WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of November 7

Erik BeastonNov 10, 2016

Eager WWE fans in Glasgow, Scotland, packed the SSE Hydro to see their favorite Superstars jockey for position as Survivor Series approaches on Nov. 20.

Unfortunately, the company tempered their excitement with two mediocre shows that did more to drum up apathy than anticipation for the fall classic.

Despite a second consecutive week of lackluster television, one show had to win the weekly war for brand supremacy.

Match Quality

For the first time in the war between Raw and SmackDown, picking a show with superior in-ring content is difficult.

Raw's best in-ring action came in the form of Sami Zayn vs. Rusev, a battle to determine which of the talented Superstars would compete against SmackDown Live's Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series.

SmackDown countered with a Women's Championship match between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss that may not have fully lived up to the hype but that still saw two highly talented female competitors deliver on weeks of build.

Considering Raw had cruiserweight action featuring Rich Swann and a six-woman tag team match pitting Sasha Banks, Bayley and Alicia Fox against Nia Jax, Charlotte and Dana Brooke, you have a show just slightly above SmackDown, from an in-ring perspective.

Winner: Raw

Creative Direction

SmackDown trumped Raw this week with strong creative decisions that included the reprisal of the Kalisto-Baron Corbin feud and the continuation of James Ellsworth's unexpected rise to stardom.

The feud between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss will continue due to a controversial finish, a wise decision, given the intensity of the program and the chemistry they have exhibited over the last month.

Raw's show was more stagnant, with no real advancement of any sort.

Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens remained friends yet were constantly in each other's way. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were thorns in the sides of the lead villains, but it was Braun Strowman who emerged the most intriguing character on the show.

The lack of development in the undercard continues to hurt the show, an unexpected detriment, given the obscenely long run time of the flagship program.

SmackDown Live handily wins this one on the back of consistent progression from the main event through the undercard.

Winner: SmackDown Live

Booking Decisions

The decision to book Shane McMahon in the main event of Survivor Series over Baron Corbin is one that stings, especially given the lack of credible young stars on the roster. Corbin could have benefited from the exposure exponentially. Instead, he is left to battle Kalisto in a midcard program that does neither any favors. Meanwhile, the prodigal son will headline a show he had no right being on in the first place.

The finish of the Raw main event, where Reigns delivered a Superman Punch that knocked Owens onto Jericho, allowing the universal champion to accidentally score the win, was the kind of contrived and ridiculous booking that has plagued KO's run at the top of the brand.

James Ellsworth's ascent may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has injected SmackDown with a freshness that Raw cannot claim.

Winner: SmackDown Live

Winner

SmackDown wins this week—but narrowly.

Neither show did enough to stand out, but SmackDown Live did a better job of telling its stories than Raw. While the Monday night brand just barely had a better in-ring product, the Tuesday show engaged the audience more than the sleepy red show.