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 = Unfortunately for fans, there was a clear dearth of strong matches this week on Raw. The Holiday Street Fight was entertaining enough, but that followed a night of poor and turgid wrestling. At least The Hurt Business vs Riddle and Jeff Hardy was fun to watch, but no other match even peaked above mediocre for me.

SmackDown = Considering how this was a holiday episode of SmackDown, absolutely no-one phoned in their performance. Big E defeated Sami Zayn in a fantastic match to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship, whilst Roman Reigns once again defeated Kevin Owens to retain his WWE Universal Championship. All in all, this was a superb night of television wresting.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 2: PROMOS

Raw = Charlotte Flair kicked off the show with a solid promo, although it did come across as slightly unnatural. This was perhaps due to the fact she is currently playing a face, a character that is at odds with her natural charisma for being an unlikeable heel.

SmackDown = The promo between Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan was great, with both men playing up to their roles superbly. Zayn taunting people is just pure gold, and I found it just as enjoyable here.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 3: STORYLINES

Raw = The Miz laid the groundwork for being given back the Money in the Bank briefcase, should WWE decide to use the deus-ex-machina that he never actually cashed in the briefcase. Keith Lee vs Sheamus was advanced further, but it does not feel compelling at all.

It has to be noted that the explanation for The Fiend’s disappearance was intriguing, but it will only be a successful pay off if WWE decide to put their full weight behind it. A half hearted approach will spell the end of the effectiveness for Bray Wyatt and his dark alter ego.

SmackDown = Big E’s return to singles wrestling was finally rewarded with gold, which felt organic and not forced at all. Roman Reigns continued to employ manipulation of his cousin in order to keep a stranglehold over the WWE Universal Championship, and although not groundbreaking, it was still entertaining to watch.

WINNER: SmackDown

FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING

Raw = Raw was a chore to get through this week. Most performances were stilted and phoned in, whilst the show also struggled to remain captivating for the full 3 hour runtime.

SmackDown = The pacing of SmackDown this week was superb, especially considering how it was a holiday episode. The show felt fresh and well structured.

WINNER: SmackDown

EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!

Raw gains points for continuing to portray The Hurt Business as a cool and effective stable. I don’t mind the goofy backstage beatings, as long as they kick ass in the ring.

Raw loses points for feeling well and truly uninteresting this week. You would have thought this was the dedicated holiday episode with how little effort was on display.

SmackDown gains points for putting on a stellar show, rather than phoning it in due to the usual lower television ratings that come with a holiday episode.

SmackDown also gains points for making Big E’s WWE Intercontinental Championship victory feel organic. It could easily be the start of Big E’s main event push.

SmackDown loses points for Bianca Belair taking the decisive fall in the Women’s Tag Team Championship match. Although it is not the worst thing in the world to be pinned by Charlotte Flair, it is clear that Belair is starting to lose momentum.

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

THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown

With a score of 5 to 0, SmackDown wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Considering it was a holiday episode, SmackDown was a polished and entertaining show, the complete antithesis of Raw, which was a dire and boring show.

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