Block 1:
Taz opens today’s show speaking about last night’s episode of Smackdown Live.
After RAW was invaded by Smackdown the night before, Taz thought it was strange to see Michael Cole replacing Tom Phillips as the lead commentator again. He thought someone from Smackdown’s roster or even Shane McMahon should have gotten in Cole’s face and threatened him to call the action right or there would be hell to pay.
A listener calls into the show and says that he thought the interaction between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan in the backstage area was not believable at all. Taz agrees and says that was terrible acting by both men, but he liked that there was a hook at the end of it to bring viewers back to the show next week.
Taz wonders if it’s easier to make it as a wrestler in the business today compared to years ago. He says that social media has helped in a huge way because performers can now market themselves on social media. When Taz was trying to make it as a professional wrestler he was sending out VHS tapes. On each tape he’d include a sizzle reel and one full match.
Block 2:
He points out that including a full match was a necessity for him, and when he ran his finishing school several years ago he’d always request tape of a full match from talents before accepting them into the school. He points out that some performers like Apollo Crews are spectacular when it comes to delivering high spots but still struggle with some subtleties in the ring, and watching a full match made those things clearer.
Taz didn’t like that Smackdown teased a RAW invasion all night long, but then failed to pay off that story at the end of the show. He points out that WWE was up against Game 1 of the World Series last night, so he felt like they should have done something to keep the viewers attached to WWE programming.
He knows that WWE is planning to pay off this storyline on RAW because just as everyone suspects, RAW is still the priority for Vince McMahon and WWE officials. They can execute a brand split and pretend that both shows are equal but when it comes to major storylines or stars, they always show up on RAW.
Block 3:
Taz liked the opening in-ring promo between Sami Zayn and Shane McMahon. He points out that the Shane McMahon character is significantly different today than it was a decade ago. McMahon is a ‘tough guy’ now, wearing leather jackets and training in MMA.
Taz doesn’t think McMahon should be presented as tougher than the full-time Superstars, but he also admits that McMahon is a legitimate athlete who needs to be kept strong for the 2-3 main event calibre matches he has each year. Taz adds that McMahon is a really nice guy who he always enjoyed working with over the years.
He had no issue with Corbin losing by disqualification because he thinks that adds development to Corbin’s character and he liked what WWE has been doing with him. What Taz does have an issue with is the constant camera shaking during physical portions of matches. He says he’s actually getting headaches from watching WWE programming and he thinks the camera shaking needs to stop.
He also didn’t understand why WWE didn’t show any security outside the building last night. Cole kept telling us that Shane McMahon made sure there was security outside the building to defend the locker room against RAW Superstars if they tried to invade, but the viewers at home never saw any of them. Taz thinks it felt cheap to just show an exit sign like WWE did, and he thinks the cameras should have went outside once or twice to show the security surrounding the building.
Block 4:
Taz liked that The Singh Brothers took a shot at Paul Heyman last night, introducing Jinder Mahal in a similar fashion to how Heyman introduces Brock Lesnar. He thought this added to the rivalry between Mahal and Lesnar.
A listener calls into the show and asks Taz if he thinks we’ll ever see a ‘Trios Championship’ in WWE, similar to what we see in ROH and NJPW. Taz thinks that’d be great and he’d love to see that happen, but he doesn’t think we’ll ever see it in WWE.
Taz enjoyed the Fatal 5-way Women’s match last night. He thought Charlotte would win but seeing Becky Lynch win was a nice surprise. He thinks all the women from Smackdown Live and RAW will put on a great match at Survivor Series.
That sums up today’s episode of The Taz Show. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya tomorrow for another recap!
