Block 3:

Taz welcomes Mike Johnson from PWInsider to the show.

Johnson informs that from what he’s been told, Asuka will be returning to in-ring action in mid-late October. Taz says that shoulder and collarbone injuries are hard to return from, but he’s sure Asuka will return better and stronger than ever.

Johnson is curious to see how Asuka will be presented on RAW. Her NXT run was executed so perfectly, and he really hopes her success continues on the main roster. He points out that in the case of American Alpha, WWE was handed the blueprint on how to get them over because they were very successful in NXT. For some reason, they refused to follow the same blueprint and the team fizzled out.

Johnson adds that WWE’s budget cuts recently have resulted in more than just the pyro being cut. Several production assistants have been let go, departments have been told to cut back on spending, and talents and employees have been told to drive to events instead of flying if they can drive there within 3-4 hours. Johnson says that none of this should surprise anyone because Vince McMahon and WWE have proved in the past that they have no concerns tightening the purse strings when need be.