Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Battle of the Brands from Smark Out Moment, where we compare this week's episodes of Raw and SmackDown and determine which one of the two was the better show.

BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:

RAW vs. SMACKDOWN

FACTOR 1: CROWD

Raw has had so much more going for it recently, and that includes the crowd. I think it's because they have the all around better product currently, and the crowd is resonating with it. Especially in that heated Cena & Reigns promo we'll get to later.

Raw gets the win.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: COMMENTARY

In a shocking statement made later this week, it seems JBL is stepping down from his commentator role on SD Live. Which will impact next weeks BOTB when we see who takes his place, but I thought I should mention it.

I was starting to really like the SD Live dynamic with JBL, Phillips, and Saxton. But with Booker T out due to hurricane Harvey wrecking Houston, The King stepped up. Jerry Lawler, one of my top two all time commentators along with former broadcast partner JR, stepped onto Raw for the first time in a long time. And it was lovely.

Raw wins.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: MATCHES

Both shows matches seemed really down this week. Even looking at them on paper, it just seemed like a down week. The only match that really stood out to me was Seth vs. Cesaro, and that's because those are two of the best workers out there right now. The battle royal was cool too, and Sasha dropping the belt on her first defense again is a total joke. Even though I would rather see Alexa with the title, I hate this switching back and forth.

SmackDown had a cool main event, and thats it. Seeing Bobby Roode & Mike Kanellis go one on one in WWE was an amazing moment, and seeing Shelton Benjamin back was nice too.

Raw wins thanks to better match quality.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: PROMOS

This isn't even a competition. The Roman Reigns and John Cena promo was one that we will play for years and years. It's in the same vain as The Miz exploding on Daniel Bryan. I won't even bring up SmackDown because nothing comes close to this, and probably won't for weeks to or maybe even years to come.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 5: STORYLINES

Oh, SmackDown. How can you have that roster and still give fans the feeling that you're dropping the ball? The main event feels flat. Is it time to replace Jinder Mahal on top? I'm ready to see Shelton Benjamin vs. AJ Styles. I don't know why, but I really want to see that. Or maybe Kevin Owens? Also, why is Sami Zayn not more featured? It's just all very frustrating.

On the other side, Raw seems to be hitting on all cylinders. Braun vs. Brock is going to be huge. Cena and Reigns could and should be a WrestleMania main event. Seth and Dean are the perfect tag champs right now, and Jeff Hardy is number one contender for a singles title. Wow. The only thing I can complain about right now is Enzo Amore beating Noam Dar, and Sasha dropping the title on her next defense after winning it for the fourth time. It makes no sense to me, but what do I know?

Raw wins.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 6: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw still has way too many commercials.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 7: VISUAL PRESENTATION

This gets increasingly harder as theres no stark differences between the two. I'll go with SmackDown purely because I think it's a sleeker looking show.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

SmackDown gets a half a point for Shelton Benjamin.

POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+0 / -0) / SmackDown (+.5 / -0)


Even with the rare bonus points win, SmackDown still gets the loss with a 5-2.5 L. The new aura surrounding SD Live when it first came back is gone. Now, it just seems like they're misusing some key guys. Sami being the most notable alongside Mike Kanellis. Raw has a hard hitting main event and a possible WrestleMania headliner going into a smaller PPV. They're throwing everything and then some at the fans for some ratings, and they deserve it.