WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Winner, Top Highlights and Botches for Week of June 22

The battle for brand supremacy featured some of its finest television this week, thanks to engaging and compelling episodes of both Raw and SmackDown Live.

One of the biggest mysteries in WWE was solved Monday night as fans found out just who was responsible for attacking Enzo Amore and Big Cass. SmackDown countered with Daniel Bryan's ruling on the controversial conclusion to Sunday's women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

Braun Strowman returned to Raw, targeting Roman Reigns and announcing a big match for Great Balls of Fire. SmackDown saw an unhinged Randy Orton seeking revenge for Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers' dishonoring of his father.

Samoa Joe built his star ahead of a showdown with Brock Lesnar on July 9, while Shinsuke Nakamura downed Dolph Ziggler as he continued his journey to the top of the blue brand.

Which show did enough to earn a victory in this week's showdown, though?

Take a look for yourself.

Why Raw?

The build to Great Balls of Fire continued Monday night with a newsworthy edition of Raw that wrapped up a weeks-long mystery, continued the build of the No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship into a credible main event attraction and pitted him against the measuring stick of the Raw roster.

The Evolution of Samoa Joe Continues

Samoa Joe has been a revelation as the featured star of Monday nights for the last three weeks.

He choked out Paul Heyman, was fearless in his attack on Brock Lesnar and Monday night stood up to an arrogant Roman Reigns.

He confronted the self-proclaimed No. 1 contender for SummerSlam, correctly dismissing the idea that he has beaten everyone there is to beat because The Big Dog had never beaten the Destroyer.

He would not Monday night, either.

Joe and Reigns tore the house down with a spectacular wrestling match that had fans in Evansville, Indiana, on the edge of their seats. In the end, The Samoan Submission Machine capitalized on a distraction and choked Reigns out, earning another signature victory as he prepares to challenge The Beast Incarnate on July 9.

The support WWE Creative has thrown behind Joe, and the loyalty with which it has approached his character to this point has helped the former NXT, Ring of Honor and TNA world champion earn credibility among main roster fans and legitimacy heading into the biggest match of his career.

Braun Strowman Returns

Braun Strowman emerged from the back of an ambulance, his arms raised high in the air, screaming his own name before stalking toward the arena for his latest obliteration of Roman Reigns.

It was an epic return that set up another blockbuster match for Great Balls of Fire and reintroduced the WWE Universe to the awesomeness of Strowman.

His announcement of an ambulance match against Reigns at Great Balls of Fire set in motion the culmination of their rivalry and the next step for The Monster Among Men. Surely, if Reigns considered himself the No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship, a defeat on July 9 would make Strowman the top challenger to that same title.

In one segment, the stakes were heightened exponentially, and now, fans have another explosive contest to look forward to at a show much maligned for its name but with a card that is shaping up to be one of the best presented by the Raw brand all year.

Big Cass' True Colors

The seven-foot-tall Big Cass confirmed Corey Graves' accusations Monday night, revealing he was responsible for the attacks that left partner Enzo Amore unconscious in the backstage area.

Citing sympathy for Amore over the general disdain and dislike his fellow Superstars have for the Certified G, he revealed that he became sick and tired of his partner writing checks his "ass can't cash" because he knew he had Cass as backup.

Cass cut a scathing promo while a single tear fell down the cheek of his heartbroken partner. The exclamation point? A big boot to the face of the man.

There were issues with the segment in terms of maximizing the television potential, but Cass was phenomenal, cutting the promo of his career and establishing himself as a star of WWE's bright future in a single night.

Props to Amore, too, who looked genuinely shredded as Cass tore into him.

Why SmackDown?

On the heels of Money in the Bank, which saw controversy reign supreme and two young stars emerge from the namesake ladder matches with guaranteed opportunities, SmackDown Live featured the return of general manager Daniel Bryan and a major storyline featuring the women of Tuesday nights.

The Hook? Women's Wrestling

Carmella won Sunday's Money in the Bank ladder match under tremendous controversy. James Ellsworth, her self-proclaimed "home boy" climbed the ladder and retrieved the briefcase, dropping it to The Princess of Staten Island on the mat below.

Tuesday, she kicked off the show and denounced the criticism, reminding fans and Bryan that there were no rules and thus, she cannot be accused of cheating.

Her promo served as the setup for an in-ring segment later in the night, the hook that kept viewers tuned in, in which the general manager would address the controversy and make a ruling on everything that had unfolded.

He did, announcing a historic Money in the Bank ladder match for next week's episode of SmackDown Live, an epic rematch that will seek to make right the wrongs of Sunday night.

Over the course of the broadcast, the women took center stage, their story the dominant presence on the show. It captivated audiences and set up the most anticipated match in recent SmackDown history. Most importantly, it demonstrated how significant a role female talent can play in today's WWE. 

A Vengeful Viper

Just 48 hours after losing another WWE Championship match to Jinder Mahal after The Singh Brothers physically threatened his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr., Randy Orton sought vengeance against The Modern Day Maharaja and his cronies.

Warning interviewer Tom Phillips that things had gotten personal, he hit the ring and struck with the venom of a viper, laying waste to The Singh Brothers with a barrage of RKOs just after sprinting around the squared circle and blasting Mahal with a clothesline.

He stared down the fleeing champion to end the show but not before his message to the villain was sent loud and clear.

Following his Backlash loss, Orton was monotone. Sure, he promised an ass-kicking, but it was never obvious that he was deeply affected by his defeat.

That all changed when his father was disrespected. Now furiously seeking revenge, Mahal and Co. may have awakened in Orton a beast they are ill-equipped to deal with.

And that makes for a much more intriguing, compelling product.

Chad Gable Answers The Challenge

Taking a page from former United States champion John Cena's playbook, current titleholder Kevin Owens issued an open challenge to anyone in the locker room to step up to the proverbial plate and try to take his title.

Chad Gable of American Alpha answered and wasted little time trying to upset The New Face of America.

He came close on several occasions but in the end fell, as so many have in the past, to The Prizefighter of WWE.

Given the depth of talent on the SmackDown roster, providing lower-level wrestlers the opportunity to mix it up with a legitimate main event Superstar like Owens is a nice touch for a television show that somehow manages to avoid repetition.

Unlike its Monday night counterpart, which has often been accused of staging similar matches week in and week out.

Biggest Botch

The reveal of Big Cass as the assailant behind the Enzo Amore attacks may have been expected, but the performance of the big man as he tore into Amore, criticizing him for holding him back from achieving greatness, was simply superb.

So why did the segment land in the "biggest botch" section of this week's recap?

Simple: WWE Creative blew two segments worth of story in one.

Ideally, Cass would have answered Corey Graves' accusations with a big boot to Amore, leaving his partner lying and simply walking off to close out the show. Fans would have tuned in the next week to hear his reasoning, to try to understand his motivations for severing a friendship that was once the strongest in all of WWE.

Instead, Cass went on his long, passionate diatribe before leaving Amore lying.

As is often the case with storylines in recent WWE history, the company rushed the angle rather than stretching it out and generating greater interest in the proceedings. Now that fans know who was responsible and why, they have no reason to tune in Monday night. 

It was a rare misstep on a Monday night much improved over recent offerings.

Winner

SmackDown Live's winning streak comes to a halt this week.

Despite a strong show that put the women's division at the forefront, featured an energized and passionate Randy Orton and delivered a solid in-ring product throughout, it paled in comparison to an episode of Raw that hit on just about every note. 

For the first time in what seems an eternity, Raw felt like a show where something actually happened.

There was the return of Strowman, the enhancement of Joe's main event presence and the betrayal by Cass. Even storylines such as R-Truth vs. Goldust and Akira Tozawa's entry into cruiserweight title contention worked in a way they may not have previously.

The show felt more energetic than it has of late, as if there is a great deal of focus and attention being exerted into making Raw's Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view one of the best of the year.

Once again proving that when the show has a purpose, and the writing team is invested in the stories it is telling, the show is tough to beat no matter what the opposition counters with.