WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Winner, Top Highlights and Botches for Week of August 17

The road to Sunday's SummerSlam rolled through Raw and SmackDown Live on Monday and Tuesday respectively, as both brands attempted to put the final touches on a pay-per-view that should prove to be one of 2017's best.

But which show was able to capture the attention of viewers more than the other, getting them excited for the Sunday's extravaganza?

Raw featured Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose's reunion, the final encounter of the four Superstars who will battle for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam and an explosive No. 1 Contender's match between Sasha Banks and Nia Jax.

SmackDown countered with the first meeting between John Cena and Jinder Mahal, the latest chapter in the Shane McMahon-AJ Styles-Kevin Owens drama and a word of warning from Shinsuke Nakamura to The Maharaja.

Only one show could emerge the victor just days before a SummerSlam pay-per-view that has the potential to change the course of WWE programming for months to come.

Which was it?

Why Raw?

Just days away from SummerSlam, Raw felt the pressure to deliver a red-hot broadcast that brought its top stories and Superstars to the forefront and sold the importance of the show to the masses. It did just that, producing a broadcast that was newsworthy and exciting from the opening segment involving Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to the finale featuring Brock Lesnar.

The Reunion

WWE steadily built to the reunion between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. After a scuffle between the two Monday night, it delivered on it.

Rollins and Ambrose overcame a sneak attack by tag team champions Sheamus and Cesaro and stood in the center of the ring before bumping fists to an electrifying response. The crowd popped and one of the better-built matches for Sunday's SummerSlam pay-per-view was official.

The execution of the angle was perfect and gave the audience the desired outcome without any booking missteps along the way. It started at A and ran through to Z, and the fans responded favorably. Perhaps the success of the story will force WWE to take a look at its storytelling methods more closely.

Sasha Banks' Successful Homecoming

All too often, fan favorites lose in their hometowns because of some ridiculous booking method utilized by WWE chairman Vince McMahon and his merry band of writers. Thankfully, that was not the case Monday night, as Sasha Banks rolled into Boston and defeated Nia Jax to earn a shot at Alexa Bliss' Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam.

The win came at the tail end of a great match between The Boss and her opponent. Their in-ring chemistry was solid, and the result was a quality opening contest.

Now Banks rolls into SummerSlam, and her dislike for Bliss should lead to an intense war of attrition.

Awaken The Demon

It was a major mistake to air Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt on free television just six days before what was to be their first singles match against each other.

With that said, the angle in which Wyatt poured a blood-like substance over Balor, infuriating him and bringing about the return of The Demon Sunday night, was the right choice.

Fans need a reason to be excited about the match, especially after WWE gave their initial encounter away for free. Promising The Demon gives them just that. There is something about Balor's alter ego that excites audiences and brings an electricity with it that other acts do not.

Like The Undertaker or the original incarnation of Kane, Balor carries himself in a manner that captivates fans when he throws on the face paint.

It will be no different Sunday night in Brooklyn, New York, where he will unleash The Demon and defeat Bray Wyatt in the center of the ring.

The Final Confrontation

In the weeks leading into Sunday's Fatal 4-Way main event, WWE Creative has featured Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe in a number of singles and multi-man matches. They have brawled and destroyed one another, but Monday night, it was Brock Lesnar who helped hammer home the gravity of Sunday's main event.

The Beast Incarnate's appearance on the final show before the explosive headliner built enough heat for it heading into SummerSlam that it feels like a legitimate pay-per-view main event rather than a thrown-together match just to get all four guys on the show.

The intensity shown, particularly by Lesnar and Strowman, has fans eagerly anticipating what should be a war in Brooklyn.

Akira's Big Win

It took months, but Akira Tozawa finally dethroned Neville to capture the Cruiserweight Championship Monday night, drawing a major ovation while doing so.

For the first time in months, it felt like the cruiserweight title meant something significant. Perhaps it was the title change or, more importantly, the fact people cared about Tozawa's triumph. Whatever the case, it was a nice change of pace from recent trends.

It also made a star out of Tozawa at a time when the division desperately needed someone other Neville to carry the load.

Why SmackDown?

SmackDown Live looked to follow in Raw's footsteps, delivering a broadcast that excited fans for Sunday's pay-per-view. Unfortunately, another immensely stupid booking decision cast a black cloud over proceedings and left fans with few bright moments to speak of.

Tension and the United States Championship

Fans have seen AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens countless times over the past three months, so it is imperative that WWE Creative concocts a story that keeps them invested in The Phenomenal One and The Prizefighter's program.

It has done just that, using commissioner Shane McMahon's involvement as the referee at SummerSlam, given his history with both Superstars, to create a scenario in which the authority figure could easily screw either competitor out of the title.

Both Styles and Owens have inadvertently kicked McMahon, creating frustration and dismay on the part of the SmackDown chief.

Whether he intentionally or accidentally retaliates Sunday night is a story worth paying attention to and elevates the United States Championship bout from redundant to one of SummerSlam's more intriguing contests.

John Cena vs. Jinder Mahal

A first time, non-title bout between John Cena and WWE champion Jinder Mahal headlined Tuesday's episode of SmackDown Live. The match itself was solid and gave fans a taste of what a bigger, higher-profile meeting between The Maharaja and Cena may look like.

More importantly, the bout continued SmackDown Live's attempt to deliver PPV-quality main events on a weekly basis, making the show must-see television.

To some, that devalues the idea of a pay-per-view, but considering all of the major shows are essentially live event specials on WWE Network, the company can get away with running major bouts on television.

Cena and Mahal may never wrestle again if Cena's hectic schedule of movie shoots and appearances is any indication. Tuesday night, fans got to see the match for the first (and maybe last) time ever.

Lana and Tamina's Partnership

One of the better stories on SmackDown is the budding relationship between Lana and Tamina. The second-generation star has vowed to help Lana become a better in-ring wrestler, while Lana has promised to use her ambition to get Tamina a championship opportunity.

Tuesday night, Lana suggested she will bring out of Tamina a killer instinct that helps her crush the competition.

For the first time in while, fans got a taste of The Ravishing Russian who helped Rusev become a dominant force in WWE. It will be interesting to see how she influences Tamina on her journey to the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Biggest Botch

Baron Corbin's Money in the Bank cash in Tuesday night was, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst in the history of that gimmick.

He rushed to cash in on a prone Jinder Mahal, allowed himself to become distracted by John Cena and lost in mere seconds to a schoolboy rollup.

Any credibility Corbin garnered from winning Money in the Bank and setting himself up for a future championship run was extinguished Tuesday night.

Stomping and protesting around the squared circle, he looked like a child throwing a hissy fit when he didn't get what he wanted.

That is not the way to present a badass or a potential main event attraction.

Even if he rolls into Brooklyn Sunday night and kicks Cena's ass, he still looks like a fool for mishandling his cash in.

Winner

SmackDown's awful booking decision in the main event, for the second week in a row, destroyed any chance it had of winning this latest battle for brand supremacy.

Not that it had much of a chance anyway.

Raw delivered a vastly superior product.

The matches were better, the storytelling was greater and the build for SummerSlam was more effective than anything SmackDown was able to conjure up.

Another dominant victory for a Raw brand that feels like it has figured it out while SmackDown's quality is descending into mediocrity.