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: MATCHES

Raw = The matches this week were largely exciting, with the fatal five way elimination match the undoubted highlight of the night. Not only was Rey Mysterio winning a surprise, but Robert Roode was elevated to a clear star by being the final wrestler eliminated. It actually seemed for a fleeting second that he would defeat Mysterio, however Mysterio was able to put Roode away and become the number one contender to the WWE Universal Championship. All 5 wrestlers performed well in this match, but Roode came away from this match in better standing than when it began.

Sasha Banks vs Nikki Cross was entertaining, with Banks maintaining her momentum going into her match with Becky Lynch at Hell in a Cell. Cross continues to look strong in defeat as she develops her face persona further.

The main event of Raw was Seth Rollins vs Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship, and despite a DQ finish, it was better received than their match at Clash of Champions. Strowman continued to be presented as a monster, whilst the interference from The Fiend was both logical and entertaining. This was a great way to finish Raw, with the show featuring no bad matches at all.

SmackDown = Erick Rowan vs Daniel Bryan was a quality match to open SmackDown, with Rowan once again proving he has made a huge improvement the quality of his matches. Yes, Bryan is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but Rowan more than held his own in this match. This allowed Rowan to look dominant, setting him up as a real threat going forward.

Unfortunately, the remaining matches on SmackDown were of poor quality or inconsequential. Big E and Xavier Woods were wasted in a terrible match with The B Team, whilst Chad Gable was saddled with a match against Mike Kanellis that added nothing to his growing reputation. The Kabuki Warriors vs Fire and Desire was a decent main event, however none of the matches felt important, which was a real shame considering how great the matches had been on Raw.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Another episode of Raw, and another great Firefly Fun House promo. Bray Wyatt delivered yet another intriguing promo designed to unsettle both Seth Rollins and the fan base, whilst setting up their Hell in a Cell match in an effective manner. Wyatt’s delivery was as perfect as ever, with this promo feeling a lot darker in tone than some of the recent Firefly Fun House segments. This was highlighted by the creepy cadence in Wyatt’s voice when discussing his victims, especially when he mentioned how The Fiend doesn’t forget.

Becky Lynch was interviewed about her upcoming match with Sasha Banks, and throughout the promo she highlighted just how eager she is to destroy Banks inside the demonic Hell in a Cell structure. This promo increased the interest in their match, with Lynch showing just why she is one of the best talkers in the women’s division.

SmackDown = Unfortunately for SmackDown, Shane McMahon continues to steal promo time from more deserving wrestlers. Despite the presence of Kevin Owens, their segment was poorly received and did nothing to entice fans for the next chapter of their feud. McMahon continues to be a charisma vacuum, and the apathy towards this feud continues at an alarming rate.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins remains the hottest feud in WWE outside of Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks, however this is in spite of Rollins. The Fiend is the most compelling character in WWE, and fans latch onto everything he does. Despite being the WWE Universal Champion, Rollins is presented poorly with no real backbone, whilst Bray Wyatt continues to wreak havoc with his darker alter ego. Rollins is in dire need of showing he is capable of beating The Fiend next week in order to make their match at Hell in a Cell more interesting.

The Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks feud was highlighted again this week in Lynch’s promo as she explained how eager she is to beat Banks at Hell in a Cell. It was interesting to note that she mentioned the possibility of Bayley interfering, which was perhaps a subtle foreshadowing of what may happen at Hell in a Cell. The excitement level for their match is palpable, and I for one cannot wait to see them collide.

King Corbin and Chad Gable resumed their feud this week, with Corbin hitting Gable with his sceptre to cause the DQ. With no definite finish to their feud, it is inevitable that they will collide again, however as this is some of Corbin’s best work in WWE, the intrigue level for their feud is higher than one would expect. Their feud has been built up perfectly, with both men benefitting from the attention and focus they have been given.

SmackDown = Erick Rowan continued his unlikely push with a great promo and match against Daniel Bryan, in which he looked dominant, underlining how much of a threat he poses to other wrestlers on SmackDown. Rowan is proof that wrestlers can come back with a better character and better in ring ability. This may not be the highest profile storyline on Smackdown, but it remains the most intriguing and entertaining storyline to watch.

Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens continues to be the headline feud on SmackDown, despite not striking a chord with fans. The apathy for this feud is at an all time high, and despite Owens' best efforts, he cannot make the storyline any better. Despite a logical feud progression, the storyline feels insulting.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw returned to it’s recent glory this week. The show felt exciting, logically built and most importantly, it was a breeze to watch. The show never felt like a chore to watch, with the show regaining it’s lustre.

SmackDown = SmackDown felt very disjointed this week, with some segments going on too long or feeling out of place. 6 matches in 2 hours did not help either, therefore the show was a real chore to watch this week.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for finally pulling the trigger on Carmella defeating R-Truth for the 24/7 Championship. It was a feel good moment that had been anticipated for a number of months.

Raw also gains points for having Strowman attempt to attack The Fiend, becoming the first wrestler to stand up to the dark character. It took 2 separate Mandible Claw attempts from The Fiend to finally take down Strowman, which protects Strowman and the mystique of The Fiend. This also allows for a future storyline between the pair.

Raw loses points for completely burying Seth Rollins. By crying in fear in the corner of the ring as The Fiend destroyed Braun Strowman, Rollins was presented as weak and pathetic. He is the WWE Universal Champion, therefore he should be able to stand up to anyone. Rollins calls himself The Beast Slayer, however this seemingly doesn’t extend to The Fiend. This was a highly disappointing and insulting segment.

SmackDown gains points for successfully presenting Erick Rowan as a real monster. With each passing week, Rowan continues to display real improvement, and he should be commended for his efforts.

SmackDown loses points for having Ali be defeated by Shinsuke Nakamura yet again. Ali was primed for a WWE Championship challenge earlier in 2019, however his injury put an end to that. Since his return he has been poorly booked, and this week was a prime example of how he has little to no credibility.

POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+1 / -1)


With a punishing score of 5 to 0, Raw is the winner of Battle of the Brands this week. Raw continues to be the much more consistent show whilst featuring more interesting storylines and better matches. Raw isn't perfect, but it is head and shoulders above the inconsistent show that is SmackDown.