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 - July 18, 2022 - Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - July 22, 2022 - TD Garden in Boston, MA
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Theory vs AJ Styles was the best match of the night, with Rey Mysterio vs Damian Priest a much better contest than it deserved to be. Some matches were poor, such as the women's matches, but overall, there were much effective matches than poor ones.
SmackDown = In all fairness, the quality of matches on SmackDown weren't poor this week, featuring a decent level of performance. The issue I had was the matches, and therefore the show as a whole, came across as very inconsequential.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The return of The KO Show highlighted just how much I have missed Kevin Owens. He returned with aplomb, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.
SmackDown = Lacey Evans and Paul Heyman once again underlined their current importance with solid promos, but credit has to be given to Liv Morgan for showing how much she hs improved on the microphone, in very stark contrast to Ronda Rousey.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = The Miz vs Logan Paul isn't actually a bad storyline, as it seems The Miz is getting the most out of Paul. It's not fabulous, but it's a start.
SmackDown = Max Dupree's current sitution and storyline is officialy DOA. It has been a huge mess, benefitting absolutely no-one at all.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Consistency as ever was the key for Raw this week, with solid pacing to enjoy and digest the show.
SmackDown = The show felt lethargic, which was also not helped by the pre-show rumours that Brock Lesnar had left the arena.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for Rey Mysterio getting a credible performance out of Damian Priest.
Raw also gains points for the tension between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins.
Raw loses points for the drizzling shits that is the WWE 24/7 Championship.
SmackDown gains points for GUNTHER once again showing his unrivalled potential as a major element of the show. Each week he reinforces his character well.
SmackDown also gains points for Raquel Gonzalez recouping some of her lost momentum with a fine victory.
SmackDown loses points for the show taking a backseat to the Vince McMahon retirement announcement, which took any wind out of the sails of the show.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 5 to 1, Raw easily defeats SmackDown to win this week's Battle of the Brands. Raw was much more consistent, whilst SmackDown felt somewhat anaemic.
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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