was complaining, Styles said he wanted to finish the job tonight, claiming to be a typical impatient American. He feels Shane would have made a better decision, that Bryan makes bad decisions. Renee sticks up for Bryan saying SmackDown was almost over, earning Bryan’s appreciation but saying according to Styles he has a slow brain.
Bryan presses Styles on his flat Earth theory. Styles asks Bryan about his flat feet, Bryan saying they are indeed flat. Styles doesn’t claim anything more than just acknowledging there’s information about a flat Earth out there. Bryan calls him a Flat Earther but Styles says his brain is slow, sarcastically calling out Styles’s audacity. Renee and Bryan tell Styles the Earth is a sphere on an axis, but Styles says he’s not a Flat Earther but they won’t be able to wrap their heads around the information about a flat Earth that’s out there, adding that it makes sense. Renee wishes Styles luck next week, but he gets paranoid about her getting mad with his theories about a flat Earth. She’s says they can keep rolling with conspiracy theories but probably don’t have the time. Styles suggests he stays and Bryan leaves. An elated Bryan says he’s been wishing for that to happen as he take out his earpiece, telling Styles he can close the show and host it next week! Love those batches of Danielson sarcasm!
Styles moves to Bryan’s seat as Renee wishes him luck next week while Styles still wants to talk. As Styles rips up the papers on the desk and looks through Renee’s phone, a panicked Renee signs off.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 2/14 WWE Talking Smack Review: Daniel Bryan announces Battle Royal to replace Orton as opponent for Wyatt at WrestleMania, Bliss learns Patriots won, plus Crews
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