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?


This match has been building up for several weeks now, with Stardust and Stephen Amell feuding both on WWE and on Twitter. The only question was whether Amell himself would step into the ring, or if he would just accompany Neville and get in a few moves at the end.

This past Monday on Raw, it was confirmed that Amell and Neville would face off against Stardust and King Barrett. I don't think anyone quite knows why Barrett was thrown into this match, but if it means he gets his place on the card and Amell gets to have some in-ring action, I think most people will be happy to see him there.

This should be a very exciting match and the buildup to having a celebrity involved has been much better than what we have seen in the past, as it seems like Amell actually has a place in this match and that there is a story behind it (I'm loving the superhero movie feel).

For me, this is the Cheap Pop of the week because WWE has done 3 things that they usually struggle to do, and they've done them very well. They've given midcarders a great storyline, made a celebrity appearance fit into a storyline and got the fans really excited about the whole thing.



Ever since WrestleMania, John Cena has put on the United States Championship Open Challenge and has brought back to life a dying championship. Many midcard stars have been given a shot against Cena and have shown how good they can be when given the chance, as well as showing how much depth of talent WWE really has.

However, WWE is now putting all of that build in jeopardy as John Cena and Seth Rollins face off in a match for both the US Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This would not only kill off a championship that WWE has spent months building up to a respectable status, but it would also kill the chance for many midcarders to show what they can do with a title.

It is widely expected though, that the two championships will be leaving SummerSlam with different people despite this match and although that should be a good thing, it just means that the whole stipulation will be rendered moot and pointless.

This idea is a lose/lose scenario for WWE and no matter what the result, I, at least, will be disappointed in this decision. We can only hope that these two can put on a good enough match to make the—what I assume will be disappointing—ending worth putting up with.



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!