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Following the show’s intro, Renee throws to co-host Sam Roberts who talks about how much there is to unpack from the show. Renee Young mentions that there is a plethora of questions that will be asked of Shane McMahon later on tonight. In the meantime, though, she wants to know what is going through Sam’s head as a fan after watching the show. Roberts’s number one takeaway is the feeling that he had the first time they showed the graphic for Shinsuke Nakamura vs. A.J. Styles. The production crew flashes the graphic that Sam mentioned and shortly after, Renee pivots to introductions for the first guest. The new U.S. Champion/Grand Slam champion, Randy Orton.
Interview 1: Randy Orton
Renee starts out with a compliment to Randy saying the championship looks good on him. She asks how it feels to have won the one title that has eluded him thus far. Randy throws out the stat that he has never had an opportunity to wrestle for the U.S. Championship until tonight. As soon as he was given a path to get there, he won the championship; it just took 17 years to get there. He speaks humbly about the pride of now being a Grand Slam Champion and how much it means to be on the short prestigious list of guys who have accomplished it.
Sam pivots to the aftermath of the match, as the replay shows of Jinder’s run-in. Randy casually recaps their 2017 feud over the WWE Championship. Randy mentions he doesn’t like Jinder Mahal but isn’t mad him. Despite Roode attacking him afterwards also, he isn’t mad at him either. Going back to the Jinder Experiment, Sam Roberts brings up that Jinder always found a way to leave with the championship. Randy corrects him by naming the Singh Brothers as the exact reason why.
In an awkward moment, Randy brings up being in the Punjabi Prison match, but then trails off as he sneaks a look over his shoulder. Sam jumps in and tries to reign Orton back in with questioning whether or not Jinder has his number. Renee assists Sam by adding, “there’s no Khali to worry about tonight.” Continuing the weirdness, Orton acknowledges his history with Jinder and interference from Khali, but then quickly adds that it was almost a year ago and that he isn’t dwelling in the past. He is looking to the future and at the challenge from Bobby Roode whom he doesn’t fault because he would have attacked him the same way.
Renee brings up the future: WrestleMania. Randy talks up how much better it is to have a championship going into WrestleMania instead of chasing one. Renee brings up the John Cena situation. She mentions how long he and Randy have known each other and asks what it is like seeing him on the sidelines without a match. Randy talks about the “hell of a show” they put on in the main event. He begins to go into a story about watching Raw Talk with his kids. He then accidentally flubs Peter Rosenburg’s name, calling him Paul Rosenburg. The three all share a quick laugh about it before he continues the story.
Randy was watching the Raw Talk where Cena cried with his kids. Orton says that in all his time knowing John, he has never seen him cry, so he is thankful to Renee for that. Randy thought it was fun to see him sob. Sam asks about the list of guys he’s gotten to wrestle with over the years and Orton begins to rattle off a who’s who of wrestling. “I’m one of the last guys here who’s gotten to wrestle Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. And Booker T. And the list goes on and on. Mick Foley. I’ve gotten to wrestle Hogan. There’s not to many around here who can say that.”
Randy brings up the fact that even with all that, Jinder still manage to beat him three months straight and that it’s a little under his skin, but Randy knows what it’s like to have to do what it takes to get by. Renee and Sam share one last laugh with Randy before thanking him for his time.
Renee and Sam begin to discuss the tag team championship fallout. They speculate about Xavier Woods’s condition. Renee offers that if she gets any updates, it will be passed on. With that stated, she turns on a dime to introduce the next guest, Charlotte.
Interview 2: Charlotte
“What a night, what a night,” Renee says as Charlotte settles in. Renee begins the interview by asking what it’s like to be in the ring with Ruby Riott one-on-one. Charlotte offers that she knows what it is like to be in Ruby’s position, coming from NXT to the main roster and looking to make a name for herself. She insists that Ruby made a name for herself and that she brought it. She goes as far as saying that Ruby will be a “player” around here. Charlotte adds at the end, “but she still bowed down.” Sam asks Charlotte if she ever felt like the match was in jeopardy and she replies “a couple times, especially when she hit me with her finish. It was close.”
Renee steps in and talks about Charlotte having a target on her back since day one. Renee then pivots to talking about the debut of Asuka and how it felt in that moment when she came out. Charlotte replies that it was a moment that she wasn’t sure was going to happen. “I’ve been watching her since day one. I’ve been watching her since NXT.”
Charlotte goes through the list of women Asuka beat in the Royal Rumble. She goes halfway into promo mode and says that she’s never faced anyone like Asuka, but then again, Asuka has never faced anyone like her. She insists that she is ready for Asuka. Sam brings up the conversation of who is the number one female in the WWE: Charlotte or Asuka. Sam asks if that leaves her shaken. Charlotte says that she isn’t shaken, but motivated. She feels like she’s proven a lot on the main roster but hasn’t been in the ring with Asuka. Charlotte feels like she has something to prove. This is the time to cement her legacy and she going to do it against Asuka.
Renee asks if the target on her wears her down. Charlotte goes on to say she wakes up every morning looking to prove she’s the best. Sam suggests that Charlotte clearly doesn’t view Asuka as overrated. Charlotte jumps right in at the end of his statement and insists that Asuka is not overrated. Sam brings up whether or not Asuka is underestimating Charlotte. Charlotte doesn’t think Asuka is underestimating her. She states that Asuka just knows who Asuka is. What she doesn’t know though is who Charlotte is. Renee thanks Charlotte for her time and transitions to talking about Asuka’s Smackdown debut.
After a brief discussion about Asuka, they go on to talk about the dream match of Styles vs. Nakamura. Sam says that since there was word of them coming over from New Japan, this is the match we’ve wanted to see happen, on the stage we wanted to see it happen on. Renee segues into the introduction of the third and final guest, Shane McMahon.
Interview 3: Shane McMahon
After greetings, Renee gets right to it. “Shane, tonight you interjected yourself into this match-up.” Shane cuts her off, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I was totally provoked.” Renee invokes the ongoing storyline of Bryan insisting that Shane gets too emotionally involved. Shane takes a deep breath and agrees with her that he overreacted tonight. He says that the kick in the face sent him over the edge and put him in a bad place, in hindsight.
Renee asks him how he can draw the line between being the top of the food chain and using his emotions to do what he wants. Shane replies that it is tough and something he and Daniel have discussed a lot in the past. Shane brings up that DB has called him out on it in the past and also that Daniel tends to get emotional himself. Renee asks if he’s talked to Daniel about what happened tonight since the show went off the air. Shane replies with a short “no.”
Sam Roberts asks if Shane regrets doing what he did. Shane says that everything is really fresh. He’s not pleased with the way things happened but the shot in the face really sent him off. Renee tries to ask about where Shane and Kevin Owens go from here. Shane jumps in that he and KO have never seen eye-to-eye.
Sam brings up the elephant in the room saying that the kick looked like it was an accident. Roberts then asks the hard-hitting question of why he was even out there tonight. Before Shane can give an answer to the impossibly tough question, Renee jumps in and talks about the bad blood Shane and KO have going back to Owens attacking Vince. Shane says he respects KOs in ring ability but does not care for him as an individual. He will never forget Kevin putting his hands on Vince. Kevin has had this coming to him for a long time, Shane says.
Shane recaps his fall feud with Sami and Kevin. Shane brings in the complexity of balancing the want for revenge and the need to keep Smackdown going. Sam asks if that struggle should lead to Shane handing over more of the control over to Daniel Bryan. Shane says that he has let Daniel do a lot of stuff, but he thinks Shane is blinded by them. He believes Daniel is living vicariously through them. Renee asks if Shane was happy that Kevin and Sami lost tonight. Shane replies, “Absolutely.” He says that’s the reason he was out there. He just wanted to “feel it” and that he “stayed out of everybody’s way.” Renee calls him out on the last line about staying out of the way citing that he cost two of the six participants the match on separate occasions. Shane fesses up to his emotions getting the better of him. But he says he doesn’t have to explain himself.
Renee goes to thank Shane for his time, but Shane feigns (maybe?) offense to the notion by asking, “You kicking me off the show?” Sam cracks a wide smile that is no-sold by Shane. Renee says the show is going to be wrapped up as we look towards Monday Night Raw. Shane does a take to the camera and tells everyone instead to make sure they watch Tuesdays.
Renee defends her signoff by saying that she was just going chronologically. Shane parrots it back to her before saying “later,” setting the microphone down and walking off the set. Sam Roberts gives and exhausted look as the theme plays and the show fades to black.
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS REPORT: 12/18 WWE Talking Smack Report – Post-Clash of Champions Edition: A.J. Styles, Usos, Charlotte, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
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