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: MATCHES

Raw = Last week was a significant improvement in terms of match quality, and this week was no different. The level of quality on offer was consistently good, with the main event between Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles the standout contest. Mysterio has looked much better recently, whilst Styles continues to prove he is one of the most talented wrestlers in WWE.

Drew McIntyre destroyed Matt Hardy in an entertaining squash, whilst Humberto Carrillo defeated Andrade in a thrilling contest. Raw has some extremely talented wrestlers at it's disposal, so it is great to see them used correctly in entertaining matches.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured a number of interesting matches, with a clear focus on tag team matches this week. The highlight of these matches was the contest between The New Day and the team of King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. This match was the result of interference in the earlier bout between Kofi Kingston and Corbin. This match highlighted how skilful the New Day are, whilst further demonstrating how slimy Corbin is.

Bayley used her match against Dana Brooke to reinforce how strong she is as SmackDown Women’s Champion. This match was a simple squash, but one which rehabilitates her character after recently looking weak.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Lana and Rusev had a live divorce segment to open Raw, and it was quite simply cringeworthy. This storyline has been awful, with Lana’s promo delivery contributing to this. This week, Lana was just as annoying as she has been recently, whilst Rusev expertly delivered his straight laced responses. Rusev performed well, which salvaged the segment from being utter trash.

SmackDown = The Miz was interviewed in his home by Renee Young, in what was a heartfelt and emotional affair. The intensity of his answers was amazing, as it truly represented how much Bray Wyatt has affected his state of mind. The Miz is one of the best talkers in WWE, and his interview here was flawless.

Bray Wyatt responded with a promo of his own, as he blamed The Miz for sticking his nose into Daniel Bryan’s business, thus incurring his wrath. Wyatt also alluded to how he doesn’t feel pain, as it is a state of mind he uses. Everything about this promo was perfect, with Wyatt shining, even without his arguably more interesting alter ego.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Seth Rollins’ alignment with The Authors of Pain was finally confirmed this week, and not a moment too soon. Rollins operates best as a heel, however he has never been the leader of a group with an active tag team, which should make for extremely interesting viewing. Rollins is much more mature than he was when he had J&J Security as his lackeys, therefore to have the brute strength of AOP at his disposal is quite frankly terrifying.

Randy Orton’s personal crusade against AJ Styles continued this week, as he arguably cost Styles the opportunity to regain his United States Championship. It is an intriguing storyline that currently has fans guessing about what he will do next.

SmackDown = Bray Wyatt and The Miz continued to build their rivalry, with both wrestlers employing the use of promos to build anticipation for their match at TLC this Sunday. They haven’t had much time to highlight their feud, but they have succeeded in presenting an interesting narrative in just a few weeks.

Alexa Bliss has been tormented by Fire and Desire since she returned from injury, and this week was no different. Whilst Bliss and Nikki Cross were mid interview, Fire and Desire attacked them backstage before transitioning to a match. Despite being ambushed, Bliss and Cross were able to defeat Fire and Desire. This increased focus on the women’s division is much appreciated, as the division can feel neglected outside of the feud for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw felt much more vibrant this week, which is a welcome change from recent shows that have dragged on for the full 3 hour run time.

SmackDown = SmackDown was an easy show to digest this week. In part, this was due to the 2 hour run time, but no segment felt truly awful or uninteresting.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for cementing Seth Rollins’ heel turn by aligning with The Authors of Pain.

Raw also gains points for seemingly bringing Rusev Day back. It appeared as though Rusev was happy to leave Rusev Day in the past, but he brought it back when divorcing Lana. This made for a wonderful Rusev Day!

Raw loses points for the divorce segment between Lana and Rusev. If not for Rusev’s performance, this would have been the worst WWE segment in recent memory.

SmackDown gains points for an increased focus this week on tag team wrestling. It is a New Japan Pro Wrestling approach to build towards future singles matches by using tag team contests, and it felt highly effective here.

SmackDown also gains points for allowing Bray Wyatt to showcase his brighter persona. Allowing his own natural character to develop without the appearance of The Fiend is highly refreshing, as it applies yet another compelling layer to the overall character. Wyatt is the heart of the company at the moment, and it is great to see him succeed with such a memorable set of personas.

SmackDown loses points for the dominant manner in which Roman Reigns took out King Corbin and his entourage. This makes their match at TLC feel less important, as Reigns has already gained a level of revenge for last week’s brutal attack.

SmackDown also loses points for the use of creepy dolls in The Miz’s daughter’s crib. Although effective at building heat for his feud with Bray Wyatt, it felt uncomfortable to use his daughter for such a creepy segment.

POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -2)


With a score of 3 to 2, Raw win’s this week’s Battle of the Brands. Both shows excelled this week, however Raw felt more interesting than it has in a few weeks. Divorce court aside, Raw had no glaring issues, whilst SmackDown was also a better offering than recent weeks.