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?



This past week was something of a treat for fans of R-truth. Not only did we get multiple backstage segments, but also a SmackDown main event match. Not something we saw coming, and a nice way to have the show be refreshingly different.

I have always been a fan of R-Truth's character, and it is not hard to see why he is a fan favorite after all this time. Unlike many of his similar aged peers, he has never been subject to please retire chants, and never fails to find new ways to use his permanently confused comedic persona to elicit a good crowd response. Alright, The Golden Truth was a little lackluster for both him and Goldust, but it probably could have been more had they been booked as more than just a house-show team.

I love his ongoing jokes about Carmella, and it was awesome to see it actually cultivate into something beyond his normal one and done skits.

Also, I love the surreal contrast that, for a madman, he is one of the few characters with a sense of self-awareness about the absurdity of WWE's booking. Where else do you have to beat the champ to face the champ?

Admittedly, everything that went on was really a sideshow to the The Miz and Daniel Bryan feud, but hopefully, the events of this past week prove that Truth has that Santino Marella appeal, and really does deserve to be used a bit more going forward.



When he first quit, there was much speculation over it meant for Kevin Owens going forward. Rumors began to emerge that a pairing with Paul Heyman was on the cards, or that he might find a loophole in the MITB contract that allowed him to use it before Braun did.

However, after just one week's absence, Kevin returned to attack Bobby Lashley in an unprovoked beat down that, seemingly, held little connection to his quitting in the first place. Why?

What was the point of having him moved to the alumni section of the WWE website? Or having Kevin delete any reference to WWE on his twitter bio?

Imagine if they had really played this up by lending him to Progress or another company that they have an alignment to. Did they really do all of this just to set up with a feud with Bobby Lashley?

Maybe KO can be the magic ingredient that makes a Bobby Lashley feud worth getting excited over, but it sure feels like this could have been so much more if they had really thought about it.


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!