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 15, 2022 - Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - August 19, 2022 - Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Drew McIntyre vs Kevin Owens was fantastic romp that was endemic of the improved level of quality of matches on the red brand. It was as much of a hoss fight as we tend to see in WWE, outside of Brock Lesnar matches that is. The show featured a solid list of matches from top to bottom, with barely any complaints to raise.
SmackDown = Despite Toxic Attraction being the main... ahem... attraction within NXT 2.0's women's tag team division, they were unable to make up for the ineptitude of Sonya Deville and Natalya. Simply put, their match was a reminder of why the women's tag team division is underwhelming. But at least in victory, they looked great. Thankfully, the Fatal Five Way match was a much better example of the fine wrestling that shows up from time to time on the blue brand.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Drew McIntyre's promo against Kevin Owens was truly mindblowing, especially as he was strong enough on the microphone to remind fans of his credentials to be Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
SmackDown = For me, SmackDown succeeded in creating a slightly compelling promo segment to drive home how unchained Ronda Rousey can be.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Drew McIntyre was the highlight of the show, however, most of the night featured subtle and slow builds towards the relevant feuds going forward. Overall as a package, I was fairly satisfied. I do wish though that Dexter Lumis was dealt with in a more appropriate manner.
SmackDown = SmackDown kept Liv Morgan vs Ronda Rousey bubbling along fine, which is a positive thing considering how Ronda Rousey has fell flat since she returned to WWE. I do wish that Liv Morgan could recapture the level of fan support that was evident when she became WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, but she is slowly getting there.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was again an exciting week of television, featuring a tight level of pacing that led to a thoroughly entertaining three hours of television.
SmackDown = To match last week's improvement, SmackDown was decently paced this week. The show felt suitably structured, with clear definitions on show to highlight what were the more important segments. I enjoyed this level of attention this week.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for continuing to book Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky in the best possible fashion. This quasi-tweener role is really suiting them at the moment, as they are so likeable despite being supposed bad guys.
Raw also gains points for Riddle picking up where he left off on Raw. The guy is clearly a star!
Raw loses no points for not featuring any egregious or flat segments.
SmackDown gains points for setting up GUNTHER vs Sheamus for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Simply put, this will be a fantastic fight between two of the most legitimately terrifying and stiff wrestlers in WWE.
SmackDown also points for Drew McIntyre ending the show on top, something that he sorely needed as we approach WWE Clash at the Castle.
SmackDown loses points for Tamina and Natalya. Once again, they shit the bed!
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 5 to 2, Raw wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Both shows were great, as is almost always the case, it was the red brand that stood head and shoulders above the blue brand.
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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