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?


WWE presented us with some big event attractions for SmackDown and Raw this week, but both of a very different nature. The return of Goldberg was obviously big business, and it was good to see that his mic skills have greatly improved in recent years.

Will Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg be an amazing match? Probably not. But would any of us dream of giving it a miss? No? Exactly. So, WWE must be doing something right in booking this.

Meanwhile, on SmackDown, we had James Ellsworth vs. AJ Styles for the WWE World Championship. If ever there was proof that Vince's ideal looking superstar is not what the crowd wants, one only has to look at James Ellsworth.

Some people balk at the push of the unsigned (yet) wrestler, but I love it. Ellsworth is a baffling phenomenon in a way, but through a mixture of humble bewilderment, having no chin, and backing from the likes of Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, and Chris Jericho, he has become something wholly unique that the majority of the WWE universe has embraced.

Is it silly? Yes! But need I remind you that the same show saw a 7-ft demon materialize in a coffin having previously been magicked away by a swamp dwelling cult.

James Ellsworth. You know that it makes sense.



Last week, I wrote of my uncertainty over WWE's direction for Curt Hawkins, and sure enough, his SmackDown debut resulted in an overwhelming indifference from fans.

Nobody cares that he dropped out of his first match, nobody is anticipating when he might next step foot in the ring again, and nobody can even muster up energy to boo. It is not a good sign, and this Eva Marie/Fandango 2.0 approach is not working for him.

I feel bad for wrestlers that get zero reaction when they are forced to stick with failing gimmicks, and while I am under no delusion that Curt Hawkins could be the next WWE champion if not for this, surely, he deserves a little more of a chance to make a second impression than this lackluster shtick.

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!