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?



How good is Shinsuke Nakamura as a heel? Not long ago many fans and wrestlers, including the likes of Edge and Stone Cold Steve Austin, felt that Shinsuke had not found his feet in WWE, and had yet to fulfill his true potential. A fair assessment, but one that I feel no longer applies.

I loved his mocking of Jeff Hardy's face paint and mood this past week, and I really look forward to seeing his backstage interviews now. While he still put on good matches as a face, he works so much better as a heel. Once his promo and performance synced, we were finally able to get the Shinsuke whose reputation had preceded him.

The promos WWE had him doing as a face were largely ill-suited, but now his facial expressions, movements, and speech pattern all lend themselves perfectly to his now pantomime/anime esq villain persona.

I have my fingers crossed for a long title run here. The more I get to see of this Shinsuke the better.



Worst thing to happen this week? Well, there are a few candidates that spring to mind, but what really struck me is how Bobby Roode lost yet again on Raw.

Okay, it is nothing new whatsoever, but that is my point. Once one of the hottest things in NXT, his move to the main roster has been entirely unremarkable.

Of course, he did have a brief run as the United States champion, but what else can we really say? He has had no story or great series of matches to speak of.

Through no fault of his own, as he is a solid wrestler, he has been reduced to little more than an entrance and catchphrase. Ironic, as this is what Dolph Ziggler was accusing him of being nothing but months ago.

However, this problem is far from exclusive to Bobby, and Roode is just one of many call ups from NXT that have had no rhyme or reason for being put on the main roster when they did. Half-hearted attempts sometimes get made, but it is often quickly becomes clear that no real focus or long-term plans are in place for so many of them.

So, why call them up?

Thankfully, Tye Dillinger got a slight reprieve this week by actually appearing on TV, and WWE certainly gave the rub to Almas with his match against AJ Styles, but is it not high time somebody threw Mr. Roode a bone or two again?


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!