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?



This past week saw the Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens feud reach new heights when Shane found himself suspended for laying his hands on Owens. It was great to see Kevin Owens quickly reverting to his hypocritical self and scream bloody murder, thinking nothing of the many times he attacks people outside matches. I also like how this angle has moved him in a new direction gimmick wise. His New Face of America shtick never felt quite right to me, and there was always a limit on what could be done with it. Kevin did well given that there was not much to it, but the Prizefighter and  goofy Kevin are the certainly his better personas.

And, of course, we cannot forget that this whole incident has sparked the return of Mr. McMahon next week. Say what you will of some of his decisions, this man is a draw, and the reason many of us got into wrestling in the first place. Despite his vice like grip on most aspects, Vince only inserts himself into angles for very good reasons these days. Could we have him take over as Commissioner? Even if only in the interim, I would love to see one more run from him as an authority figure.

SmackDown Live had been on a bit of a dip in comparison to the halcyon days of yore, but things have started to pick up again as of late, and the return of Vince McMahon can surely only add to this.



Looking at the landscape for No Mercy has made me realize how much I dislike the championship rematch clause. Whatever happened to going right back to the back of the line and having to claw and scratch your way back up? In any other sport, losing a championship does not qualify one to become the automatic number one contender, so why do it here?

Yes, WWE works vastly different to other sports and sometimes, these things need to happen to advance stories, but often, feuds that feel like they reach a definitive end get falsely extended because of it. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins winning the tag titles was the perfect cultivation to their story and feud with Sheamus and Cesaro, but thanks to the clause, it has meant that they cannot advance to another story for another month. You can create the most perfect story possible, but the clause means an unnecessary epilogue must also be played out.

Another problem that it often creates is repetition with pay-per-view events, too. One month to the next can look very similar once you factor in non-title extended feuds like Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt (sigh).

Will it ever go away? Unlikely, but I do not think that it would be harmful if it did for a while.


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!