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 an intriguing collection of contests, with Aleister Black vs Erick Rowan a standout candidate. Black has the momentum of a freight train, and his matches are the highlight of the show each and every week.

Angelo Dawkins vs Murphy was an extremely fun match which well and truly highlighted the strength in depth of the Raw roster. Murphy is an absolute delight to watch, and he brought his A game to this match.

SmackDown = SmackDown didn’t feature many interesting matches this week, however this can be excused due to the fact they are just over 24 hours removed from Super Showdown. Naomi and Lacey Evans vs Bayley and Sasha Banks was a serviceable match, but it didn’t do much to make the fans in attendance rally behind Naomi and Evans.

Robert Roode vs Kofi Kingston was a better match, with Roode picking up the much needed win in an energetic contest. Kingston struggling after the loss of the SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a great narrative to explore, which made this match more interesting.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Raw featured a contract signing for the upcoming women’s elimination chamber match, which unsurprisingly descended into chaos. This made the match itself feel both important and unpredictable, as it expertly tied in multiple ongoing storylines.

Paul Heyman delivered a promo on Brock Lesnar’s behalf to explain how Ricochet is owed a beating at the hands of The Beast. It was straight to the point and highly effective, although it reinforced just how little Ricochet is respected by the writing team as he is considered an afterthought in this feud.

SmackDown = Goldberg opened the show to ask who was next, with Roman Reigns coming out to declare that he would indeed be facing Goldberg next. This short and sweet, and although not ground breaking, it was quite effective.

John Cena delivered a strong promo to explain that he wouldn’t be competing at WrestleMania 36 to respect WWE superstars and the WWE universe. This was a strong and heartfelt promo, with Cena reminding fans of how strong he is on the microphone.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Seth Rollins employed the services of a crooked ref this week to screw over Kevin Owens, with Owens successfully taking his frustrations out on the crooked ref. This also hinted at how the Monday Night Messiah is brainwashing people, which made the entire segment feel very entertaining. It also highlighted how the current storyline feels akin to CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society from 2010.

Shayna Baszler is being booked perfectly on Raw, as she feels like the only credible choice to win the women’s elimination chamber match. She feels like a genuine threat to Becky Lynch’s Raw Women’s Championship, and I cannot wait to see their inevitable clash at WrestleMania 36.

SmackDown = The Fiend didn’t come out to avenge his loss against Goldberg at Super Showdown, with Roman Reigns instead taking his place as Goldberg’s next challenger. This was disappointing, especially as Goldberg has no right being the WWE Universal Champion.

Bayley and Sasha Banks resumed their feud with Lacey Evans, which allowed Naomi to secure a pinfall victory over Bayley. It is unclear where this storyline is going, but it is positive to see the SmackDown women’s division receive extended airtime.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a solid show, which made it enjoyable to watch. It was smartly booked and well paced, which has often been the case over the last few months.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a fun show to watch, however the lack of highly interesting matches hurt the overall quality. It also didn’t help to not see The Fiend seek immediate retribution, which hurt the pacing of the show.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for making the women’s elimination chamber match feel important.

Raw also gains points for continuing to make Shayna Baszler feel special. She has an aura that is unmatched in the women’s division, and it is an aura of dominance and invulnerability that she deservedly holds.

Raw loses points for having The OC attack Aleister Black, as it feels like a placeholder feud. Black deserves much better than this, and should be on the hunt for the WWE Championship.

SmackDown gains points for making John Cena’s appearance feel special. It was indeed a special moment considering his current status within the company.

SmackDown loses points for failing to pursue a retribution storyline for The Fiend. In order to push part timers, talented workers are being marginalised in a way that only hurts the product.

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


With a score of 5 to 0, Raw wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Raw is so much more consistent than SmackDown, and unfortunately for the blue brand, they suffered immensely from the negative matches and outcomes from Super Showdown.