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?



SmackDown Live kicked off the New Year this week with a fun promo from everyone's favorite unicorn horn wearing trio. Sure, Big E dressed as the new year's baby was a somewhat strange sight to behold, but pretty hilarious once you got over the slight disturbing nature of it. Diapers aside, we were also treated to jabs at Brock Lesnar and a somewhat genius display of Steiner maths when they attempted to explain their odds of winning the Royal Rumble.

I think that this segment worked so well because of the broad appeal to casual and hard-core fans alike. You only needed to be a recent WWE watcher to appreciate Big E or the Universal title jokes, but referring to something as iconic as Steiner maths was a great way to pop fans with a broader knowledge of wrestling outside the WWE walls.

Furthermore, it does bring up an interesting idea that has been raised a couple of times since The New Day's inception. Could they ever become free bird holders to a singles title? We have had co-champions before when Chris Jericho and Chyna held the Intercontinental Championship together, but that was always a reluctance alliance born from circumstance. How would a cohesive three person unit look when it came to being one champion by choice?

I have doubts that they would ever pull the trigger on attempting such a thing with the WWE title itself, but would it really that bad to try it once with a secondary title? It is not like it would be the most outlandish experiment they have ever done.

Right, Jinder?



Just one week removed from Rhyno's triumphant Christmas return, I was disappointed to see the Beauty and The Man Beast fall back into the same pattern and take a loss so soon. Despite being the first ever SmackDown Live tag champions, and currying considerable positive fan reaction, Rhyno and Heath Slater have been hardly been used in any meaningful way since their transfer to Monday Night Raw.

Aside from the recent happenings with Rhyno being fired and Heath becoming a referee, all they have really had was a brief story about Rhyno planning to toughen Slater up. Which, suffice to say, went nowhere.

I know that there is little shame in losing a handicap match, but in an era where big changes are promised, I had thought that might have included a victory on television for this oft forgotten pair, especially when you consider the story that they have just been involved in.

However, this all being said, according to Heath Slater on Twitter, Vince McMahon has personally promised him that this will be his year.

Watch this space.


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!