tuesday
Vince McMahon Not the Primary Reason for Talking Smack’s Cancellation
It was reported last week via Sports Illustrated that one of the reason’s Talking Smack was canceled was because Vince McMahon was not a fan of the format, however those claims appear to be false.
Dave Meltzer received word from a source within WWE that the cancellation of the weekly show had nothing to do with Vince McMahon not liking the format but to do with the viewership numbers the show was receiving.
“Despite all rumors, Vince doesn’t hate Talking Smack. Also, he does not watch it but gets a weekly report about it every Wednesday. The one thing he didn’t like was when the New Day appeared right after Kofi (Kingston) got cleared (the 5/23 episode). That was technically their Tuesday night debut and Vince felt the first Tuesday appearance should have happened on Smackdown.”
As previously noted, the Talking Smack episodes will still air after SmackDown-brand pay-per-view events, as those numbers seem to perform well.
Kevin Owens Applauds WWE for Decision to Cancel Talking Smack
It was noted over the weekend that WWE decided to drop their Talking Smack show that airs Tuesday nights after 205 Live on the WWE Network.
Kevin Owens indicated on Twitter that there is no love lost in the decision to get rid of this show and and applauded WWE.
It should be noted that the show was not COMPLETELY dropped, as it will still air after SmackDown brand pay-per-view events.
Real Reason Talking Smack Was Canceled
While Dave Meltzer reported that Talking Smack was cancelled because of lower viewership, Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is saying otherwise.
According to Barrasso, WWE canceled the weekly show because Vince McMahon was not pleased with the show and felt it wasn’t best for the company’s interests. Vince apparently made the decision last week while he was present for the show.
WWE issued the following statement on Friday regarding the cancellation of the show:
“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.”
Carmella Reacts to James Ellsworth’s Suspension
As seen on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan suspended James Ellsworth for 30 days and fined him $10,000 for his involvement in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder matches. He also added that if he violates the terms, Carmella will be stripped of her MITB briefcase.
Carmella and Ellsworth both took to Twitter and made the following remarks in regards to the suspension:
Possible Reason Why WWE Booked A Flag Match at WWE Battleground
As seen on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live, WWE announced that John Cena would face Rusev in a flag match at the upcoming WWE Battleground event. Bryan Alvarez speculated on today’s installment of Wrestling Observer Live that the reason WWE decided to have a flag match between the two was in case they decide to have Rusev win.
“The Flag match is essentially the professional wrestling version of capture the flag. For the match two flags are placed on opposite turnbuckles, each representing a specific wrestler or team of wrestlers, and the object of the match is to retrieve the opponent’s flag and raise it while defending the flag in the wrestler’s corner.”
According to the rules (seen above), the match will conclude when a specific wrestler retrieves the flag of their opponent. This means Cena doesn’t have to actually be pinned to lose the match. Historically, WWE normally has gimmick matches as a blow-off match in a feud or as an “out” for a screwy finish.
What Happened After Tuesday’s SmackDown Live
After Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown & 205 Live went off the air in Dayton, Ohio, Randy Orton was in action against WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. This match has been done several times over the past month and much like previous bouts it ended in DQ with interference from The Singh Brothers.
Before the match took place, The Singh Brothers cut a heel promo and announced that the match would be non-title. This promo was said to be pretty decent.
The Taz Show Recap – Money in the Bank Analysis, Mahal Needs A New Finisher, Was the Women’s Ladder Match Historic? More!
Block 1:
Taz gets right into his analysis of last night’s Money in the Bank PPV.
He thought the opening package before the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match was terrific. It did a wonderful job of paying tribute to women who paved the way for today’s performers, while also highlighting each woman who was participating in last night’s ladder match.
He thought all five women worked hard in the match, but in the end, Taz questions whether this match lived up to it’s ‘historic’ nature. Carmella’s victory is tainted by the fact that James Ellsworth physically climbed the ladder and unhooked the briefcase for her. Taz thinks it’s a shame that in the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, a man was the one to retrieve the briefcase.
Taz thinks that WWE needs to address Carmella’s victory on this Tuesday’s episode of Smackdown Live and he truly believes that they will. He suggests that Shane McMahon should appear on RAW tonight to announce a Money in the Bank rematch for tomorrow night’s Smackdown Live. Having Shane appear on the opposing brand to make this announcement will make this feel like a very important moment, and Taz ultimately thinks that Carmella will lose this briefcase one way or another on Tuesday night.
In spite of all the controversy surrounding the finish, Taz thought that these five women earned a lot of people’s respect last night, and they raised the bar for all women entering a WWE ring moving forward.