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 on offer this week were a mixed bag compared to recent weeks, however there were some good matches on offer. Seth Rollins vs Humberto Carrillo was an interesting matchup, with Carrillo showing he is capable of hanging with one of the best performers in the company.

Drew McIntyre underlined how important he can be to Raw as he defeated Ricochet in the match of the night. Ricochet is one of the more consistent wrestlers in WWE, however McIntyre was able to display the ruthlessness that may allow him to become one of the focal points of Raw. His victory felt like a true statement of intent.

The main event of the evening was The Street Profits vs The OC’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, but the match itself was very underwhelming. This contest didn’t feel appropriate to headline Raw, in spite of the fact that it was designed as a way to get The Street Profits over on the main roster.

SmackDown = The matches featured on SmackDown this week felt rushed compared to those on Raw. Kofi Kingston and Big E faced Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler in a brief but entertaining tag team match, which served to bring out other teams that are involved in the tag team turmoil match at Crown Jewel.

Lacey Evans swiftly defeated a jobber by the name of Camron Connors, effectively rehabilitating her character. Nikki Cross and Mandy Rose actually had a good match which sets up Cross for her match with Bayley further down the line.

The main event featured Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin and Cesaro vs Roman Reigns, Ali and Shorty G. This was a frenetic bout which was highly entertaining, with Ali picking up the victory for his team. This was a great main event that showcased the talent available on SmackDown.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Promo quality was also noticeably poorer this week, with The King’s Court segment a particular disappointment. Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley tried to make the segment compelling, but a mixture of the terrible storyline and lack of promo skills meant the segment died a painful death on air.

Humberto Carrillo provided the worst promo of the night, as his delivery felt awkward and unnatural. Hopefully more exposure on the main roster will allow him to develop his promo skills, however this was an unsuccessful baptism of fire.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured a war of words between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, which was interesting, if only for how cringeworthy it felt. The Miz hosted the segment, whilst Ali, King Corbin and Sami Zayn contributed perfectly to the segment.

Firefly Fun House returned, however Bray Wyatt didn’t personally address Seth Rollins. With the death and subsequent revival of Ramblin’ Rabbit, this promo felt like a wasted opportunity.

The highlight of the night was Sami Zayn offering a union between himself, Shinsuke Nakamura and Daniel Bryan. The overtures he made towards Bryan made sense, and Bryan’s reluctance to either accept or reject the offer was compelling.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Raw is struggling for good storyline development at the moment, with the Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley storyline inexplicably pushed hard, despite the fact it is a pathetic and uninteresting storyline. Each week that passes is a wasted week in terms of having this storyline end.

The lack of a proper follow up to Seth Rollins destroying the Firefly Fun House was a real concern, as this is one of the highest profile storylines in the company. Bray Wyatt has no issue using either of his personas to turn up on Raw despite being a SmackDown superstar, therefore not having him feature was deafening in it’s absence. Fans are right to expect Wyatt to exact revenge as quickly as possible, so this felt like a missed opportunity.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured an interaction between Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar, which effectively set up their match at Crown Jewel. Paul Heyman was perfect in his promo execution, whilst underlining in a subtle manner that Lesnar is intimidated by Velasquez. Injecting Dominik into the segment was a touch of genius as it allowed Lesnar to retain his dangerous tag. This was confirmed when Lesnar destroyed all 3 in a vicious rampage backstage.

Nikki Cross was able to show Bayley personally just how much of a threat she poses, and although it feels like Cross has no chance of winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship, I appreciate the effort to build her up as a viable challenger to Bayley.

Unfortunately, with Crown Jewel taking place next week, there seems to be a feeling of indifference towards storylines on Raw and SmackDown until Crown Jewel is over, therefore both shows are lacking in compelling storylines. SmackDown just about has the edge, but not by much.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a struggle to watch this week. It felt longer than it’s 3 hour run time would suggest, whilst feeling like a real chore to get through. This didn’t feel like the Paul Heyman inspired Raw we have been spoiled with over the past few months.

SmackDown = SmackDown was easier to watch than Raw this week, however the show felt disjointed. The 2 hour run time works in SmackDown’s favour to make it the easier watch.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for trying to elevate new talent, with Humberto Carrillo being provided with a platform to endear himself to fans who are unfamiliar with his work.

Raw loses points for the continued focus on the Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley storyline. It is quite simply torturous to watch at the moment, serving no purpose in providing any of the involved wrestlers with a shred of credibility.

SmackDown gains points for yet again including Drew Gulak’s PowerPoint presentation in his match. This comedy element is sure to get him over with SmackDown fans, as he can back his comedy up with competent wrestling.

SmackDown also gains points for Brock Lesnar taking out Cain Velasquez and Rey Mysterio backstage. The way Mysterio was slammed into the wall with an F5 was simply vicious.

SmackDown loses points for having Shorty G wear such a cringeworthy outfit. This was as much of a visual burial as I have seen in a while as he looks bereft of any credibility in the outfit, however I suspect that is the intention.

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


With a score of 4 to 1, SmackDown wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Raw disappointed big time this week, with a show that felt lacking in a lot of places. The match quality was good, however the storylines and overall theme of the show suffered. SmackDown felt fresher, although both shows are clearly struggling as they approach Crown Jewel.