Oli Davis rounds up the biggest professional wrestling news in his daily WrestleTalk column…
There’s an old public relations trick of releasing bad news last thing on a Friday. That way, the initial outrage is somewhat quelled by everyone going off for the weekend.
Which is probably why, exactly a week after WWE released Austin Aries late on Friday 7th July, the company used the same timing trick to announce they’re cancelling the beloved weekly Smackdown post-show Talking Smack:
“We continuously review WWE Network’s programming line-up based on a variety of factors, including viewership and subscriber research. Talking Smack and Raw Talk will air following pay-per-view events, and Tuesday will continue to feature 205 Live.”
It’s fine, everyone. We’ve lost Talking Smack. But at least 205 Live is ok.
Unfortunately, in waiting until the last moment on Friday to drop the news, WWE appear to also have not told the very people who work on the show.
Hmmmm that's one way to get news. https://t.co/sNIYUZfD7N
— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) July 14, 2017
Host Renee Young tweeted on hearing her programme had been axed, then retweeting a gif of her angrily throwing a present behind her from the infamous Bad Santa episode of the show and favouriting a fan’s tweet about WWE “jerking [her] around a LOT this year.”
An hour later, Young finished with a more politically savvy – albeit still frustrated – post:
Really disappointed about #TalkingSmack. We tried to make that show great. Guess I'll go back to welcoming my guest at this time.
— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) July 14, 2017
Co-host Daniel Bryan, however, just decided to be angry:
I come online to support #SamiForSyria and find this out. I'm the GM!!! Nobody tells me anything!!! https://t.co/Dup7nBKvss
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) July 14, 2017
Even Young and Bryan’s constant foil The Miz semi-broke character for the news, as the realistic, unscripted show played a big part in getting over his brand split career resurgence.
RIP #TalkingSmack I enjoyed the freedom this show gave @wwe talent to showcase what they could do @ReneeYoungWWE brought the best out of all
— The Miz (@mikethemiz) July 15, 2017
In response to Talking Smack’s cancellation, sometimes-WWE-Creative-Consultant Max Landis has started an online petition to ‘Bring Back Talking Smack’. Catchy.
But if Sports Illustrated is to be believed, Vince McMahon has already made up his mind.
While Talking Smack’s ratings on the Network weren’t that strong, the article reports the show wasn’t cancelled because of a lack of viewers – as WWE’s press release claims – but because “McMahon was unhappy with the show and strongly believed it did not serve the company’s best interests…” and “…The unscripted nature of the show ultimately played a role in its removal.”.
Although Vince “is just not as physically present as he once was” and his backstage appearances at WWE’s weekly TV shows “is becoming increasingly irregular”, he “…remains the singular voice of the company” – still micromanaging key details on both Raw and Smackdown.
It appears last Tuesday was Talking Smack’s last weekly episode, with WWE’s statement saying the programme will now only run after pay-per-views. But even that, it seems, is in jeopardy, with Sports Illustrated adding: “the long-term plan, per McMahon, is to eradicate the program.”
Check back on Flickering Myth every day for round-ups of the biggest professional wrestling news…
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