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 28, 2022 - Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - March 4, 2022 - FTX Arena in Miami, Florida
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins vs Alpha Academy was a fantastic contest, displaying the great strength in depth that the Raw tag team division has. Overall, Raw matches were successful this week.
SmackDown = Both title mtches this week were great contests to watch, however, the remaining matches on the show left a lot to be desired. Ronda Rousey vs Sonya Deville was not expected to be solid, serving as a vehicle to advance Rousey's feud with Charlotte Flair.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Raw was light on promos this week, which is a shame as they had so much potential.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns' promo was solid, but that was pretty much the standout highlight from the show. Some promos just felt poor and overly long for no tangible reason.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw managed to keep Edge relevant by setting him up as a huge dick in taking out AJ Styles this week. That alone made Raw unmissable viewing.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar was not really advanced much this week, but this allowed other less prominent storylines the opportunity to shine. Most didn't take that opportunity, but Sami Zayn vs Johnny Knoxville and Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair were promoted well.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was Raw - which means it was a consistent show with an enjoyable level of pacing.
SmackDown = SmackDown's pacing was all over the place. The segments were presented in a disjointed fashion that severely affected the overall quality of the show.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for Edge returning to his most unhinged best.
Raw also gains points for featuring multiple storylines in a fair and entertaining manner on The Road to WrestleMania.
Raw loses points for the awful WWE 24/7 Championship shenanigans.
SmackDown gains points for pulling the trigger again with Ricochet. It has been reported that Ricochet is considered the number two face on the SmackDown roster - let's see if this is true!
SmackDown also gains points for the visual of Charlotte Flair tapping out to Ronda Rousey.
SmackDown loses points for the disjointed nature of it's backstage segments.
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. Despite some improvements, SmackDown is still lagging behind 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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