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?



Following on from his impressive performance from last week's episode, Kevin Owens once again proved to be the shining star of ShaneDown Live.

Cropping up in multiple segments through the night, Owens continued to march to the beat of his own drum by antagonizing Shane and his cronies through stunners, sneak attacks, and smark remarks. How is that Owens, whose first language is not English, manages to deliver promos better than many who have it as a native tongue? He never sounds scripted or corny, and everything always feels natural and delivered with passion.

What of the accusation that the evil boss character is overdone in WWE? Well, there is no denying that it comes around a lot, but, if it serves a greater purpose, such as giving us extra Owens, then I am happy for it to go on for a bit longer.

Could the same be achieved with a little less screen time for Shane O'Mac? Yes, and I am also sure that many of the wrestlers would agree! However, at the very least, it will make his eventual (?) vanquishing all the more sweet.



Monday Night Raw has been and gone, and with it we saw a new number one contender anointed for the WWE Universal Championship. Though, I say new somewhat loosely, as Seth Rollins is hardly a fresh decision.

This is not a knock on Seth Rollins, who I think is fantastic, but could this not have been a chance to have had someone new or unique face Brock? You could feel a slight deflation in the air when Seth won the spot, and the crowd were clearly more behind the idea of Randy Orton winning the match.

Unlike the RKO, this would not have come out of nowhere either. For Randy still does have unfinished business with Brock after the brutal bloody beating he took at SummerSlam 2016. A follow-up on that is long overdue.

If not Randy, what about Bobby Lashley? Lashley is a friend of Brock, and we all know that Brock’s efforts will sometimes depend on how much he likes or respects his opponent.

Similarly, Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, Big E, or Cesaro would have been fun picks, and really would have hit the point home that WWE is trying to change.

Weirdly, Seth and Brock have not fought too much one-on-one, so this should not feel stale, but the pair have been linked continuously for six months now, and just doing a WrestleMania rematch is not what most want to see for their SummerSlam main event.


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!