WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of October 24

The build to Survivor Series in November almost trumped the importance of Hell in a Cell this week, as the Raw brand appeared to sleepwalk through its final attempt to generate hype and SmackDown focused primarily on planting the seeds for the annual fall spectacular.

Championship opportunities were up for grabs and Superstars jockeyed for position ahead of the November extravaganza, resulting in an episode of Raw that limped across the proverbial finish line. Would SmackDown Live be able to capitalize and even up the scorecard with its competitor?

Match Quality

Raw once again scored the dominant victory in this field on the strength of Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho's Triple Threat match, strong cruiserweight action, and a tag team bout that pitted Sheamus and Cesaro against The New Day.

SmackDown featured a great match between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles but was devoid of anything else capable of pushing the blue brand past its flagship rival.

In both instances, the in-ring product was not up to the level of recent shows. That is the result of storytelling, angle advancement and questionable use of talent. Do not expect that trend to continue.

Hopefully.

Winner: Raw

Creative Direction

Raw needed a strong show creatively to hammer home the significance of Sunday's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Unfortunately, most of its top feuds felt like they were stuck in a holding pattern.

Sasha Banks and Charlotte were overshadowed by Mick Foley in their final confrontation before a historic match. Roman Reigns and Rusev appeared only in pre-taped backstage promos, with the end result being a lack of heat surrounding their final showdown inside the cell.

Rollins and Owens' feud has been defined by Jericho's involvement. The result has been an underwhelming story built on comedy, lists and "it" more so than the credibility of universal champion Owens and his top babyface contender.

Over on SmackDown, James Ellsworth continues to be a revelation, perhaps even becoming the emphasis for Ambrose's long-awaited heel turn.

A compelling heel turn by Randy Orton and the continuation of Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss' rivalry helped soldier SmackDown past Raw.

Winner: SmackDown

Booking Decisions

Using Foley as the tool to get over the women's match at Hell in a Cell took the focus off of Charlotte and Banks and instead put it on Foley's superb promo abilities. That was a misstep that could have been avoided by allowing the women to carry their own segment, for better or worse.

The complete and utter lack of understanding how to utilize Owens as champion has been alarming. He was just comically pinned in a double roll-up, and though he recovered and attacked Rollins, fans remember wins and losses more than some would have you suggest.

SmackDown countered with a more focused booking method.

It put heat on both Bliss and Carmella through attacks on popular babyfaces Lynch and Nikki Bella. It executed a shocking betrayal by Orton that has fans guessing as to the current mental state of The Viper. With so many moving parts and stories being built in preparation for November's Survivor Series, SmackDown writers have done a more admirable job of setting things up for the future rather than hot-shotting their Superstars to gain ratings.

Winner: SmackDown

Scorecard

Raw: 6, SmackDown: 6