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 29, 2021 - UBS Arena in Elmont, New York
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - December 3, 2021 – AT and T Center in San Antonio, Texas
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins was simply one of the best television matches I have seen for a while. It was athletic, gripping, and a fine example of why these two men are so revered in the ring.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns vs Sami Zayn was less of a match and more of a storyline development, so I can excuse the poor quality. The remaining matches were of a solid, if not spectacular quality.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Promo quality was slightly lacking this week, with no clear standout segment.
SmackDown = Brock Lesnar actually excelled on the microphone this week, aided in part by Sami Zayn. Although the segment wasn't groundbreaking, it was most certainly entertaining.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Becky Lynch vs Liv Morgan was more than pleasantly advanced this week, whilst Big E vs Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens once again presented a fairly entertaining feud.
SmackDown = Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns dominated the show, with Sami Zayn adding an intriguing layer to the storyline. As good as this was, Sonya Deville vs Naomi remains the drizzling shits!
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was a decently paced show, bereft of the pacing problems that plagued SmackDown.
SmackDown = SmackDown had a huge issue in terms of pacing, which impacted on the general viewing experience.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for opening the show with such a strong match.
Raw also gains points for adding Kevin Owens to the WWE Championship match at Day 1.
Raw loses points for failing to truly capitalise on Austin Theory's recent push.
SmackDown gains points for allowing Toni Storm to exact a modicum of revenge on Charlotte Flair.
SmackDown also gains points for showing that Shayna Baszler can indeed wrestle.
SmackDown loses points for running out of steam in the last 30 minutes.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 4 to 2, Raw once again wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw was a much more consistent show, coming across as the more interesting show to watch this week.
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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