The last Talking Smack before Elimination Chamber!

After a wild Friday night, Reginald, Apollo Crews and #MainEventJeyUso are here to talk smack! How does Jey feel going into Elimination Chamber Sunday?

Kayla Braxton welcomes us back!

Things are starting a little differently because their first guest is already here! Just 12 hours from the end of Friday Night SmackDown and Apollo Crews is here, hopefully to explain #WhyApolloWhy he did what he did to Big E. Medical update on Big E: he has a brachial plexus injury, causing temporary arm weakness. Big E is resting at home, but Apollo is here. This is his first opportunity to speak on that incident. Kayla asks that he explain his actions. Apollo simply sits their quietly, so Kayla asks if he feels remorse or regret for doing that to a former friend. Any guilt? Apollo again remains quiet. There is a replay of footage, and Kayla asks if he feels anything about what he did. Still nothing.

Paul Heyman says Kayla’s questions are appropriate and he applauds her asking them. But he talks to Apollo now. Apollo wanted people talking about him, and now they are. Apollo wanted Big E’s attention, and now he has it. Apollo wanted the spotlight, and now there is one on him. The question now becomes: “Did it happen in the moment?” Could Apollo just not take it anymore? Was it premeditated? Did he listen to “the voice of reason,” Heyman? Did those moments with the Tribal Chief ring true? At some point in Apollo’s life, he made the decision from which he can never turn back. So when was that decision made?

Again, Apollo is silent. But he does smile and nod at Heyman before leaving. Heyman will pass that along to Roman Reigns. Pass what along? Is that nod the answer Heyman was looking for? Kayla doesn’t get it but Heyman says he sees things. Is this a game Heyman is playing? Is he telepathic? Is she? Thankfully no. But now that things can be a bit more cheerful, Kayla gives us a warmer welcome to the show. We’re just a day away from Elimination Chamber, and there was a lot from SmackDown! Edge delivered a strong message to Roman, and Heyman says Roman had a strong response, didn’t he? Does Kayla know what Roman said to Edge? No, please remind us.

Well he can’t because no one knew! To be reminded means you knew at some point and are remembering. No one knows what Roman said, except for Heyman, and he’s not telling. Well while we’re on the edge of our seats… OH WOW that is terrible, Kayla. But Kayla knows Edge guaranteed that Roman isn’t guaranteed to be Edge’s opponent. And then we heard from Seth Rollins this week, and saw that his suit game is strong! Heyman can take some notes from him. How shallow! Imagine if a man came out here, and Heyman won’t point out any particular woman, but still. Kayla says this is Talking Smack, not Talking Heyman, so let’s keep going.

Heyman says he doesn’t talk about himself, he talks about the Reings-ing, Defending, Undisputed, Uncontroverted WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion and THE main event of WrestleMania, the man you all want to see defend his title at Elimination Chamber, Roman Reigns…! Well this isn’t Talking Roman, either. So moving on, we saw an interesting development on Bayley’s talk show, Ding Dong Hello, where Carmella’s supposed sommelier is sorta bouncing back and forth between ladies.

Reginald Thomas joins Talking Smack!

Wow he has his own theme music and tron package now. This is Reggie’s first time, he’s excited. He must be riding Cloud 9 after what we saw in that Six Person Tag. He might’ve been the most shocked of all in that ring. Well, “shocked” isn’t the best word, because when you’re good, you’re good. Then inquiring minds want to know, when we first saw him step into the scene, he was the assistant to Carmella, but now he has an interest in Sasha Banks. Reggie wants to clear this up: he works for Mella. Yes, Sasha is The Boss, the Standard, the Blueprint, but Reggie’s loyalty is still to Mella. Then did the job description include having wine thrown in his face?

It wasn’t thrown. Oh it was. The glass slipped. Well okay, Kayla will use that herself. But is loyalty really his thing? Can Sasha trust Reggie? Heyman asks why Kayla is judging him! “I dOn’T tHiNk LoYaLtY iS yOuR tHiNg~!” What the heck?! Kayla is just trying to play to women, such as strong willed ones as Mella and Sasha, this game is not going to work Reggie’s way. There’s no games! Reggie works for Carmella. So he’s attracted to Sasha? Because that’s what this looks like. Reggie thought he was here to talk about himself and Carmella, but Kayla is suggesting things. Heyman says Kayla is acting up tonight for some reason. Reggie defends there’s nothing there. That’s not what it looks to Kayla.

But okay, let’s have Reggie weigh in. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match was added to the Elimination Chamber PPV, Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler VS Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair. What is Reggie’s predictions, since he seems interested in Sasha? Did Kayla not see what we saw last night? It’s the EST and the Blueprint! There’s nothing to say. Those two together says it for itself. Then what happens now that Reggie has this interest in Sasha? We’ve seen Mella and Sasha go head to head, so where would Reggie stand if it happens again? Which lane will he choose? Reggie says he is very, very excited for the future, and his future in the WWE.

Well no one knows more than Heyman, so what words of wisdom does he have for Reggie? Both in the ring, and affairs on the outside. Affairs?! Wow! Heyman tells Kayla needs to get out herself. Heyman introduces himself to Reggie, the whole spiel, and says he has Reggie’s rather impressive biography. Top notch stuff. But there are also notes he has about Reggie, but those don’t matter, either. We know he is athletic and educated. So Reggie surely saw Roman and Edge have that personal moment where only Edge, Roman and Heyman know what was said. Reggie says if Roman said something to Edge, then it surely wasn’t for anyone else’s ears.

Heyman likes Reggie! They hug! Reggie is welcomed on the show any time! Heyman wants us to realize there is someone here who finally realizes that what happens in the “universe of Roman Reigns” belongs only on the Island of Relevancy and it is only Roman’s business. This is journalism, not speculation and gossip, Heyman nodding and pointing to the “dateless on Fridays” Kayla! Kayla figures these two can start hosting together then. They both wish Reggie the best of luck, and the one thing Kayla and Heyman agree on is for Reggie to take the mic.

Kayla says Talking Smack is always full of surprises, but here’s one! Instead of the advertised Jey Uso, the last guest is the Lucha Dragon!

Kalisto joins Talking Smack!

Kalisto is happy to be here, Heyman speaks to him in Spanish, and Kalisto tops it off with, “That’s what we do!” Kayla says Kalisto has an exclusive so take it away! Kalisto says he’s been thinking about something for a very long time. And he’s ready to talk. But wait, Jey Uso interrupts?! He has a mask, too! Talking Smack is now Walking Smack, so get out before you get got! Adios, Kalist-Uce! Jey and Heyman high-five and Jey tells us that The Right Hand Man has something to say!

Sami Zayn, Jey will get him! Daniel Bryan, Jey will get him! “Queen” Corbin, Jey will get his ass, too! And when the Right Hand Man gets an opportunity at a title, we know what it’s gonna be. Jey tells Heyman to get the rest of this. Heyman says it’s fight weekend! You have the rare opportunity to see in action, a legend! A once-in-a-lifetime champion, the standard bearer, Roman Reigns, the Best of the Best, defending the Universal Championship at the Elimination Chamber PPV against a winner of that very match.

The winner of the Elimination Chamber is “a man who can display such politically incorrect violence that he not only survives but thrives inside the Chamber, beats whoever is surviving, and emerges as the victor! What happens then?” That man faces Roman Reigns two months out of WrestleMania, and the landscape could change! But why? Because there is now WWE without Roman! There is no Talking Smack without Roman! There is no SmackDown, no Raw- Well there shouldn’t be a Raw. Have you seen it lately? But anyway, there is no nothing without Roman! We exist here and are employed because of the Tribal Chief! He is the sun which we orbit around! Heyman and Jey are with the champ. They’ve got the juice and the stroke and the power around here.

And if you want to see a prime example of that before Elimination Chamber, then this episode of Talking Smack is done in three… two… one. And it’s out! Will this same influence be what keeps the Universal Championship in the family?

My Thoughts:

Talking Smack is more like Talking Short at just 18 minutes, but they made it work out in story. Apollo was already there so there was no time wasted with an opening segment. Apollo was actually playing that perfectly by being quiet. He didn’t need to say anything himself, and Heyman understanding adds another layer to the story. Reggie having a titantron and song does make sense for the sake of a show like this but also means he is ready to have his own matches now. There’s a good chance he gets “dumped” by Mella, rejected by Sasha, and he ends up in the Cruiserweight Division on 205 Live.

I find it a touch disappointing that last night, they advertise Jey Uso for the show, act like Kalisto was the intended guest here tonight, and then have Jey get in the way and be part of the show after all. Left hand, right hand, communicate please. I am really curious as to what Kalisto’s supposed announcement was going to be. Jey’s part of things were alright, it was a lot of just heated rambling and also repeating himself from other times, but Heyman had the strongest part of it as he “shuts down” Talking Smack. I really wonder how that will play into the story, too. Will they unofficially make sure Jey Uso is last so that he can try and clean up? It’d make sense, and stack the deck in Roman’s favor even more.