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: CROWD

Both crowds were really pretty good again this week, but I think SmackDown's crowd takes the win here. Just a little bit louder and more into every part of the show.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: COMMENTARY

The SmackDown crew gets stronger and stronger every week. Not that Raw is awful (Byron Saxton is but not the whole group), but David Otunga is getting a little better as the weeks go on even though I'd be fine with just Mauro Ranallo and JBL.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: MATCHES

Monday Night Raw had a few better matches than SmackDown this week, but that seems to be the regular. The mixed tag match with Roman Reigns and Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte and Rusev was pretty good. The cruiserweights had two great matches on Raw, and of course, the main event between Chris Jericho and Seth Rollins was a good one, too, so I think that gives them the win here.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: PROMOS

Promos were really pretty even on both shows. Raw had a decent one to start the show with Sasha, Charlotte, and Rusev with Lana. The Hell in a Cell address with Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon was really strong as well as anything they did with Chris and KO. Of course, Paul Heyman crushed it too like he always does—greatest talker of all time.

SmackDown had another great verbal bout between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, and then AJ Styles' victory speech was pretty good too. However, I think Raw had some stronger promos since. Mick and Stephanie are more fun on the mic than Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan and that makes a big difference to me.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 5: STORYLINES

Raw wins here again. SmackDown has some great storylines, but with John Cena gone and probably another Styles vs. Ambrose feud coming I'm not nearly as interested. The main event scene on Raw has been stellar since KO took over, and Jericho has reinvented himself yet again in the greatest way possible. Those two mixed with The Authority and Seth Rollins is such a strong mix that they get the win here.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 6: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw still struggles here compared to SmackDown. The benefits of having a two hour show I guess.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 7: VISUAL PRESENTATION

SmackDown really excels here. The little things like the wrestling facts and different camera angles play such a small part individually, but really make a difference throughout the show as a whole.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

SmackDown gets some extra love because James Ellsworth beat AJ Styles! Any man with two hands has a fighting chance, and James proves it!.. With a little help from Dean.

POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+0 / -0) / SmackDown (+1 / -0)


After Raw finally picked up a win last week, they are back on the losing side. I really enjoyed certain parts of Raw, but not the entire show as much. SmackDown has some good stuff in terms of matches and promos, and they surprise us with stuff like The Spirit Squad and James Ellsworth. The land of opportunity is back on top this week with a total tally of 5-3. Our overall wins and losses sees SmackDown on top with a 6-1 lead.