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 - February 21 2022 - Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - February 25 2022 - GIANT Center in Hershey, PA
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Tag team matches were suitably impressive this week, as were most matches on offer. The higher level of consistency was a great way to kick off the week.
SmackDown = Match quality was slightly jarring this week, with the biggest egregious mistake being the Sasha Banks vs Shotzi match. It was poor, botch filled, and did neither woman any favours.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Edge's open challenge was superbly crafted, making me look forward to his WrestleMania match more than I perhaps would have.
SmackDown = Sami Zayn vs Johnny Knoxville was poor on the microphone, especially as the entertainment value seemed to solely come from Knoxville himself. I love Zayn, but this wasn't good.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = I appreciated the measured fashion in which the red brand started it's build in earnest to WrestleMania.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar was the standout storyline, which would be the case for a World Championship unification bout. Both men were presented as beasts, which sets the next few weeks of television out as must see!
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was competently paced, and was the usual level of consistency I have come to enjoy.
SmackDown = SmackDown was paced well, but it didn't reach the heights displayed by Raw.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for immediately rehabilitating Finn Balor as a top tier player.
Raw also gains points for Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch slowly coming to the boil as a feud.
Raw loses points for Logan Paul. Why is he involved again?!?
SmackDown gains points for making Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar feel special.
SmackDown also gains points for Xia Li looking great in victory.
SmackDown loses points for the poor Sami Zayn promo.
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. SmackDown was ok, but it failed to replicate the success of Raw.
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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