WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Analyzing Who Won the Week of December 19

As the week of Dec. 19 kicked off, Raw was a brand on the heels of an exclusive pay-per-view event that saw Kevin Owens successfully retain his Universal Championship over Roman Reigns. SmackDown was a brand in a holding pattern, waiting to present the stories and feuds that will carry it into the Royal Rumble.

But as fans witnessed, one brand brought a sense of urgency, and the other did not, leading to an upset victory in this week's showdown between the red and blue shows.

Why Raw?

The drama surrounding Chris Jericho and Owens continues to captivate fans, including a hilarious opening segment of the Dec. 19 edition of Raw in which Y2J was forced into a shark cage and hung from the ceiling—a fate that awaits him at the Royal Rumble when Reigns battles Owens for the Universal Championship.

Jericho's performance, which saw him screaming bloody murder as he ascended to the rafters, was beautiful, as was his reaction backstage after he was released. At a time when Y2J could easily be coasting on name and reputation alone, he continues to present new and interesting takes on his character that have helped him remain relevant and extraordinarily entertaining.

The evolution of Braun Strowman has been another intriguing element of Raw.

Not only is he a throwback to the days of wrestling's past—where a monstrous villain squashed everyone in his path before being knocked off by the lead babyface—he has proved himself a much better wrestler than anyone could have imagined.

Monday night, though, was all about Strowman's rage and how uncontrollable he can be when provoked. When general manager Mick Foley did not produce Sami Zayn, the big man went on a rampage, laying waste to Sin Cara and Titus O'Neil before setting his sights on Reigns and Seth Rollins later in the night.

As the last man standing, it appears as though Strowman is poised to become one of the featured players on Monday nights. Does that excite workrate fans? No, but Strowman has proved himself as one of the more interesting performers on the roster and has put in the work to improve between the ropes.

He deserves the opportunity.

The tease of a Sasha Banks program with Nia Jax and a fun main event pitting Reigns and Rollins against Jericho and Owens help round out the positives from Monday's broadcast.

Why SmackDown?

The not-so-subtle dismissal of James Ellsworth from the main event scene was the right step for SmackDown Live to take, and it wasted little time doing so, booking a tremendous ass-kicking at the hands of WWE champion AJ Styles.

From there, it replaced him in the main event scene with Baron Corbin, a badass with an aura of a future champion. His injection into the title picture not only freshens it up, but also presents him with the opportunity to work with Styles, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and others with experience in high-profile matches.

The feud between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss wrote its latest chapter, as The Lass Kicker avenged the humiliations she has suffered at the hands of the new SmackDown women's champion by disguising herself as La Luchadora and scoring a submission victory.

It was a classic wrestling angle that encouraged a good response from fans. The fan reaction suggests WWE Creative should focus on simpler angles with proven track records more than the overly complicated stories it tries to tell right now.

The Miz and Dean Ambrose appear poised to wage war in the coming weeks and months, but it was the former's targeting of backstage interviewer Renee Young (Ambrose's real-life girlfriend) that added a spark of realism into the proceedings. Now, the significance of the program is elevated from that of a typical championship feud to something more personal and easier to invest in.

A strong match from The Miz and Apollo Crews put an exclamation point on what was a spectacular show.

Winner

SmackDown Live secures the win this week. Despite not coming off a pay-per-view, it did a better job of building to the Dec. 27 broadcast in Chicago than Raw did of generating excitement and energy coming out of a major event.

The writing staff's ability to make the most of its two hours catapults it past a Raw brand that rarely utilizes its three hours effectively. 

SmackDown continues its winning ways as the new year approaches.

Scorecard

SmackDown: 10, Raw: 7