WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of December 5

The battle for WWE brand supremacy continued this week, and Raw and SmackDown found themselves on different paths.

The blue brand was on the heels of a TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view that saw championships change hands and a major turn alter the course of the main event, while Raw was gearing up for its Roadblock: End of the Line event.

Both wound up producing less-than-stellar shows. One appeared to be in a holding pattern, while the other produced one of its worst episodes to date.

Which was able to overcome its deficits and deliver a decent broadcast this week, catapulting it to another weekly victory?

Why Raw?

There was a lot not to like about this week's Raw. There were baffling booking decisions, returns of Superstars who have meant nothing for months and matches that were either repetitive or underwhelming from a ring-work perspective.

With that said, there were still a few bright spots during Monday's sleeper of an episode.

For all the flack he gets, Roman Reigns is one of the most consistent in-ring performers in WWE. He is as steady as the day is long, and he proved it again Monday, battling Chris Jericho in a strong match that saw the United States champion successfully defend his title.

Speaking of Jericho, the ongoing melodrama that is his friendship with Kevin Owens hit the skids once again this week.

Feeling as though he had to make it up to Jericho for lashing out at him last week, Owens had Y2J booked in two separate matches against two former Shield members: the aforementioned Reigns loss and a Roadblock bout with Seth Rollins.

That did nothing to make things better between the two, and suddenly, the disintegrating friendship that once looked unbreakable now figures to be a major part of the Raw puzzle as 2017 approaches.

The placement of the Raw Women's Championship rivalry in the main event slot for the second consecutive week was a nice nod to everything Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks have accomplished, even if the content of the angle was nowhere near as hot as the match from the week before.

Why SmackDown?

The blue brand countered Raw's poor showing Monday night with a program that did little to progress ongoing storylines, dropping the ball and missing out on what could have been a week of dominance.

Thankfully, The Miz was there to pick the brand up and carry it, performing in the two most effective segments of the night.

First, he was the insufferable host of Miz TV—a pompous and egotistical villain who condescendingly offered Dean Ambrose a participation award following his loss at TLC. He pulled wife Maryse in front of him, shielding himself from The Lunatic Fringe—a true heel in an industry devoid of them.

Then, he capitalized on interference from that same wife and James Ellsworth to pick up a victory over Ambrose, successfully retaining his intercontinental title and infuriating fans in the process. The match was the latest chapter in the ongoing feud between Miz and general manager Daniel Bryan, which has become must-see television every Tuesday night.

The Alexa Bliss-Becky Lynch confrontation ensured that program will continue, the strong promos from each woman and the intense action they bring to the ring helping to strengthen the brand as a whole.

Winner

There were so many questionable booking decisions and meaningless programs on Monday's Raw that SmackDown wins this week by default.

The Reigns-Jericho match, in any other week, would have made a strong case for the red brand's victory, but stupid angles like Enzo Amore's hotel beatdown at the hands of Rusev and questionable returns by Big Show (another heel and babyface turn in the same match) and Mark Henry undid everything right about Monday's broadcast.

SmackDown may have been in a holding pattern of sorts, with little in the way of angle advancement, but everything served a purpose, and no one was as terribly mishandled as they were on Raw. Consistency wins out this week.

Scorecard

SmackDown: 9, Raw: 7