WWE conducted a special Throwback SmackDown this past Friday night which was a special presentation on FOX programming. The old school gimmick helped the show to garner some big-time attention and it also upped the viewership for the weekly television show. The reason behind WWE visiting the past has also been potentially revealed in the recent reports.
FOX Sports previously announced a line-up of “#NASCARThrowback” programming to air Friday and Saturday of this weekend with NASCAR. This points out why WWE was possibly asked to hold a special Throwback SmackDown. But interestingly FOX Sports didn’t give much publicity to the WWE show as they did with NASCAR for the days leading to the show.
WWE originally announced that this would be a “Go Back” edition of SmackDown while they moved away from that language and instead started referring to it as the Throwback SmackDown show.
Jimmy Uso made his return during this special that has been one of the major talking points coming out of the show. Uso was out with a knee injury since WrestleMania 36. To be specific, it was sustained during a Triple Threat Ladder Match with Kofi Kingston and John Morrison. Now the news is that Jimmy has been cleared for in-ring action, according to PWInsider.
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Throwback Smackdown had a couple of returns
Ringside News also asked around about Jimmy’s return and learned that this was informed, backstage, on Thursday. The original plan around him changed a bit on Throwback SmackDown.
A tenured member of the team informed the source that Jimmy Usos’ return “changed on Friday,” but it’s not know how much or why. The change was obviously made “once Vince McMahon got together with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman.”
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long also appeared on Throwback SmackDown to announce a stipulation for Cesaro and Seth Rollins’ match by virtue of which Cesaro went on to capture a WWE Universal Champion Title shot from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16.
According to PW Insider, Teddy Long was back on WWE TV for just a one-off appearance. It was great to have him, backstage as he is universally loved within the WWE locker room. There’s no intention to use him on TV in the near future.
It was also reported Aleister Black initially prepared a vignette that was set to air on Throwback SmackDown but was pulled last-minute due to time constraints. Commentator Pat McAfee did an impersonation of Vince McMahon that wasn’t airer on the main show because of creative changes. Afterward, that video was released as a Network exclusive on a related platform.
