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 - May 24, 2021 - Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - May 28, 2021 – Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw benefitted from some stellar matches this week. Drew McIntyre vs Kofi Kingston was an intriguing and captivating battle, whilst Asuka vs Charlotte Flair was yet another fine example of the majesty that can take place when The Empress and The Queen square off. Unfortunately, the main event was an absolute shitshow!
SmackDown = The Usos vs The Street Profits was a superb match to open the show, going on for much longer than I had anticipated. It was exciting, frantic, and most importantly, it was supremely entertaining. The main event was also a strong contest, with Dominik Mysterio evidencing just how talented he actually is in the ring.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Raw's promos were more consistent than those on SmackDown, which contributed to a better than average episode.
SmackDown = Seth Rollins' promo against Cesaro was solid, that was until he used toilet humour to completely undermine the impact of his words. This was a real shame, as the rest of his promo was on fire, especially when he blamed the WWE universe and Cesaro for his actions.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw did a great job of fleshing out multiple storylines, but the majority of the focus this week was once again on Bobby Lashley and the WWE Championship.
SmackDown = SmackDown focused on multiple storylines this week, with Kevin Owens' issues with Commander Azeez feeling particularly fleshed out. As always, The Tribal Chief was a big part of the show through his manipulation of Jey Uso.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was much improved this week, coming across as a show with some real purpose. It wasn't perfect, but it was at least better than recent efforts.
SmackDown = SmackDown was once again a well booked show, feeling like a strong piece of television.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for giving fans much longer and dynamic matches than we are used to.
Raw also gains points for trying something new with Nikki Cross, especially as Rhea Ripley didn't lose any real credibility.
Raw loses points for the awful end to the show. It was such a shitty angle to end the show on.
SmackDown gains points for the fantastic opener, which continued to impress me the longer it went on.
SmackDown also gains points for at least trying to do something of note with Carmella, albeit with poor execution.
SmackDown loses points for the awful commentary from Bayley, which was a huge distraction during Bianca Belair vs Carmella.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 4 to 2, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Both shows were enjoyable, but Raw was not consistent enough to pull off the victory.
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!
Subscribe to Smark Out Moment on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
0 comments: