Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat from Smark Out Moment! Each week, we break down the world of professional wrestling and examine two of the polar opposite ends of the spectrum: one thing that was by far the worst thing (Cheap Heat) and the best thing (Cheap Pop) to happen over the past 7 days in sports entertainment. So, what went down this week that we loved and hated about the business?



It was just last week that I was lamenting that there did not seem to be an all-encompassing story heading into Survivor Series. However, shots were fired this past week when the SmackDown Live roster took Monday Night Raw by storm and proceeded to lay waste to the red locker room.

The basic narrative might be as simple as brand bragging rights, but this is sometimes all that it takes to be exciting if executed correctly. The Shield lying in wait for the marauding mob was an awesome moment, and as was the SmackDown live men parting to allow the women through to fight the female troops of the red brand.

What we also have to remember is the stories within the story that this is helping to build too. Crazy Alicia Fox as Raw's team captain? I am all for it. Firstly, she deserves a little spotlight for the work that she has put in over the years, but it also will allow for a completely different pathway leading to the match than if it was a Charlotte or a Sasha Banks leading the team. Plus, the disagreements between Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens have obviously not yet been put to rest, and Shane's snubbing of KO and Sami Zayn over team placements is certain to come back and haunt him.

Also, let us not forget that Raw has not yet launched a counter attack. How and when will they respond? Just another thing that I am looking forward to finding out.



It has been a very exciting time this past week in WWE, but ire among fans is always to be expected, and this time it comes in the form of Asuka's main roster debut

Firstly, among the madcap jam packed TLC card that saw the hurried ring return of Kurt Angle and an impromptu indie dream match between Finn Balor and AJ Styles, the debuting of Asuka felt, ironically, like an afterthought by comparison. I know that WWE were keen to get her started on the main roster as soon her injury had healed, but I feel that this could have been saved for a time where less was happening across the board.

However, regardless of when she appeared, the aspect that has most people upset is the actual booking of her first matches. For an undefeated NXT Champion, she did not dominate either of her matches against Emma as WWE led us to believe she could. Emma put up a startlingly competitive fight on both occasions, and there were times where an upset would not have looked impossible.

Why should WWE women fear her? Yes, she is very good, but I feel that Emma is the one who has come out with a higher stock for holding her own in the bouts. If you did not want to sacrifice any roster talent, would a dominating squash match against a local competitor not have been a better approach?

Of course, this is very early days, and there is no reason to believe that this anything close to a burying as some over sensitive fans might have you believe. However, first impressions do count, and given the hype they put into her debut, I am not sure that they quite delivered as intended.


So there you have it, my two choices for the week. What do YOU think are the Cheap Pop and Cheap Heat this week in professional wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!