WWE Monday Night Raw - May 20, 2019 - Times Union Center in Albany, NY
WWE SmackDown - May 21, 2019 – Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, RI
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = For the most part, thumbs up. Cesaro/Ricochet was entertaining, Revival/Usos wasn't some joke segment, I liked the idea of Alexa Bliss just being on the sidelines for the six-woman tag team match, etc.
SmackDown = Ali vs. Andrade was good, Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn wasn't bad either
WINNER: Raw ties SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = There's no way Raw can win this week with the same type of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman stuff as well as the unfortunate Mick Foley segment.
SmackDown = R-Truth saying his wig wasn't cheap cause it was $12 alone was better than anything on Raw. Dolph Ziggler also cut his best promo in a while.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = As much as I hate Lesnar with the briefcase, I'm glad they teased things. The introduction of the 24/7 Championship is problematic, but it's something interesting.
SmackDown = Dolph Ziggler's surprise attack was neat.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Nothing was distinctive enough between these two shows to make me feel like one should be considered above the other.
WINNER: Raw ties SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for the 24/7 title changes of Robert Roode and R-Truth (not Titus O'Neil, as that was a dumb way to win the title).
Raw loses points for how ugly that 24/7 title is, as well as the Lars Sullivan segment doing nothing for me.
SmackDown gains a point for The B-Team not letting each other beat R-Truth, but loses a point for a main event that felt like it was unnecessary to watch.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -2) / SmackDown (+1 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw ties SmackDown
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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