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?



WrestleMania matches should ideally be something that we have never seen before, such as Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar. Alternatively, they should be something that we have not seen in a long time, such as Edge vs. Randy Orton.

It is for this reason that Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley was nobody’s dream WrestleMania match.

As such, this is but one of the reasons that the prospective Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley WrestleMania match is so intriguing. In addition, having this be the first time a Royal Rumble winner has used it to go after an NXT title is interesting too.

However, what makes this even better is the handling of Bianca Belair. It is all too easy for a wrestler to be seen as an afterthought if they are challenging for a top prize between February and March.

They are typically there so that the champion can have a strong title defence before WrestleMania, and rarely do plans change that late. Belair, however, was having none of that, and even if she is not usurping the title at Take Over, she damn well does not look like your average bump in the road.

Her exchange with Flair had her come across as strong, and she is easily among NXT’s best when it comes to reactions and facial expressions.

So, do I now think that she is in with a chance? Not really, but she did do enough to sew the tiniest element of doubt into my mind...

Triple Threat, anyone?



What the hell is Aleister Black talking about?

Raw saw Black continue his sit down mystical ramblings, but the results are far from magic.

Yes, the squash matches help prove his strength and domination, but has closing the door on the door knocking nonsense actually opened any new ones?

I would struggle to tell you one line from any of the last one, not because of poor delivery, but simply because there was no take away from it.

Saying long words and being vaguely spooky may work for The Undertaker, but I am finding it difficult to care when Black does it. He is clearly a very philosophical guy, but I do not know about what exactly.

Ultimately, what concerns me is that this reminds me of the Bray Wyatt of old. The iteration where he veered into the truly illogical with his rants, yet never came off best in any feud. Thankfully, I do not think a losing streak is on the cards for Black, but fan apathy could be if he does not start making a little more sense soon.


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!