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 29, 2022 - PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - September 2, 2022 - Liitle Caesar's Arena in Detroit, Michigan
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = The anticipation levels for the Women's Tag Team Championship match were high, with Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky entering as the overwhelming favourites. This was especially true as Aliyah had been presented as the clear weak link of her team with Raquel Rodriguez. Alas, a fantastic end to the tournament ended in a huge shock, and whilst the outcome may have been disappointing, the journey was at least enjoyable.
SmackDown = The Viking Rules match was excellent, displaying a sense of danger and excitement that matches the superb work put into the feud between The Viking Raiders vs The New Day. The less said about Hit Row, the better!
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Kurt Angle interacting with Alpha Academy was better than it had any right to be.
SmackDown = Ronda Rousey is being presented as a bad ass, anti-authority figure. That worked for Stone Cold, but it doesn't work for her. The segment she participated in this week just did not strike a chord with me.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw continued to do a fantastic job of building it's storylines, however, Dexter Lumis is in danger of becoming a joke figure, such is the surreal nature of his storyline with The Miz.
SmackDown = SmackDown is operating on the same level as Raw in terms of storyline development, which I assume is due to the superb creative brain which belongs to Triple H. I particularly enjoyed the set up to Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre this week.
WINNER: Dead Heat
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was once again a solid three hours of wrestling.
SmackDown = Although not terribly paced, SmackDown had the tell tale signs of a pre-taped show.
WINNER: Raw
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for using kurt Angle in a satisfactory manner.
Raw also gains points for the split screen interview between Riddle and Seth Rollins. It made me even more excited for their upcoming bout.
Raw loses points for The Miz's paranoia coming across as self inflicted.
SmackDown gains points for Karrion Kross' sumptuous squash victory.
SmackDown also gains points for Happy Corbin seemingly taking support from JBL. New character, perhaps?
SmackDown loses points for The Male Models coming across as a waste of space.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
Drew McIntyre taking out Roman Reigns in such a badass manner.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK!!!
I would have loved if both shows took place in the UK to support Clash at the Castle. I understand why they didn't for logistical reasons, but it would have been nice.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Raw
With a score of 3 to 2, Raw just about wins this week's Battle of the Brands. Overall, it is still the more consistent and exciting WWE show of the week.
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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