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 - November 28, 2022 - Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - December 2, 2022 - KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York
BATTLE OF THE BRANDS:
RAW vs. SMACKDOWN
FACTOR 1: MATCHES
Raw = Rhea Ripley vs Mia Yim was a mini classic, serving as a strong start to the show. The majority of the matches managed to match the desire shown by both women, culminating in an amazing match between Kevin Owens and Jey Uso. I felt the red brand had a particularly strong week for matches, which is always something to look forward to as we start the long road to the Royal Rumble.
SmackDown = Sami Zayn vs Sheamus was a flipping fantastic bout, with our man Zayn picking up the much needed victory. This set the tone for the night, with 75% of the matches suceeding. The poor 25% that was a waste came to us in the form of Shayna Baszler vs Emma, which was a poor example of women's wrestling, but a great example of how shite SmackDown's women's division currently is. Overall, I was impressed by the men this week, especially with Ricochet and Santos Escobar, who brought down the show with a superb main event.
WINNER: Raw
FACTOR 2: PROMOS
Raw = I felt disappointed by Becky Lynch on the microphone this week, but I believe that may possibly be due to her ring rust. Or I guess microphone rust in this case. She is most certainly back on the saddle in WWE, but she does still need to work on her promos.
SmackDown = The Bloodline opened the show, allowing Sami Zayn to display his superb acting chops again. With every single member of The Bloodline, I am lapping up every word spoken, such is the immense interest and admiration I have for the group. It also helps that Bray Wyatt provided another solid promo this week.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 3: STORYLINES
Raw = Raw continued to present some solid red brand exclusive storylines this week, such as the three way feud between Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, and Babby Lashley, but they fail to match the heights of SmackDown's main storylines. It is at least a positive that Judgment Day remain a low key highlight of the show.
SmackDown = Bray Wyatt vs LA Knight and The Bloodline vs the world continue to carry the show. Sami Zayn can lay claim to the most emotionally invested storyline in WWE, something the blue brand is definitely benefitting from.
WINNER: SmackDown
FACTOR 4: SCHEDULING / PACING
Raw = Raw was just as pleasantly paced this week as it normally is, which was great for the go home show for Survivor Series.
SmackDown = I hate to once again highlight how poor the women's division is on SmackDown, but their segments were truly the only negative aspect of this week's offering. Overall, similarly to Raw, the pacing was extremely positive.
WINNER: Dead Heat
EXTRA CREDIT BONUS ROUND!!!
Raw gains points for keeping the majority of the show bullshit free.
Raw also gains points for Judgment Day ending yet another week on Raw in a very strong position.
Raw loses points for Alpha Academy feeling past it at this point.
SmackDown gains points for making the SmackDown World Cup feel important.
SmackDown also gains points for Sheamus gaining some modicum of revenge over The Bloodline. As dominant as they need to be, it is essential they also get their comeuppance every so often.
SmackDown loses points for setting up Lacey Evans in a Marine style persona. I get this is her real life occupation from before wrestling, but still, it is just something that will not work with fans.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
Sami Zayn riding the crest of a wave as an indisputable key member of The Bloodline.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK!!!
The continued demise of SmackDown's women's division. It is just neverending.
POINT ADJUSTMENTS: Raw (+2 / -1) / SmackDown (+2 / -1)
THIS WEEK'S WINNER = SmackDown
With a score of 3 to 2, SmackDown again narrowly defeats Raw to win this week's Battle of the Brands. Despite both shows being an unmitigated success, the blue brand had the much punchier and consistently high performing 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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