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 - March 28, 2022 - PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - April 1, 2022 - American Airlines in Dallas, Texas
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Whilst no match was a real standout, as tends to happen on the last show before WrestleMania, the quality on offer was much better than the blue brand.
SmackDown = The overall quality of the matches featured on the blue brand suffered this week, failing to capture my interest as a fan. They felt rushed and largely insignificant.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Whilst Brock Lesnar's show opening promo wasn't fantastic, it was strangely compelling!
SmackDown = Similar to recent weeks, Charlotte Flair's promo with Ronda Rousey was simply awful, providing another deafening example of how terrible her feud with Rousey is. Rousey still cannot talk for shit!
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Bianca Belair getting the better of Becky Lynch and cutting her hair was the best storyline development of the night, which also served to set Belair up as a serious threat this weekend.
SmackDown = Ending the show with Happy Talk rather than Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar was such an egregious and disappointing development.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was a more than satisfying watch this week - as it has been for quite a while now.
SmackDown = The show was simply the drizzling shits this week, with such terrible and insufferable pacing.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for keeping Bianca Belair's momentum strong as we head into WrestleMania.
Raw also gains points for Bobby Lashley's return. Challenging Omos is something I never knew I wanted!
Raw loses points for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship scene continuing to upset me.
SmackDown gains no points for really struggling to present a coherent and exciting card.
SmackDown loses points for chugging along without giving the show a real sense of direction. Again.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+0 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 5 to -1 Raw decimates and humiliates SmackDown once more to win this week's Battle of the Brands. SmackDown was simply awful and a huge mess, whilst Raw was considerably more enjoyable.
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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