RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

Eh, both shows suffer somewhat by having the joint PPV be the first real PPV after the split (yes Battleground was after the split, but it didn't have a split build up). Limited number of matches can happen for both brands. I don't think missing out on this Summerslam means too much in the grand scheme of things. That being said, I feel like he'll be there after the title match as well. I'd be shocked if he wasn't.

If it was up to me, he'd be fighting Ambrose instead of Dolph at Summerslam.

[TracerBullet]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

If Smackdown figures out it's midcard, it's going to run circles around Raw for awhile with the way they're being booked and the matches being put on. Styles is the best talent in the company right now.

For having more talent overall, Raw just feels like it's all over the place right now. I realize that Finn's injury didn't help, but I think even if he wasn't injured, they still barely know what they're doing.

Smackdown has a 3-1-1 lead since the split for me. Raw's first show is still the best single show since the split however.

[cima]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

Smackdown Live gets the W for me this week.

RAW:

- Finn's injury is absolutely crushing to RAW. We are likely getting another Reigns or Rollins title run, which who really wants another one of those right now? RAW can really make things interesting and get back in this battle by putting the belt on Kevin Owens next week. The old WWE wouldn't do this but WWE post brand-split, I can totally see it happening. And I really hope it does. KO is ready and deserving.

- The Women's division on RAW is kind of at a standstill IMO. Yeah Bayley is there now but Sasha is gone for a month or so, so it kind of evens it out rather than raising the division.

- Gallows and Anderson need to be champs but their lack of heat is really concerning. They hardly get any reaction at all, and I know attacking the retiring Dudleyz was designed to get them more heat, but I'm not sure it will carry over. These guys are just so bland and boring on their own, and with Balor out, no hope for a Bullet/Balor club anytime soon.

Smackdown Live:

- AJ fn Styles...what else really needs to be said? He's carrying that show right now and is easily the top guy in WWE right now and IMO, it's not even close. WWE appears to be really high on him and I hope he takes the title off boring Dean at Backlash.

- Tag division is weak as ****, they really need another credible team in there. The Revival would be perfect but then NXT gets ****ed, so that's not viable right now. I'm also concerned with American Alpha's lack of a reaction every time they come out. Casuals aren't buying into them and I don't know what it will take.

- I did the designs of the new titles. I think it's a foregone conclusion that the championship matches are gonna be Nikki vs Becky and American Alpha vs The Usos.

Smackdown Live is repeatedly kicking RAW's *** over and over again, but things are going to get really interesting once the Cruiserweight division debuts on RAW. If they keep the division having matches like the CWC, then RAW will improve tremendously. I think SD is going to keep winning the battle for the next month or so but RAW can get VERY interesting when Sasha returns, the CW division arrives, and if KO is champ.

My rankings:
3-1-1 in favor of Smackdown Live

[Mercury112491]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I think they made a mistake assuming AA's popularity would transfer over to casuals without any build like Enzo and Cass. IMO they should have redone the Ready Willing and Gable bit. They also need to give them more mic time.


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[Rocky]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I am really trying to give this a shot but I think this brand split is doomed to fail. All the problems from previous brand splits are slowly but surely rearing here including two big ones:

1. There is a legitimatecy issue. There are now two World Titles but who is the true champion? What is the big show? There is always going to be one brand that is seen as bigger than the other.

2. This is the most important one. It's simply too difficult to keep up with the feuds, rosters, titles, etc. I simply don't have the time to invest in 5 hours of pro wrestling (and 9 if you include PPV's) at the beginning of the week.

[Mercury112491]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

You have to remember to look at the shows as if they're two completely separate companies. There is no "big show" they're both the big show. And there's no true champion. The champions from each show are on equal footing. It won't fail as long as they keep pressing these points and don't crossover the show too much.

You could just watch the Raw/Smackdown recaps on the network. Or just DVR and FF through stuff. Or alternate which show you watch each week and look up the results for the other one the week you don't watch it. There's a ton of ways you can keep up with everything without actually sitting and watching 5 hours of show.


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[TheShizNo1]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I am really trying to give this a shot but I think this brand split is doomed to fail. All the problems from previous brand splits are slowly but surely rearing here including two big ones:

1. There is a legitimatecy issue. There are now two World Titles but who is the true champion? What is the big show? There is always going to be one brand that is seen as bigger than the other.

2. This is the most important one. It's simply too difficult to keep up with the feuds, rosters, titles, etc. I simply don't have the time to invest in 5 hours of pro wrestling (and 9 if you include PPV's) at the beginning of the week.

I think this is more of just an issue for you. The attitude has been pretty positive since the split.

1. Who cares? They're separate shows. But if it truly matters, I'm sure most would say RAW is that show.

2. It's really not.

[PeoplesChampGB]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I think this is more of just an issue for you. The attitude has been pretty positive since the split.

1. Who cares? They're separate shows. But if it truly matters, I'm sure most would say RAW is that show.

2. It's really not.

I would disagree. Any notion that RAW is "the show" are just ppl too caught up on the past. To be honest, Smackdown has been better or equal to RAW every week since the split. I think their storylines are simplistic yet compelling, and the work rate, I think, has been better than RAW thus far.

Though, if we are going to have a RAW vs. Smackdown thread, I think we should also be commenting on the matches from the PPVS. I think the RAW matches were better than the Smackdown matches at Summerslam.

[TheShizNo1]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I would disagree. Any notion that RAW is "the show" are just ppl too caught up on the past. To be honest, Smackdown has been better or equal to RAW every week since the split. I think their storylines are simplistic yet compelling, and the work rate, I think, has been better than RAW thus far.

Though, if we are going to have a RAW vs. Smackdown thread, I think we should also be commenting on the matches from the PPVS. I think the RAW matches were better than the Smackdown matches at Summerslam.

I don't necessarily agree or disagree, I actually don't think it matters was what I was (poorly) trying to say.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

How is it too difficult to keep up with the feuds of the two shows? That's like one of the more ridiculous things I've seen. Like....can you only watch one television show at a time on tv? "Welp, too much to try to keep up with The Flash AND Law and Order. I'm gonna just pick Law and Order and simplify my life."

[cima]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

I am really trying to give this a shot but I think this brand split is doomed to fail. All the problems from previous brand splits are slowly but surely rearing here including two big ones:

1. There is a legitimatecy issue. There are now two World Titles but who is the true champion? What is the big show? There is always going to be one brand that is seen as bigger than the other.

2. This is the most important one. It's simply too difficult to keep up with the feuds, rosters, titles, etc. I simply don't have the time to invest in 5 hours of pro wrestling (and 9 if you include PPV's) at the beginning of the week.

So I take it you weren't a fan of the Monday Night Wars then and only watched one of the shows? Lol sorry but this is really silly. Especially nowadays, you can just read about stuff to keep up because I agree, 3 days of PPV, RAW, and SD is about all I can handle. Though I am watching the CWC as I write this, lol.

[IndianBird]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

How is it too difficult to keep up with the feuds of the two shows? That's like one of the more ridiculous things I've seen. Like....can you only watch one television show at a time on tv? "Welp, too much to try to keep up with The Flash AND Law and Order. I'm gonna just pick Law and Order and simplify my life."

That's my favorite excuse they are pulling out these days.


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#WolvesUp

[Rocky]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

So I take it you weren't a fan of the Monday Night Wars then and only watched one of the shows? Lol sorry but this is really silly. Especially nowadays, you can just read about stuff to keep up because I agree, 3 days of PPV, RAW, and SD is about all I can handle. Though I am watching the CWC as I write this, lol.

You actually made my point for me when you brought up the Monday Night Wars. Alot of people WEREN'T watching both. Not to go back to those days but that's just WWE spin right there.

I waa always a pretty big WCW fan (being from Charlotte) so I personally focused on WCW in it's heyday and occasionally followed RAW until The Rock got big. Point being, it was much more of a zero sum game then people want to believe.

And if I'm not mistaken, the problem with the initial brand split was that RAW lost massive ratings to MNF so they moved big names back to RAW which subsequently made Smackdown an inferior show.

It's not a problem for the wrestling fanbase, but for casuals (and I think I fall in between) I honestly believe that I should see Reigns, Styles, Cena, etc. on one show fighting for one title.

[IndianBird]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

You actually made my point for me when you brought up the Monday Night Wars. Alot of people WEREN'T watching both. Not to go back to those days but that's just WWE spin right there.



I waa always a pretty big WCW fan (being from Charlotte) so I personally focused on WCW in it's heyday and occasionally followed RAW until The Rock got big. Point being, it was much more of a zero sum game then people want to believe.



And if I'm not mistaken, the problem with the initial brand split was that RAW lost massive ratings to MNF so they moved big names back to RAW which subsequently made Smackdown an inferior show.



It's not a problem for the wrestling fanbase, but for casuals (and I think I fall in between) I honestly believe that I should see Reigns, Styles, Cena, etc. on one show fighting for one title.

You're out of your mind if you don't think a lot of people were watching both shows in the 90's.

I mean certifiably crazy.


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#WolvesUp

[PeoplesChampGB]

Re: RAW vs Smackdown Live: Week by Week

You're out of your mind if you don't think a lot of people were watching both shows in the 90's.

I mean certifiably crazy.


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#WolvesUp

I was a WCW guy, but you better believe during commercials I was flipping over to raw to see what was going on with the main event, and make my decision accordingly based on what was going on at different times in the shows.

If you had Meng vs. Hugh Morrus on Nitro, and you had Shamrock vs. Bulldog on RAW for the European title, I was watching RAW.

The next segment if it was Jericho vs. Mysterio on Nitro and DOA vs The Headbangers, I was flipping back to Nitro.