WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Winner, Top Highlights and Botches for Week of May 11

It is difficult to distinguish a winner between WWE Raw and SmackDown Live when both shows are underwhelming messes courtesy of a creative system that greatly failed them during their stints in London's O2 Arena this week.

The two most prominent shows produced by Vince McMahon's company suffered from a lack of storyline advancement, lackluster matches and an overwhelming sense of insignificance. Very little mattered on either show this week, leading fans to feel as though they wasted their time, and that is never a sentiment an entertainment company of any kind wants to conjure up.

For all the negativity, though, one brand managed to do just enough to emerge victorious in this week's battle for brand supremacy.

Was it Raw or SmackDown who cut through the deficiencies of the week to earn a trip to the winner's circle? How and why did it earn the 'W' in a week when WWE Creative earned a failing grade?

Take a look for yourself with this comprehensive recap of the week that was in WWE.

Why Raw?

WWE Raw Results - May 8, 2018

Non-Title Match: Bray Wyatt defeated intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose

Sasha Banks defeated Alicia Fox

TJP defeated Jack Gallagher

Seth Rollins defeated Samoa Joe by DQ

Sheamus and Cesaro won a Tag Team Turmoil No. 1 Contender's match

Non-Title Match: Raw women's champion Alexa Bliss defeated Mickie James

Finn Balor defeated The Miz

Dean Ambrose, The Miz and the WWE Intercontinental Championship were at the heart of the May 8 episode of Raw as WWE Creative compensated for the absence of universal champion Brock Lesnar. It was not a bad decision whatsoever in that it put that secondary title at the forefront, elevating its importance and shining a spotlight on Ambrose and Miz, who will battle for the championship on next week's show.

The interactions between the two, some of which saw them cost each other victories in different manners, dominated the airwaves and presented them in a way that suggests they are among the most prominent stars on the show. Again, that only helps to elevate the prestige of the championship over which they fight.

Speaking of elevating championships through strong performances and solid booking, Sheamus and Cesaro earned the right to challenge The Hardy Boyz for the Raw Tag Team Championships by winning Tag Team Turmoil.

While one would assume the heels did so in the most underhanded manner, they actually started the match off and tore through every other team involved en route to their convincing victory. The strong booking of the team suggests Creative is invested in the tag titles, the team and the ongoing rivalry between them and The Hardys.

Roman Reigns returned from injury and brutally assaulted Braun Strowman, writing The Monster Among Men off the show as he prepares for minor elbow surgery. Not only did the segment accomplish that, it also added a nastier, more relentless side to Reigns, which is always welcome.

TJP's new nastiness, Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax's forced friendship and a solid Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe match also earned positive marks Monday night.

Why SmackDown?

WWE SmackDown Live - May 9, 2017

United States champion Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal defeated WWE champion Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles

Breezango defeated The Ascension

Erick Rowan defeated Luke Harper

Natalya defeated Becky Lynch

Ahead of Tuesday's SmackDown Live, it was obvious Jinder Mahal needed a win or hot angle of some sort to help with his credibility. The Canadian-born No. 1 contender to Randy Orton's WWE Championship was still not being taken as seriously as he should have been by the WWE Universe at large.

WWE Creative set out to right that wrong, booking Mahal to pin Orton clean in the main event of the night. Teaming with United States champion Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin, Mahal pinned Orton following his Cobra Clutch Slam. It was an outcome that was absolutely necessary as the blue brand continues to insist on presenting Mahal as prospective main event attraction.

Breezango continued to earn fans with another hilarious entry into the "Fashion Files," followed by a quick and decisive victory over The Ascension.

The gem of Tuesday's broadcast, though, was Dolph Ziggler's in-ring promo.

Discussing how he has broken his body for the sport he loved but has not received the admiration or affection from fans they have given to Shinsuke Nakamura, despite the fact that he has not wrestled a single match in WWE, was a step in the right direction for the program.

For weeks, Ziggler has come across like a whiny heel, complaining about the attention given to The King of Strong Style. Tuesday night, he spoke his words with conviction, and his issues with Nakamura were given gravity.

Like Breezango and Mahal, Ziggler was dealt some credibility through stronger booking than he has been the recipient of in recent weeks, and the result was a better television product than it otherwise would have been.

Biggest Botch

Three minutes.

That is the allotment of time afforded to Becky Lynch and Natalya for their match Tuesday night. Two of the best workers in the women's division, they were forced to rush through a sloppy, disjointed match that was marred by interference from Carmella, James Ellsworth, Tamina, Charlotte and Naomi. 

Too much packed into too little time immensely hurt what should have been a significant night for the SmackDown Live women.

It was only a week ago that The Welcoming Committee banded together to leave Naomi, Charlotte and Becky Lynch lying in a heap and announced their intention to rule the division. Tuesday should have represented Naomi, Charlotte and Lynch's first attempt to garner a measure of revenge. 

Instead, the women were short-changed time, and the result was an ineffective segment that felt more like something out of 2009 than this brand new era of WWE in which women are treated fairly and allowed to showcase their talents for the masses.

Yes, it is likely a one-week aberration than the norm, but taking six minutes off the main event and adding it here would have allowed the Superstars to thrive in a more meaningful television segment than the placeholder it ultimately became.

Winner

Raw at least took the time to focus heavily on the Intercontinental Championship. SmackDown, on the other hand, felt very much like an overhyped house show.

The red brand had a purpose, it established two stars it wanted to build its entire show around on that night and shoved them to the forefront. It pushed Dean Ambrose and The Miz hard and relentlessly, booking them to kick the show off and close it out, with several backstage vignettes throughout.

SmackDown never felt like it had a purpose. It was a show for the sake of a show. From a storyline advancement perspective, it probably did so more effectively than Raw. Yet the complete and utter lack of development this close to the Backlash pay-per-view on May 21 is a major indictment against its writing staff.

Raw was by no means an exciting or enthralling show, but it had a plan, it executed said plan and it did so to much better results than SmackDown's purposeless presentation.

The flagship wins this week's showdown.