On Aug. 19, 2020, reports began to come out regarding the future of WWE’s Renee Young. All signs pointed to her leaving as she had requested and seemingly been granted her release from the company that she worked at for eight years. For WWE fans, it was kind of a heartbreak type of moment, but also one where they were happy for Renee. Happy because her talented self had the chance to move on to a new career somehow, somewhere. Still, you can’t blame them for being a tad bit emotional when someone they considered a favorite on their screens for the past eight years was leaving. And I think that is really how you appreciate who Renee Young was.
When most interviewers, commentators, or hosts leave the company, it’s pretty silent and met with few comments by fans and wrestlers alike. Silence speaks a lot and that was the complete opposite of what was heard when Renne departed from WWE following SummerSlam. There’s a reason for that. She changed the way a simple interviewer in the back was looked at. Renee grew from her role in bigger and better situations in the company, something that never really happened before. And when it comes to the word “trailblazer,” it can be overused. Especially in the WWE. However, using that term to describe Renee is perfect because that is exactly who she was. She changed the game for the normal interviewer in WWE, and more specifically non-women wrestlers.
She was as big of a part of the Women’s Evolution as all the incredible wrestlers involved. And that’s why we are looking back at her incredible career in WWE and why it sets the bar for what a woman can now dream of in the company without being a wrestler.
Backstage Interviewer: Best, Most Charismatic In A Long Time
Renee is and always will be talented. That was proof as she became the signature backstage interviewer for WWE in the better part of the last decade. The reason for that was her ability to not only show emotion and react with those who she was interviewing but having her own personality. So many interviewers in wrestlers not named Renee Young have had trouble finding themselves and being their own sort of character. “Mean” Gene Okerlund, for many, is the pinnacle of the backstage interviewer. He had his own sort of character, memorable moments, and the knack to capture those who were watching and listening. And while I am not saying Renee was as good as Mean Gene, she was certainly one of few in WWE history to capture that essence and bring it to the screen.
Whether it was her sit-down interviews with talent or the classic WWE backstage interviews, Renee nailed it down and became the best at what she did. It was because of how well she did that job that she grew into even bigger roles and earned more trust in the company. Her ability to essentially “turn it on” when needed and be herself on camera was natural. There were the times that Dean Ambrose (aka Jon Moxley) would be brought into the equation, making the interviewee like Samoa Joe or The Miz really use that to their advantage and she would happily give it right back to them. Renee always had something special in her backstage interviews and it’s why she was one of the absolute best.
Show Host: Creating Something Special With Talking Smack
Talking Smack was Renee’s show. Everyone will agree with that. And when it was pulled away for her, you felt as though Renee’s days were numbered. As she has said a number of times in the past, that was the show she finally got to be herself on. Sink her teeth in. She did it with so much ease and her chemistry with co-host Daniel Bryan was beautiful. Most would agree that Bryan at least had one thing to enjoy, which was this show. From the moment of The Miz sounding off at Bryan to the multiple laughs and eye rolls thrown by Renee and her guests, it was a must-watch show. A show that she will always have her name connected to. One that fans hoped for so long she would get an opportunity to deliver on again. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The show carries a legacy and saw Renee at her best. It’s something that fans can forever go back and look at and enjoy. We thank her for that contribution and her ability to create magic on a show that was never supposed to mean as much as it did.
Commentator: Shattering The Glass Ceiling As The First Woman To Call Monday Night Raw
It feels as though the worst kept secret in WWE for many years was this: Renee was always destined to get a shot at the commentary table. If you were a diehard NXT fan and watched from the beginning, you knew this was a real possibility down the line considering Renee got a shot there on multiple occasions. And for the most part, she killed it. So when the call was made for Renee to become a weekly part of the Monday Night Raw broadcast as a commentator, I certainly didn’t bat an eye. It was a spot, with time, she could really take on an nail down. Her run on the table lasted about a year before it ended, and received mixed reactions.
Those mixed reactions came from her as well, as she has said in the past that she wished she spoke up more. Understood, but here is something to consider. She shattered the glass ceiling that was how far a non-wrestler could go as a woman when WWE believed in her to be apart of the Raw booth moving forward. And while the run didn’t last long, she called the main event of WrestleMania 35. You know, the first-ever all-women’s WrestleMania main event. She is forever in that moment. Oh, and the first-ever all-women’s show, Evolution. She helped create hope for young girls who may not want to wrestle but be in the business somehow. Giving them that dream that hey, that could be me someday. It was that shattering of the glass that made Renee a trailblazer.
In Her Element: WWE Backstage And What Should Have Been
When SmackDown was set to officially debut on FOX, there came the end of Renee’s run in the booth. But with that came an opportunity more in her wheelhouse. WWE Backstage was a show that saw Renee return to her element, and she was good at it all over again. As the host of the FOX Sports 1 show, she managed to return to that magic and a position that she was accustomed to. Her interactions with the likes of Booker T, Paige, and CM Punk continuously made it a show worthy of people’s times. The problem was the timing of the show and the channel it was on. It could have been even bigger and Renee deserved that spot.
Reviewing the week of WWE and giving their opinions without having to worry about backlash from the WWE is what made it a possible show worthy of your time. CM Punk always said Renee was wonderful and the best at her job. It was true. A shame the rug was pulled out from under it just as it was finding it’s true touch.
A Forever Lasting Legacy: A Game-Changing Trailblazer That Will Be Missed
When all said and done, Renee Young left a massive legacy in WWE. One that will last forever in the history books and whatever else. Her time with the company was one that became historic as a part of the Women’s Evolution and will be a key name in that Evolution when it’s talked about years from now. She was the game-changing trailblazer WWE needed on that side of the business. It’s hard to realize that Renee is gone and WWE will have to continue on without her considering how much of a “swiss army knife” she managed to be for them. She could fill in anywhere and really be an asset in so many spots. But it was her time to move on.
We can keep saying that WWE never truly appreciated what they had in her. And that’s true, they didn’t. But they also believed in her multiple times to try new things and she hit a home run every opportunity she got. She’s going to be missed by the fans, the wrestlers, and without a doubt, WWE as a whole. Whatever she does next, we know she will excel and then some. Renee Young helped be apart of the change in the WWE and was a trailblazer for so many moving forward. All we can say now is this:
Thank you for all the memories, Renee.
More From LWOPW
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content.
Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!
