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 - October 25, 2021 - Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - October 29, 2021 – Mohegan Sun at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw featured a Four Way Ladder Match as the main event, and all four men delivered. Whilst it certainly was not a one match show, the other contests almost paled in comparison to it. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins were the standout performers, and I look forward to seeing what these stars can do over the next few weeks.
SmackDown = SmackDown included a fair amount of solid matches, with The Usos vs The New Day serving as a solid and entertaining main event. Charlotte Flair brought out the best in Shotzi, whilst the Trick or Treat Street Fight was inoffensive nonsense. Overall, it was a decent week for matches on the blue brand.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = I really enjoyed Zelina Vega’s coronation promo. Not only did it validate her return to WWE, but she was so believable and powerful in her conviction that she is the one and only undisputed Queen of WWE.
SmackDown = Charlotte Flair’s promo was better than previous weeks, however, the most egregious promo was completed by Sonya Deville, who continues to show that she is struggling to come across as a serviceable and believable heel authority figure.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = A real highlight of the show was Carmella vs Liv Morgan, which is a surprisingly engaging feud. Not only do they work well together, but Corey Graves’ hints towards his relationship with Carmella made the segment even more fun to watch.
SmackDown = Low on real storyline development, this week’s show was not blessed with great storylines. It felt like the blue brand is in a holding pattern as they work towards what will ultimately be a Raw vs SmackDown event, in the form of Survivor Series. This made the show less dynamic.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was paced really well this week, coming across as a solid, if unspectacular show. Which is much better than recent weeks.
SmackDown = The show flowed well, but the pacing did not help to captivate me like usual episodes do.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for making Big E feel important as the focal point of the red brand.
Raw also gains points for keeping Doudrop relevant. It is clear she has real potential on Raw.
Raw loses points for making Seth Rollins’ victory obvious - surely he would win as the only heel in the match?
SmackDown gains points for turning Shotzi heel, thrusting her into consideration for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
SmackDown also gains points for putting on yet another great tag team match between The Usos and The New Day.
SmackDown loses points for allowing Sonya Deville to be exposed in her current role.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 4 to 2, Raw wins this week’s Battle of the Brands. Both shows were good, but Raw felt like a much better booked and entertaining option.
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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