4 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE Talking Smack (Jan 10)

7. Down - No Daniel Bryan

Always a miss when he's not there to spar with Renee Young and the various guests, Daniel Bryan has proven himself to be the heart of Talking Smack since its inception.

He is always willing to take risks with his verbiage and help push performers on who have been given their first opportunity to speak in depth about their characters in front of such a huge audience.

Exploiting his most extensive in-ring history on the entire roster, and can talk at length on a level with the wrestlers than Renee and her guest hosts can't always relate to.

With his on-screen role as Smackdown General Manager, he is also a subtle authoritarian presence, and will often do his best to explain some of the lazier WWE booking oversights as if there was a genuine administration attempting to manage the brand. This adds far more credibility to the universe of the show than the endless backstage or in-ring segments between Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley that can sometimes pollute the 'A-Show'.

Despite the commendable job done by his replacement this week, it's apparent just how key an ingredient the 'Yes Man' has become to Talking Smack, and here's hoping his absence is only temporary.