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 4, 2021 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - January 8, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw was essentially a one match show this week. Drew McIntyre defended his WWE Championship against Keith Lee in a simply stunning contest. Lee actually took the fight to McIntyre in a manner that I did not think possible, coming so close to capturing the title. Both men busted their asses off, creating one of the finest matches on Raw in years.
SmackDown = The SmackDown Tag Team Championship match between The Street Profits and the team of Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode was booked perfectly. Once again, it was Montez Ford who shone brightest throughout, but Ziggler and Roode came across as such magnificent assholes. The title switch made sense, and I am already eagerly awaiting the rematch.
The Gauntlet match was a solid contest that dominated the second half of the show, but it couldn't hold a candle to the Kofi Kingston Gauntlet match from a few years ago. The in ring action was good, however the pacing could have been improved. It was also stunning to see Shinsuke Nakamura back to his very best.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The segments featuring the so called legends (I'm looking at you, Melina) were atrocious. Not even Randy Orton being an arrogant asshole could help them.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns delivered a faultless promo on Adam Pearce to start the show, and although many fans may have thought the segment went on too long, it was absolutely captivating.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Goldberg made his now annual return to the company, immediately inserting himself into a WWE Championship match with Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble. His promo was ok, but this feud is immediately dead on arrival.
SmackDown = The 'will he, won't he' nature of Adam Pearce joining the Gauntlet match dominated the show. Roman Reigns essentially admitted that he runs SmackDown, which was clear from the manner in which he manipulated Pearce. As the biggest angle on SmackDown, it made sense for the focus to be on the WWE Universal Champion.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = The main event aside, Raw was not a great show this week. The legends element of the show was poor, almost coming across as a caricature of what a WWE legend actually is.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a strong show, however, the awkward pacing of the Gauntlet match brought down the overall quality and enjoyment.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for proving that Keith Lee is one of the best wrestlers in the company. Now run with him!
Raw loses points for every single atrocious legends segment.
Raw also loses points for trying to appeal to casual fans with a reference to Cardi B.
SmackDown gains points for superbly rehabilitating Shinsuke Nakamura's character. Where has this version of The King of Strong Style been hiding?
SmackDown also gains points for trying to give Apollo Crews an edge to his character.
SmackDown loses points for the awkward finish to Big E vs Apollo Crews. Not resolving the issue immediately also hurt the match.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+1 / -2) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 4 to 0, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Whilst Drew McIntyre vs Keith Lee was amazing, the rest of the show was disappointing at best. SmackDown wins this week, purely on the basis of being a much more engaging and compelling 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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