Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of July 25

The first week of Raw vs. SmackDown under the latest WWE brand extension is history, and surprisingly enough, the tension between the shows was decidedly less than that of the elephants and donkeys running for the highest office in the land, making for an eventful yet subdued television product.

Sasha Banks capped off her journey toward greatness by defeating Charlotte for the Women's Championship on Raw, and fellow NXT alum Finn Balor pinned Roman Reigns to earn a spot in the WWE Universal Championship match against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam in Brooklyn, New York. Those two moments helped to define the red brand and forced SmackDown to follow up with something equally as buzzworthy.

The blue brand did just that, as Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena, AJ Styles, Apollo Crews, Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin in a Six-Pack Challenge match to earn a shot at Dean Ambrose's WWE Championship on August 21.

There was a sense of freshness regarding both shows, an excitement that could not be manufactured. For the first time in two years, fans felt as though their patience with the WWE television product had paid off in the form of new and interesting rivalries and matches. There were new theme songs and stage setups. Experimental camera angles were injected into SmackDown, hammering home the idea that this was a New Era for both brands.

Who won Week 1 of Raw vs. SmackDown, though? Which brand left the WWE Universe most satisfied with its finished product?

Match Quality

This is one field Raw will almost always win, if only because the three-hour format favors longer, pay-per-view-quality matches. Fans of the red brand tuned in Monday night and were greeted with four such matches, including an outstanding battle for the Women's Championship between Banks and Charlotte.

Two Fatal 4-Way matches and a main event pitting Balor against Reigns rounded out one of the best episodes of Raw in years.

SmackDown attempted to replicate the success of the multiman matches from the night before with a Six-Pack Challenge match featuring some of the most talented stars in the industry. Ziggler won, pinning Styles following a superkick, but the match never lived up to either of Raw's outstanding battles.

That it stole talent from the rest of the card, leaving a depleted roster to fill out the remainder of the night's festivities, weakened the SmackDown broadcast more than strengthening it.

A one-sided match in which Randy Orton demolished intercontinental champion The Miz did nothing to help matters.

Advantage: Raw

Creative Direction

Reigns looked dejected and defeated as he left the ring following Monday's main event. He admitted respect for Balor but looked emotionally drained. Could the recent losses and violation of the wellness policy be the genesis for a much-anticipated heel turn for Reigns?

Considering he is without an obvious dance partner for SummerSlam, it could be only a matter of time before Reigns undergoes the character change that will finally sit well with the audience.

Banks paid off months of trials and tribulations by defeating Charlotte and winning the Women's Championship. While that would appear to be the end of their feud going forward, WWE announced a rematch for SummerSlam on Saturday.

Balor's win catapults him to the top of the card and creates a scenario in which he could become the new babyface star of Monday nights.

The women of SmackDown made their presences felt Tuesday night, interrupting Becky Lynch's win over Natalya by addressing the fans. Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Naomi and Eva Marie all made appearances, providing fans with a look at what the future of the women's revolution on the blue brand will look like.

Heath Slater's insistence that he is the hottest free agent in wrestling was cut off by the surprise return of Rhyno. A video package announcing the impending return of Shelton Benjamin seems to suggest that familiar faces looking for one last shot at glory will play a key role in filling out the SmackDown roster.

Ziggler's win came at the expense of Styles, who was more focused on Cena than he should have been. Another pay-per-view showdown between them appears to be on the horizon.

Raw may have had the more crowd-pleasing developments, but SmackDown did more to give fans a look at what to expect in the foreseeable future.

Winner: SmackDown

Booking Decisions

The Ziggler and Balor victories will only prove effective if WWE Creative puts in the work to build them into compelling characters who fans can invest in. Balor is a relative unknown to those unfamiliar with his work in NXT, while The Showoff has been a glorified enhancement star for the last three months.

Scripting them in a manner that allows fans to get a better understanding of their personalities—while simultaneously giving those same fans a reason to believe either can conceivably leave Brooklyn's Barclays Center with championship gold—is key to continued success.

Raw's booking decisions were more fan-friendly, the likes of which generated immediate excitement and discussion. SmackDown was more methodical, laying the groundwork for future episodes.

While building for tomorrow is always a preferred method of storytelling, the brands needed to get off to a hot start and generate excitement in an attempt to convince audiences to come back again the following week.

Raw did that. SmackDown did not.

Winner: Raw

Week 1 Winner

No matter the excitement that came from Ziggler's win in the main event of SmackDown, Raw was a superior show. A more newsworthy program with better wrestling and booking decisions, the flagship show hit every note to perfection and delivered an entertaining product from start to finish.

SmackDown has the tools and, as a result of The Showoff's win and subsequent title match with Ambrose at SummerSlam, the intrigue. But it needs more from its supporting cast if it is to knock Raw from the pedestal.

Winner: Raw