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?


It had its ups, downs, and questionable movements, but as whole, I think that the Superstar Shake-Up was a good thing.

The brand split has had plenty of good and bad points, but one major negative was how repetitive some shows can feel once everyone has fought everyone multiple times over. The tag team and women's divisions particularly suffered from this problem. When you only have six to seven active women at a time, there really are only so many combinations that can be played out before you have truly exhausted all possibilities.

But just by switching four women around, they have opened the door for a whole new set of feuds and prospects. Other benefits will include Rusev (when he returns) maybe getting a better chance to shine on SmackDown and the fact that all the ex-Shield members are now on the same brand.

A sign of things to come? Possibly, but how much all of the group would be accepted is another matter entirely…

Still, interesting times are ahead, and I look forward to seeing how they shape things from now till SummerSlam.


Sadly, this past week has all but confirmed that Mauro Ranallo is due to leave the company once his contract expires in August. He is unlikely to appear again on WWE programming in this time—a thought further accented by the fact that his Twitter account bio no longer makes any reference to wrestling.

Mauro, while not absolutely everyone's taste, was considered to be one of the better announcers in recent years. He brought a big fight feel to the product and made it sound like it was a legitimized brawl that we were watching. I will be sorry to not hear him call another WWE match.

Of course, we cannot mention this debacle without the allegations being levied at John Bradshaw Layfield. There are rumblings in the wrestling word that Mauro's time off is linked to his bipolar disorder, and that this has been exacerbated in recent months due to bullying from JBL. These are claims that ex-WWE ring announcer, Justin Roberts, has given weight to in his recently released autobiography which details his unnecessary bullying at the hands of JBL.

JBL has always had this reputation (just ask Blue Meanie) but this time it is getting mainstream media attention. Will WWE take any action, or does another fan favorite have to get pushed out before they realize that this might be a matter worth looking into?


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!