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?



The Fire Fly Fun House may have been sorely missing from our screens this past week, but Bray Wyatt was not entirely absent. Eagle eyed observers of Raw and SmackDown Live would have noticed that, lurking in certain backstage segments, Bray Wyatt's puppet friends could be seen.

Aside from being a fun Easter egg, I see this as a great sign for how Bray Wyatt's new image will be handled. In the wrong hands, this character would quickly become a joke, but the subtlety smacks of Bray Wyatt's influence. We already know that the firefly fun house was his idea, and, if he keeps a hand on it, it bodes very well for his eventual return. Much speculation has been given to how the fiend/child presenter image will transfer to the ring, but I have no doubt that Bray knows exactly where he wants to take it.

Let us just hope that they let him continue to do so.



WWE appear to be taking a new approach to announcing Pay-Per-View matches, and I am not entirely sure that I am a fan of it. Ordinarily, if a pair are feuding, one wrestler will propose a match, which their prospective opponent will either valiantly accept, or find a way to string out a refusal. The mixed tag winner-takes all for Extreme Rules being a good example of this.

Alternatively, if a title is involved, one may become a number one contender, and thus have it set up that way. Another tried and tested method, and one that makes perfect sense in the context of this being a sport.

However, what does not make sense is the growing trend of commentators or official social media accounts simply announcing a match with little to no build moments after an altercation. Samoa Joe vs. Kofi Kingston at Extreme Rules is great, but why Joe? He lost the US title the previous night! Could an enraged Kofi not have demanded Joe face for the sneak attack? Or could Joe not have goaded him into it with his mind games?

Similarly, The Undertaker teaming with Roman Reigns simply being announced moments after the matter does not sit great for me either. Some of the narrative is missing. Why does the old dog want to help the new dog? Is Roman Reigns ok about this? What is The Undertaker's problem with Shane McMahon? Things that will hopefully be answered in the coming weeks, but I do feel that there are good story elements that we could have explored first.

I understand that all of this has likely been implemented as a response to low ticket sales for Stomping Ground, and that they want the big matches announced as far in advance as possible, but could this approach run the risk of watering down the build for feuds?


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!