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 - January 10, 2022 - Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - January 14, 2022 – CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Alpha Academy capturing the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship was a genuine surprise, and one that I was thrilled to see. Both teams have worked hard as of late, and whilst R-K-Bro have been the shining light of Raw's tag team division, Alpha Academy have more than held their own. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly Big E vs Seth Rollins, which was one of the best Raw television matches in recent memory, although I do feel that Big E should have been protected somewhat. Did Rollins really need to win decisively?
SmackDown = The Fatal 4 Way tag team match was disappointing, as the action was not as intense as it should have been. This was particularly egregious as The Viking Raiders were the obvious winners from the outset. One match I cannot quite understand is Aliyah vs Natalya. I have gone backwards and forwards over the impact of this match, and whether or not it was beneficial to Aliyah's character. I lean towards yes, especially as a win over Natalya on paper seems important. The execution left something to be desired, but hopefully, this will lead somewhere positive for both women.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman vs Bobby Lashley and MVP on the microphone was an absolute delight! I don't know where Lesnar has been hiding his promo chops, but he is really coming in clutch with his contributions to Raw's promo segments. Unlike Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins, these two jousting on the microphone makes me genuinely excited to see their match at the Roytal Rumble.
SmackDown = I actually enjoyed the silly nature of the show opening promo from The Usos, with the silliness actually coming across as a pleasant change to their character. Even as WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions, they maintain an aura of strength despite their silly jabs and barbs towards their opponents.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley was the prominent storyline of the night, which was a pure delight to witness. Nikki A.S.H. seemingly turned heel on Rhea Ripley, and whilst I have no confidence that this will lead to anything positive for the pair, it at least allowed both women to try and do something of note.
SmackDown = Despite the fact that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have a long history with one another, I just cannot get excited for their WWE Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble. There is a clear discord between their characters, and it does not seem as though the stars have alligned for a positive encounter. I hope I'm wrong, but something just feels off about this feud.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was paced well this week, with no real segment bringing down the overall quality of the show.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a solid show, however, the climax could have been presented much better, as it somewhat took the sails out of the show as a whole.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for letting the WWE Championship feud speak for itself as the best feud in WWE at the moment.
Raw also gains points for 'The Cutting Edge', which was once again intriguing to watch.
Raw loses points for Alexa Bliss' segment, as it just did not click with me. I feel I have gotten to the stage where I just do not care about this incarnation of Bliss.
SmackDown gains points for Lita's return to SmackDown, in which she more than held her own with the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion. Charlotte Flair may currently be incredibly insufferable, but this made Lita's attack feel even more exciting.
SmackDown also gains points for 'In-Zayn'. It was pure garbage, and I loved it so much!
SmackDown loses points for the video packages and references towards The Shield. This makes Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins feel less organic.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 5 to 1, Raw easily wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw was a fantastic show this week, whereas SmackDown just did not feel like a fully cohesive show. That is not to say that SmackDown was bad, but it just didn't reach the same heights as Raw.
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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