Ranking Top 9 Best Talk-Show Segments in WWE Raw, SmackDown History

This first episode of WWE Raw this year was jam-packed with returns and championship matches, but lost in the shuffle was the debut of Alexa Bliss' new interview segment, Moment of Bliss.

Bliss has spent the past several months sitting on the sidelines with an undisclosed injury, so giving the former Raw women's champion her own talk show should keep her in the thick of things on Monday nights. Unfortunately, the debut edition was anything but stellar.

Bliss should find her footing in the role, and it would be wise of her to model herself after other exemplary talk-show hosts from WWE history. Raw and SmackDown Live have featured far better interview segments that were infinitely more effective in either progressing a storyline or spotlighting the mic work of those involved.

A successful interview segment can be defined by its longevity, how fondly fans remember it, anything it accomplished and what greater purpose it served. Anyone can host a talk show, but a certain je ne sais quoi is needed for it to stick and subsequently take off.

If these nine talk-show segments are anything to go by, Moment of Bliss will have a lot to live up to.

9. Carlito's Cabana

Carlito was notorious for spitting in the faces of people who didn't want to be cool, and there was a time when he had his own talk show on SmackDown and Raw called Carlito's Cabana, on which he would welcome members of the roster to shoot the breeze with him.

The interview segment debuted shortly following WrestleMania 21, and since it never looked like he would get the push he deserved in singles competition, the talk show helped him remain relevant and hone his skills on the mic.

In fact, it was on the first-ever installment of Carlito's Cabana that the former United States champion kicked off his feud with Big Show. That set the tone for future editions, with Carlito stirring up bad blood between two Superstars or making an enemy out of his guest.

Over the next five years, Carlito brought back Carlito's Cabana on occasion on both Raw and SmackDown. From inviting his own father on to the show at the onset of 2006 to forming an alliance with brother Primo two years later, the segment hosted many memorable moments and could always be counted on for entertaining television.

Carlito's WWE tenure came to an abrupt end in the spring of 2010, but the impact he made with Carlito's Cabana will never be forgotten by fans.

8. Talking Smack

Technically, Talking Smack was more of a WWE Network exclusive than a true recurring segment on SmackDown Live or Raw, but the show should be considered an extension of the blue brand seeing as it typically featured the aftermath of whatever happened on the show that night.

It aired on the WWE Network immediately following SmackDown, starting in the summer of 2016, which was around the time the brand extension was brought back. It helped distinguish the Tuesday night program from Raw and largely gave the Superstars free rein to do and say what they wanted in order to get themselves over.

SmackDown was already an exciting show from week to week, but Talking Smack was different in the sense that viewers never knew what to expect, and anything was bound to happen. For example, Carmella ambushed Nikki Bella soon after the show debuted, while The Miz launched an unbelievable tirade at Daniel Bryan.

When someone such as Baron Corbin or Mojo Rawley wasn't involved in anything of note, they could appear on SmackDown and give viewers a reason to care about them. As the hosts, Bryan and Renee Young were the glue that kept the show together and were responsible for many memorable moments from 2016 to 2017.

Talking Smack was cancelled in July 2017, and SmackDown hasn't been the same since, but it was fun while it lasted. WWE would stand to benefit from more unscripted programming such as this show given how influential it was on the careers of many despite its short stint.

7. VIP Lounge

Big things were popping and little things were stopping every time the VIP Lounge was in session on SmackDown in the late 2000s, at least according to the host of said segment, MVP.

Upon his arrival on the blue brand in 2006, MVP was touted as the Superstar with the most lucrative contract in the history of the show. He proved almost immediately he was worth the investment by embarking on an undefeated streak in singles competition, and in the summer of 2007, he introduced the VIP Lounge to the WWE Universe.

No interview segment was more synonymous with SmackDown during that time than the VIP Lounge, which welcomed a variety of Superstars, from Michael P.S. Hayes to Ric Flair to Matt Hardy. Similar to Carlito, MVP was a guy who never quite reached the next level in WWE, but at least the talk show allowed him to interact with main event talent almost every week and got fans talking about him.

MVP brought the VIP Lounge to Raw when he switched shows in 2009, but it didn't have the same spark to it on Monday nights. Guests included Kofi Kingston and Jeri-Show, but neither installment was particularly notable.

The former United States champion hosted one last episode of the talk show in late 2010 when he attacked Jack Swagger's "father." He, too, was released before it could become bigger than it was, but it was a nice supplement for his character early on in addition to acting as a vehicle that helped get him over.

6. The Peep Show

Christian had a difficult time breaking through WWE's proverbial glass ceiling at the peak of his popularity in the early 2000s, but whenever he had nothing else going for him, at least he had The Peep Show to keep himself in the mix at all times.

After failing to dethrone John Cena as WWE champion in the summer of 2005, Christian jumped ship to SmackDown and made a splash right off the bat by debuting his own interview segment, The Peep Show. Rey Mysterio and Batista appeared on the show before it was discontinued because of the host's departure from the company later that year.

The Peep Show returned to WWE along with Christian in 2009 and became a recurring segment on SmackDown again.

Whether he was on the verge of coming to blows with Matt Hardy or driving a wedge between on-screen partners Daniel Bryan and AJ Lee, Christian always had something interesting to say on the show and followed through on his promise to make it worth watching.

He seemed to spend more time on the sidelines from 2010 to 2014 than he did in the ring. On the bright side, he maintained a presence on programming by hosting The Peep Show while he recovered from injuries and planted the seeds for future feuds with members of the roster.

Even in retirement, he is good for an occasional Peep Show segment on SmackDown Live or Raw, most recently bringing it back for the red brand's 25th anniversary show in January 2018.

5. King's Court

Before joining the WWE commentary team full time in the mid-1990s, Jerry Lawler was the king of talk-show segments for the company, both figuratively and literally.

He possessed the innate ability to get under the skin of wrestlers and fans alike, all while proving a point in some form or fashion. Giving him his own talk show seemed only fitting, and in 1993, The King's Court became one of the first interview segments to be held on Raw.

The King's Court was especially prominent on Raw throughout 1994, with the WWE Hall of Famer sitting down with the likes of Diesel, Lex Luger and the returning Bob Backlund. Lawler was also an occasional wrestler during that period, feuding with Bret Hart, so The Hitman was a regular on the show as well.

Before Miz TV and The Highlight Reel became synonymous with SmackDown and Raw, there was The King's Court, which acted as the blueprint for future talk-show segments on WWE television.

Lawler was a brilliant host and ensured the focus wasn't always on him (though he was known to go a bit too far with his meddling every so often).

Once he became an official member of Raw's commentary team in 1995, The King's Court was discontinued as a recurring segment on the flagship show. In January 2017, he brought it back for one night only on a SmackDown Live episode in Memphis to interview Dolph Ziggler, who took credit for Lawler's legitimate heart attack five years earlier.

With Lawler no longer involved with WWE from week to week, the company should revive the talk-show segment from time to time and remind fans of its greatness.

4. Piper's Pit

If we're talking about the greatest interview segments of all time, Piper's Pit would be leading this list. However, the debut of Roddy Piper's hit talk show came well before Raw and SmackDown aired, so only certain installments can be included in this countdown.

Nevertheless, whenever Piper resurfaced on WWE TV to host a special edition, it was magical. His age started to show the more time passed, but he never lost his ability to talk a crowd into a building and, more importantly, keep them there.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't until 2003 that Piper's Pit was held on an episode of SmackDown. He made an unforgettable return that year at WrestleMania XIX and was a regular on the blue brand in the months that followed to feud with Hulk Hogan, whom he invited on to the show on more than one occasion.

From there, Piper started to lend credibility to the talent of today by going back and forth with them on Piper's Pit, including The Miz, Daniel Bryan and The Shield. He brought out the best in everyone who was fortunate enough to appear on the show, especially John Cena who was interviewed by The Rowdy One in 2010 and 2011.

The last guest on Piper's Pit was Rusev in December 2014. Piper died before a fitting finale for his show could take place, but the iconic interview segment will forever be a part of his legacy in WWE.

3. Miz TV

Years ago, giving The Miz a platform to brag about how he headlined WrestleMania in 2011 and how far he's come from his MTV days would have been a horrid idea. His promos felt repetitive for a while, and without any new material to work with, he seemed a shell of his former self.

Thankfully, he started to switch things up again in 2012 when he returned from filming The Marine 3 and adopted a new look and attitude. To complete his career resurgence, he was granted a talk show of his own entitled Miz TV, and he would sit down with whoever was hot in WWE and attempt to get them to give him the inside scoop.

The first few installments were fairly forgettable and typically ended with Miz getting punched in the mouth. There wasn't anything overly special about it, and if anything, it led to him shifting his focus away from in-ring competition for a while and more toward the talk show.

As The Awesome One continued to evolve in the years that followed, Miz TV became more must-see, with The A-Lister doing everything imaginable to stir up controversy and make headlines. It has also likely been held more times than any other talk-show segment in Raw or SmackDown history considering Miz brings it back at least once a month or so.

Promos have always been his strong suit, so his success with Miz TV work was inevitable. Expect him to continue hosting it until he reaches retirement, which doesn't appear to be anytime soon.

2. The Cutting Edge

Given Edge's long list of accolades in WWE, it might surprise some to find out he floundered as a face for the early portion of his singles career. It wasn't until he arrived on Raw in 2004 that he started to show shades of The Rated-R Superstar fans came to know and love years later.

As part of his transformation into a top-tier talent, Edge debuted The Cutting Edge as a recurring interview segment on Raw in late 2005. It was the perfect way for him to maintain momentum while out injured and turn everyone against him, including Ric Flair.

He used The Cutting Edge as a platform to target Flair during their feud over the Intercontinental Championship, but the show became much more than that shortly thereafter, especially on SmackDown. There, Edge was arguably the biggest star on the brand, and it was rare that The Cutting Edge disappointed because it was positioned so strongly on the show.

Batista and The Undertaker were among Edge's most iconic rivals between 2007 and 2008, so they appeared on the interview segment more than anyone. However, it was his intensity and exceptional mic skills that made him such a stellar host, in addition to his unpredictable nature and desire to create controversy.

The WWE Hall of Famer hasn't been able to get physical since retiring from the ring in 2011, but The Cutting Edge has never needed that to be compelling. Simply give him two stools and a mic and watch as he captures the audience's attention with ease.

1. The Highlight Reel

Barely beating out The Cutting Edge as the greatest talk show in Raw and SmackDown history is The Highlight Reel, hosted by Chris Jericho, an innovator who stopped at nothing to make each of his interview segments more exciting than the last.

Jericho made it blatantly obvious that whether it was a wacky catchphrase or hiring a bodyguard, he would do anything to stand out from the rest of the pack. That led to The Highlight Reel's debut in 2003, on which he called out Goldberg for their documented issues from WCW before later admitting he was jealous of everything he accomplished because he wasn't afforded the same opportunities.

Their encounter at the Bad Blood pay-per-view wasn't anything special, but the buildup was brilliant thanks to the promos Jericho was cutting on The Highlight Reel. He stuck with the talk show before leaving WWE in August 2005.

Although Jericho initially resurfaced in WWE without updating his gimmick, he ditched The Highlight Reel upon turning heel in mid-2008 because he believed it was what people wanted. That was after he used the set of the interview segment to destroy Shawn Michaels' face and complete his long-awaited heel turn.

It was only a matter of time before he brought it back, though, and The Highlight Reel returned for one night only in 2012 before becoming a recurring segment again.

The Jeritron 5000 flatscreen TV featured on the show has more lineage than most of the current WWE roster, which should tell you everything you need to know about how illustrious it is in the WWE annals.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.