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 26, 2021 - Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - April 30, 2021 – Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Braun Strowman competed in a handicap match, tag team match, and a singles conest in one night. And despite his over-exposure this week, he failed to come across as anything other than uninspired. I love his character, but he does not have the wrestling chops to be the focal point of the show.
SmackDown = Apart from the women's tag team match, every single match delivered this week on SmackDown. The mixed tag team match was well set out, whilst Apollo Crews vs Big E was a satisfying and entertaining watch, even if the finish was slightly disappointing. The main event, however, was simply perfect. Daniel Bryan looked like he was just mere moments away from becoming WWE Universal Champion, only for Roman Reigns to cement the dominance of his reign by submitting him. This match was honestly the single best offering from WWE this week.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Charlotte Flair once again gave a stilted promo, confirming the fact that she cannot create dynamic and unique discussions week after week. It also hurt the credibility of the referees that she sought out an apology, especially when the general standard of refereeing on Raw is poor. Why was this particular mistake so egregious? I don't know, and I don't care.
SmackDown = Aleister Black once again succeeded with the nature of his vignette this week, underlining just how compelling his re-tooled character is. The content of his stories are compelling, whilst his cadence and delivery is just perfect. Paul Heyman's passionate promo on Daniel Bryan was also a delight to watch, further enhancing the stellar reputation held by Heyman as a talker.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Charlotte Flair was a semi-focal point of the show, which was not exactly an interesting way to create interest for Raw. Neither was the rush to insert Braun Strowman into the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. I am disappointed that Bobby Lashley does not feel like the All Mighty that he should be, especially as this could lead to him losing his belt.
SmackDown = The show was rightly dominated this week by the WWE Universal Championship match, which made the feud between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan feel important. It also guaranteed that the winner would look superhuman, which is exactly what happened with Reigns. Bianca Belair vs Bayley feels terrible so far, but at least Apollo Crews and Big E are keeping the rest of the show stacked with a suitably intriguing storyline.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw featured improved pacing and scheduling this week, but it was still not up to the high standards set by SmackDown.
SmackDown = SmackDown was paced well this week, with no single segment negatively impacting the show. The main event also gave the show a big fight feel.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for giving Sonya Deville a platform to be an effective heel authority figure.
Raw loses points for Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre featuring so heavily on the show, taking time away from other wrestlers. Yes, they are a huge part of Raw, but I'd have rather they cut out one or two segments this week.
Raw also loses points for feeling poorly written as a whole. It just did not flow well as a show, although some segments were a clear improvement over recent weeks.
SmackDown gains points for highlighting just how much fun Montez Ford is to watch.
SmackDown also gains points for debuting new entrance music for Roman Reigns, which added to the importance of his WWE Universal Championship match.
SmackDown loses points for the uninspired start to the show, with Bayley coming across as insufferable as ever.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+1 / -2) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 5 to 0, SmackDown once again wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw is just awful to watch at the moment, and I did not enjoy one part of it. SmackDown, on the otherhand, was a genuinely compelling show, with the main event reinforcing just how important Roman Reigns is to the company.
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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