It’s a championship edition of Talking Smack!

The SmackDown Women’s, SmackDown Tag Team AND WWE Intercontinental Champions are all here for a post-WrESTleMania Talking Smack!

Kayla Braxton welcomes us back to the show!

The first episode since the electric two-night WrestleMania, and it will be very special! Gold was flying everywhere, switching hands, so this is a CHAMPION’S EDITION Talking Smack! In case you forgot, Kayla and Paul Heyman are here. But he just keeps staring rather than speaking. He should be in a great mood. He is in a fantastic mood! Well fantastic. We have a lot of champions here today, such as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions who retained their titles, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, the NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion in Bianca Belair, and the NEW Intercontinental Champion, Apollo Crews. Kayla wants Heyman to be nice, and he gets offended. He is a national treasure and a legend, yet she’s telling him how to behave.

She laughs at “national treasure,” he points it out, and he points out how she didn’t catch “legend.” But he asks her about the new WWE opening reel. Heyman spotted Freddie Blassie in there, who is dead. He spotted Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, who is dead. Why is Heyman not in there somewhere? He’s had iconic WWE moments. WrestleMania 30, The Streak is conquered, and Heyman does his shocked face. Why is that not on the thing? Must be a good reason. Why isn’t Roman Reigns pinning Edge AND Daniel Bryan in THE WrestleMania 37 main event, defending his Universal Championship, not on that opening reel? But Kayla wants to make this all about Heyman staring. Because it’s uncomfortable.

Well what he’s staring at is this hair in her nose. There’s no hair. Heyman will take a pic. She blocks him with a hand, he says she’s doing the “Talk to the Hand,” and she welcomes their first guests, the Dirty Dawgs!

Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode join Talking Smack!

Roode points out there’s something in Kayla’s nose. She doesn’t want them encouraging Heyman. Heyman congratulates the champions, Ziggler says they should be congratulated more. Kayla says she was going to, before Roode made that comment. She welcomes them to the show and congratulates them more. Ziggler says it has been a long time for some people, but they’re just here to say something real quick. The Street Profits kept saying it was “takeback season,” but now they can take their asses to the back of the line! Tell them where they’re going, Roode! To bed. Well, they went to bed, but they didn’t sleep. But until next week, they’re heading out. It’s been a pleasure!

Well alright… There’s certainly more to come out of their next guest. Heyman tells Kayla if she wants to go to the Dirty Dawgs’ after party, she can go. He carries this show anyway!

Bianca Belair joins Talking Smack!

We return with the EST, the NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion, and Kayla says she’s been on Talking Smack more than just about anyone else, but finally it is as a champion! Has it set in yet? It is still setting in. Being in that moment with Sasha Banks, where she got a bit emotional, then she got to celebrate with her family and husband, and then eventually watched the match back, and now getting side plates, it is setting in slowly with every step. It is still surreal but it is SO real! Her celebrating on SmackDown was great, but while she did tell Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins they wear gold in this house, she surely saw Ziggler & Roode still with the tag titles.

Bianca knows The Profits plan on getting those back, and they will get them back. Bianca showed respect to Sasha before and after winning, but how does she plan on elevating her title? Bianca will always respect Sasha because they made history together, and that was the one she wanted to face. But now that Bianca has the title, she’ll be a fighting champion to prove over and over she’s the EST and that she never doesn’t run from competition but craves it. She learned from Heyman the last time they talked, is that every week is your audition. Never stop, and she’ll never stop! Sasha can get her rematch right away to prove this was not a fluke but this was supposed to happen.

Kayla says Bianca is a champion, she has a target on her back, but there are more contenders than just Sasha. If Bianca could fantasy book, so to say, who would she face? Bianca heard Bayley talking, they can circle back to that. But Bianca has beaten Bayley, has beaten Sasha, and would love to pin the other two Four Horsewomen to prove she is the forefront of this new generation. That’s pretty tempting, huh? Kayla would love to let Bianca keep going but clearly Heyman is being very polite in waiting. It’s not just politeness, it’s respect and admiration. Heyman has nothing but respect and admiration for her.

Heyman says it isn’t just the opponents she has to beat. It is the expectations for herself she has to defeat. She has to rise above those, because now that she is champion, it is on her to carve out her own legacy. This could be the run that takes her to MITB, Backlash, SummerSlam and Survivor Series, or this could be a career that goes down in history that no one can ever deny! The greatest career, not just male or female, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or even human and Martian! This is a CHAMPION! But the problem is, again, now you are, as Kayla pointed out astutely and surprisingly, Bianca has a target on her back.

Sasha will not let go of her grudge. Bianca has everything Sasha’s life revolves around. Imagine what you’d do if someone took that from you. Just the mere thought brings up anger, but that is Sasha 24/7. And in Natalya, Tamina, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Bayley and even those on Raw who might come over to SmackDown because Bianca was victorious in a WrestleMania main event. This is Bianca’s time. It could be a short time or for all time, but the EST should understand what she’s up against, and defy the odds. Have a better tomorrow than today and so on.

Heyman wants her to come back here every bit more the legend she is dESTined to be! She is already so far beyond than any rookie she’s seen, and it is an honor for him to sit next to her. She thanks him for that, Kayla thanks Bianca for her time, and Bianca takes her mic like a real champion! But there’s still one more champion left, after the break!

Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez join Talking Smack!

The NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion says it is a new day! He woke up champion because it isn’t a dream! Take a picture of this moment in time! Not Heyman, though. Apollo tells Azeez he can stand down so Heyman can get his picture. Big smiles! Heyman will make sure to post it online, so long as Azeez allows it. Apollo allows it, Heyman can put it on Instagram or Twitter, whatever the kids are using these days. Kayla says it is Champion’s Edition so they had to have Apollo here after winning the title at WrestleMania. Apollo’s had prior attempts against Big E, it didn’t work out then but it- Hey, why the negativity? This is a positive moment!

What does he have here? The Intercontinental Championship. He says they don’t need to worry about the past. What matters is what he has now. He is presently the Intercontinental Champion so we talk about that now, not before. Kayla is doing her due diligence but alright. She notes Commander Azeez is by Apollo’s side now, but what can he tell us about Azeez? Apollo makes it clear, the Nigerian Drum Fight had no rules, no disqualifications, and it is not Apollo’s fault Big E didn’t plan ahead. Azeez lets out a shout of salute and it startles Heyman a little. Azeez got kicked out of the Nigerian Elite Guard for not following the rules. But lucky for Azeez, Apollo hates rules and loves aggression! So Commander Azeez is here now, “SIR!” Heyman gets startled again.

Kayla starts to ask Apollo as the new Intercontinental Champion- Wait, say that again. The new Intercontinental Champion. Apollo smiles as she says that. So as such, what is next for Apollo? How does he plan to reign? First, he has to continue celebrating! Nigeria had many parades! Even the Nigerian President wants to meet Apollo! What’s next as champion? Anything! More challengers! It doesn’t matter who they are! Let us not get one thing wrong! Understand: Apollo doesn’t care who, he will fight them and defend this title with his life! Hear him! Kayla and Heyman hear him, and Heyman hears the congressional subcommittee going on with her.

Heyman now turns to talk with Apollo, and Heyman is nervous around Azeez. Heyman said this to Bianca about Sasha coming back for the title. So Big E is coming back for this title. Azeez gets mad, but Heyman says he doesn’t like Big E either. New Day, old day, yesterday, Heyman doesn’t like any day Big E is involved with. But Big E is a tough man with a legit gripe. Big E wants the title back. The question to Apollo will be a little different than his talk with Bianca: When Big E comes calling, what the hell is Apollo gonna do about it? Well they know each other, and many might not know but Heyman gave Apollo his first big opportunity, and Apollo won the US Championship on Raw. Heyman says the honor was all his.

But Apollo asks Heyman a question back. In fact, Apollo will ask Big E this, too. “Do I look like I am scared of you? If you think for one second, that I’m going to run away from you or that I’m scared of you, you are a FOOL!” Big E does not have what it takes to take what Apollo has. And don’t worry about Azeez. Azeez is only here to pull Apollo off Big E. At WrestleMania, they went to war, and Apollo took a part of Big E’s soul. Apollo fully intends on keeping it. Understand his words. And now to continue the celebration~! Azeez! SIR! Fire up the jet! They’re heading out! Kayla, Heyman, you go ahead and keep those pics, post them everywhere! See you around! Let’s go!

Heyman finally breathes easy and then scolds Kayla for pissing their guests off. Kayla is pretty sure it’s not her. There’s still more Talking Smack to come, after one more break!

Talking Smack returns and Kayla gives the floor to Heyman.

Heyman is still Special Counsel to the Universal Champion, so Kayla will let him talk. Heyman says he was thinking during the commercial, “how every single champion that came out here has to be envious of Roman Reigns. Because Roman Reigns was THE main event at WrestleMania for the fifth time. And if you think back to some of the greatest battles in WrestleMania history, some of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history, is there a moment now more iconic, is there a champion defense more definitive, is there a performance that is more dominant, than Roman Reigns taking former World Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer, Edge, dragging him on top of former WrestleMania main-eventer and multi-time World Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Bryan, stacking them, and pinning them both?”

Heyman asks if you’ve eve seen anything like that at the conclusion of a WrestleMania. We’re talking about a champion with no peers, no equals, and no precedent for someone this dominant in WWE! A superstar of superstars, way above everyone else. This isn’t just hyperbole Heyman gives us. He IS the End All Be All, the Sun of the WWE Universe. WWE is Roman Reigns, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. Think about the ENORMITY of the visual of the stacked pin! And do you really think that’ll change? That there’s someone man enough to change that? Look at what Roman does to everyone around him!

Did you ever think there was life after Lesnar for Heyman? Did you ever think Jey Uso could be the singles star main eventer Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner? This isn’t just the Era of Roman. This is something so great, head and shoulders above everybody else, you will tell your grandkids about this time in WWE. We are now in season TWO of Roman’s dominance. Season one’s finale was Roman stacking Edge and Bryan, and they will do everything they can to make season two better.

“Because the main event, 50-some-odd weeks from right now, of next year’s WrestleMania, will feature the greatest box office attraction in WWE history. The single most dominant sports entertainer you’ve ever seen in your life. The Reigns-ing, Defending, Undisputed, Uncontroverted, WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion, then, now and forever, including next year’s WrestleMania, Roman… Reigns. And I assure you, that’s not just a prediction. That… is a Tribal Chief guaranteed spoiler.” And with that, Talking Smack signs off.

My Thoughts:

A very good Talking Smack, and I actually like that Ziggler & Roode didn’t want to stick around long because they wanted to celebrate. But stuff like that is why Talking Smack should still be put on for Fridays, not Saturday mornings. Put it on right after SmackDown, let 205 Live be after this, and chances are, Peacock will still suck at uploading the episode to the on demand section like it did this morning. But at least no one would have to pretend, “Oh this is Saturday, so how do we kayfabe us being in the same outfits or just not having done anything since ‘last night’?” WWE still acts like the audience isn’t bright enough to see through that.

Bianca’s segment was good, though she herself always seems to have a hard time accepting that she’s accomplished so much for being so confident in herself. Heyman had great promos here and with Apollo, and Apollo had a great promo himself. I like how Apollo flipped the switch from deadly serious to very celebratory, that just fits so perfectly to me. And Heyman of course had a great promo in reference to the one champion that didn’t show up on Talking Smack, and he does make some good points. You hardly ever see a Triple Threat ending like that, where Roman called his shot the Friday before and did it just like that in the match, even if he did have help.

But I hope that at some point, someone points out that Heyman is calling Roman the “End All Be All,” but now Rollins is doing that, too. That needs to be part of the story that makes those two butt heads, and neither even has to turn. If there was ever a time WWE could do a Heel VS Heel and it’d be a smash hit, it’s Seth Drippin’ Rollins VS Tribal Chief Roman Reigns.