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 - August 22, 2022 - Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - August 26, 2022 - Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = The level of quality on offer this week was extremely sound, with no single match stinking up the joint.
SmackDown = Ricochet vs Happy Corbin was stunning, especially as Corbin was able to actually express himself in the ring. Ricochet was fantastic as ever, but both men really put in a shift. The same cannot be said of either women's match, with both offerings falling flat.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Johnny Gargano's return and subsequent promo was fantastic, establishing himself as someone who fans can get behind.
SmackDown = GUNTHER and Sheamus may have been nothing special in the grand scheme of things, but their behaviour whilst their minions fought was astonishing, creating a real sense of intrigue and anticipation for their upcoming match.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw was much more consistent in creating satisfying storyline narratives, with each and every feud on the show feeling well developed and interesting.
SmackDown = Roman Reigns continued to manipulate Sami Zayn, but his destruction of Drew McIntyre to close out the show was superbly done. The Bloodline continue to be the most important aspect of the show, which is fine, but at least McIntyre, Zayn, and Karrion Kross feel involved.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = As has been the case recently, Raw was fantastically paced.
SmackDown = Outside of the extremely poor women's matches which negatively affected the enjoyment of the show, the pacing was well received this week.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for continuing to feel like must watch television.
Raw also gains points for Theory interacting with Johnny Gargano. This made both men feel important, considering Theory is the current Money in the Bank briefcase holder, and has been prominently presented in storylines.
Raw loses no points for featuring nothing negative.
SmackDown gains points for Karrion Kross feeling important as he delivered a warning to his enemies.
SmackDown also points for creating the narrative that Aliyah is the weak link in her team with Raquel Rodriguez. It is clear this will be exploited very soon.
SmackDown loses points for allowing Sonya Deville to shit the bed in two matches. Whatever happened to the solid hand from Fire & Desire?!?
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -0) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 6 to 1, Raw easily defeats SmackDown to win this week's Battle of the Brands. Monday Night Raw feels like must see television, which results in a much superior show.
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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