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?


I am selective about whom I follow on Twitter. I keep it to a limited amount so that I can actually keep up with updates from the people I really want to hear about. One of these elite few is Heath Slater.

Why Heath Slater? This is not me merely jumping on the one man bandwagon; I have followed him for years now, simply because I have always found him very entertaining, an underrated performer, and best of all, someone who does not give up. And as evidenced by the likes of Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder, the WWE Universe loves an underdog.

John Cena might be the spokesperson of never giving up, but at least he gets the accolades and fame for doing so. By comparison, Heath Slater has not held a title in five years, has no merchandise on WWE Shop, and should probably be known as "Mr. House Show".

Any other star would have asked for their release by now, but not Heath Slater.

It may have taken half a decade, but finally it looks like the WWE hierarchy has realized how much the fans are behind the man.

Two weeks ago, Heath Slater was voted 8th best superstar in the Slammy Awards. This earned him a sit-down interview with Michael Cole (something normally reserved for superstars in main event stories), and fans have been tweeting like crazy for a follow-up. Then, earlier this week, we saw Slater getting some rare screen time on MizTV. Sure, he was punched in the jaw for his efforts, but the crowd's enthusiasm for him cannot be denied.

With the midcard titles already tied up with the likes of John Cena, Kevin Owens, and Dean Ambrose, I am not sure where this might lead for Heath Slater, but I am ever hopeful that he can ride this deserved surge of popularity until such a time he can capitalize. Perhaps a 2016 King of the Ring winner? Or the last man standing in the 3rd Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal?

Either of these would be well-deserved for the one-man rock band, and not to mention, long overdue.



Can a rock star's death count as the worst thing to happen in wrestling this week? It can if it is Lemmy.

I know I am not alone in this belief, for WWE themselves saw fit to honor the Ace of Spades singer with a video tribute package, assembled in lightning-quick time for broadcast.

When it comes to celebrities and wrestling, it can be said they fit into two categories: those with a movie/TV show to plug that know nothing of the product, and those that have a genuine childlike appreciation for the sport. Lemmy and Motorhead fall into the latter.

They were seen countless times at wrestling events, and even performed music as well. They are also responsible for three of the most iconic and adrenaline-pumping songs in WWE history - Line in the Sand, Time to Play the Game, and The King of Kings.

At a time when most new WWE tunes are generic uninspiring electric guitar assembles, King of Kings stands out as one of the "proper" songs still in usage. There is a WWE self-made version in existence, but it sounds positively wimpy in comparison to Lemmy's vocals and guitar playing.

RIP Lemmy. You may have departed too soon from this world, but your epic music shall live on forever more.


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!