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.
WWE Monday Night Raw - March 15, 2021 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - March 19, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Bobby Lashley vs Sheamus was a great main event, showcasing how both men are absolute monsters. Lashley came out on top, which was absolutely the right decision. Drew McIntyre defeated The Miz in a far more entertaining romp than I expected, but match of the night has to go to The Hurt Business vs New Day, which was as exciting as it was compelling.
SmackDown = Edge vs Jey Uso was a fun way to end the show, featuring a healthy amount of competition and back and forth action. Edge was victorious, but Uso genuinely looked better for being in the ring with The Rated R Suoerstar. Unfortunately, the rest of the matches on the card failed to shine, with the women’s matches in particular coming off as absolute duds.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Once again, the promo duel between Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon was torturous. There was absolutely no redeeming feature from McMahon basically calling the Monster Among Men stupid.
SmackDown = The sit down interview between Big E and Apollo Crews was amazing, with Big E displaying a more ruthless side to his character. Crews added to the quality of the segment with his promise to awaken the Nigerian Warrior within, but overall, this was an extremely enjoyable promo segment.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Storylines ticked along in a positive manner this week, with all of the relevant Fastlane storylines receiving solid advancement. Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus was booked well, whilst also setting the groundwork for McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan at Fastlane was the premier storyline on the show, showcasing the overall strengths of the storyline. Big E vs Apollo Crews continued to be pushed heavily, but once again, SmackDown failed to make anyone care about Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was a smartly paced show this week, allowing most feuds and matches time to breathe.
SmackDown = SmackDown dragged at points this week, with some segments of the show clearly struggling to keep the momentum of the show on an upward trajectory. The pacing felt off, which made the show feel longer than it should have.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for making Bobby Lashley feel important as the focal point of the show.
Raw also gains points for creating intrigue over Alexa Bliss’ challenge to Randy Orton at Fastlane.
Raw loses points for not making Asuka’s return from injury feel important.
SmackDown gains points for how funny Robert Roode was on commentary.
SmackDown also gains points for giving Big E vs Apollo Crews space to breathe and get over organically.
SmackDown loses points for the absolute mess that was Natalya and Tamina taking out Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler. I just don’t care about them as a team.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 4 to 2, Raw wins this week's Battle of the Brands. The red show was a much more consistent offering, with SmackDown feeling rather insipid at times.
That's my pick for the better show of the week, but how do YOU stand?
Which was better, Raw or SmackDown?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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