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 = It was a mixed bag of matches this week on Raw, with Asuka vs Mickie James standing out for all the wrong reasons. The finish to the match had the referee declare Asuka the winner, however the reasoning for this was unclear at the time. This made the match look sloppy, with both women deserving better.

Dominik Mysterio faced off against Seth Rollins in a Cage match, proving once again that he has some of his father's natural talent. This was a quality match that was entertaining from start to finish. Overall, match quality was better on Raw this week compared to the insipid offerings from last week.

SmackDown = SmackDown featured a number of consistent matches, with no particular match disappointing. AJ Styles vs Sami Zayn was a great contest, blending great action and solid storytelling.

The main event was an entertaining contest that did not outstay it's welcome. It is always appreciated to see weapons used during a television match, and it worked perfectly here. Having Jey Uso pick up the victory for his team did wonders for his feud with Roman Reigns.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Zelina Vega gave a stirring promo as she announced she had wasted some of her prime years as a manager, therefore she was now setting her sights on the Raw Women's Championship. This was a compelling promo, and it is clear she will carry the feud on the microphone.

SmackDown = Sasha Banks gave a heartfelt promo to explain how she felt about the attack at the hands of Bayley. The passion and emotion in her voice made this a very interesting promo, especially as it led to yet another attack by Bayley.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = RETRIBUTION attacked Keith Lee and Drew McIntyre at the end of the show, however The Hurt Business came out to ward them off. They were joined by Lee and McIntyre in fighting RETRIBUTION, but the segment came off poorly as it was uninteresting and tired.

SmackDown = Alexa Bliss' transformation continued this week as she once again slipped into a trance. This was intriguing as it is yet to be explored with The Fiend. Sasha Banks vs Bayley was also furthered this week via a strong promo and brutal attack to drive home how personal the feud is.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a solid show, featuring a fair mix of solid promos and good matches. The show featured a number of poor matches and segments, but these were outweighed by the good.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a well paced show this week, featuring a better mix of matches and promos. The show didn't feel like a chore which helped keep the show interesting.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for featuring a strong focus on Raw Underground. Braun Strowman's appearance gave the concept some much needed legitimacy, and I cannot wait to see Strowman vs Dabbo-Kato next week.

Raw also gains points for keeping the strong booking for The Hurt Business. They are one of the highlights of Raw, and with each passing week they become a more dangerous threat to the rest of the Raw roster.

Raw loses points for continuing to push RETRIBUTION as a huge threat. They should be kept away from the WWE Championship scene.

SmackDown gains points for continuing to build up Roman Reigns as a strong heel. His subtle mannerisms are a highlight of the show.

SmackDown also gains points for the slow burn storyline with Alexa Bliss. This is by far the best way to approach her transformation.

SmackDown loses points for the cheesy Matt Riddle segment. It was poor and didn't make any sense.

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


With a score of 5 to 1, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw failed to match the consistency of the blue brand, whilst the insistence on pushing RETRIBUTION is actively hindering the show.