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 3, 2021 - Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - May 7, 2021 – Yuengling Center in Tampa, FL
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Bobby Lashley defeated Braun Strowman in a fairly entertaining main event, whilst Sheamus vs Mansoor was a solid debut for the exciting Saudi prospect. RKBro also had a decent match, but pretty much everything else on the show was dull and mediocre.
SmackDown = Each and every match served it's purpose well this week, with Cesaro vs Seth Rollins the clear standout. This was a fantastic match to put over Cesaro as a real star, cementing his place as Roman Reigns' opponent at WrestleMania Backlash. Carmella returned to action with a dominant win, whilst the 10 man tag team match was chaotic bliss.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Charlotte Flair delivered a middling promo with Sonya Deville, which was rather disappointing as it shit all over the recently established character of Deville. Flair still continues to disappoint on the microphone.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns delivered a fine promo to start the show, coming across as an absolute asshole for revelling in Daniel Bryan's departure from SmackDown. His cockiness was evident, whilst also suggesting that he may be susceptible to over confidence further down the line.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw currently feels disjointed with it's storylines, re-treading the awful heel narrative with Charlotte Flair that we get twice a year. Bobby Lashley continues to kick ass without really caring about anyone other than MVP, but Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman feel somewhat damaged by the way they have approached their Triple Threat match at WrestleMania Backlash.
SmackDown = Cesaro's feud with Roman Reigns was superbly combined with Jimmy Uso's return, with the latter creating a compelling narrative by appearing to defy The Tribal Chief. Spread out over the show, this storyline was an absolute joy to see unfold.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw continued it's recent trend of being a largely poor show to watch, featuring a slow and laborious pacing.
SmackDown = Considering the fact that this week's episode was a throwback edition, the pacing was better than it had any right to be. It didn't have the usual bloated feeling that Raw has during special themed episodes, which ensured the show absolutely flew by.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for making Mansoor's debut on Raw feel important.
Raw also gains points for keeping Bobby Lashley on top as we head towards WrestleMania Backlash.
Raw loses points for making the association between Sonya Deville and Charlotte Flair feel weighted in favour of The Queen. This unfortunately undermines the effectiveness of Deville's character.
SmackDown gains points for giving Cesaro yet another victory to underline his main event credentials.
SmackDown also gains points for giving Carmella an opportunity to shine.
SmackDown loses points for focusing more on classic moments than anything else for the throwback theme, but at least this didn't detract much from the show.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 5 to 1, SmackDown once again wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw was a slight improvement, but it still failed to create much excitement. SmackDown was it's usual solid offering, with Roman Reigns the undoubted star of the 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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