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?



Unlike many, I have never been very taken with American Alpha. I cannot relate to anything about them as a team. They peaked soon after their main roster debut by winning the tag titles, going on to have the most uneventful of the SmackDown tag title reigns.

Now, before I get burned for saying all this, it is worthy to note that even Daniel Bryan has called their handling in WWE a failure.

However, as standalone wrestlers, this past week certainly gave credence to Chad Gable holding his own.

Unlike Enzo Amore (see below) I have no fears for Gable's career should AA split up. Answering Kevin Owens' U.S. open challenge to Ohio natives, Gable came out (sans Jordan) and delivered a well-executed and amusing promo insisting that he had just moved there that very morning.

There was something about it that just made me pay attention, unlike anything he has ever said whilst being part of American Alpha. Maybe it was simply the novelty of seeing him in a situation far removed from the tag division, but it sold me on the guy very quickly.

The match itself was very enjoyable, and showed off all of Gable's excellent wrestling prowess, strength, and speed. Of course, he always has had this, but without being paired with a personality I paid attention to, he never really clicked for me. This one brief segment has allowed me to look at him in a whole new light, and I will now be watching him with a renewed interest.



Zoinks! Monday Night Raw saw the "who attacked Enzo" case resolved, but this does leave me scratching my head over where we go from here.

However, before we get into the critique, praise should be leveled to Enzo for his acting. At one stage he even had a tear rolling down his face from being told what Big Cass really thought. He truly looked devastated!

The break up was good when viewed as a standalone promo, but from a storyline perspective, this was a poor mystery. Big Cass was everyone's first suspect. WWE tried their best by throwing some shade with The Revival and Big Show being thrown into the equation, but years of watching the product has fine-tuned most of us into the WWE way of thinking.

Predictability is not always a bad thing—not if it is done right. Sadly, this was not. Big Cass and Enzo have been floating for months. They had a white-hot start which included a program with The Club and Chris Jericho, but WWE's fixation with The New Day beating Demolition's title record meant that they could never really capitalize when they should have. Aside a brief comedic angle with Lana and Rusev, they have done very little, leading to the audience interest waning.

So, surely a break up is a good thing? Well, It could be. I cite The Rockers as just one example. But due to the lack of investment, this break up means comparatively little. This is far from being on the level of Seth Rollins turning on The Shield. In addition, Enzo and Cass complimented one another's strengths and weaknesses. Enzo could talk, and Cass could fight. Can Cass have the same impact without his trash talking partner? Maybe. But can Enzo have the same impact without the muscle to back up his mouth?

New 205 live candidate?


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!