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 - December 20, 2021 - Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - December 24, 2021 – Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Finn Balor vs Austin Theory was crisp, fun, and ultimately displayed the undoubted talent of both men. However, not all matches were as solid as this one, with Dolph Ziggler vs Damian Priest coming across as an absolute mess. The same can be said for Rhea Ripley's victory over the much maligned Queen Zelina.
SmackDown = Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm was much better than I initially anticipated that it would be, with Flair seeming to elevate Storm closer to her level. The result was never really in doubt, but the match was entertaining enough to make up for this. In the same vein, the 12 Man Gauntlet was much better than it had any right to be, and I very much appreciated the fact that Sami Zayn was able to walk away with the victory.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Cutting Edge was the source of one of the best promo segments on Raw in recent months, allowing Edge vs The Miz to become even more personal and intriguing. It was real storyline development that steered the show in a positive direction.
SmackDown = Paul Heyman was an absolute genius (as always) whilst being interviewed. He combined emotional storytelling with a cadence that highlights just how talented he is as a promo talker.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = The implosion of AJ Styles and Omos was fun to watch, even though it was as obvious as they come. The most important storyline on the red brand was developed well, with Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins ending the show in an embrace that sets up Day 1 perfectly. It is clear they are only aligned on a mutually benficial basis, but it sets up their eventual split well.
SmackDown = Low on storyline development, this was a bland episode of SmackDown for advancing feuds. This, however, was to be expected from an episode of WWE television on Christmas Eve. Therefore, this was a less egregious development than normal.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Well paced for a standard episode of Raw, this was a good few hours of wrestling to digest.
SmackDown = Although not a truly dynamic show, it served it's purpose well as an inoffensive festive episode.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for the impressive visual of Bianca Belair delivering a KOD to Doudrop.
Raw also gains points for the over the top embrace between the 'coolest' heels in the business right now. I jest, I really do!
Raw loses points for Damian Priest continuing his descent into mediocrity.
SmackDown gains points for Charlotte Flair vs Toni Storm being much better than it had any right to be.
SmackDown also gains points for teasing that Paul Heyman may finally be done with the industry. This will never happen, but it is fun to see where this goes.
SmackDown loses points for not giving us a more notable development between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar to discuss over Christmas.
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. Whilst SmackDown was hampered by the fact it was a festive episode, both shows were much better than they had any right to be at this time of year.
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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