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?



Well, it finally happened. Kofi Kingston is on his way to WrestleMania. As his momentum continued to swell, it seemed almost inevitable that he would be in a title match, but WWE still managed to weave this tale well enough to breed just a hint of uncertainty.

I am not talking about story when I say that Kofi had defied so many odds to get here, and surely even the most hardened of cynics cannot help but smile about that.

I think that we all realized long ago that, while he had what it took to be a credible WWE Champion, it was hugely unlikely to ever happen. So, to see where he is today is hugely gratifying.

As for the gauntlet match that led to his insertion? Well, I think that we can all agree that this has been a little overdone recently, but I enjoyed the novel approach of having Big E and Xavier Woods winning the spot for him. Plus, having The Usos eliminate themselves out of respect for Kofi was a great idea too.

So, all that remains now is to see what happens at WrestleMania. Could we really have three babyfaces walking out with the main titles? Maybe, but who would you deny if you could only have one? Personally, as much as I love The New Daniel Bryan and want to see him continue his run, it is surely Kofi's time to shine.



Welcome to Monday Night Raw, or, as it is now known, the Purple brand! What? That is 205 Live? Well, they may to reconsider their color scheme if WWE continues to mix up the blue and red bands beyond any sense of recognition.

Now, I am all for it if they want to do away with the brand split entirely, as there are clear problems with maintaining an equal sense of importance for duplicate titles, but this half-way wishy-washy approach is a really poor way to do it.

It used to be, at least in the kayfabe world, that an opposing brand wrestler could only come by invite for a very special reason, but now everyone appears everywhere to such an extent that I am starting to forget who originally belonged where.

I get that they feel they need twice weekly appearances to build the drama for certain WrestleMania matches, but would it be fair to say that this double exposure has been at the expense of other matches? Case in point being the United States, Intercontinental, and both sets of men's tag belts...

I originally had included the SmackDown women's title in that list, but then something else happened this week...


Extra Heat:

Poor poor Asuka. I understand some of the reasons behind her loss, such as decreasing the mammoth running time of WrestleMania, but it should not have happened when it did. How poor does this make the SmackDown women's division look? I know that some say Asuka was never meant to go to the main roster, and so any length of  reign is a blessing, but she has more than proven how poor thinking that notion ever was.

I know that it means very little, but please say that she at least gets to win the Battle Royal. Something! Anything!

Please?

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!