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 = Raw featured a mix of unimportant squash matches and competitive contests, with Aleister Black defeating Erick Rowan in what was perhaps Rowan's best match in years. Black looked dominant and dangerous, whilst Rowan reiterated the threat that he poses to Raw's midcard.

The best match of the night was the main event of the evening, with Kevin Owens and The Viking Raiders defeating Murphy and The Authors of Pain via DQ. Yes, this match was just another variation of the same match we have seen over the past few weeks, but it was still thoroughly entertaining.

SmackDown = The 8 man tag team match which opened the show was a fabulous match, with The New Day looking strong before their SmackDown Tag Team Championship match against John Morrison and The Miz at Super Showdown. The Usos looked extremely motivated, which can only benefit the tag team division, whilst Morrison once again showed how talented he is.

The symphony of destruction match was quite simply an entertaining car crash, with the use of musical weapons a fun touch. Braun Strowman being slammed through a double bass was a majestic visual, and one that set the tone for the rest of the match. This was a fun match that benefitted everyone involved.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Randy Orton opened the show to state he doesn't like people questioning why he took out Edge, with Matt Hardy coming out to further question him. Hardy showed heart in his promo before being attacked viciously by Orton, and if this is to be his last appearance in a WWE ring, he signed off with a strong promo and a memorable segment overall.

Seth Rollins addressed the fans as part of a sermon, using a strong religious overtone which made the entire segment feel uncomfortable. Rollins exclusively refers to himself as the Monday Night Messiah, which implies he sees himself as a parallel to Jesus. This allows fans to hate him more, with Rollins excelling on the microphone. Rollins delivers a different style of promo each week, with his sermons slowly becoming essential viewing on Raw.

SmackDown = The Usos and The New Day delivered a fun opening promo which centred on the mutual respect they have for each other, with the segment segueing into the 8 man tag team match. It was a fun promo which also highlighted the competition within SmackDown's tag team division.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Randy Orton viciously destroyed Matt Hardy, potentially taking him out of commission for the rest of his WWE tenure. Orton has returned to his dangerous Viper persona from the late 00's, with fans united in their hatred of him. The build to his eventual match with Edge has been perfectly booked so far, and once Edge returns to Raw, this storyline will become even more compelling and important.

Becky Lynch announced she will be attacking Shayna Baszler in a vicious fashion at some point in the future, with Lynch putting down a deposit on the fine she will receive for the level of violence she will put into this attack. This was an extremely effective segment, as Lynch seemed determined to gain a sense of revenge for last week's brutal attack. The build to their WrestleMania 36 match has been effective so far, but it is clear there is a lot more to come from this storyline.

SmackDown = Naomi defeated Carmella to become the number 1 contender to Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship at Super Showdown, which is appropriate as Bayley nearly cost Naomi the match, and Bayley has never defeated Naomi in a one on one match. This was a great match which fed in perfectly to the overall storyline, as Bayley has made enemies of both Naomi and Carmella recently.

Goldberg came out to a wonderful reception from fans before delivering a warning to The Fiend, noting he is ready for their match at Super Showdown. This brought out Bray Wyatt on the titantron, who stated that Goldberg would not be taking anything from anyone. This brought out The Fiend himself, who was Speared out of his shoes by Goldberg. This was an epic manner to end the show, with Goldberg looking like a real threat to The Fiend's WWE Universal Championship.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a fun show to watch, however not every segment was successful. Raw has been a consistently great show for many months now, and the show was still enjoyable and entertaining to watch.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a fun show to watch, with thoroughly entertaining matches and promo segments. The 2 hours absolutely flew by, which made the show extremely easy and fun to watch.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for the effectiveness of Seth Rollins' sermon, as fans reacted with pure revulsion. Rollins has successfully transitioned from a fan favourite to a despised, self centred heel.

Raw loses points for Ricochet not putting away Karl Anderson with ease, as this shows how much of an impossible task it will be to defeat Brock Lesnar at Super Showdown.

SmackDown gains points for Lacey Evans' interview with Renee Young, as it allowed Evans to show a better side of her character.

SmackDown also gains points for the intriguing mail interruptions during the show, as it is unclear what this is hinting at. Intrigue can only make the show better, and it will be interesting to see what this means for SmackDown going forward.

SmackDown loses points for the poor follow up to Otis' aborted date with Mandy Rose. It feels as if the writers are unclear how this storyline should progress.

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


With a score of 3 to 2, SmackDown just about wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Both shows were extremely entertaining, however SmackDown was the tighter show, which meant it was the more enjoyable show to watch. The build to Super Showdown has been more effective on SmackDown, which was reflected in the enjoyment level of this week's show.