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 quite excited for where WWE is going with Braun Strowman as of late. Monday Night Raw saw him back to do the old local squash match, but this time facing four men simultaneously.

Unsurprisingly, he still dominated all four without any hitch whatsoever. Sure, it was a predictable outcome, but it did not make it any less fun to watch.

Last year, people were very dismissive upon hearing rumors that Strowman might be the one facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania, and justifiably so, for he was still a very green and unproven member of the roster back then. But fast forward one year? I would not object should WWE suddenly decide to go down this route now. Braun has become a great character capable of being both the scary monster and for being able to come out with the odd comedic gems with his overstated intensity i.e "I don't like scarfs."

WWE has done well with the build for Strowman, for rather than light a rocket up his ass and risk making another failed Roman Reigns experiment, the progress to prominence has been a steady but increasingly entertaining to one watch, and he has very much become someone I look forward to seeing on a weekly basis.



I love tag team wrestling, but I am not blind to its faults, and right now there is no denying the slightly lackluster scene of both the Raw and SmackDown divisions.

I am not saying that there is anything inherently wrong with either, but simply that the stories seem to be amiss or thin at best. The world loved Heath Slater and Rhyno's Cinderella ascent into tag stardom, and then we had the short-lived run for The Wyatt Family blended in with Luke Harper and Randy Orton's growing animosity of one another. Meanwhile, over on Raw, we most recently had the odd couple antics of Cesaro and Sheamus as champs—a relationship that somehow managed to make the often derided Sheamus a little more popular. All of these were great, and things to tune in for, but I cannot say the same for the current scene with American Alpha and The Club as champions.

What have A.A does with the belts since winning them? Yes, they have defended them, but with no real direction or story behind it. The same could also be said of The Club. Brought in as white hot monster heels from Japan, they should really have dominated from the get go, but booking decisions have somehow diminished that star a little, and a lack of story means that there is really not much reason to get excited about them as champions.

They do not like Cesaro and Sheamus, they do not like Big Cass and Enzo, and everyone is a nerd. Too sweet. The end.

Not exactly compelling viewing, is it?


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!