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 - September 5, 2022 - T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - September 9, 2022 - Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Whilst Raw's matches were largely successful, the egregious fact that Braun Strowman laid waste to some of the biggest names in Raw's Tag Team division was absolutely not acceptable. Sorry, but this was absolutely the wrong way to reintroduce him to the WWE universe. At least the Steel Cage main event wasn't a blowout.
SmackDown = Aside from a very poor Fatal 5 Way Elimination match which was seriously lacking in any real entertainment or skill, the remaining matches on SmackDown this week were successful. The main event was as solid as ever, with Drew McIntyre highlighting how he may very well be the current MVP of the blue brand, especially when Roman Reigns is nowhere to be seen.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = Kevin Owens + microphone = promo gold. I am so glad to see him back to his absolute best!
SmackDown = Solo Sikoa is not great on the microphone, I will admit that, but Drew McIntyre and the remaining members of The Bloodline more than made up for his microphone deficiencies.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Dominik Mysterio's heel turn was well executed at Clash at the Castle, but his storyline against his father and Edge still feels somewhat lukewarm. The same can be said of The Miz vs Dexter Lumis, as it feels Triple H is unable to commit to the best plan of action for this feud to succeed. Thankfully, DMG CTRL are absolutely amazing, bringing some real character and life to Raw's Women's division.
SmackDown = I continue to appreciate the manner in which the Drew McIntyre vs The Bloodline feud is being interspersed by Karrion Kross. The feud has some real merit to it, and despite Roman Reigns picking and choosing when he attends SmackDown, the remaining members of The Bloodline, McIntyre, and Kross are more than capable of keeping this feud hot and relevant.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = The red brand was again a strong example of Triple H's improved production, allowing the show to feel much fresher than the 3 hour run time would usually feel.
SmackDown = SmackDown felt a lot more coherent in it's pacing this week, and the increase in satisfaction was clear from the opening minutes.
WINNER: Dead Heat
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for Kevin Owens vs Austin Theory being much better than it had any right to be. Owens can seriously bring out the best in nearly every wrestler he competes against.
Raw also gains points for Johnny Gargano setting the anticipation for his in ring return next week.
Raw loses points for Dexter Lumis already feeling like a caricature of himself. The ending to Raw was the drizzling shits as he looked like an absolute weirdo!
SmackDown gains points for Sami Zayn continuing to be an absolute delight. He is making the most out of his current level of screen time.
SmackDown also gains points for Imperium feeling like a real threat on SmackDown. I wonder how they will figure into the plans for Survivior Series...
SmackDown loses points for no-one standing out in the Fatal 5 Way Elimination match.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah were not the perfect idea of a tag team, especially not for winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. But I'll be damned if they aren't at least making me feel invested in them, and the belts, primarily due to how adorable they are as a team.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK!!!
I wanted Dominik Mysterio to turn into this badass, when he still just seems like Rhea Ripley's bitch!
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 3 to 2, SmackDown wins this week's Battle of the Brands to finally beat Raw! SmackDown felt much tighter this week, resulting in a show that managed to avoid the few issues that plagued Raw.
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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