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 = Despite showcasing 3 original matches, Raw’s offerings felt lacking this week. Aleister Black secured yet another squash victory, whilst The Street Profits also enjoyed a squash victory of their own. Although entertaining, they felt very passé.

Raw featured the amazing triple threat match between Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Seth Rollins from the 2015 Royal Rumble. This match still holds up today, and it was the better choice of classic matches highlighted on either show this week.

SmackDown = Alexa Bliss vs Asuka was our first original women’s match on either show for a few weeks, and it was a breath of fresh air. Bliss had a level of fire in her performance that has been missing recently, whilst Asuka was as entertaining as ever.

SmackDown featured Roman Reigns vs Triple H from WrestleMania 32, which was a turgid affair. If WWE felt the need to feature a Reigns match, they had much better and entertaining options than this.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Paul Heyman delivered his quintessential pro Brock Lesnar promo, which continued to sufficiently hype Lesnar’s match with Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36. It was a quality promo, with Heyman highlighting how Lesnar is a dangerous opponent.

AJ Styles proposed a boneyard match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36, with Styles delivering a competent and confident promo. Styles has really grown as a performer on the microphone, and this promo served as a great example of what he brings to Raw.

SmackDown = Bray Wyatt delivered a fun promo as he proposed a Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36 with John Cena. It was a brief promo, but it felt welcomed as the world struggles with the effects of COVID-19.

Whilst not a promo, Nikki Cross’ commentary was pure hilarity, which enhanced the enjoyment of Alexa Bliss vs Asuka.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Raw felt important this week as feuds were suitably expanded upon, with Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles vs The Undertaker highlighted in a positive manner. Shayna Baszler vs Becky Lynch was also expanded upon, with Lynch gaining the upper hand by attacking Baszler with a steel chair.

SmackDown = Storylines weren’t the focus of this week’s show, which was a shame as we head into WrestleMania 36. Goldberg’s absence was deafening, whilst John Cena was also conspicuous in his absence. This is the issue when relying on part time stars during the road to WrestleMania.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a fun show this week, with an increased focus on storyline progression. It was a strong offering, especially when compared to previous offerings of Raw and SmackDown that have taken place at the WWE Performance Center.

SmackDown = SmackDown was an enjoyable show, but it wasn’t the strong show that it should have been. Considering we are just one week away from WrestleMania 36, SmackDown has failed to build towards it’s matches in the same effective manner as Raw.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for making Becky Lynch look strong against Shayna Baszler. This match has the potential to headline night 1 of WrestleMania 36, therefore keeping both wrestlers strong is vital.

Raw also gains points for choosing the best option for a classic match this week, as Raw’s offerings were much better than SmackDown’s choice.

Raw loses points for continuing to showcase Aleister Black in squash matches. He needs stronger opponents to showcase his skills, otherwise fans will fail to buy into him as a credible top tier wrestler.

SmackDown gains points for featuring women’s wrestling, as it has felt like an eternity since either show featured a women’s match that wasn’t a highlight of a previous match.

SmackDown also gains points for making Tamina look credible, as that is a hard feat to achieve.

SmackDown loses points for the cringeworthy segment involving Mandy Rose and Dolph Ziggler. This storyline with Otis needs to end, as it is benefitting no-one’s career at the moment.

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


With a score of 4 to 2, Raw wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw was the stronger product this week, in part due to the stronger focus on the build towards WrestleMania 36.