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 - March 22, 2021 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - March 26, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Bobby Lashley and Sheamus enjoyed a feisty encounter to kick off the show, delivering a hard hitting and entertaining match. Unfortunately, much of the remaining matches were disappointing at best, although AJ Styles vs Kofi Kingston was a solid contest. Overall, this week’s matches were a huge disappointment.
SmackDown = Although no match this week was a standout affair on SmackDown, most of the matches were entertaining enough, serving a purpose on the Road to WrestleMania. Bianca Belair vs Natalya was a poor match, but this was endemic of the absolutely awful storyline between Belair and Sasha Banks.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Rhea Ripley’s Raw debut was signalled by a short but sweet promo against Asuka, challenging her to a Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania. Whilst not a part of the main show, her promo on Raw Talk was absolutely fantastic! This version of Ripley is one I can definitely get behind.
SmackDown = Daniel Bryan’s show opening promo was fabulous, as it really drove home how popular he is. The wave of support he is riding almost mirrors that he had in 2014.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = I am a huge fan of The Fiend, and although there have been some issues with the latest development in his feud with Randy Orton, Alexa Bliss has been a joy to behold. That changed this week, as once again we were treated to a half assed approach to their feud. Orton and Bliss failed to create a compelling narrative, whilst The Fiend was unable to capitalise on his return at Fastlane.
SmackDown = The show was rightly dominated by the saga surrounding Daniel Bryan’s involvement in the WWE Universal Championship match at WrestleMania. The developments throughout the show were compelling, with each wrestler playing their role perfectly.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was not paced well this week, with the show coming across as an abject failure. Despite a few bright spots, the show failed to inspire, and the scheduling was a hot mess.
SmackDown = SmackDown was a strong show this week. The pacing was incredible, especially when compared to the poor showing from Raw.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for introducing Rhea Ripley as Asuka’s opponent at WrestleMania. Considering she was the runner up in the women’s Royal Rumble match, this is a very satisfying development.
Raw loses points for teasing a split within The Hurt Business. I hope this is a swerve, as the group have been unmissable viewing on Raw.
Raw also loses points for the piss poor storyline between Shane McMahon and Braun Strowman. It is embarrassing to see McMahon constantly refer to the Monster Among Men as stupid.
Raw loses even more points for failing to capitalise on Peyton Royce’s promo from Raw Talk. Why make an effort to flip the script when there is no intention to fully implement the change?
SmackDown gains points for cementing Edge’s descent into his old character. He’s much more compelling as an unpredictable and unhinged threat.
SmackDown also gains points for setting up some solid matches at WrestleMania.
SmackDown loses points for failing to make Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair important. With two weeks to go, I’ve lost all hope of this feud being a success.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+1 / -3) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 4 to 0, SmackDown absolutely trounces Raw to win this week's Battle of the Brands. SmackDown was a fantastic show, but Raw was frankly piss poor.
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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