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 - November 8, 2021 - KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - November 12, 2021 – Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Raw featured some terrific matches, although it was often the result that mattered more than the entertainment value. The women's match to determine the number one contender to Becky Lynch's Raw Women's Championship was awful, but Liv Morgan winning was the right call. Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins was a great match, perfectly capping the show.
SmackDown = SmackDown included some good matches, but as with Raw, the multi-woman match was disappointing. As too was the tag team match that undermined the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. At least Roman Reigns vs King Woods was a solid main event.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Big E, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens all contributed to solid promos throughout the show, expertly adding to the three way storyline in progress.
SmackDown = Charlotte Flair's promo was... odd. Her attack on Becky Lynch seemed genuine, but it was truly intriguing to hear the content.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Liv Morgan vs Becky Lynch is a storyline I can get behind, whilst Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens allowed Big E to inject himself into the feud in a much more impactful manner. This is especially true when you consider Owens' heel turn.
SmackDown = The Bloodline vs The New Day feud was on show this week, creating a sense of intrigue and drama that the blue brand is known for. King Woods genuinely benefited from his victory over Roman Reigns, whilst The Bloodline standing tall as the show went off the air was amazing.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was decently paced this week, neither being a blockbuster episode or a bloated mess.
SmackDown = SmackDown was better paced this week, coming across as much tighter than last week.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for pulling the trigger on Kevin Owens' much needed heel turn.
Raw also gains points for presenting Liv Morgan as a clear and genuine threat to Becky Lynch and the Raw Women's Championship.
Raw loses points for making the women's division resemble a catty episode of The Real Housewives. Frankly embarrassing!
SmackDown gains points for making King Woods feel like a genuine threat on the blue brand.
SmackDown also gains points for Jinder Mahal's rap. It was silly, but oh so much fun!
SmackDown loses points for Sonya Deville continuing her shitty character by arbitrarily removing Aliyah from Team SmackDown.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw / SmackDown
With a score of 4 to 2, Raw once again wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Neither show is currently bad, however, Raw feels like the more complete 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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