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 - December 12, 2022 - Fisev Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - December 16, 2022 - All State Arena in Rosemont, Illinois
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Bayley vs Alexa Bliss was disappointing, as I expected much more from them considering how well they wrestled last week in their respective matches. It wasn't outright poor, but I know they could have used up another two gears to create a masterpiece. Thankfully, Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley was a solid match, but no other contest on the night was better than a C+.
SmackDown = Ricochet's attempts at re-capturing his WWE Intercontinental Championship from the deadly GUNTHER were extremely entertaining, with GUNTHER (thankfully) taking the well deserved win. GUNTHER feels like the #2 heel on SmackDOwn, which bolsters the quality of his matches, whilst Ricochet is always capable of elevating his own work. This was not a one match show by any stretch, but it was certainly a show filled with decent action. If you ignore Top Dolla!
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = The whole Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, and The Miz promo segment was an embarrassment. What have they done to Gargano?!?
SmackDown = I can honestly say that without the clear bias I have towards Bray Wyatt, I was absolutely hooked on his promo with LA Knight. The absolute tone within Wyatt's voice was mencing in a manner I cannot even fathom. I loved this promo, which was positively added to by Uncle Howdy's physical manifestation arriving.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Simply put, Bobby Lashley being 'fired' was one of the most pathetic storyline developments I have seen all year. Definitely a rare miss by Triple H.
SmackDown = I initially felt that Sami Zayn was in for ass kicking at the hands of The Bloodline, but the swerve was actually the projected return of John Cena, who will be teaming up with Kevin Owens to battle Roman Reigns and Zayn. This storyline remains the most prominent and interesting on SmackDown, but Bray Wyatt vs LA Knight remains unmissable viewing.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw experienced an element of apathy and lethargy this week, contributing to a show which was simply less exciting and as well paced as we have come to expect.
SmackDown = The show was positively paced, however, the end of the show would have benefitted with featuring GUNTHER vs Ricochet as the last piece of action.
WINNER: SmackDown
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for Asuka appearing to return to her NXT persona, which is something I can get behind.
Raw loses points for most matches feeling phoned in.
SmackDown gains points for highlighting just how important it is to have John Cena feature on WWE television again. Inserting him into the biggest current WWE storyline says it all.
SmackDown also gains points for GUNTHER continuing to conquer all who come before him. There is no David to take down this Goliath!
SmackDown loses points for continuing to give me no reason to believe in Legado Del Fantasma.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
Top Dolla's embarrassing top rope botch. At least he was safe, but DAMN that looked awful.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK!!!
Johnny Gargano seemingly going nowhere on Raw.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+1 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 5 to 0, SmackDown easily wins this week's Battle of the Brands. SmackDown felt exciting and important, whilst Raw was a step below it's usual level of quality.
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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