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?


Did I just see what I think I just saw? A Raw where Roman Reigns was not booed mercilessly out of a building? This is what can happen when you let Roman Reigns do what he is best at — be a menacing bad ass.

On Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns took to interrupting Stephanie McMahon for a short and sweet promo that — for a change — the crowd reacted positively to.

Later that night, WWE smartly capitalized on this fraction of traction by having Roman Reigns stop Triple H and Stephanie leaving the arena with an appearance that felt almost Terminator-like. The result? It really feels like Roman Reigns ended the show with some positive momentum going into WrestleMania. I am not saying that these two acts have changed the perception of him entirely, but what they have done is illustrated how best to use him. Don't give him long promos, keep him as a strong and (relatively) silent type, and let him destroy people.

Brock Lesnar did not set out to get liked, and look how this approach ended up working for him.



Bonus Pop:
So, last week Dean Ambrose was given Mick Foley's barbed wire bat, and this week, he was given Terry "Chainsaw Charlie" Funk's chainsaw. What next? Al Snow giving him Head? Oh, wait. Erm. Nevermind.


This one does not come as a huge surprise, but we have learned that Sting is to retire from active competition. Respected by fans and peers for his skills and integrity alike, The Stinger is a true icon who will go down in history as the last true WCW soldier.

His WWE career was short-lived, but it was not without impact, and his match with Seth Rollins at Night of Champions was exceptional when you consider the circumstances (a 22-year age gap plus the fact Seth had just fought John Cena.)

It is a shame that the much speculated fantasy match up with The Undertaker can't take place, especially as he himself wanted it, but Sting had nothing left to prove, and his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame could not be more fittingly deserved.


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!