Renee Young On CM Punk Getting Familiar With WWE Again, If She Sees Punk Returning To The Ring
Renee Young recently spoke with TV Insider to promote tonight's WWE Backstage episode on FS1. Renee credited the FOX production and crew for helping to grow the show in the short time since it launched. She also talked about how the show is similar to the popular Talking Smack show she once hosted on the WWE Network with Daniel Bryan.
"It's nice to have the resources of FOX," Young said. "We work with the producers there to come up with what works and doesn't work. We bounce off each other. Going back to what I was doing with WWE, one of the things I was most proud of and had the most fun on was Talking Smack. It was so loose.
"We really went on there with no script. We would wing it and try to make the best show we could. I think the fans really felt that authenticity from myself and Daniel Bryan. Now to work with FOX and develop this show and turn it into something Talking Smack wasn't able to be."
Young said WWE is the main focus of Backstage, but they aren't above touching on other news outside of the WWE Universe if there is some crossover. She admitted that they bounce ideas off WWE officials to see what they are comfortable with.
"We want to do a service to WWE and FOX. Obviously, we keep our fans in mind with all of it. We want to cover as much as we can, but we bounce stuff off WWE as well to see what they are comfortable with us talking about," Young admitted.
"I've worked there for so long I know exactly what that line is always going to be anyway. We're still developing the show and listening to what fans want. We're always on social media and seeing what people are into and not into. We're going to cover the big headlines and the reaction, but also other stuff going on like Dana Brooke and Dave Bautista's weird love affair that's happening online. So, we try to cover as much as we can. An hour goes by so quickly."
Tonight's episode of WWE Backstage will see analyst CM Punk return after taking a few weeks off. This will be Punk's second appearance where he's on the full show. Renee gauged that Punk is becoming more comfortable being around the familiar WWE surroundings again.
"I saw on my timeline he likened it to the frozen caveman coming back to life and checking out the wrestling world again," she said, referring to Punk tweets we covered at this link. "Fans respect Punk so much, to see him back in any capacity of the wrestling world is a huge win for everybody all around. To see him get more comfortable in that spot, it's fun. It's cool to be there with him side-by-side as he is dipping his toe back into this world.
"To hear his perspective and share that on television, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens this week coming up as we always look for that honest opinion from him. Anything that strays from that would be a misstep. We want that unfiltered Punk on our show."
Regarding a possible WWE ring return for Punk, Renee said she doesn't see it happening any time soon.
"We're going to have to poke the bear because that is what everybody wants," she said. "Still to this day, every arena we go in with WWE chants his name. Everybody wants to see CM Punk back in the ring. Does he want to come back in the ring? I truly don't know. It seems like a never say never situation. I don't foresee it happening in the near future."