WWE: Why SmackDown Has Overtaken Raw as the Better Show

With WWE taking their annual SmackDown vs. Raw series to a new level this year, I thought that in anticipation for it, an article comparing the brands would be a good idea.

Everyone knows that WWE views Monday Night Raw as their flagship show. They use it as a platform for their biggest stars and storylines.

It airs on the USA Network, a popular cable channel available to anyone who pays for television, whereas SmackDown is on Syfy, a channel not available to everyone.

Raw was WWE's first big show that brought them into the spotlight, but these days it feels like SmackDown may be taking over the spot as the top show in terms of quality.

I am not saying WWE views it as the top show, but some fans do. Let's use the matches from Vengeance as a set of examples.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton had what was probably the match of the night, and there was not even a title on the line.

Christian and Sheamus also had a good encounter which saw both men have the opportunity to win on several occasions.

Mark Henry vs. the Big Show may have ended in a no contest, but the ending had everyone in the arena on their feet. While the ring breaking is nothing new, it's exciting to see.

As far the Raw matches go, there was Dolph vs. Ryder for the US Title in a match that I thought was surprisingly good.

Triple H and CM Punk faced Miz and R-Truth in a match that ended when Kevin Nash interfered and made it possible for Miz and Truth to pick up the win. This outcome felt like a cheat for what was a good buildup to the match.

John Cena and Alberto Del Rio would have had the match of the night had it not been for Miz and Truth interfering at the end.

The tag and Divas matches sort of applied to both brands so they won't be counted for either side.

Overall, if you compare the big three matches from each brand, SmackDown had the better night.

For Raw, John Cena is one of those guys who is hot and cold with some fans, whereas Randy Orton has never been more popular. Let's also not forget that while he hasn't been seen since WrestleMania, The Undertaker is still a member of SmackDown.

The blue brand has better young talent than Raw and more in-ring actions most weeks. They also have better feuds for the most part.

SmackDown would overtake Raw if WWE did two things: Move the show off Syfy onto a channel with more exposure, and take it off Friday nights when many people choose to go out and not stay in watching wrestling.

Bring the show back to Wednesdays and put it on USA or even a broadcast network like NBC, which would kill for a ratings winner right now. There are many things they can do to make SmackDown as big a show as Raw, but in terms of fan opinion, it may already have become the top dog.

Which brand do you feel puts on the better shows?