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 - January 25, 2021 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - January 29, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw featured some decent to solid matches this week, but that does not include the car crash that was the women’s tag team match, which was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. At least Riddle's victory over The Hurt Business redeemed the show, as too did the character work during Asuka vs Alexa Bliss.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a mess this week, focusing on the chaos that can happen with the Royal Rumble match. The problem is, that sense of exciting chaos does not translate well to matches that end in disqualification, only to add more competitors. I just did not enjoy the tag team matches that followed Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The promo between Goldberg and Drew McIntyre was mercifully short and sweet, which is exactly what it needed to be.
SmackDown = The promo between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens was fabulous, setting the stage perfectly for their match this weekend. Although Owens still has no hope in hell to win, he came across great here.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Randy Orton cost Alexa Bliss the Raw Women’s Championship this week, giving her an RKO to end the show. This wasn’t a typical RKO, but the actions of a man who genuinely believes Bliss is imbued with the spirit of The Fiend. This storyline remains as compelling as ever, especially when Bliss and Orton display so much dedication to the narrative.
SmackDown = The main storyline of the show was the preparation for the Royal Rumble, however the execution was extremely disappointing. As ever, Roman Reigns saved the show, whilst Bianca Belair stamped her authority over the women’s division.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw wasn’t a great show this week, but at least it felt more entertaining than recent weeks. The pacing was improved, with most segments feeling logically placed.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a chore to get through this week. The lack of tangible matches, combined with poor promos and storyline development, meant that the go home show for the Royal Rumble was highly disappointing.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for building up Riddle further, although I would have preferred for The Hurt Business to look more resilient.
Raw also gains points for not destroying the idea of Drew McIntyre retaining the WWE Championship against Goldberg at the Royal Rumble.
Raw loses points for once again making Asuka look inconsequential to other women in the division. Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and yes, even Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose have all been presented as more important than her. This is a crying shame, and one mistake that is too egregious to ignore.
SmackDown gains points for giving Bianca Belair some genuine momentum heading into the women’s Royal Rumble match.
SmackDown also gains points for continuing to give Sami Zayn the platform to be funny. He is so annoying that it is actually entertaining.
SmackDown loses points for the poor manner in which chaos was created. Even the return of Braun Strowman felt underwhelming, feeling rather forced.
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. Neither show was a standout, but Raw wasn’t as poorly booked as SmackDown. Here’s hoping that the Road to WrestleMania 37 improves the general quality of each show.
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!
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