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 = Raw featured Drew McIntyre’s first WWE Championship defence against The Big Show, in a contest that was actually entertaining. McIntyre gains some level of viability through defeating one of the strongest big men in wrestling history, with the win also providing McIntyre with the perfect springboard to become a successful champion.

Although Raw didn’t have the same electricity as the standard post WrestleMania Raw, a perfect surprise was Ricochet and Cedric Alexander vs Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, who competed against each other in a quality tag team match. Ricochet and Alexander were floundering on Raw, so their union is much appreciated. Burch and Lorcan are one of the best tag teams in WWE, so their appearance on Raw ensured this match was remembered for all the right reasons.

A special mention has to go to Aleister Black and Apollo Crews for their match this week, which was fun, competitive and compelling. Black continues his dominant run, whilst Crews had more in ring time on Raw in this single match than he had during his previous run on SmackDown. This may just be the match that restores Crews’ credibility in WWE.

SmackDown = Braun Strowman defended his newly won WWE Universal Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a fun sprint. Nakamura never really felt like a threat, but the match was still fun enough to be engaging.

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross reasserted their dominance over the women’s tag team division by defeating The Kabuki Warriors once more. Bliss and Cross feel like the rightful owners of the Women’s Tag Team Championship, and their match against the former champions was as fun and intense as their WrestleMania 36 bout.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Drew McIntyre’s post WrestleMania 36 promo was full of passion, heart and intrigue. This simple 5 minute promo was enough to convince anyone that he is the real deal, which is the hallmark of a truly successful promo.

SmackDown = Bray Wyatt delivered an incredible promo from the Firefly Fun House, noting how he wants his WWE Universal Championship back. He hinted at his history with Braun Strowman, however The Monster Among Men did not seem fazed. This was an amazing promo which already increases the interest in a match between these former stablemates.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = Raw didn’t do too much in the way of storylines this week, however Bianca Belair’s addition to the feud between The Street Profits and Zelina Vega’s posse was welcomed. Belair adds a sense of dynamism to the storyline, whilst Vega now has an excuse to wrestle more on Raw.

SmackDown = The blossoming feud between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman promises to be fascinating. Wyatt brought Strowman into WWE as a member of the Wyatt Family, however Wyatt’s assertion that he was abandoned is sure to mean the build to their match will be compelling viewing.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was an interesting show to watch, however it did not feel like the usual post WrestleMania Raw. Matches were shown that didn’t fit the pace of the show, and nothing of real note stood out as ground breaking.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a fun little show, featuring a decent mix of promos and matches. It too was not the frenetic post WrestleMania SmackDown it perhaps should have been, but nonetheless, it was a good show.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for convincing fans that Drew McIntyre’s fledgling reign as WWE Champion was in danger. Fans genuinely thought there was a chance he would lose the belt to The Big Show.

Raw also gains points for calling up the EST of NXT, Bianca Belair. Belair was definitely one of the better wrestlers in NXT, so it is hopeful she will bring a fresh vibe to Raw and start off strong.

Raw loses points for featuring so many matches, as they did not truly allow for good stories to be told, either within the matches themselves or outside the ring in the form of promos.

SmackDown gains points for The Forgotten Sons making their debut. Now Vince McMahon, please, please, PLEASE use them properly.

SmackDown also gains points for putting on such a great Firefly Fun House promo. These are by far the most entertaining segments in WWE, and Bray Wyatt seems to be having the time of his life making them.

SmackDown loses points for featuring Tamina in the Bayley vs Sasha Banks feud. Tamina is an awful wrestler and should be nowhere near the SmackDown Women’s Championship, even if she is only a conduit for the future break up of Bayley and Banks.

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


With a score of 4 to 2, SmackDown wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Both shows were stripped of their usual post WrestleMania identity, but this was expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SmackDown was just a hair ahead of Raw in terms of entertainment, although much of this lies at the door of Bray Wyatt.