WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Which Brand Has the Better WWE SummerSlam 2017 Lineup?

Raw will represent itself at WWE SummerSlam 2017 with a hoss fight for the ages, a meeting of former friends and a cruiserweight collision.

SmackDown, meanwhile, will offer up the latest stage in the AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens saga for the pay-per-view. A Battleground rematch is on the docket, as is Natalya's latest attempt to claim gold. 

The red brand will trot out Brock Lesnar, Alexa Bliss and presumably The Miz. SmackDown will counter with John Cena, Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal. 

Who can claim brand supremacy based on star power, stories and match quality? Which brand has the better midcard title match? Which show's respective main event is more appealing and boasts more potential for the Aug. 20 PPV?

Read on for a breakdown of how Raw and SmackDown stack up against each other for WWE's summer blockbuster, with a look at both SummerSlam's confirmed matches and those that appear to be on the way.    

Tag Team Championship

• Raw: Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins (Raw Tag Team Championship) *projected
• SmackDown: The New Day vs. The Usos (SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

If the continued tease of an Ambrose-Rollins reunion leads to them challenging for the Raw tag titles as expected, Raw will have the edge over the blue brand in terms of emotion.

Each time Ambrose and Rollins step closer to partially reforming The Shield, the crowd erupts. It's a testament to how much that faction resonated. 

And even if Ambrose and Rollins align once more, it will be with both men remaining wary, unsure if another backstabbing is coming. That will give the Raw tag championship match more drama to play with, more suspense built in.

Even as excellent as The New Day and The Usos have been in the ring against each other, their match won't be able to compete with that.

Winner: Raw

Midcard Championship

• Raw: The Miz vs. Jason Jordan (Intercontinental Championship) *projected
• SmackDown: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship; Shane McMahon as referee)

The Styles vs. Owens feud has seen the rivals go at it several times already. The addition of McMahon as the guest referee will freshen things up, though. The commissioner's involvement adds depth to the bout, welcoming quite the X-factor.

Jordan's recent issues with The Miz point to those two going at it at SummerSlam. 

If that's the case, they won't have nearly the history together than KO and Styles do. And Jordan is a newcomer stepping on to the biggest stage of his life. Expectations will far lower for his effort against The Miz than what Owens and Styles will compose between the ropes. 

Jordan vs. The Miz promises to be a showcase of an up-and-comer. Styles vs. Owens will challenge for the best match of the night.

Winner: SmackDown

Midcard Bouts

Raw:

• Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt
• Big Cass vs. Big Show (Enzo Amore will be suspended in a shark cage)
• Neville vs. Akira Tozawa (Cruiserweight Championship)

SmackDown:

• John Cena vs. Baron Corbin
• Randy Orton vs. Rusev

SmackDown has the bigger names. Cena and Orton have headlined SummerSlam a combined 10 times. Big Cass is an unproven commodity, Wyatt is damaged goods after years of misguided booking and the cruiserweight division is not exactly swimming in buzz.

Still, superior story and build make Raw's midcard lineup more appealing.

Neville vs. Tozawa has been building for months. The Big Cass vs. Big Show clash is a derivative of a powerful drama that saw Cass split with Enzo Amore. SmackDown's non-title offerings, meanwhile, have been tacked on just before the PPV.

Cena and Orton's championship pedigree won't be able to overcome the minimal hype surrounding their bouts.

Winner: Raw

Women's Championship Match

• Raw: Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks or Nia Jax (Raw Women's Championship)
• SmackDown: Naomi vs. Natalya

A shoulder injury has Bayley unable to compete at SummerSlam and has forced the red brand to change its plans for the PPV. Even so, the two possible replacement matchups lined up for Bliss promise to outdo Naomi vs. Natalya.

Banks and Jax will face off on next Monday's Raw to determine the new No. 1 contender. But while this means the Raw women's title match will be a late addition to the event, there won't be a lack of story.

Banks has unfinished business with Bliss after Great Balls of Fire, where the champ retreated rather than face defeat. Jax and Bliss' alliance would make them clashing quite the sight. 

Naomi vs. Natalya will be a solid midcard bout. Banks and Bliss' chemistry would make that bout a superior one, though. And Jax chasing around the woman she is supposed to be guarding has more natural electricity than the SmackDown women's title picture.

Winner: Raw

World Championship Match

• Raw: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (Universal Championship)
• SmackDown: Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Championship)

As fun and unexpected a combination as Mahal vs. Nakamura is, the Fatal 4-Way is far and away the bigger match.

The Universal Championship clash has more star power, for one. Lesnar is a household name, Reigns is the most talked about Superstar today and both Strowman and Joe are two of Raw's hottest commodities. 

There's been a great build for the bout so far, complete with all-out brawls and a Last Man Standing match flush with destruction. Lesnar vs. Strowman vs. Reigns vs. Joe is sure to be a thrill ride of violence and drama.

Not to mention, Lesnar's promise to leave WWE if he loses adds major stakes and ups the compelling factor of the contest. 

Nakamura vs. Mahal is a fresh matchup. It features an electric performer in The King of Strong Style. But where that meeting will be intriguing and entertaining, the Fatal 4-Way bout promises to be a Match of the Year candidate.

Winner: Raw

Overall

Better writing and a tauter format have made SmackDown the more enjoyable for much of the period following last year's brand split. That won't translate to a better showing at SummerSlam, though. 

For one, Tyler Breeze and Fandango's trip into the absurd hasn't led to a high-profile, buzzworthy match. Breezango has been the highlight of SmackDown for weeks thanks to its Fashion Files comedy sketches, but that won't affect SummerSlam much.

Raw's title matches are powered by strong builds. SmackDown's lineup came into place too late to gain real traction in many cases.

The Fatal 4-Way for the Universal Championship is going to be a thriller. Styles vs. Owens will likely be the night's second best contest. After that, everything points to the red brand creating more memories and electricity at the marquee event.

Winner: Raw (4-1)