WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of October 3

WWE's Raw and SmackDown Live were two very different shows with two very different agendas entering the week of Oct. 3.

The red brand was attempting to overcome a string of sub-par shows featuring an uneven narrative and complete lack of creative direction. SmackDown, however, was riding a wave into its next brand-exclusive pay-per-view event, No Mercy, and in need of a strong final build to the extravaganza's marquee matches.

In both cases, the shows succeeded. Raw delivered its best broadcast in months while SmackDown wrapped up its hype for Sunday's No Mercy with a neat bow.

Which show came out ahead this week, though?

Was it the flagship, with a historic main event pitting Sasha Banks against Charlotte for the WWE Raw Women's Championship, or the blue brand and its showdown between John Cena, Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles?

Match Quality

This is no contest this week as Raw clearly featured the superior in-ring product.

The main event, Banks vs. Charlotte, was a physically intense war that would be a suitable conclusion to any rivalry. Banks' victory was a feel-good moment, the perfect cap on a superb wrestling match. Earlier in the broadcast, The New Day battled Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho in another fun tag bout, the likes of which WWE has perfected at this point.

1. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte	Raw
2. The New Day vs. Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho	Raw
3. T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick	Raw
4. Rich Swann vs. Tony Nese	Raw
5. Jack Swagger vs. Baron Corbin	SmackDown Live

A non-title match between cruiserweight champion T.J. Perkins and Brian Kendrick jump-started the night's in-ring festivities.

SmackDown, on the other hand, was a show devoted more to storyline advancement and angles than anything. The matches were rather nondescript, though not bad in the slightest. Instead, they were there to support the other developments that took place over the course of the two-hour broadcast.

Winner: Raw

Creative Direction

For the first time in weeks, it became clear that Raw has a distinct idea of what it wants to do in the weeks ahead of Hell in a Cell.

It has set up a storyline in which Chris Jericho becomes increasingly jealous of "friend" Kevin Owens, leading to an eventual betrayal and match between the two.

Then there is Seth Rollins, who will slide into that program, probably setting up a Triple Threat match between the competitors for the Oct. 30 event. His interactions with Stephanie McMahon continue to hint at dissension between her and Triple H, all the while setting himself up for a huge babyface run.

There is the Sheamus-Cesaro partnership, the continuation of the Roman Reigns-Rusev story that will culminate inside Hell in a Cell and Banks' triumph over Charlotte in their latest epic.

As strong a show as Raw presented, SmackDown's creative direction was focused and deliberate.

Every segment, barring The Hype Bros' victory over The Vaudevillains, had a direct affect on Sunday's No Mercy card.

The show-closing promo involving Cena, Ambrose and Styles was fantastic and continued to spotlight a Lunatic Fringe closely related to the edge antihero fans have waited to see since the height of Austin 3:16.

The upcoming match between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz was enhanced by one final segment, an edition of Miz TV dedicated to the humiliation and mockery of The Showoff and his many accomplishments. It added intensity to the feud and increased the personal issues that exist between the competitors ahead of Sunday's match.

The tag title match was spotlighted, as two women's bouts in a single tag match. The wild card is Baron Corbin and Jack Swagger, who are in the midst of a blossoming rivalry and battled to a controversial conclusion Tuesday night.

SmackDown wins this week, but not by the margin it typically does.

Winner: SmackDown

Booking Decisions

Raw's decision to roll into Los Angeles' Staples Center, the Madison Square Garden of the West Coast, and book Banks vs. Charlotte in the main event slot speaks volumes about its dedication to the women's revolution.

Is the booking of that division always as strong as it should be? No, but it was an incredible show of faith in those two women that neither of the competitors took lightly. They delivered and opened up opportunities for other women to follow in their footsteps.

The promo involving Owens, Jericho and New Day that occurred earlier in the show was a bit of booking brilliance as the writing team discovered two Superstars capable of going word-for-word with the tag team champions.

From Braun Strowman's demands of more suitable talent to the decision to rebuild Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as a dangerous team rather than a poor excuse of a comedic act, Raw delivered one strong booking choice after another.

SmackDown followed suit.

Strengthening Ziggler's plight by reintroducing Spirit Squad members and infusing his character with sheer, unadulterated anger helped to add further meaning to his upcoming championship opportunity against Miz.

Ambrose, Styles and Cena interacted in the main-event segment, with no man allowed to look any more dominant than the others. The Lunatic Fringe, in particular, was allowed to be himself during his promo time rather than the caricature that WWE Creative inexplicably saddled him with over the last 12 months.

SmackDown succeeded but Raw was so consistently strong throughout its three hours that it is impossible not to award them a much-deserved victory.

Winner: Raw

Winner

It was a great week for WWE as both of its premier shows delivered in spades. They both accomplished everything they set out to and the fans benefited as a result.

Even as SmackDown built an extraordinary two-hour program that did everything it had to in order to convince fans to tune into No Mercy this Sunday, it was Raw that set the bar too high for the blue brand to eclipse this week.

It remains to be seen if Raw will ever achieve the consistency that its competitor has, but for this one week, it gave fans a taste of what it is capable of.

Winner: Raw

Scorecard

SmackDown: 5; Raw: 4