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 match quality on Raw this week was solid, with Seth Rollins vs Aleister Black acting as a superb way to start the show. Both men are in the upper echelon of Raw wrestlers, and their performance was not disappointing. Black stole the victory, but it was a victory that once again underlined just how talented he is.

Kevin Owens vs Apollo Crews was yet another fabulous match, with both men performing well. Crews has really come into his own since WrestleMania 36, whilst Owens remains the same top quality wrestler he has always been.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured some strong matches this week, with the undoubted highlight of the night the Women’s Tag Team Championship match. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross tried in vain to retain their titles, but the overwhelming power of Bayley and Sasha Banks proved too much. The match also benefitted from the dissension between Bayley and Banks, which ultimately made the contest memorable and enjoyable.

Otis enjoyed a solid victory over King Corbin, with this match acting as an example of a DQ victory benefitting the victor. Drew Gulak also defeated AJ Styles which set the stage perfectly for next week’s Intercontinental Championship match with Daniel Bryan. This match was proof of just why Gulak deserved his contract extension.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Seth Rollins delivered a disparaging promo on Rey Mysterio as part of the legendary superstar’s apparent retirement ceremony. Week in and week out, Rollins delivers promos of the highest quality, and his promo here was particularly enjoyable.

SmackDown = Jeff Hardy delivered a stunning promo as he explained he was not to blame for the attack on Elias last week. Not only was he not guilty, but the belief that he had fallen off the wagon was also unfounded. Whilst this is an uncomfortable storyline, Hardy made it work with his great promo.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = The prevailing storyline on Raw is Drew McIntyre’s feud with Bobby Lashley and MVP, with the WWE Champion taking on MVP in the main event of the show. McIntyre defeated MVP comprehensively, only to be attacked by Lashley after the match to end the show. MVP has made both Lashley and this storyline tolerable, and I cannot wait to see the next instalment of this feud.

SmackDown = The so called prank war between Braun Strowman, The Miz and John Morrison dominated SmackDown, which was a real shame as the WWE Universal Championship deserves so much better than this. The Miz and Morrison are clearly just placeholder opponents for Strowman, with stupid actions such as the slime attack and flipping the van detracting from the prestige of the title.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was an interesting show with many positive aspects. The show was far from perfect, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The logical pacing of the show helped considerably.

SmackDown = SmackDown felt like a let down this week, and one of the reasons for this was the poor pacing of the show. Focusing on the prank war greatly detracted from the flow of the show.

WINNER: Raw

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for continuing to push Apollo Crews. He no longer seems like the flavour of the month, but rather a solid and credible member of the roster.

Raw also gains points for R-Truth’s 24/7 Championship victory over Rob Gronkowski. Now bring back the fun R-Truth skits that all miss so dearly!

Raw loses points for everything Nia Jax related. She is awful. Just simply awful. She cannot wrestle, is unsafe in the ring, and detracts from everything she is a part of. Her current push is egregious in every single way. Asuka deserves so much better than being lumbered with this baffling buffoon.

SmackDown gains points for continuing to tease the split between Bayley and Sasha Banks. Despite the dissension during their match, they were still able to capture the Women’s Tag Team Championship, which adds yet another nuanced layer to this storyline.

SmackDown loses points for using slime on Kayla Braxton and Braun Strowman. There is no justification for using slime as a tool in a feud for the WWE Universal Championship. The sooner we get the return of Bray Wyatt, the better.

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


With a score of 4 to 1, Raw wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Raw was a much better show, coming across as a more complete and enjoyable affair. SmackDown’s focus on the dire WWE Universal Championship scene detracted from the show in such a negative manner. Hopefully this will be addressed once we are past Backlash.