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?


Backlash? Hardly. The majority of the WWE Universe are in agreement that all the right champions were crowned or retained on this on this night.

AJ Styles – We may have all berated Stone Cold's comments about Dean Ambrose slacking, but upon reflection, was it really that harsh? Dean's reign came at a time of transition for the company, and somewhere along the line, it felt like he was little more than a transitional champion. The odd spark of brilliance was there, but for the most part, the run was not as memorable as it could have been. Having AJ Styles as champion is absolutely the right choice, and it is very promising to have him arrive in this position after just eight months in the company.

Becky Lynch – She was the firm favorite and WWE did not fail to give us who we wanted. Very much a case of 'you deserve it'. Let Becky's reign of fire begin.

Rhyno and Health Slater – Yeeeeeah baaabbby! They have been featured in my pop choices for the past two weeks, so I am pleased to say that I am able to include them for the third week running. Some feel that they should have chased The Usos longer, but these two deserved to be the first-ever SmackDown tag team champions for all they have done for wrestling over the years.

The Miz - Anyone who thinks that Dolph Ziggler should have won is just plain wrong. What would he have done with it then? Nadda. No, the Intercontinental title has not been this exciting in years, and The Miz's work rate has never been better. Daniel Bryan's inclusion in the angle also adds a healthy dollop of realism to the mix which some say could lead to the yes-man returning to reclaim his relinquished title. However, as much as I like Daniel Bryan, I still would not actually want to see The Miz drop the title to him. He is just that good as champion right now.



Like 95 percent of the wrestling world, I had no idea who Jagger Eaton was, but this one little segment on Backlash exemplified a problem WWE still seems confused about — is their product PG or not?

They seem to teeter between the boundaries, unsure quite where they now lay.

On one hand, we have witnessed a conscious effort to impart more realism, subtle innuendo, and angles that are more relatable for adults, but then we also still have segments like this which do nothing but alienate a large majority of the fan base.

WWE are obviously going to continue bringing celebrities on the show from time to time, but they would do well to consider just how recognizable they are going to be for the wrestling fan not still watching after-school cartoons.*


* I have no idea if they still have after school cartoons. I'm old. Leave me alone.

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!