WWE Network Reviews: WWE Talking Smack for 07-10-21, Six-Man Tag Team Match Announced for Next Friday’s Smackdown
Hey yo. It’s time for the WWE Talking Smack recap for July 10. You can find this week’s show on Peacock/WWE Network on-demand now. It’s the last Talking Smack in the Thunderdome. This show covers Smackdown from Friday night and here’s my review of Smackdown in case you missed it.
The show was hosted by Kayla Braxton and Smackdown announcer Pat McAfee, who is in Paul Heyman’s seat for the third week in a row. Apparently, Heyman is done on the show and McAfee is the new co-host. They did not say he’s the permanent co-host, but I assume he is. I will miss Paul, but McAfee does a good job. Kayla asked Pat about the foot pedi water thing and Pat said that it was an electrifying Smackdown. They talked about Edge battling Roman Reigns and family along with the Mysterios coming back for a fight. Kayla said she had some breaking news that next week on Smackdown there will be a six-man tag team match with Roman Reigns & The Usos vs. Edge, Rey & Dominik Mysterio. The hosts talked about it as a big match. They spoke about Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox appearing on Smackdown to face Natalya & Tamina with Shotzi getting the win over Natalya. They showed King Nakamura and Rick Boogs arriving in Baron Corbin’s car. They are up next.
TJR Thoughts: I expected the six-man tag team match to take place next week. It was set up well in the main event this week, so it’s a big tag team match in front of the fans in Houston next Friday.
There was a commercial for SummerSlam on Saturday, August 21. There was also a commercial about WWE going back on the road for live events and TV shows starting next week.
The first guests were King Nakamura with Rick Boogs, who played the electric guitar for Nakamura with Pat dancing to it because that’s what Pat likes to do. Boogs said that he is discovering who he is as well with the tutelage of King Nakamura. Boogs said he has become Nakamura’s court jester with the jokes, the entertainment and the music. Nakamura said he was waiting for an opportunity like this. Nakamura said he was excited and he’s the King of WWE. McAfee said that the king’s crown fit perfectly on Nakamura’s head. They talked about how showed up in a quarter-million-dollar vehicle that they paid “pennies” for. They don’t know if it was Baron Corbin’s car, which is the joke. Boogs said that Corbin is a bag of filth. Nakamura and Boogs showed their handshake using their fingers, so Pat joined in with them. Next week on Smackdown, Nakamura is in a Fatal 4-Way match with Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Big E. Nakamura said he’s excited, but he’s not nervous. Nakamura did some dancing. The music played with Pat joining in with some dancing.
TJR Thoughts: Nakamura barely spoke there, but Boogs had some funny lines so that made it work fine. Pat’s excitement over Nakamura’s presence certainly helps Nakamura as well.
There was a video about WWE superstars wanting society to get COVID-19 vaccine shots. There was a commercial about Money in the Bank taking place next Sunday, July 18.
They talked about how Bayley suffered an injury (knee injury to be more specific) and will be out of action for about nine months.
The next guest was Carmella, who said she was exhausted from being so beautiful and next week will be the next Smackdown Women’s Champion. Carmella said that she has more to offer than just being a pretty face. Carmella said she has beaten Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, which shows she can go in the ring. Carmella said that they should be so excited to see her win the title again. Carmella said that Sonya put her in this position because she knew that Carmella deserved it. Carmella said that ladder matches suck, they hurt your body and she skipped those steps to get her title match next week. Carmella was amazed at how beautiful she looks. Kayla brought up Bayley, but then Carmella cut her off and said that Bayley is one of her best friends. Carmella said that she is grateful that she is the one replacing Bayley and nobody knows Bianca Belair better than Bayley. Carmella said that Bayley knows Bianca in and out while saying that Bayley will share information with her. Carmella will be so prepared while adding that Belair should be ready. Carmella said she stays ready so you don’t have to get ready. Kayla wished Carmella good luck, then Carmella said she didn’t need luck and she’ll become the next Smackdown Women’s Champion. Carmella marveled at how beautiful she is again.
TJR Thoughts: Carmella does a good job of being this over-the-top heel character. Sometimes it is a bit too over the top, but that’s the job she has to do. It’s a role that Carmella is very good at it. Do I expect her to beat Bianca Belair for the Smackdown Women’s Title on Smackdown next week? Absolutely not. I think WWE is going to do a Belair vs. Sasha Banks WrestleMania rematch at SummerSlam, so Carmella is just another woman for Bianca to beat.
There were commercials for SummerSlam and this Monday’s Raw.
Next week on Smackdown: Fatal 4-Way Match with Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins vs. King Nakamura and Bianca Belair defends the Smackdown Women’s Championship vs. Carmella. Plus the six-man tag team match already mentioned.
The final guest on this week’s show is the WWE Hall of Famer Edge. Edge noted that his hometown is a city called Orangeville so he saw Kayla’s orange shirt and thought of that. Pat said that Orangeville created an Iconoclast (Edge’s shirt). Pat said that seeing Edge come back as a lifelong fan of his has been so cool. Pat said that Edge has been wild and savage times ten. Edge said that throughout the years he’s been able to find the place that is dangerous. Edge said that there are certain talents that can bring out a certain side of Edge. Edge said there are certain talents like The Undertaker, John Cena and Roman Reigns that bring out that side of him. Edge said that he can appreciate that Reigns believes what he says. Edge said he’s won 31 championships in this company, that’s more than anybody else and he doesn’t count the 24/7 Championship. Edge said that at Money in the Bank on Sunday, he doesn’t think what Roman Reigns understands what Edge brings with him. Pat said that Edge has been a man possessed since he has come back and feeding chairs to Roman’s family. Edge said that he tries not to chew on regret. Edge said that this one stuck with him, it bothered him and he had to change what was going on in his brain. Edge said there was anger, so he needed to manifest that anger and use it in a positive way. Edge said it was a new place for him to find. Edge said he had self-reflection, but he doesn’t doubt himself. Edge said that he had to find the guy that would slap John Cena’s dad, that faced Undertaker at Hell in a Cell and he had to find that guy. Edge said that he spoke in the third person because at times he had to compartmentalize like that. Edge said that when he’s out there, he’s unhinged and sometimes it takes a little while to get out of that. Edge was asked about The Mysterios coming to his aid at the end of Smackdown. Edge laughed at the visual of Edge staring at Reigns while Rey and Dominik were helping Edge by “feeding Usos” to Edge. Edge said he knows the game. Edge said that he felt the doubt when he gave Reigns the Glasgow Grip at WrestleMania and Roman was about to tap, but Daniel Bryan stopped it. Edge said he Speared Reigns, but Bryan pulled the referee out. Edge said that Roman knows that twice he was beaten at WrestleMania and then Edge was going to Conchairto him, but there was Jey Uso to save Roman as well. Edge said he can look at that, so he knows he “had him, kid” and he can call him kid.
Edge was given the floor for a promo to stair into the main camera. Edge said he didn’t come back to do the greatest hits tour. Edge said he fought back after almost a decade, having a triple fusion in his neck, his wrist feud, having a torn Achilles, two torn pecs, metal rods in all of his teeth, a fractured skull and a ruptured groin. Ouch. Edge asked if he went through all of that to just be a guy that’s happy to be here? He’s not. Edge said he didn’t come back to contend. Edge said that he came back to win what he never lost. Edge said that at Money in the Bank, he takes it back and he ends this decade-long story.
Edge: “It’s going to happen. You can look in my eyes and know that everything I say I absolutely believe and that’s what scares you.” McAfee said: “Wow.” Edge stared into the camera. End show.
This episode had a runtime of 27:15.
TJR Thoughts: Great promo work from Edge. He might be the best talker in all of WWE these days. Edge was always a strong promo guy from his early days in his career, but he has gotten to that next level since coming back to WWE last year. Everything he says is believable and makes sense from the point of view of his character. Do I think he’s going to beat Reigns for the Universal Title? Absolutely not because I expect Roman Reigns to defend the Universal Title against John Cena at SummerSlam, but I think Edge does a tremendous job of portraying this character that believes in himself so much. I look forward to Reigns vs. Edge at Money in the Bank a lot and then I expect Edge vs. Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, which will also be an awesome match.
Thanks for reading.
John Canton
Email: mrjohncanton@gmail.com
Twitter: @johnreport