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

In my opinion, I thought both crowds were down. Compared to the usual, that is.

But there was a clear winner, and that was the Raw crowd. 9/11 is clearly a patriotic time, and they had that energy to them. Raw wins.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: COMMENTARY

This is the first BOTB since JBL stepped down from his commentary role. I think both groups needed a change, and getting Tom Phillips and Corey Graves back together was that perfect change. I think Corey deserves every opportunity he gets.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: MATCHES

SmackDown had one match worth noting. One. And that was the United States Championship match with AJ and Tye Dillinger. AJ can make anyone look A+, but Tye can certainly hold his own.

Raw had a couple of pretty cool matches. Their main event was subpar to me with the multiman tag match, but Roman vs. Jason Jordan was fun along with Braun and John Cena. Jason Jordan has looked great in his matches, but cannot get a win. Seeing Braun handle Cena like a doll was awesome too, and I think that they have a lot of stock in Strowman going forward.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: PROMOS

Anything promo wise that has The Miz on it is gold. He has been on a streak of a lifetime in his promos and they're only going to get better. Obviously, Cena and Roman have been knocking down the fourth wall for weeks now, and its only getting better. They're adding a much-needed sense of realism to the product.

SmackDown has Vincent Kennedy McMahon on to announce a hell in a cell match between Kevin Owens and Shane. Vince is arguably one of the best ever to grab a microphone, and age hasn't change that. Dolph Ziggler and Jinder spit out the same promo week after week, and I'm tired of hearing it.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 5: STORYLINES

SmackDown storylines just aren't grabbing me. Kevin & Shane is cool, but I think Owens deserves a more prominent spot. The WWE Championship is seemingly second fiddle now, and the tag belts will probably keep jumping back and forth between the same two teams. I'm not really happy with either shows Women's Division.

Raw is where the big guns are. Strowman and Lesnar is a true main event. Cena & Reigns are on fire with a feud that feels more and more real every show. The tag scene is still fresh with Seth and Dean on top. And of course, The Miz. He deserves more than what he gets and is a true top guy. I hope he gets one more main event run in his career. He deserves it.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 6: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw still doesn't make good use of its time and has too many commercials.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 7: VISUAL PRESENTATION

In terms of visually pleasing things; seeing Jordan take Roman to the limit and Strowman take Cena to town was very cool. It shows trust in two young studs, and that the top guys can struggle sometimes too.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Nada.

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


Raw is the better, more engaging show. It has the better roster, the better storylines, and is consistently using their stars better. Having Cena, Miz, Strowman, Reigns, and Lesnar helps immensely. SmackDown has the talent, clearly. Jinder, Sami, AJ, KO, and Bobby Roode is more than enough for something amazing, but they just aren't clicking with me right now. Raw wins in a 5-2 tally.