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 = Match quality was varied this week on Raw, with Bayley vs Kairi Sane the standout match on the show. Sane proved she has not lost a step in the ring, whilst Bayley lost absolutely nothing in defeat. The result itself was surprising as Sane is believed to be returning to Japan soon, but it was such a feel good moment to see Sane triumph in a such a quality match.

The Big Show and Randy Orton faced off in an unsanctioned match, however the action was extremely underwhelming. There wasn't nearly as much hate as was expected, although Orton winning and seemingly Punting Show onto the injured list was entertaining to watch. It was just a shame the match itself wasn't as violent as it should have been.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured a Bar Fight between Sheamus and Jeff Hardy as the main event, and for what it was, it was entertaining to watch. Hardy won the match which was great for the redemption arc of this storyline. This was by far the best match on the show, but the mileage will vary for fans in regards to this. Hopefully we can now move on from this terrible feud.

Nikki Cross defeated her best friend Alexa Bliss to earn another shot at Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship. This match was good, as it allowed Cross to shine and provide the show with a different match option than we are used to seeing.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Promo quality was ok on Raw, but it was Drew McIntyre who came across the best with his promo work this week. The manner in which he taunted Dolph Ziggler about a rematch was fun to watch, with the WWE Champion looking like the real deal. Since he won the Royal Rumble, McIntyre has improved his microphone skills immeasurably, and this week was proof of that.

SmackDown = Bray Wyatt returned with a Firefly Fun House promo which highlighted how Wyatt had failed, therefore he will assume the mantle to take on Braun Strowman next. This was a great promo to highlight just how deranged Wyatt is.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = The main storyline coming out of Extreme Rules for Raw was Sasha Banks vs Asuka, with Stephanie McMahon declaring Banks' victory invalid. They will compete against each other next week, but in the meantime their respective tag team partners would battle to continue the feud between all four women.

The rest of the show focused around the unsanctioned match between Randy Orton and The Big Show, with a series of uninteresting promos being used to build to the contest.

SmackDown = SmackDown also focused on the women's division, this time highlighting Nikki Cross' fight to become SmackDown Women's Champion. She earned another shot at Bayley next week by defeating her tag team partner Alexa Bliss, which made for genuinely intrigung viewing as Bliss' reputation and personal pride may have been damaged by the loss. Bliss seemed ok with losing, but this may now be the start of yet another heel turn for Bliss.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was yet again a struggle to get through. Whilst not as bad as last week's offering, it did not feel like a coherent show. There wasn't enough entertainment value on offer, which made the show feel like a chore to get through.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a good show this week, but again it was not great. SmackDown currently benefits from it's two hour runtime as it doesn't feel like the chore that Raw is. The match quality feels better on SmackDown, but both shows could be greatly improved.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for definitively stating that Sasha Banks did not in fact win the Raw Women's Championship. This was important as any lingering confusion could have been detrimental to the title itself.

Raw loses points for the underwhelming unsanctioned match. It could have been so much more violent and interesting than it actually was.

SmackDown gains points for giving us a fresh match in the form of Nikki Cross vs Alexa Bliss. Raw and SmackDown Women's matches have felt tired recently in terms of freshness, which is why it was refreshing to have another matchup that we haven't seen for quite some time.

SmackDown also gains points for pulling off the Bar Fight stipulation well. It could have easily degenerated into a complete farce, but it was actually fun to watch.

SmackDown loses points for giving Gran Metalik a victory over more established wrestlers. Whilst pushing new faces is great, Metalik has done absolutely nothing of note on SmackDown so far, which means his victory came off as flat.

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


With a score of 4 to 1, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. It wasn't a great week for main roster wrestling, however SmackDown was at least watchable. Raw once again shit the bed in terms of overall quality, although the hope is there that it will improve next week. SmackDown was a good show despite some flaws, so hopefully they can take their momentum into the next few weeks as we build towards SummerSlam.