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?


Part of me feels like I should give this week's POP to Brock Lesnar's surprise return; but, he is WWE Champion—should we be celebrating the fact he actually turned up? Well, to a certain extent yes, but there is one man who received a far more positive reaction for his appearance.

The recently crowned Superstar of the Year, Roman Reigns, made a return "Shield-style" coming out through the crowd—much to their delight—before heading to the ring to address the WWE Universe. However, the love-fest was quickly cut short by the approach of the lumbering giant that is Big Show.

Ignoring the wise words of Reigns, who warned him to come no further or suffer his wrath, Show approached the ring apron only to be immediately Superman-punched down to size!

Despite his fury, Show decided it better to lick his wounds and retreat than face further humiliation at the hands (or should that be hand) of a man WWE obviously believes in.

Roman came across strong; he appeared far more confident on the mic and is clearly ready to rumble...which is pretty handy considering January is just around the corner.



Harsh? Maybe, but many would agree a fitting acronym for last week's PPV.

TLC pay-per-views are a hit and miss affair (and I am not talking about the chairs swung about). The initial match conception with Edge and Christian versus The Dudleyz versus The Hardyz was revolutionary and exhilarating, but turning it into a full-blown yearly PPV watered the concept down. Likewise, Hell in a Cell. Events built around the name of a single stipulation match (Royal Rumble aside) just do not seem to have the effort of the big traditional four events.

Hell in a Cell matches used to be exciting surprises, settling big feuds once and for all. Knowing there is a singular yearly event dedicated to having one takes a lot away from it.

TLC is sometimes described as a "filler pay-per-view" and I have to say, this does seem an accurate description. While nothing was exceptionally bad this year, neither was anything overly special. The ladder match, which saw Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper clash, seems to have divided opinions. Some say it is a brutal classic, others say it was brutally underwhelming.

Bray Wyatt versus Dean Ambrose garnished a good reaction, as did the bizarre Chairs Match between Ryback and Kane, but most of the event did feel like it could have been an episode of Raw. After the brilliance of Survivor Series, TLC felt a little bit of a let down.

For a more detailed run down and review of all that unfolded at TLC, check out Smark Out Moment's review here.


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!