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 - August 8, 2022 - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - August 12, 2022 - PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw featured a number of solid matches, with Seth Rollins getting one over Angelo Dawkins. This match was better than I had anticipated, as Dawkins is not seen as being on the same level of Montez Ford, but here at least, he put that claim to shame. The real highlight of the night, however, was Bobby Lashley successfully defending his WWE United States Championship against Tommaso Ciampa, which firmly placed Ciampa on the map!
SmackDown = GUNTHER vs Shinsuke Nakamura was a strong WWE Intercontinental Championship match, allowing GUNTHER to once again display just why he is primed for big things. As fabulous as that match was, The Usos losing once again was poor. As the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, they should not be losing as often as they are.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The show opening promo was fine, but it harked back to the days when women would complain for the sake of a feud, rather than trying to do anything that broke the mold. I wasn't enamoured by the decision to have the multiple women involved argue, as it would have been much more impactful if there had been a co-ordinated attack instead.
SmackDown = Ronda Rousey interrupting the contract signing between Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler was a great moment for her, as she finally seemed to have the fire that has been sorely missing since she returned to WWE. Drew McIntyre was also impressive on the microphone, bring an intensity that is so easy to get behind.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = The effort to get behind Tommaso Ciampa this week was fabulous to watch, as was Kevin Owens' descent into heeldom once more. I also enjoyed the continuation of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky imposing their will on the women's division.
SmackDown = I approve of Scarlett coming out to essentially deliver Karrion Kross' warning to Drew McIntyre, as it serves both of their characters well to be done in such a manner. It also helped build towards something more with The Bloodline as The Usos delivered a warning, only for Scarlett to turn it right back at them. This is a storyline I can get behind, although I do fear this means Kross will ultimately cost McIntyre the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Quite simply, Raw was hella exciting! I was a huge fan of how the show was presented this week.
SmackDown = I certainly appreciated the build to the WWE Intercontinental Championship match, as it helped anchor the show and make the pacing feel much improved.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for feeling exciting throughout - a real sign that Triple H as the head of creative is such a boon to the company.
Raw also gains points for kicking off the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship tournament with a victory for Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. I really do hope they can translate it into a full tilt at the titles, perhaps even facing off against a returning Sasha Banks and Naomi.
Raw loses points for essentially killing off Ezekiel. Not only is his character dead, but it also destroys any potential momentum for Elias.
SmackDown gains points for putting real effort into the vignettes for the WWE Intercontinental Championship match, presenting the belt as something worth fighting for.
SmackDown also points for Kofi Kingston looking strong against The Viking Raiders.
SmackDown loses points for fans once again turning on Liv Morgan.
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. Both shows were once again fine examples of the strong work we can expect from Triple H, but it was the higher level of excitement and consistency from Raw that allowed the red brand to stand tall this week.
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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