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.
WWE Monday Night Raw - December 28, 2020 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - January 1, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Keith Lee and Sheamus engaged in a superb contest this week, with the winner earning a match against Drew McIntyre next week for the WWE Championship. Lee was victorious, with both men putting on their best work for a number of months.
The rest of the show featured solid, if unspectacular wrestling. Shayna Baszler was able to remind fans how dominant she is as she defeated Dana Brooke, whilst Angel Garza was able to secure a quick squash victory to help his new character.
SmackDown = SmackDown had a larger emphasis on multi wrestler matches this week, with Bayley and Carmella defeating Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in a fairly entertaining tag team match. Carmella continued to highlight her clear improvement, whilst Belair once again proved how talented she is in the ring.
Kevin Owens vs Jey Uso served as the main event of the show, however it felt rather flat. It was great to see Owens exact some level of revenge, but it didn’t feel like a satisfactory contest.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The show ending promo between Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss was compelling, even if what they said wasn’t ground breaking. It was an enjoyable promo that actually benefitted from an old school cliffhanger.
SmackDown = The show opening promo from Roman Reigns was superbly delivered, whilst Kevin Owens enhanced the quality with his own contribution.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = The spectre of The Fiend continued to haunt Raw, whilst Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee worked towards their WWE Championship match next week. There was a small amount of build to the Royal Rumble, but next week’s episode of Legends' Raw feels more important at the moment.
SmackDown = Once again, the show was centred around Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens, with Owens well and truly decimated by The Tribal Chief and Jey Uso. It is still a fantastic feud that is only benefitting all three men involved.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was a better paced show than recent weeks, achieving a better mix of matches and promos without coming across as a chore.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a solid show which was paced well. No segment felt long, whilst the matches and promos were logically spaced from each other.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for giving Keith Lee another opportunity to shine. Can he actually win the big one next week?
Raw also gains points for The Hurt Business continuing to be a delight on Raw.
Raw loses points for the nature of how wrestlers would announce their plans to compete in the Royal Rumble matches. Shouldn’t there be a method to earn this?
SmackDown gains points for giving Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode the edge they need in order to be taken seriously against The Street Profits.
SmackDown also gains points for keeping the successful feuds flowing as we work towards the Royal Rumble. This is honestly a smart move.
SmackDown loses points for Adam Pearce feeling like a pushover. His authority is now well and truly compromised.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 4 to 2, Raw wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Both shows were great, but Raw displayed a clear improvement overall.
That's my pick for the better show of the week, but how do YOU stand?
Which was better, Raw or SmackDown?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Subscribe to Smark Out Moment on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
0 comments: