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 WWE announce that they will be broadcasting a show called Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook starting January 16, 2018.

The 12-week mixed tag team tournament is set to air exclusively on WWE's Facebook page video stream, with each episode being 20 minutes long. In addition, there is a $100,000 prize pot that will go to the winning team's charity of choice.

I am very excited for this idea, and so are many of the wrestlers taking part. However, it is not 100% clear whether this is proper mixed tag or intergender rules, where the male/female must tag out when the opposite gender tags in. While WWE has operated these rare matches under the latter stipulation for the past decade, there has been a move in more recent times that has seen both genders allowed to actually lay their hands on one another. Oh, James Ellsworth, your legacy lives on!

One of the biggest problems with the brand split is that the combatant combinations gets repetitive fast, but this little tournament will allow for a whole series of never before seen matches. The fact that it is also only 20 minutes will make for much more palatable viewing too.

However, despite my enthusiasm for such an event, isn't Survivor Series the only time of the year that Raw and SmackDown superstars go head to head in direct competition? I am sure that I heard that one somewhere……



Sad news this week when it came to light that talks with a potentially returning Neville have turned sour once more. The man whose first name WWE forgot walked out in September after allegedly experiencing frustrations over the cruiserweight divisions glass ceiling, and being told that he had to lose to Enzo Amore yet again.

However, his request for a release from his contract was not granted, and negotiations have been ongoing ever since.

Enzo Amore has helped to make 205 Live far more engaging television, but unlike gravity, we should not forget that Neville's insertion was the first real catalyst for bringing a modicum of worth to the brand with his heel persona.

Beyond meaning that we may not get Neville back, the worse repercussions is that he was reportedly on course to return as part of SmackDown Live. This would effectively have meant that he smashed the ceiling, and paved the way for others to potentially one day follow. This would surely have been a massive morale booster for other cruiserweights.

Of course, nothing is definite, and there is still a chance that the talks can reach a satisfactory conclusion, but it would be a real shame for the cruiserweight division as a whole should Neville's return not come to pass.


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!