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?



Kevin Owens aligning with The New Day may have been thought up with haste, but that is not to say that this was a bad decision by any stretch of the imagination. Kevin Owens was doing what he could with his talk show, but it was not a role befitting to his talents. He needed something new to do, and being the powerhouse of The New Day works on so many levels.

Firstly, I have always found Kevin works best when he has a buddy to work off. Everything that he did as the friend of Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn was always wildly entertaining, and this should be no exception. Owens is a master of improvisation, and who better to rift with than Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods? I am already looking forward to next week solely to see what they come out with. In addition, that one of his new friends is WWE champion puts Kevin far nearer to the spotlight that he deserves.

Also, let us not forgot the rumors that Big E was going to turn on Kofi and end up costing him the title. While I would hate for this happen, as it would be like the festival of friendship all over again, it now actually has a justifiable story attached to it.

After lobbying and supporting Kofi every step of the way, to then have Big E betray him would be superficial. How could we accept Big E claiming to now be jealous and hate him? However, if we do go down this route, at least now it would make sense. Kevin has replaced Big E, and Kofi and Xavier wasted no time in accepting Owens into their fold. Why would he not be jealous?

The plot thickens…



For the most part, a WWE name change is just something fans accept these days. If someone comes up to the main roster with a surname, you can pretty much start the clock on the syllable shortening process. Often we scratch our heads and laugh, but did we really lose too much when we said goodbye to Alexander, Adrian, and Antonio?

However, that is not to say that WWE always knows best.

This past week saw The War Raiders called up to the main roster, only now sporting the names Eric and Irvin, and collectively known as The Viking Experience. The crowd was visibly confused by this, and it became all that anyone could focus on. Was this necessary? On one hand, I can understand Vince McMahon not liking the crowd chanting for war, and their look does lend itself to a Viking, but The Viking Experience?

It conjures up children’s theme parks, museum attractions, and history documentaries. What it does not do is strike fear into their opponent’s hearts.

But are we protesting too much? After all, they will probably get over again all the same. Plus, before you know it, they will simply be TVE anyway.


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!