Raw vs. SmackDown: Which Brand Won the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-Up?

While Survivor Series is the only time WWE Raw and SmackDown Superstars face off in direct competition, there are always comparisons between the two throughout the year.

By the time WrestleMania is over and done with, it feels like the culmination of a season of storytelling and the most convenient time to freshen up the rosters for the next year.

This is where the Superstar Shake-up comes into play, with trades between the Raw and SmackDown general managers moving talent from one show to another.

As far as the storyline goes, this is supposed to be a means to keep both shows on an equal footing, as no leader would purposely sacrifice their brand.

However, there is a perception WWE has a tendency to favor Monday Night Raw, which is why SmackDown Live has been referred to as "the B show" essentially since its inception.

Every year there is a draft or some equivalent event, the WWE Universe is eager to see some interesting moves that will balance things out and allow for potentially great feuds while nervously hoping it isn't a one-sided victory.

Most of the time, there is an uproar that Raw is too stacked and SmackDown has been gutted and will suffer for the next 12 months with a lackluster talent pool WWE will regret when options become scarce.

Was that the case this year or did things turn out differently? 

The Women's Divisions

Before the Shake-up, Raw was gifted Ember Moon and both Billie Kay and Peyton Royce went over to SmackDown.

The Riott Squad and Absolution were switched in a virtually even trade, while Natalya was given a fresh start on Raw to be paired with Ronda Rousey.

Since Rousey and Nia Jax will be two of the primary focal points as top babyfaces—along with Moon, Bayley and Sasha Banks—there was no more room for Asuka, who was traded to SmackDown.

In a way, this almost comes off as though she's lost value since losing her undefeated streak, being sent to SmackDown as a demotion. Here's hoping that impression doesn't continue.

Although SmackDown also received Sanity, there was no mention of Nikki Cross coming through with the stable.

However, Zelina Vega is sticking with Andrade "Cien" Almas, so the blue brand did receive arguably the best manager in the company along with another potential wrestler for the women's division.

As far as the women on Raw and SmackDown are concerned, this is almost a tie.

Both brands have some fresh matches that can happen and enough top names to keep everybody interested going forward, with no side stronger in terms of star power or in-ring skills.

The Tag Team Divisions

With two swift moves, SmackDown came out the better brand in regards to the tag team division—at least on face value, as there is a chance for some alterations to come.

Those two major moves were The Bar and The Good Brothers leaving Raw in exchange for Breezango and The Ascension.

Coupling that shift with the addition of Sanity means the blue brand have Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, The Usos and The New Day as babyfaces; Rusev Day somewhere in the middle as heels who could turn at any time; and Sanity, The Bar, The Bludgeon Brothers and inconsequential Colons as heels.

Meanwhile, on Raw, The Authors of Pain will dominate as the top heels with The Revival coming in behind them, being paired mostly with Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy, who will undoubtedly win the Raw Tag Team Championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27.

However, unless there's a solid push for Breezango or Titus Worldwide, there isn't a second babyface team of much value on Raw. It certainly isn't Heath Slater and Rhyno or The Ascension.

Where things get tricky, though, is if Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler are a legitimate tag team, or if they're just two singles stars who will hang around each other.

Also, does Chad Gable's split with Shelton Benjamin mean there is a reunion of American Alpha in the works?

His interview indicated otherwise but judging by the glut of midcard talent on Raw, it's easy to imagine a scenario in which Gable is unable to make a dent by himself and gets put back into a tag team—as happened the last time he went off on his own.

This would be a shame, because he's proved himself to be an amazing performer who could turn some heads, but WWE doesn't seem to be ready, willing or able to give him a shot.

If Ziggler and McIntyre are a true unit and American Alpha were to rejoin forces and possibly turn face as they were before, that would be another major heel and babyface team to add to Raw's ranks, which will make all the difference.

If that's not the case, Raw is going to struggle to find anybody who can match up to The Authors of Pain in a few months.

The Men's Singles Divisions

Trying to judge all of the men who aren't in a tag team on Raw and SmackDown is almost impossible, since heel and face turns, as well as random pushes, can completely change the balancing acts.

Out of nowhere, Big Cass is now on SmackDown and being paired up with Daniel Bryan, signaling a huge push for him toward an upper-midcard talent after he was floundering as a midcarder and tag team member beforehand.

Likewise, it's hard to tell if someone such as Mike Kanellis or Mojo Rawley will get any significant push, or if they'll be just fodder for bigger names like Finn Balor and Seth Rollins to beat up while more important heels such as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens truly accomplish something.

What is going to happen with Dean Ambrose when he comes back? Will The Shield member be a babyface or a heel and what level of importance will he be given in comparison to how Roman Reigns is in the main event and Rollins is holding the midcard title?

Are Ziggler and McIntyre a tag team, or are they going to be vying for the Intercontinental Championship or higher?

Is Brock Lesnar going to stick around? Will he leave and WWE try to push Baron Corbin into the main event instead?

On SmackDown, there are less names to juggle, so the line between main event, upper-midcard and midcard talent becomes more blurred than on Raw.

AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan appear to be the top two babyfaces with Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton directly beneath them. The trio of R-Truth, Sin Cara and Tye Dillinger are most likely to become the sacrificial lambs in the third tier.

As far as heels go, Samoa Joe has staked his claim to being at the top, along with Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz, with Big Cass fighting for a spot, Shelton Benjamin asking for opportunities and Andrade "Cien" Almas surely not being lost in the shuffle.

Given that lineup, it would make sense if Almas and Benjamin were the midcarders, Cass were in a state of flux between the two, and Joe, Nakamura and The Miz were the true main event heels.

Obviously, since it's much easier to balance out the SmackDown roster due to its disproportionate numbers of having less talent, the stronger roster overall is Monday Night Raw.

This isn't too surprising, given Raw has an extra hour of television to fill every week, but that brings up another question that has yet to be answered: What is going on with the cruiserweight division?

For the past few months there has been little or no activity from the cruiserweights on Raw, as they've been competing entirely on 205 Live alone.

If that roster is still going to pop up on Raw, it may be overkill and a few names could switch back to SmackDown in the coming months when WWE has ran out of options—especially if the blue brand were to see Superstars taken out of the rotation by injury.

Then again, who's to say 205 Live taping on Tuesday nights doesn't just open up the potential for a talent exchange of sorts where the cruiserweights could wrestle on SmackDown to eat up some time rather than Raw?

WWE changes rules on the fly and never sticks to logic—as evidenced by the build to the Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash events, which has been thrown into disarray in many ways over the past few weeks—so none of this is set in stone.

However, given the results of this year's Superstar Shake-up, even though new life has been breathed into both shows and SmackDown has some solid potential, Raw has come out looking just a little better, as there is less to worry about in how to balance that group of talent properly.

It will be interesting to see what storylines unfold over the coming year and if either roster has burned through itself by SummerSlam or Survivor Series. In the meantime, though, the WWE Universe just has to strap itself in for the ride.

Tell us which roster you think made out the best this year by leaving a comment below.

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.