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?



After months of rumors, cryptic tweets, and reports that she was AEW-bound, I am happy to see Sasha Banks work things out with WWE.

Moreover, this long-overdue heel turn from her excites me, too. Banks has pretty much always been face since her main roster call-up, but, while I was always impressed by her work, I found it hard to get behind her as one of the good girls. Her attitude and demeanor just screamed heel to me. There was an arrogance which seemed at odds with being a hero, and her title reigns certainly did not back up the boldness either.

However, now I feel that she can really let loose, and I will be much more inclined to get behind her should she be allowed to play to her strengths. I do believe we have a real credible threat to Becky Lynch's title reign.

However, heel or face, it must be noted that Boss Time remains one of the more cringe worthy commentary buzzwords in recent years.



I was all for it when WWE started bringing back local talent TV squash matches a few years ago. I think that it is great they give a payday, experience, and exposure to up and comers outside the NXT system. Also, let us not forget that the likes of Matt and Jeff Hardy used to be extras. You never know, we might be witnessing the very early days of some great new superstars.

However, there is a time and place for it, and I am not sure that every single week is the way to go. It worked for Braun Strowman because he is such a mountain of a man, and it was fun to see him mercilessly fling bodies about the place. Likewise, it can work for other comedy spots such as when The IIconics wanted to prove they were fighting champions, but were only willing to face lesser experienced no-names.

However, having the Viking Raiders do it for the umpteenth week in a row is doing them few favors. Yes, they look dominant, but the crowd reaction is flat and lifeless whatever the city. WWE might think that it is building them up, but I am not convinced that it is. Neutered from the off-set by their peculiar name changes, they are going to need more than this to get themselves over big. I understand that WWE may not want to job out all their other teams, but, eventually, they are going to have to be beating some people we can recognize.


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!