I don't watch any Indy promotions, but there's one name (no spoilers) that longtime WWE fans are likely to recognize.

it's a shame.

Cornette helped get D'Lo's foot in the door. I imagine that he was a supporter too, but he was down in developmental by the time the Lo Down stuff started happening.

Was D'Lo actually a Russo boy? He seems to have stayed away from anything too ridiculous for the large part. I always connected the downtrend of his career to him losing something after the Droz incident. I don't know what it is (confidence?) but he never really seemed the same again.

I just read that D'Lo got his ring name from his high school friend who died of cancer. He asked the boys' mother for permission to use it.

He was to blame for Terri Runnels' "Miscarriage." So, yeah, he had some ridiculous moments.

He also had a close call with Val Venis at Summerslam '98.

It is kind of cool that he was the only guy in every WWF incarnation of the Nation of Domination. Starting from being one of the extras and taking the sick bumps. He eventually became the only named extra in the group. And the only one to not get fired by Farooq the first time around (and his expressions leading up to that was amazing. You could tell he thought he was screwed, but nope, it was Clarence Mason.).

And his European Title run, Now residing in Helsinki, Finland , etc.

For those who're interested in Titus' Ted Talk video

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fE91Mu4b1CU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is without a doubt my favourite Smackdown segment ever.

Same here.

Haha, I know I should just watch it, but I'm not interested enough. But I do want to know what it is really about.

Listening to JJ Dillon's latest podcast on booking a territory. I'm not super into it, but Dillon is cool to listen to. He's very soothing, so I've managed to drift off a few times (not because he's boring), but the most interesting thing that's come up so far is the idea of booking an angle. He emphasizes that you shouldn't have an angle on every show (no surprise there), but also that when you do film an angle, it's all the commentators should be talking about through the next match. It very goes against the "I wish the commentators would focus on the damn match" philosophy.

The whole thing is just another case study that makes me reflect on how the WWE has way too much television time to be good.

I'm reading that Talking Smack has been pulled back as a weekly television show, and that it will now only be after PPVs.

I loved Talking Smack and will miss it, but I do understand the decision. Having it after 205 Live probably killed a lot of the audience. I like 205 Live personally, but I'd wager that the average WWE Network user doesn't bother watching it and even if they wanted to see Talking Smack weren't going to sit through another show to see it.

And even if you did want to watch all of it - when you add SmackDown, 205 Live, and Talking Smack together that's a solid 3.5+ hours of wrestling content, one night after you probably spent 3 hours watching Raw. I assumed they abandoned Raw Talk as a weekly show pretty quickly because they realized most people were already burned out by the time it came on - so I'm not too surprised to see it happening to Talking Smack.

F you 205 live.

I watched more Talking Smack than episodes of Smackdown since Mania. Fuck this.

I just had the idea that Kurt Angle should make a trade with Smackdown for Chad Gable to further put him over, trading him for "alot".... Could add it to Angle's mystery phone call storyline that he "has lost it since he gave up X, Y & Z and that is way too much for Gable, he's incapable as a GM, yadda yadda)

I think Miz could be a great opponent for him one he is done with Ambrose.....

I'd prefer something like that over the love child, but my latest prediction is that Angle has agreed to do some sort of celebrity dancing show and he has been training with newest RAW signing, No Way Jose, to prepare. The segment ends with Angle and Jose dancing in the ring.

Then get rid of 205 Live and the entire Cruiserweight Division for that matter. They aren't doing anything for anyone. Push Neville into something more prominent. Tozawa Power can team with Crews Control and they can be a fun tag act, but I don't think anyone would really miss anyone else from that show, sadly.

I'd be all for canning the division officially. I think it's been a real detriment totally segregating them out from the rest of the roster. I actually could see value in most of the guys from that roster as far as helping to plug some holes in the midcard/undercard across both brands, but the division itself is incredibly meh.

Tozawa/Crews as a team is definitely something I could get behind.

Gentleman Jack Gallagher plays his role really well and is the type of inoffensive comedy character I could see WWE keeping around on Raw.

Drew Gulak and Tony Nese should start teaming again, maybe keeping Gulak's RTC-esque type gimmick. Send 'em to SmackDown and let them petition against the Fashion Police.

Rich Swann can go to SmackDown and join The New Day because that's definitely something WWE would do. I imagine he'd replace whatever member turns heel to leave the group, probably Big E.

Let TJP just be himself and people will keep booing him for being an MRA douchebag.

Just scored tickets to No Mercy.

Stoked.

Power & Control has an amazing 80s feel to it.

I remember a few years ago WWE considered handing out little radio things at live events so fans could listen to commentary.

I thought that was a good idea. Anyone know why it never happened? Or was it just a big rumor?

Lol, that name is tremendous.

Jack Gallagher was fun at the start of the year. He's inoffensive. I'd rather see Nese and TJP go though. They feel like failed experiments by this point. Drew Gulak can go to SmackDown and carry Rusev's bags. Give him some more time and see if anything falls out.

Rich Swann has fun entrance music. I liked the idea of him being in a team with Tozawa, but Crews has that locked down. I dunno, maybe you can try and give him a singles push on SmackDown away from the cruiserweights and see if it works.

I'd classify Cedric Alexander as more of a failed experiment. It's not his fault that he got hurt and had to miss time but he's done literally nothing but feud with Noam Dar since the cruiserweight division started. And even when he was hurt they had Swann basically act as a proxy for Alexander in continuing the Dar feud. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

He came out of that CWC pretty hot, but they geeked him out pretty quickly.

1st they get rid of pyro then they get rid of Talking Smack


CANCEL 205 Live and Fire JBL instead plz

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WWE just cancelled the show that produced their best promos week to week. What an absolute pile. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TalkingSmack?src=hash">#TalkingSmack</a> <a href="https://t.co/lQNAeP54O8">pic.twitter.com/lQNAeP54O8</a></p>&mdash; Tights And Fights (@TightsFights) <a href="https://twitter.com/TightsFights/status/885907428126015488">July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A little fun and levity to get your weekend started right:

The cruiserweights in a nutshell.

Wwe in a nutshell.

Your head in my ass

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hmmmm that's one way to get news. <a href="https://t.co/sNIYUZfD7N">https://t.co/sNIYUZfD7N</a></p>&mdash; Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReneeYoungWWE/status/885946863383392256">July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Renee found out about Talking Smack via Twitter. Classy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We've cancelled Talking Smack because the show was entertaining &amp; unscripted, two things we find threatening <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kayfabe?src=hash">#Kayfabe</a></p>&mdash; WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWECreative_ish/status/885934672542302208">July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

:naughty:

Dana Warrior 'not cool' with Ryback's claim he was supposed to wrestle 'The Ultimate Warrior' at WrestleMania XXX


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not true. It always saddens me when people tell untruths on a man's grave to promote their lives. Do your OWN work. Dana <a href="https://t.co/Y4VnJ98uUZ">https://t.co/Y4VnJ98uUZ</a></p>&mdash; The Ultimate Warrior (@UltimateWarrior) <a href="https://twitter.com/UltimateWarrior/status/885905509949296641">July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Renee not happy...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Really disappointed about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TalkingSmack?src=hash">#TalkingSmack</a>. We tried to make that show great. Guess I'll go back to welcoming my guest at this time.</p>&mdash; Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReneeYoungWWE/status/885964438737743872">July 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Oh wow, she's not even hiding it. Good on her for airing her true opinion, but you've got to be upset to speak out against your employer like that.

Superb.

Just a random thought: When Austin Aries got released, I thought to myself that there must be quite a few people in the locker-room that aren't too happy. My mind went to Sami Zayn, for whatever reason. There's always those guys who are great wrestlers you feel could be more (Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, etc.). The Colons are apparently depressed. I can't imagine many of the cruiserweights being too enthused. Alpha are young, but haven't exactly been given the best platform to highlight what they can do. Then you've got guys like Luke Harper and Erick Rowan who have barely been used recently. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson are possibly the most expensive filler WWE has had since Big Show & Mark Henry. Enzo seems miserable, and Cass is even apparently experiencing some backlash.

All of this gets me to around to my point: I wouldn't be surprised if there is some sort of mass exodus of talent soon. I'll be "shocked," but not surprised. Everything has been so quite in the WWE for so long. They sign all the indy guys and basically pay them to keep their mouths shut as they go to work and smile like they're having the time of their lives. But I am suspicious that morale is as high as it seems, and there is always stuff bubbling beneath the surface. All it would take is a few squeaky wheels to just start asking for their releases and then others to follow suit.