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?



Raw was pretty bad this past week, but even if it had been outstanding, I still feel that Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse would have shone the brightest.

As we had hoped, the insanity levels are clearly on the up, with such beautifully creepy additions as cast members being eaten, and a picnic consisting of depressed looking children. I love it. I would argue that this has quickly become the premier reason for looking forward to Raw now.

Now, I know that may sound as crazy as Bray, but the views that the clip has on WWE's YouTube Channel vastly eclipses the viewership for much of the episode's interview and matches.

I think that this tells you everything that you need to know regarding the public reception for it.

The wild card may not excite me much, but I certainly am looking forward to this going further and further down the rabbit hole.

Not that he lives there anymore.

RIP Rambling Rabbit.



A few weeks ago, I wrote a column in which I lamented how watered down the brand split felt during the run up to WrestleMania, but that I presumed a stricter regime would soon be back in full force.

Oh, sweet summer child. Where do you get these dreams?

Far from doubling down on the draft, WWE has now introduced a wild card system which allows a limited (tbc) amount of superstars to jump between brands as and when they feel like it. I have no problem if they do want to return to one brand, as I have never liked having two sets of the same type of championship, but this halfway house version addresses none of the issues long-term.

Yes, it can help freshen stale opponent combinations, but drawn out story rivalries will struggle to flourish unless both wrestlers in question are on the wild card system. Of course, I realize that WWE can make that happen if they want to, but then, what is the point of the split?

If you want to be able to offer Fox the best of both brands, just do it away it all together! Or have they forgotten the dire days of the Raw Supershow already?

You cannot have your cake and eat it comes to mind.


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!