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 - April 5, 2021 - Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - April 9, 2021 – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = On paper, a main event of Drew McIntyre vs King Corbin was disappointing prospect, therefore it is a minor miracle that McIntyre was able to make chicken salad out of chicken shit. This is not to say that their match was any good, but it was at least better than the standard offering involving Corbin. Rhea Ripley and Asuka vs Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler was a solid match, especially with Ripley taking it upon herself to attack Asuka before their upcoming encounter for the Raw Women's Championship. Overall, the matches on Raw were disappointing this week, but there was some tangible quality hidden amongst the matches on offer.
SmackDown = The SmackDown Tag Team Championship was defended in a Fatal 4 Way match, and despite the fact that each team should be disappointed they weren't on the main card of WrestleMania 37, they all performed well. The match was chaotic, allowing Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode to pull a fast one and steal the victory to retain their titles. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was yet another fine installment in the legacy of the match, allowing Jey Uso to come away with an enhanced reputation as the winner. Hopefully this will result in a sustained push for him, especially as this would make next year's offering feel important.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Drew McIntyre's show opening promo was a solid development between himself and Bobby Lashley, with MVP, Lashley, and King Corbin adding some real quality to the promo. McIntyre was passionate about the sacrifices he has made in order to succeed in WWE, which makes his quest to reclaim the WWE Championship feel all the more important.
SmackDown = Daniel Bryan displayed so much passion in his show opening promo, explaining how he will overcome a career of being told 'no' to bring home the WWE Universal Championship. This was a promo that gave me goosebumps, as we are only mere days away from perhaps Bryan's last shot at glory, which made the importance of the promo shine through. Edge's promo was just as, if not more effective in building towards their match with Roman Reigns, with Edge coming across as a passionate, yet crazed monster.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw featured an emphasis on the WWE Championship feud between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, with McIntyre making it to the end of the show with his health and momentum intact, much to the chagrin of Lashley. Although aspects of their feud could have been booked better, this was a satisfying way to set the feud up for the biggest show of the year. It was also positive to see Rhea Ripley cement her heel turn against Asuka, creating a dynamic in the Raw Women's Championship scene that has been missing for so long.
SmackDown = In terms of storylines, SmackDown was dominated by the WWE Universal Championship feud. Daniel Bryan made it clear how much it means to win the title after being told 'no' so many times.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw did not flow well this week, which is a shame considering how this was the go home episode before WrestleMania 37.
SmackDown = The WrestleMania 37 additions to the show helped SmackDown feel more important than usual, whilst also giving the show real purpose.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for not giving away the battle between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, therefore making fans wait for the first night of WrestleMania 37 to see their titanic collision.
Raw loses points for not adding anything to the feud between The Fiend and Randy Orton, suggesting that management have given up trying to make the feud feel important.
SmackDown gains points for creating a sense of intrigue for the weekend, serving as a real preview to WrestleMania 37.
SmackDown also gains points for the video package of Big E re-visiting his roots in Tampa, which was an effective way to maintain the interest in his feud with Apollo Crews.
SmackDown loses points for the mess that is the women's tag team division.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+1 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 4 to 1, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Featuring the first matches of WrestleMania 37, SmackDown was almost guaranteed to be a success, whilst Raw failed to sufficiently create a dynamic show that flowed well.
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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