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?


Oh no! Luke Harper might have been exiled from The Wyatt Family! However, as many of the WWE Universe have been pointing out, Luke Harper needed to be set free to allow him to shine. A big man of his speed and talent cannot spend his entire career as a lackey.

But where does he go from here? Could Erick Rowan return and the pair feud with Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton in a divided faction battle akin to when Degeneration-X split in 1999 and fought over the right to the DX name? Given Rowan and Harper tend to take it in turns to get injured, this sadly may not be a viable option.

Another option would be a mini-feud between Harper and Orton—something I am sure many of the WWE Universe would enjoy watching given the reception to their excellent match on SmackDown Live. I should also hope that he gets another shot at the Intercontinental Championship somewhere down the line too.

We also need to consider what this means for Orton and Wyatt's future. Has this been mind games by The Viper all along? He seems very settled in his role as Bray's best buddy, but we all know letting your guard down around a snake is never a good idea.

Either way, I am looking forward to finding out.



This post may be written somewhat prematurely, but when a rumor circulates from multiple sources without appearing to die down, it is often worth examining deeper.

This past week saw a fan mock-up of the supposed redesigns for the Intercontinental and United States title belts. Ghastly. Now, given WWE's keenness for making near enough all the belts the same design, it may not be too far off the truth. Regardless of how much truth there is to this picture, I really can see no reason for the belts to be redesigned in the first place.

The classic Intercontinental title design is a brilliant connection to the prestige that surrounded it when held by the likes of Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels. Meanwhile, the present United States Championship came about in The Ruthless Aggression Era of 2003, and that has its own storied history and champions too. Both, in my opinion, are beautiful belts, and there is no good reason to change either.


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!