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 = The match quality on Raw this week was better than last week, with Drew McIntyre defeating Dolph Ziggler in an entertaining Extreme Rules match. This is the match they should have had at Extreme Rules, as it was a solid and thoroughly fun match to watch.

Sasha Banks and Asuka competed for the right to be the undisputed Raw Women's Champion. The match was almost as good as their Extreme Rules match, but the poor execution of the match finish made Asuka look stupid, whilst perpetuating the idea that Banks cannot win the big one on her own merit.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured a solid Intercontinental Championship match between AJ Styles and Gran Metalik, which was actually more competitive than I believed it would be. AJ Styles won in a strong manner, but Metalik certainly made himself look better in the eyes of fans.

Nikki Cross attempted to wrest the SmackDown Women's Championship away from Bayley. This match was on par with their effort from Extreme Rules, with Bayley coming out on top to underline her position as one of the highlights of the women's division.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre both produced great promos as they started the build to their match at SummerSlam. Orton was cold and calculated, whilst McIntyre was the spunky and confident WWE Champion that you can't help but root for. Both promos were strong and contributed to a better show than last week.

SmackDown = Jeff Hardy delivered a heartfelt promo to explain how he still struggles with demons, but performing for the WWE universe is all the addiction he needs. It was nice to see a purely positive promo from The Charismatic Enigma, which made this promo feel more impactful.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Randy Orton didn't require much of a reason to go after Drew McIntyre, but he certainly made an impact when he delivered a crushing RKO to the WWE Champion. His challenge to McIntyre for a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam was accepted, therefore the next few weeks promise to be essential viewing as we see The Legend Killer aim to reclaim the top prize in this industry.

SmackDown = Storylines took a backseat on SmackDown this week, however The Fiend attacking Alexa Bliss at the end of the show was highly intriguing. Bliss had a cameo in the Swamp Fight, therefore there is some existing reason as to why The Fiend would want her. Is this the start of a heel turn? Is she done with Nikki Cross? Until next week, fans will be clamouring for answers as to why she was targeted.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a much improved show this week, with a number of storylines started or extended in order to build towards SummerSlam. The pacing of the show was much better, which resulted in a more enjoyable experience.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a solid show, with a good mix of matches and promos. Whilst not as high octane as Raw felt this week, the blue brand still put on an entertaining show.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for how much Mustafa Ali bumped for Bobby Lashley. He sold the beating so well that I genuinely thought Lashley was going to kill him.

Raw gains more points for setting up the biggest match they could for SummerSlam. Without Brock Lesnar to turn up and clean house, Randy Orton was the best choice to realistically put Drew McIntyre's WWE Championship reign in jeopardy.

Raw loses points for bringing Nia Jax back into the fold. She really struggles to excite fans, which means it was disappointing to see her presented on the same level as Shayna Baszler.

SmackDown gains points for ending the show with a cliffhanger. The Fiend usually contributes to the best action on SmackDown, and this week he didn't disappoint.

SmackDown loses points for Shorty G's apparent heel turn. It makes no sense, yet I still have no confidence that WWE know what they are doing with him.

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


With a score of 4 to 1, Raw wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Both shows were much improved from last week, but it was Raw which felt like the more complete show.