WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Winner, Top Highlights and Botches for Week of April 13

The Superstar Shake-up dominated WWE programming for the week of April 13 as male and female competitors jumped from one show to the other, shaking things up and generating buzz in the post-WrestleMania landscape.

With so many moving pieces, the week that was in WWE TV proved an exhilarating experience for fans who demand fresh, new and exciting stories, matches and Superstars. Champions swapped brands, pay-per-view plans were called into question and entire identities of brands were altered as WWE looked to shake things up in the wake of its most significant pay-per-view event.

Which brand got the best of its opposition, though?

Did Raw and general manager Kurt Angle's acquisition of Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and The Miz catapult it past its Tuesday night counterpart, or did Daniel Bryan and SmackDown Live recruiting Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Charlotte earn the blue brand the victory in the weekly battle for brand supremacy?

Find out the answer to that question and relive the biggest roster moves and most important moments of this past week with this recap of WWE's premier broadcasts.

Why, Raw?

Credit: WWE.com

Monday's broadcast wasted little time introducing fans to the first three acquisitions of the Superstar Shake-up: intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose, The Miz and Maryse. It was a red-hot way to kick off the show and an announcement to the world that no performer, champion or not, was off-limits.

The steady revelation of new acquisitions kept fans anticipating the latest roster moves and brought to the show a sense of mystery and unpredictability it typically does not have. The arrival of Alexa Bliss and Mickie James strengthened the women's division while smaller-scale acquisitions like Apollo Crews and Kalisto added depth to an already impressive midcard.

Raw's existing rivalries and their latest chapters were the show's greatest attribute this week.

The segment in which Braun Strowman repeatedly brutalized Roman Reigns was the type of wild, chaotic, outside-the-box segment that captures the attention of fans and gives them a reason to believe WWE Creative is capable of more than the one-dimensional, boring writing it has been responsible for over the last two years.

The big man's stubborn determination to maim Reigns engaged fans and the manner in which he continued popping up into the shot to inflict further damage was just serious enough not to generate laughter, even if the execution of his attack was comical at times.

The manner in which he shoved over an ambulance with Reigns inside it not only was an impressive visual but a moment that elevates Strowman from main event big man to a legitimate Superstar in the WWE Universe.

The gradual build of Nia Jax into a top contender to Bayley's Women's Championship, Sasha Banks' continued hints at a betrayal of her best friend, The Revival's impressive victory over The New Day and T.J. Perkins' heel turn furthered ongoing storylines and laid the groundwork for the Payback pay-per-view on April 30.

In all, Raw delivered a broadcast that looked to the future with fresh new Superstars but also paid tribute to stories the brand has been setting up for months. It was the perfect mix of ongoing and new, and the result was a far more compelling show than most three-hour marathons on Monday night. 

Why, SmackDown?

Credit: WWE.com

The Tuesday night brand kicked off with the debut of United States champion Kevin Owens. It escalated when Baron Corbin confronted the suit-wearing Canadian and intensified when Sami Zayn joined his former best friend as the first two acquisitions from Raw. It was the appearance of AJ Styles, though, that elevated the opening segment in terms of significance.

More than any Superstar who made the jump from Raw to SmackDown, it was Styles who heightened the credibility and legitimacy of the show. When he claimed SmackDown Live was "the show that AJ Styles built," it did not feel like the claims of an egotistical bad guy. No, it felt like a Superstar seizing leadership of a brand and establishing himself as its face.

He would go on to defeat Corbin and Zayn in a fantastic main event that earned The Phenomenal One a shot at Owens' title sometime in the near future. On a night where Superstars came and went, it was Styles' reaffirmation that the Tuesday night staple was his home that stood out as the most significant moment of the broadcast.

Styles was not the only Superstar to bolster SmackDown's claim to brand supremacy this week.

Shinsuke Nakamura followed up on last week's monumental debut by interrupting Dolph Ziggler's address of the WWE Universe, then dodging a superkick attempt by The Showoff and standing tall to close out the confrontation.

The segment, not long enough to overstay its welcome, set in motion a rivalry between the two expert in-ring competitors that should serve as a fine introduction to Nakamura for fans unfamiliar with his work and the re-establishment of Ziggler as a signature star on Tuesday nights.

While Owens and Zayn may become cornerstones of SmackDown Live over the next year and Superstars like Rusev and Lana finally have the opportunity to break out without the oppressive presence of high-profile main event stars clogging their path to the top, it was the arrival of Charlotte that stood out as the brand's best acquirement.

The second-generation competitor has the opportunity to become not only the face of a talented women's division but also one of the premier stars on the roster. Do not be surprised if as much time and energy is put into her as is Styles, Zayn, Owens and WWE champion Randy Orton in the coming weeks and months.

SmackDown may not have obtained stars with the name of Ambrose and Miz, but what it gathered was a crop of Superstars that have indy credibility and established fanbases. Owens, Zayn and Charlotte are critically acclaimed stars whose connection with the audience is undeniable.

They will help lend legitimacy to a brand that has lacked depth.

Biggest Botch

Credit: WWE.com

The biggest botch of an otherwise stellar week of WWE television was the movement of Bray Wyatt from SmackDown to Raw.

Yes, the program between Wyatt and Finn Balor that was teased during Monday's broadcast looks like a delightfully strange one that will create moments and matches fans will be buzzing about. At the same time, The Reaper of Souls' return to the red brand feels like a maneuver that will set him up for failure.

One of the biggest issues facing Wyatt before was his use as a dangerous heel WWE Creative could program against top babyfaces for a few months, then sacrifice to get his opponents over in the end. It happened with John Cena and Roman Reigns, most notably, and did significantly more damage than good.

Considering Raw is now made up of Balor, Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, the likelihood that there is any room for Wyatt to grow as a character or performer, while working with babyfaces Vince McMahon will be completely invested in pushing at the expense of the brand's heels, is incredibly low.

In a week where both Raw and SmackDown mostly benefited from the moves made in this, the first Superstar Shake-up, it appears very much like Wyatt's move was detrimental to the performer himself.

Winner

Both Raw and SmackDown Live delivered quality television products this week. Fans were engaged and interested in the Superstar Shake-up, and the brands capitalized on that.

It was the Monday night staple, though, that expertly meshed its ongoing programs with the infusion of new talent to create the better show this week.

The Strowman-Reigns angle was red-hot, the arrival of Ambrose, Miz, Wyatt, Bliss and James introduced the fans to the stars they could expect to see featured in significant roles going forward, and the tag team division took center stage with The Hardy Boyz, The Revival, Sheamus and Cesaro and The Club all spotlighted.

SmackDown got the better of the talent swap, gathering a handful of Superstars who will benefit exponentially from a less crowded roster. It will re-establish its dominance in the battle for brand supremacy, of that there is no doubt.

That aforementioned mix, and the heightened sense of urgency with WWE Payback right around the corner, tips this week in Raw's favor, though.