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

With the shows being in the same arena two nights in a row it's hard to decide which one was truly better since it was essentially the same crowd. But I'm being forced to choose and the way the Raw crowd responded Bayley, and the chant lasted for at least 15 minutes I'm going to have to choose them.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: COMMENTARY

So I'm a little confused here. SmackDown added Tom Phillips to its commentary team which I've been calling for since the brand split. Tom is great on the mic, and I think he would be a much better fit than Otunga. The thing is, they didn't get rid of Otunga. So they now have four people on commentary for a two hour show. If what I'm predicting is right, which is that this is a build up to getting Otunga out, then I'm all for this. However, having four people for a two hour show is a monster mistake. But, thats still better than Cole and Byron Saxton.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: MATCHES

Both shows had some good matches, and some awful matches. Why Raw decided that The Shining Stars even need to be on tv is beyond me, and why Curt Hawkins beat Apollo Crews is on the same level. Raw had a really fun main event, but I think SmackDown takes home the win here. I liked the SmackDown Women's Championship match, and the main event was also really fun on SmackDown too.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: PROMOS

Raw promos bore the absolute hell out of me. They are way too long, and just seemingly a sad attempt to fill three hours. The biggest sad mark being the women's promo on Raw that took about 10 minutes more than what it needed to accomplish a simple task. SmackDown keeps their promos short, sweet, and to the point. Thats a lot better for the viewers.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 5: STORYLINES

SmackDown wins here based on the huge plot twist we saw at the end of the show on Tuesday. Shane-O-Mac is now on Team SmackDown for the Survivor Series elimination match covering for the injured Baron Corbin. That adds a whole new story to the show that we'll see play out in the coming weeks and a twist I absolutely enjoy.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 6: SCHEDULING / PACING

See exactly what I said in the promos section. Things on Raw are taking way too long, and making the show drag just to hit the three hour mark.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 7: VISUAL PRESENTATION

Its still really close in this section. SmackDown still does the little things to edge out the show on Monday nights.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Discussion on the topic.

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


Right now, SmackDown is the better show. It really isn't even a competition. If Raw switched to a two hour show I think its a totally different ballgame, but right now SmackDown reigns supreme. They win this week with a score of 6-1.