‘Talking Smack’ has unofficially returned in the form of WWE Backstage

If you miss ‘Talking Smack’, WWE Backstage on FS1 just might be for you.

CM Punk’s return (of sorts) to WWE TV on Tuesday night could have very well been lost in the hype surrounding Survivor Series weekend. Instead, his highly anticipated appearance on WWE Backstage was easily the best piece of programming produced all week.

Even prior to Punk’s debut on the FS1 show, WWE Backstage was already a breath of fresh air compared to everything else the company touts throughout the week. Of course, that’s largely due to its unscripted nature and how it’s handled by FOX rather than WWE.

The only other WWE-sanctioned show that has broken such boundaries in recent years was the beloved Talking Smack, a WWE Network exclusive that aired immediately after SmackDown Live for nearly a year from 2016 to 2017.

Talking Smack was obviously used to further angles, recap the night’s events and preview the subsequent SmackDown, but its spontaneity was a major part of its appeal. Renee Young, who has always thrived in hosting roles, was joined a recently-retired Daniel Bryan, and together, they had exceptional chemistry.

The duo brought the best out of their guests and provided them with the platform to speak their mind and develop their own character. The SmackDown Superstars had only so much TV time on Tuesday nights, so the extra 25-or-so minutes of Talking Smack were incredibly helpful.

Most importantly, it was apparent Renee, Bryan and whoever else they were joined by were adamant about having fun. As a result, viewers had fun watching them goof off and not care about getting in trouble for their unfiltered comments.

Needless to say, WWE’s cancellation of Talking Smack was one of the worst things they could have done, at least for the Superstars’ sake. It was brought back occasionally after pay-per-views with Sam Roberts hosting alongside Renee instead of Bryan, but it wasn’t the same.

It’s honestly surprising the show lasted as long as it did. Many expected the plug to be pulled soon after the accidental reference Bryan made to TNA or Santa Rhyno’s not-so-PG behavior on the Christmas episode.

On the bright side, it’s taken over two years, but Talking Smack has basically been resurrected in the form of WWE Backstage, which has a very similar laid-back feel to it and has proven to be an absolute blast.

The first few episodes of WWE Backstage boasted the illustrious likes of Renee, Booker T, Paige, Christian and Samoa Joe as analysts. All of them offered interesting opinions on the current product and weren’t shy to find fault what they believed wasn’t up to snuff.

It’s important to remember that all of them still have ties to the company and can criticize only so much. The same can not be said for CM Punk, who is solely under contract to FOX and not WWE.

Punk has been out of the wrestling bubble for so long that, while he may need to brush up on the current storylines and Superstars, it’s fascinating to hear his insight on what’s been happening in his absence and take them to task for their nonsense without having to hold back.

As Punk said himself in his sit-down interview with Renee on Tuesday night, his “Voice of the Voiceless” moniker from 2011 has never been any more true. He can speak his mind on how he feels about the WWE product without having to worry about upsetting the powers that be.

Better yet, WWE Backstage isn’t just another excuse for Punk to trash the company he once worked for, either. He had plenty of positive things to say about WWE during the broadcast as well including how he’s looking forward to Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series and that the women have been the highlight of their programming since his departure.

Whether he winds up wrestling again is a whole other question, but in the meantime, he is an excellent addition to an already star-studded panel of analysts on WWE Backstage and gives viewers an extra incentive to tune in.

In a way, WWE Backstage is actually more must-see than Talking Smack was, if only for Punk’s involvement. However, the general feel of the show is the same in that it isn’t overproduced, the analysts aren’t being fed lines (to our knowledge), and they’re determined to have a good time.

The weekly promo school segments have been an exciting staple so far and the social smackdowns have also been a treat. The last thing fans need right now is more mundane coverage of the goings-on in WWE and Backstage puts an all-new twist on that.

Talking Smack may never be brought back, but at least WWE Backstage has successfully managed to fill the void it left behind.