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, Greg Coleman, Aryan Malhotra and Ben Williams will be giving their opinions on the big talking points from Clash of Champions, and how these will impact on storylines going forward.

Clash of Champions was arguably a great event overall, however there were numerous storylines that were either continued or started anew. How will these storylines progress, and what will the overall impact be?


COLEMAN: It really is a shame that for whatever reason, WWE doesn’t believe in Strowman as champion, and it’s really sad and frustrating. Jinder Mahal had a WWE Championship reign and Strowman is a much better wrestler and character than him. Someone I follow online said Strowman is essentially a younger version of Big Show, where he is used as a giant enhancement. I never thought of it, but sadly it makes sense. I would like to see Strowman go after the United States Championship as he’s had his share of run-ins with AJ Styles and The OC.

MALHOTRA: At this point, it seems like Strowman will have a similar career path for the majority of his career as a monster heel, who is capable of competing in the main event 2 or 3 times per year and otherwise being mid card or forgotten. Strowman is a valuable asset and can be seen as a top guy anytime, but not as the top guy. He’s a very talented wrestler, but there’s a ceiling to the same monster gimmick, and I predict midcard feuds and a title maybe, with a few main events along with it.

WILLIAMS: It’s crazy to think how much Strowman and Bray Wyatt's careers have swapped over the course of the last 12 months. Strowman was once the mega over monster who everyone wanted to see dethrone Brock Lesnar, and he is now a mere afterthought in comparison, whilst Wyatt went from dead in the water to the hottest gimmick in wrestling today. The most I see for Strowman from here on out is a singles title run at best, which is a shame considering how much momentum this man once had.


MALHOTRA: Lynch and Banks are two incredible performers who have shown promise of a good feud. However, the DQ finish was quite predictable as it was the first meeting of two credible built up wrestlers who both need momentum. I see it going long with both trading victories, with Banks coming out as champion at the end of an entertaining feud. I would like this to be the way it goes, but perhaps with more stipulations and less interference.

WILLIAMS: This feud is the best WWE has to offer on television today. Both Lynch and Banks are elite level performers who have managed to create a real intense war that fans are dying to get a piece of. After the screwy DQ finish at Clash Of Champions, the only suitable stipulation for this fiery feud would be to lock these two women inside the unforgiving structure that is Hell in a cell. Lynch and Banks easily had the match of the night at the last pay per view, and I'd envision the potential of this match to be even better.

COLEMAN: I absolutely hate non-finishes in pay per view title matches because I feel it short changes the people who paid their hard earned money to attend the event live. However in this situation, I get what they tried to do, even though I think they could’ve done it in a better way. I would like to see Banks beat Lynch for the title, have her and Bayley both be champions and have them each help the other keep their titles.


WILLIAMS: I’d be very surprised to see Kingston outlast Lesnar in any capacity, least so in Lesnar's first appearance on SmackDown in over 15 years. Kingston has had a solid 6 month title reign with plenty of memorable moments, but I can’t help but feel that his final hurdle may be the beast himself.

COLEMAN: Unfortunately, I think it does end with Lesnar beating Kingston for the WWE Championship. However, this would be a great spot for a debuting or returning superstar to interfere with the match and cost Lesnar the title. I also think it would be interesting if Xavier Woods and Big E help Kingston retain the title.

MALHOTRA: Unlike my peers, I believe this match is just a way to attract attention to the first episode of SmackDown on Fox Sports, and will not bear much storyline relevance. I see a non finish, and perhaps a start to the next rivalries for both of these men in order to kick start the show’s storylines.