– Renee Young welcomes the audience and her co-host Smackdown Live GM Daniel Bryan to this week’s show. They kick things off with recapping the result of The Randy Orton-AJ Styles match. How Orton won and will now officially challenge Bray Wyatt for the WWE title at WrestleMania…… Bryan then goes on to tease Renee for hosting ‘Raw Talk’ on sunday. Bryan rips Renee for being on a bad show.
– Alexa Bliss then joins the show as it’s first guest. No mention yet of The AJ Styles-Shane McMahon altercation backstage. Which was hyped on 205 Live. Alexa is congratulated by Renee for being champion and defending that title in a match at WrestleMania. Bliss says that she has mixed feelings about having to face every woman on the Smackdown Live roster. Alexa is angry at Daniel Bryan for making the match and grading her Blissertation tonight poorly. Bryan asks Alexa who she was originally planning to defend her title against. Alexa tells Daniel that she is angry with him and that she doesn’t care to divulge that information. Alexa is then asked about Mickie James and what she did to her on the show tonight. Alexa says that Mickie was forgotten about until she brought her back. That she called Mickie and brought her back to the WWE. Bliss says that Mickie has bitten the hand that fed her by stabbing her in the back. Bryan makes a joke about Alexa calling Mickie by saying Hey Mickie, you’re so fine. The joke falls flat. Renee asks Alexa if she is stressed out about Mickie and all the women that she will have to face at WrestleMania. Bliss says that she is going to prove that she is the best at Mania.
– After Alexa leaves the set….. Renee teases Daniel about his “Hey Mickie” line…. Bryan also makes a crack about “dropping it like it’s hot”….. Renee then transitions to what took place between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin on Smackdown Live. Renee updates Dean’s condition and admits that it was tough for her to watch. That as soon as the show ends. She is going to go check on him. Renee lists Dean’s injuries as having broken ribs and that Ambrose was spitting up blood. Daniel talks about how injuries can catch up to you when you are working a heavy schedule like Ambrose has. Bryan puts Ambrose as being tough and how he has wrestled the most matches of any wrestler in the company the last two years. Bryan thinks that Ambrose will endure and recover from tonight’s injuries at the hands of Baron Corbin.
– Apollo Crews joins the show. Crews announces that he is entering The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Crews talks about how he debuted after Mania last year and how he is excited to make his Mania debut this year. Crews is happy that he is going to have a chance to take his career to a whole new level. Crews is confident that he is going to win the battle royal. Before Apollo leaves the set, He schools Bryan on the lyrics to the “drop it like it’s hot” track.
– The next topic is the mixed tag match that kicked off Smackdown Live. Where John Cena and Nikki Bella defeated James Ellsworth and Carmella. Daniel and Bryan joke about Ellsworth and his attire. They make more references to Ellsworth’s “Big Hog” nickname.
– Renee then announces that she has just gotten word, that they have received exclusive footage from what took place backstage after Smackdown ended.
– Footage is then shown of a dejected AJ Styles arriving backstage after his loss to Randy Orton. He is near the “gorilla” position. In the vicinity is Shane McMahon, Brian James, Michael Cole, Michael Hayes and a few others. AJ starts yelling at Shane McMahon. He tells him “Is that what you call opportunity”. Styles then confronts Shane. Brian James gets in front of AJ as he is yelling at Shane McMahon. Officials escort Styles away from McMahon. Shane throws a fit and James tries to calm him down.
– The show now cuts back to the set. Renee asks Daniel how he feels about what he just saw. Bryan says that it’s very common for talent to come to the back and yell at management. He understands why Styles is disappointed that he won’t be main eventing WrestleMania. However Bryan feels that AJ’s anger towards Shane is misdirected because Shane actually wanted to choose Styles to face Wyatt instead, while Bryan wanted to choose Randy Orton for the WWE title match. Bryan says that Shane was a big supporter for Styles. Bryan says that he understands Styles frustration. He states that Styles has been wrestling for almost 17 years and that he may believe that he won’t have that many opportunities to main event WrestleMania. Bryan brings up his own career. How it took him 10 years to get to the WWE and how he eventually main evented WrestleMania, only to see his career end shortly thereafter. Bryan then compares Styles outburst to an outburst he had a few years ago, when his match was stopped with Randy Orton. How Bryan came to the back and yelled at HHH for making the call to stop the match. How he nearly got into a fight with Triple H.
– The Miz and Maryse now join the show. Miz addresses Daniel. He asks him who has the authority to make matches in the company. Bryan says that he and Shane do. Miz questions the Cena mixed tag on Smackdown Live. Miz takes issue with how Cena got what he wanted in having that match booked. Miz claims that Cena used his power to bypass management and book the match. The Miz says that Cena manipulates and deceives people. The Miz then takes issue with Cena calling him a copycat of other wrestlers before him. Miz then cites examples of how Cena has also copied wrestlers and other people. Miz says that Cena copied every “white kid with an identity crisis” in the 90’s. Referring to his initial hip hop themed character. Miz calls Cena’s first character a cross between Marky Mark and Vanilla Ice. Miz then says that Cena took Tommy Dreamer’s death valley driver finisher and renamed it the Attitude Adjustment. Miz ends each insult by using Cena’s phrase “but wait there’s more”….. He then says that Cena stole Dolph Ziggler’s ex girlfriend Nikki Bella. Miz then says that John Cena stole his last t-shirt design from a beer company. (Pabst Blue Ribbon)…..
– Miz calls Cena jealous of his relationship with Maryse and his talent. Miz then suggests that Cena used his power to be drafted 3rd by Smackdown Live, because if he was drafted first. He would have had to be on the show every week and he didn’t want to do that. Miz then tells Bryan that he knows about all of this. Bryan disputes all this and denies that Cena called him to dictate where he was drafted. Miz then mocks Cena’s voice and calls him a controlling ego maniac. Bryan defends Cena and his value to the WWE. How he draws people to the shows. Miz says that it’s all just crap. That everyone believes in Cena’s crap. Miz then compares his entry in the WWE to how Cena came in. Where Cena had his hand shaken by The Undertaker and was given an endorsement by Kurt Angle. Where The Miz was insulted and told that he would be gone in 3 months. Miz says that he was the one who never gave up. That he embodies Cena’s catchphrase. Bryan defends Cena and says that John came very close to getting fired when he first came to the WWE. Miz isn’t buying it and says that John probably manipulated Bryan by telling him that. Miz then mocks Cena’s monotone voice and how he had Nikki sign a contract to move into his home. Miz suggests that Cena had Bryan do the same thing to be his friend. Bryan calls Miz a patsy for The WWE and states that Miz has never come close to getting fired. Bryan calls Miz a WWE shill since day one. Miz goes on the offensive that he didn’t need the WWE. That he was a big star before he ever came to the company. That he could have been a movie star. Bryan mocks Miz acting ability and straight to dvd resume. Maryse defends her husband.
– The fireworks continue as The Miz gets in Bryan’s head. By mentioning just that. The Miz says that Bryan can’t wrestle anymore because of his head. Bryan responds by saying “can’t or they won’t let me”….. He follows that up by saying, “We will see about that in a year and a half”…. Presumably when Bryan’s contract with the WWE expires. Daniel is red faced while saying this. Renee tries to regain control of the ship and asks Miz about Cena and Nikki’s relationship. Miz mocks the E reality shows and John’s scenes on the show. How fake he comes off interacting with Nikki. Miz calls Cena robotic. Maryse calls Nikki and John frauds and plastic. Maryse says that John and Nikki just use the shows to help build their brands and that John uses Nikki for his image. Miz asks his own wife her opinion on Nikki. Maryse calls Nikki Bella a celebrity wrangler. How while Maryse was Divas champ. Nikki used to do nothing and just walk down the ramp with celebs on Raw. Maryse with The Miz’s aid, says that once Nikki started dating Cena. She all of a sudden became the longest reigning WWE Divas champion…. Maryse mocks the fact that Nikki is an executive producer on her reality shows. She states that she doesn’t even do anything to earn that position. Renee asks Maryse if she is jealous of Nikki. Maryse disputes this by saying that Nikki is jealous of her and then shows off her wedding ring. Which Maryse says that Nikki will never have. Renee tries to wrap up the show. The Miz does his own little wrap up where he says that they made this week’s show great and it won’t be next week, because he and Maryse won’t be on again. Renee then wraps up the show and asks Daniel what the whole deal was with Miz and Maryse. Bryan bites his tongue and blurts out that he wishes that he could say it right now.
Fade out!
Thanks to Leon Milici for the recap.
