Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Robert DeFelice, Andy Sahadeo, and Jonathan Maldonado will discuss the changes to 205 Live, WWE Mixed Match Challenge, and which superstar they'd celebrate most for if they won a huge match at WrestleMania.

With there being no pay-per-view this week, we have decided to do a Grab Bag edition of the Triple Threat. Three interesting topics so let's not waste any time. Let's discuss...


MALDONADO: I like a future faction headed by Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair as the champions of either show. They have matching personalities, especially as heels and I can see some sort of devious partnership between the two. The robe-wearing superstars have the potential for a promo powerhouse lording over the rest of the roster while convincing a few superstars to do their bidding. And they can both go in the ring and bring instant credibility to a strong group of superstars.

DeFELICE: I'm going to stay away from the obvious, and pitch one that maybe people might not be thinking about. Bayley and Elias. What a pairing, right? Who would've thought that Bayley would be struggling to find herself, while Elias is racking up wins against John Cena? I definitely feel like I'm in the twilight zone with these two. The characters are established enough to where they can play naive girl with the dirty drifter/cute guitar player. The likelihood of this happening? Zero to none, but I would kill for Bayley to have a storyline.

SAHADEO: I have to agree with Robert here. None of the other pairings really make sense, but Bayley and Elias appear to be on the same wavelength in terms of their respective divisions. With Elias being super over right now, it probably would not translate into a proper storyline at this moment. But with Bayley's cute gimmick and Elias' guitar player gimmick, there is definitely some sort of romance angle that they can pull off with Bayley swooning over Elias. Perhaps after WrestleMania when the dust clears.


SAHADEO: With Triple H apparently at the helm of the Cruiserweight division now alongside Drake Maverick, I'm excited to see where the division goes from here. I wouldn't say that I'm more excited than ever before, but certainly more intrigued. The shift away from the character building and emphasis on wrestling is exactly what they need. Rather than force contrived characters, which is not what the ideals of the Cruiserweight division were built on, the shift in focus toward more action-centric ideals is what the division needs to survive. While there are guys like Drew Gulak who are very entertaining characters, there are other cruiserweights who don't have that essence or charisma, but all do possess phenomenal wrestling ability, which is why I'm intrigued to see how WWE carries the division from here on out. As for who will win, I'm rooting for Roderick Strong. Strong is such a talented athlete and although he will be relegated to the Cruiserweight division, he is a very high-caliber and worthy talent to carry the torch for the division.

DeFELICE: It's always strange when WWE has to tuck their head between their tail and admit that an idea hasn't panned out the way they thought it would. For better or worse, the Enzo Amore situation really forced them to admit that people were not feeling the Cruiserweight division. Now, with the artist formerly known as Rockstar Spud at the helm, they have charted a course for a new day for the brand, and I, for one, really dig it! The tournament, brand GM, and call-ups from NXT are giving us a lot to look forward to on the purple-roped stepchild of WWE programming.

I don't think it will become must-see, but, it will make for great wrestling binging material a la NXT. Trust me, in a few years, I think we will look back at this show with nostalgic fondness and great love for the hidden gems that the show has, and undoubtedly will continue to provide.

MALDONADO: Give the entire company to Triple H if it means the entire roster gets the NXT treatment. I'm excited that Triple H gets to work closely with a higher profile show that has guys who also consistently perform on Raw. NXT has been an incredible example of how it is possible to approach character building primarily through in-ring work and succeed. The cruiserweights were sorely lacking while following the main show format and will now benefit from a tempo and structure that better suits their strengths. I want to emphasize how important it is that Triple H is now directing storylines that will appear regularly on Raw. If 205 Live superstars are able to get over like NXT superstars, who knows where the ceiling is with them. With a split roster and two top titles still in play, there's the opportunity for real surprise.


DeFELICE: I've always been kind of fascinated by the way people celebrate certain teams Super Bowl victories. Even when the teams win the championship game, the idea of people saying we are going to the Super Bowl is puzzling to me. How silly would it be if Dolph Ziggler won the Royal Rumble and I said we are going to WrestleMania? I suppose that living vicariously through those with talent is what makes sporting events the rating juggernauts that they have always been.

Okay, snarkiness aside, if Dolph Ziggler won a big match at WrestleMania I would definitely celebrate it with all my energy. Also, even though he didn't win, I can confidently say that if John Cena won at WrestleMania 28 I would have celebrated in the same fashion. Burning down cities? That's a little extreme but it is a definite cause for a huge celebration when somebody that you support through hell and high water finally gets their due.

MALDONADO: Well, I'm a New York Jets fan. A Super Bowl victory for me would result in severe celebrations and a week off after the parade. Is there a win right now that would make me feel the same, or close to it?

I would love to see Chris Jericho win it one last time and on the biggest stage. It may not be big enough to close the show, but winning the WWE Championship for SmackDown somewhere prominent on the card would be amazing. He'd make a great heel champion, especially if the WWE would let him recreate himself again with that edge he showed in NJPW. He would definitely give us a fun few months with the belt over the summer and put an up and comer over at SummerSlam.

SAHADEO: Shinsuke Nakamura for sure. I was there at SummerSlam last year when he lost to Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship and I thought to myself, "Wow… they really just sacrificed Nakamura for Jinder Mahal's push." When he won the Royal Rumble, that was the ultimate salvaging of his career. I nearly tore my house down how much I was yelling and breaking down that he won. I haven't been pleased with a Royal Rumble winner in years(since Edge in 2010… Randy Orton was alright last year, too), so to see Nakamura finally get some comeuppance on the main roster, it was just a surreal feeling.