Upon the introduction of the renewed Brand Extension last summer, SmackDown Live did all that it could to establish its own identity and separate itself from Raw as much as possible. One of the biggest changes made to the blue brand was its addition of a post-show entitled Talking Smack.
Almost immediately, Talking Smack became the most must-see original program on the WWE Network. Since The Miz's explosive tirade on Daniel Bryan in late August, every episode of the show has been entertaining in one way or another.
Of course, there's so much wrestling to watch these days that you may find Talking Smack on the bottom of your list of priorities. However, I am here to present you with five reasons why it should be toward the top.
#5 Unexpected ambushes
While the name of the show might be Talking Smack, the entire half hour isn't all talk. There have been a handful of occasions over the past six months where Superstars have been ambushed and brawls have broken out.
In one of the more notable instances where this occurred, Nikki Bella was attacked from behind by Carmella to kick off their ruthless rivalry in August. Speaking of Nikki, she was recently sent face first into the glass table by Natalya on the show.
Everyone enjoys it when the action spills over from SmackDown, but it also adds a sense of unpredictability to the show. You never know what might happen and who can strike at any given moment.
#4 Everything you need to know about SmackDown
It has been fairly well-established since the dawn of the brand split that SmackDown has been the superior show over Raw. That said, even if you can't find the time to watch the full two hours SmackDown offers every Tuesday, Talking Smack gives you everything you need to know about what happened on that week's episode.
The pre- and post-shows WWE originally ran on the WWE Network never made much sense to me, personally, simply because the expert analysis they were offering felt forced and contrived. However, it comes across so much more organically on Talking Smack with Renee Young and Daniel Bryan at the helm.
Not only do Renee and Daniel highlight all the main happenings on the blue brand, they also look ahead to the following week and preview what's been advertised. It's essentially an edition of SmackDown packed into a 25 minute-long program, though it is recommended you watch both.
#3 Newsworthy announcements
At the end of this week's edition of SmackDown, fans were left with more questions than answers following the controversial conclusion to the WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal. The bout was deemed a draw between Luke Harper and AJ Styles, yet it wasn't made clear who of the two would advance to WrestleMania 33 for the WWE title.
Once Talking Smack came on the air, SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan decreed almost immediately that Styles and Harper will face off one-on-one next week to determine a true No. 1 contender. Blockbuster announcements such as this one are far from uncommon for the program, as it's virtually a weekly occurrence.
Talking Smack isn't a missable show by any means, and if you really want to stay up to date with what's going on in the SmackDown world and what's on tap for next week, hear the news first as it breaks on Talking Smack.
#2 Additional promo time
One major criticism of Raw is that in their three hours of television time, it seems very few stars receive an ample amount of time to talk, whether it be in the ring or backstage. That can be an issue on SmackDown Live on occasions as well, but those who can't speak on the show are allowed to express themselves on Talking Smack later in the night.
Renee Young and Daniel Bryan typically welcome three to four guests on the show each week, and regardless of whether they appeared on SmackDown or not, they comment on their own storylines as well as what is happening on the blue brand.
More often than not, you'll find several Superstars come off much better in this laid-back environment than they do on WWE TV, such as Baron Corbin, Mojo Rawley and The Usos. Thanks to Talking Smack, fans have turned a corner on each of these individuals (with the possible exception of Rawley), realising they're all human beings at the end of the day.
#1 Daniel Bryan
It's no secret that Daniel Bryan wanted out of his contract when it was evident WWE wouldn't clear him to compete last year. Instead, they utilised him in a commentary and general manager role, though the best work he has done since retiring has come on Talking Smack.
Shane McMahon can be a solid host when he shows up, but Bryan brings an entirely different personality to the table whenever he sits alongside Renee Young on Tuesday nights. They have a brilliant chemistry together that constantly results in laughter and Bryan plays well off everyone they welcome on the show.
Above all else, it's clear Bryan couldn't care less about angering management because he would likely love nothing more than to be let go anyway and be allowed to wrestle elsewhere, so he will make off-the-cuff remarks that are so beyond ridiculous they're hysterical. Talking Smack surely wouldn't be what it is today without him, so here's hoping he never steps down from hosting the program.
