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 = Team Raw vs RETRIBUTION was disappointing, especially as the issues within Team Raw made RETRIBUTION's victory seem fortuitous. Whilst the in ring action was great, the poor handling of the storyline detracted from the overall success of the match.

Drew McIntyre faced off against Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in a fabulous contest, with both The Scottish Warrior and The Apex Predator putting on quite the show. McIntyre looked strong, whilst Orton displayed the vicious streak that he is infamous for. McIntyre reclaimed the title after a gruelling battle, however it felt inevitable from the moment the bell rang.

SmackDown = Seth Rollins vs Murphy was a fantastic blend of in ring action and storyline development. Murphy picked up what is arguably the biggest and most important victory of his career, whilst Rollins lost nothing in defeat.

Daniel Bryan's return to SmackDown against Jey Uso was just as exciting as their last match together. Both men put on a solid match, with Uso displaying the same level of desperation and violence that Reigns has recently instilled within him. Bryan proved to be too smart for Uso, but both men came away with their stock increased.

WINNER: Raw

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Drew McIntyre's show opening promo was a quality representation of his desire to reclaim his WWE Championship. The Miz played his part, but this was all about McIntyre.

SmackDown = Roman Reigns delivered quite the promo as part of the contract signing segment, explaining how he is the most important champion in WWE. His cadence and delivery was superb, whilst Drew McIntyre also provided a short but effective promo.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = The show seemed dominated by Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre, with most other storylines coming across as unimportant.

SmackDown = Seth Rollins continued his feud with Murphy and the Mysterio family this week, taking out his frustrations of last week's events out on anyone in his sight. Murphy's victory over Rollins draws a line under the feud, which is great as Rollins will be taking some time off soon for the birth of his baby. The end to this storyline has been exciting, which is not something I believed would be the case.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw felt like a mixed show, as the pacing was all over the shop. The main event was well paced, but most of the show did not feel logically booked.

SmackDown = SmackDown was a solid go home show for Survivor Series. The matches on offer were well paced, whilst the show never felt like a drag over the two hour runtime.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for slowly rebuilding RETRIBUTION. This can be largely attributed to how well they present Mustafa Ali, however Reckoning's attack on Dana Brooke was much appreciated.

Raw also gains points for having Lana slammed through the announce table again. It is similar to a joke that lost its appeal, but inexplicably becomes funny again.

Raw loses points for continuing to present Team Raw as a bickering unit. It is so cliche and passé at this point.

SmackDown gains points for hosting a contract segment that actually added to the importance of Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre.

SmackDown also gains points for trying to elevate Otis once more by announcing him as the final member of Team SmackDown.

SmackDown loses points for continuing the awful B.O.A.T. storyline with Natalya.

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


With a score of 4 to 2, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. It was a more complete show, creating a better build to Survivor Series. Raw was a one match show, although that one match was a stunning encounter.