My Friday column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks about The Miz & Daniel Bryan who had an exchange on the WWE Network that’s gone viral. Here’s an excerpt:
The Tuesday night WWE talk show encounter between The Miz and Daniel Bryan was the best showing in recent memory of what can be accomplished when two guys speak truthfully to their persona. No word-for-word script to memorize or a large set of production already anticipating something.
I’m not talking about a one-person rant that’s been dubbed a “pipe bomb” ever since CM Punk’s comments in summer 2011, but an interaction between two talents with natural and real responses.
The show titled “Talking Smack” has gone viral and caused those on social media to ask if it was meant to happen or was an emotional detour off script? In wrestling terms, people ask, “Is it a work or is it a shoot?”
The answer is: It was a success.
I don’t believe it was a shoot in the truest definition in that nobody knew it was going to happen. I think it was done on a need-to-know basis. Tell as few people as possible. The natural reactions of people are what helps sell the package. The more people who know, the more people who have to play along and risk morphing the interaction in to another pro wrestling scripted promo.
It was a success for the new WWE Network talk show that I’m sure will have higher viewership next week to see if more explosive moments happen. Ever since the launching WWE Network, pre and post shows have become common but haven’t had much must-see value.
The “at the desk” talking format could provide a platform for bold statements or reveals, but like WWE, it’s kept to a script with those on the panel recapping the storylines.
With Daniel Bryan calling The Miz a coward for his soft wrestling style and The Miz firing back that Bryan is the real coward for not coming back in the ring, it provided fresh potential to the “Talking Smack” show. Things were said that wouldn’t otherwise be heard in front of a camera, which is enticing. As an audience, we want to believe it’s real and we saw something we weren’t supposed to see.
Even the term “you wrestle” is something that isn’t spoken on WWE programming. Phrases like that are authentic vocabulary the guys still use but not when on camera and following a script.
CLICK HERE for what this did for The Miz and the question of Daniel Bryan coming out of retirement.
