WWE Raw vs. SmackDown: Winner, Top Highlights and Botches for Week of Dec. 21

The hype for January 28's Royal Rumble ramped up Monday night on Raw as several major announcements regarding the pay-per-view extravaganza were made. SmackDown countered with the fallout from its Clash of Champions spectacular and continued building tension between its authority figures.

As the holiday season approaches, which brand gave its fans the greatest gifts and emerged from the week as the superior show?

Find out now with this recap of the week that was in WWE programming.

Why Raw?

WWE loves to tout its history-making, and Monday night's show went off the air with Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon announcing the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match.

While the execution of the announcement was seriously flawed (more on that in a bit), it did serve as a reward for a crop of female Superstars who have worked extremely hard to bring legitimacy and credibility to their craft.

Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax, in particular, have spent the last two years building credibility for their division through hard-fought matches and incredible performances. And now they will work with the other immensely talented individuals on the roster to deliver a first-time-ever match for fans in Philadelphia.

Another announcement, though less historic, saw general manager Kurt Angle reveal universal champion Brock Lesnar will defend his title against both Braun Strowman and Kane at the January 28 event.

The Beast Incarnate then proceeded to lay The Big Red Monster out with an F-5, but he was somewhat surprised to see him sit up and stare back at him as if the move was akin to swatting a fly.

Those two announcements instantly created excitement for the upcoming event and brought a sense of importance to Monday's broadcast, as did the injury angle to Dean Ambrose that threatens to derail The Shield reunion once more.

The Lunatic Fringe was beaten down and taken out by Samoa Joe, Sheamus and Cesaro as the trio continued its war with The Hounds of Justice. Without Roman Reigns to come to the rescue, the overworked Seth Rollins and Ambrose were at the mercy of the tenacious and devastating union of Joe and the tag team champions.

It did not go so well for them.

Speaking of coming to the rescue, Hideo Itami made his debut Monday night, coming to the aid of Finn Balor and then teaming with the former NXT champion to defeat Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas.

It was a solid debut that introduced him to Raw fans just 24 hours before his scheduled arrival on 205 Live.

Why SmackDown Live?

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon continue to be at odds over the treatment of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and the tension hit an all-new high Tuesday night as the general manager voiced his concerns about his superior becoming too much like his father.

Bryan reminded Shane-O-Mac that he raged against the machine, fought against the words "best for business" and would not sit back and watch his friend and boss become the modern incarnation of Mr. McMahon.

The SmackDown commissioner turned control of the show over to Bryan, who dismissed insistence by Owens and Zayn he was being unfairly treated by the same authority he once fought so diligently against.

While there was little in the way of follow-up to the early-show confrontation, it continued the slow and steady build to what could culminate in Bryan's return to the squared circle should he be medically cleared to do so.

Dolph Ziggler was in the headlines for apparently relinquishing the title, leaving it lying in the center of the ring after cutting a scathing promo in which he insisted the fans did not deserve him and walked out on the show.

It was the latest development in the career of a Superstar whose contributions are undeniable but whose support within WWE Creative has never been strong enough to give him the push he deserves.

Whether this is the end of his run with the company or the latest chapter of his career remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: There is more intrigue surrounding him at this point than in recent memory.

Biggest Botch

Paige, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose have waged war on the entire Raw women's division since their debut as a faction, and they were in the midst of a wild and chaotic brawl Monday night with every other woman on the roster when they suddenly stopped and stood alongside them amid the return of Stephanie McMahon to television.

Watching them overcome with emotion as they suddenly and inexplicably forgot the conflict they were in just moments earlier was not only inconsistent with the characters that had been presented to that point but insulting to both them and the viewer.

So often, WWE pats itself on the back for making history and giving women an opportunity that their disregard for ongoing storylines just so they can say, "See, history!" does more to hurt the so-called Women's Revolution than letting stories organically play out and logically lead to the gimmick bouts and professional opportunities in question.

How can fans be asked to believe Absolution hates the rest of the division when they were so happy standing alongside them and shedding tears with each other to close out Monday's show?

Winner

Raw was a show that felt like things actually happened.

While SmackDown was its typically solid self, Raw had major announcements, an injury angle and a sense of urgency.

That sense of urgency can never be underestimated, especially as a major pay-per-view approaches.

The red brand wins this week and appears set up to wreak havoc in the weekly battle for brand supremacy in the weeks to come.