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 - October 24, 2022 - Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - October 28, 2022 - Enterprise Centre in St. Louis, Missouri
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Finn Balor vs Karl Anderson was better than it had any right to be, enhancing the already stellar reputation of The Prince. Whilst most matches on the show succeeded, it was easily Balor who put in the best performance of the night.
SmackDown = Although The Bloodline were represented by Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn, their match against Brawlin' Brutes was somewhat of a letdown. Thankfully, The New Day squashing ineffective teams is always fun to watch.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The JBL segment with Johnny Gargano and Baron Corbin was easily the worst thing on the show, which says a lot about the overall quality on offer.
SmackDown = Let me get this out of the way - The Bloodline corpsing at Sami Zayn and breaking character was fantastic! Zayn once more evidenced he is phenomenally talented as a character, never once becoming overawed with his associates in the form of The Bloodline.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw continued to ensure the feuds in place as we approach Crown Jewel were hotly contested, allowing the show to suitably develop the matches that will ensure fans don't tune out as they may usually do so for the Saudi Arabian events.
SmackDown = Largely dominated by The Bloodline and Bray Wyatt separately, SmackDown's overall feud advancement was fair enough this week.
WINNER: Dead Heat
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was a tidy show, with pacing that enhanced the overall enjoyment of the night.
SmackDown = It seems like SmackDown has settled into a rhythm since Extreme Rules, helped by the absolute presence of Bray Wyatt, which feels like a match made in heaven for consistency.
WINNER: Dead Heat
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for crazy Nikki Cross returning!
Raw also gains points for Austin Theory succeeding despite supposedly not being a Triple H guy.
Raw loses points for The Miz looking like an idiot against R-Truth.
SmackDown gains points for Emma's return, which was positively received by fans.
SmackDown also gains points for Imperium taking out Rey Mysterio backstage.
SmackDown loses points for Ronda Rousey drowning in mediocrity once again.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
The Bloodline corpsing!
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK!!!
The leaks I saw of Emma re-debuting.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = Dead Heat
With a score of 2 to 2, it's a tie this week. Both shows were great, but neither was able to confidently triumph over it's direct rival.
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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