So the WWE roster has officially been split into two, Raw and Smackdown, we’ve now seen the first shows of a new era for both shows.
I think we can agree both 25th July edition of Raw and 26th July edition of Smackdown were fantastic shows, but which brand came out on top? I’m assessing the key areas.
Authority
I felt both Stephanie/Foley and Shane/Bryan did a good, solid job of promoting their brands on their respective shows, and ensure us that the future was very much in mind.
From my point of view, Shane/Bryan brought the more fun element to their show, whereas their opposition on Raw were more straight talking authority figures, which there’s nothing wrong with.
I did enjoy Shane’s contributions much more than Stephanie’s, and Bryan brought a much bigger entertainment value than Foley.
VERDICT: Smackdown
Debuts
Probably in the minority here, but I really enjoyed the Women’s segment on Smackdown after the Becky/Natalya match, with the introductions of Alexa Bliss and Carmella to the main roster.
Despite this, there is absolutely no doubting the incredible impact of Finn Balor’s Raw debut.
Rhyno making his unexpected return to the main roster was exciting, as was the announcement of the return of Shelton Benjamin, which has certainly got fans talking.
The buzz both before and after Raw aired over Balor was such high anticipation, and there was no disappointments, as Finn not only won a fatal four way match, but defeated Roman Reigns to become the #1 contender for Raw’s new ‘Universal Title’.
A debut, a main event slot, and two victories, what a great night for the Irishman, Balor.
VERDICT: Raw
Theme Music
The theme music to Raw felt very similar to the Nickelback one used a few years ago, I don’t know if anyone else felt that vibe. I must admit, I wasn’t crazy about the Smackdown music, I think it’ll probably grow on me in time, but it just didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone of the show.
Raw’s felt more like a wrestling theme than Smackdowns.
Although this is not an important issue, these are themes we’ll be hearing a lot of over the next months.
VERDICT: Raw
Set
The Smackdown set reminded me of a PPV, but the important part of it, was it felt new. The ring looked fresh, and the layout was different, which added to the unique feel and separation from Raw.
As for Raw itself, it certainly looked the part, a lot more of a bigger spectacle than Smackdown, although quite similar to the old style, with a few adjustments such as the light going across the entrance ramp/titantron area.
VERDICT: Smackdown
Show Quality
Raw was a great show from start to finish, as shows go, it seems to have the complete package. Groundbreaking ideas, explosive debuts, and memorable moments headlined by Sasha Banks winning the Women’s Title. Both Raw and Smackdown had an ‘anything can happen’ feel about it, which especially with the latter, had been lost in recent years.
Smackdown stuttered a bit in the middle, but the ending really made the viewer want to tune in next week to find out what will happen next.
With Raw, there are a lot of potential feuds set out, and stars of the future taking shape and finding their feet/comfort zones. Although continuously putting on an entertaining show from start to finish for 3 hours will be a struggle, for the first week, they nailed it.
VERDICT: Raw
Summerslam Main Event
It’s very hard to compete with Raw’s main event of Seth Rollins v Finn Balor, which will guarantee a thoroughly entertaining contest.
The exciting prospect of Ambrose v Ziggler and the potential story to be told definitely grips me, being the big Dolph Ziggler fan that I am, I’m highly interested in seeing how their feud unfolds over the coming weeks.
As far as stories go though, the first ever NXT Champion facing off against the longest reigning NXT Champion promises all the makings of a rivalry to launch Raw into the future, ahead of the competition.
Whilst defeat for Amborse looks unlikely against Ziggler, you have to wonder why now, WWE have decided to pull the trigger on Dolph, putting so much faith in him before one of the companies biggest PPV’s of the year.
VERDICT: Raw
The Future
The future is bright for Raw, with Sasha Banks as Women’s Champion, Braun Strowman beginning what could prove to be a successful singles push, and of course, Finn Balor.
My worry is that two of Raw’s top draft picks in Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho are part time superstars, and probably won’t be around for a large portion of 2017.
Whilst Raw’s two fatal four ways were exciting, the 6 pack challenge on Smackdown felt more intriguing, and like we were watching future WWE Champions, especially in Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin, who I would be surprised if neither are a champion within the next year.
The women’s division looks a lot more fresh for Smackdown with the additions of Naomi, Eva Marie, Carmella, and the lovely Alexa Bliss. Raw might have the established main eventers in Banks and Charlotte, however, Smackdown seems to be building for the future.
Raw possess the fantastic duo of Enzo Amore & Big Cass who seem to turn to gold everything they touch at the moment, and will undoubtably play a huge part in WWE over the coming years.
VERDICT: Smackdown
Overall, it’s hard to go against Raw due to it being such a solid show, but that’s in no way a discredit to Smackdown, which also provided plenty of talking points.
Both shows certainly lived up to the promised hype, and neither show looks like letting talent go to waste, with almost everyone being used in some capacity.
It’s great to see both brands capitalising on what the fans want, and using those superstars to launch their new era’s, and I look forward to seeing what sort of lengths both sides will go to in their quest to ensure ratings and entertainment.
How would YOU rate Raw and Smackdown?
Which was the better show?
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