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?



I was very pleased to see Rusev Day earn themselves a tag title shot at Hell in a Cell this past week on SmackDown Live.

I am a huge fan of The Bar, and absolutely would have loved to have seen them challenging The New Day at Hell in a Cell, but Rusev Day's surprising victory in the tag tournament is equally excellent. I say surprising not as a knock on their ability—far from it—but because WWE has twice tugged at our heart strings and teased dissension within the group.

Not splitting them up is absolutely the right decision for Rusev Day, and a feud between them would benefit no body. It would be like when they made The Hardyz feud. People were too invested in them as a team to really get behind the idea of them fighting.

WWE were late to the party when it came embracing Rusev Day's popularity, but could it be that  they now see how good it is for all involved? I have my fingers crossed that this the case.



Few would deny that WWE running brand exclusive events every fortnight was a tad excessive during the early days of the second brand split, but at least the promotion for each event was concentrated within the brand's respective show.

However, fast forward to 2018, and we have found ourselves in a strange period in which three events are being simultaneously hyped up, but without equal emphasis on importance.

The Superstar Show-Down will be the money-maker, Evolution is history in the making, and Hell in a Cell is…there.

Has it really felt like a go home week? Not really, and I feel that WWE suddenly adding Mick Foley as guest referee for the main event was them suddenly realizing this. Do not get me wrong, Mick is a great addition to the match, but it feels like a knee jerk last-minute realization to add importance to an event playing third fiddle to its more lucrative and PR friendly cousins.

Hell in a Cell is traditionally the last stop in a long running feud, but here it is merely feels like the set up to matches at Showdown. Does that not seem backward? Also, when Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose only get a match booked six days before a big event, you can tell that not too much planning was going on.

The Hell in a Cell concept has been slightly watered down since it became an annual event instead of a rare match, and I have little doubt that this will not be the year that changes that.


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!