Every year the Wrestlemania hype such as special guests, are always done on RAW. Chris Jericho's huge return was again on RAW.
All superstars get their chance to shine on the show too. Take guys like Edge, who made their big break on RAW. And again every superstar on RAW is bigger than that of a Smackdown superstar. The only one who has survived as a Smackdown superstar, and is the only one whose legacy has not been affected is The Undertaker. He is such a big draw, that they had to keep him on Smackdown just to get sufficient ratings.
Big Show, and Edge cannot carry the show. Smackdown is taped on Tuesdays, and is the only show in the WWE that has never been live.
Every good show for me is one that is live, and it seems as in the WWE fans think that too, therefore most of the ratings go to RAW because of that. Conversely, RAW has had some of the all-time worst storylines and television in recent times, which has made it pale in comparison to the blue brand.
It can't be understated how important the length of the shows relates to the quality too. RAW's three-hour format every week is nearly impossible to keep interesting every week, not that WWE tries to do so necessarily. However, what is probably the biggest reason for the disparity between the shows is that WWE is prioritizing SmackDown, as it is now the billion-dollar flagship program.
For years, RAW was treated as the flagship show of the company, but that has clearly changed since the huge monetary investment was put into SmackDown. Despite SmackDown's recent success, there have been periods where the show was essentially a highlight or filler show. At this point, SmackDown wasn't necessarily a highlight show but was clearly a secondary concern to RAW on Mondays, which was undergoing its best-ever run.
After the initial brand split between RAW and SmackDown dissolved in , SmackDown assumed the role of producing highlights from RAW, as well as showcasing rematches and less important feuds. The hotter show, where everything feels more important than just about anything the blue brand has to offer, it is no wonder the marquee production in professional wrestling is succeeding at the level it is. While Raw is usually bloated with non-wrestling segments, interviews and recap videos, the blue brand has generally put a greater focus on in-ring action.
At three hours, Raw can drag and make fans want to see what else is on. SmackDown is a crisp two hours and usually leaves fans wanting more. Tuesday night has become the land of opportunity and second chances. The SmackDown roster has a healthy mix of indy darlings and homegrown talent, so there is something for everyone. CM: SmackDown's women's division is superior for a number of reasons, but the biggest is the variety of personalities.
Each woman has a distinct persona she has crafted over time. You can tell the heels from the faces more clearly on SD than you can on Raw, which is important when creating stories. EB: I don't disagree with the notion SmackDown Live has a better mix of characters and personalities in comparison to Raw.
With that said, the red brand's women's division is superior because of the star power and the complex stories that are based in reality. Sasha Banks and Bayley are real-life friends, but the professional rivalry is already established. Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax's friendship is apparent to anyone with a social media account, while Jax's desire for the gold is obvious.
Mickie James is the established veteran, and Emma feels disrespected. While SD may have a variety of personalities to draw from, Raw's roster has real stories to play to. Drama and "real" emotion create intrigue. CM: It's true Raw has done a good job positioning its female talents in recent months, but it only feels like something the company has recently put effort into.
SmackDown has been the more competitive division for a long time, going back to before the most recent draft. Alexa Bliss became a star on SD before moving to Raw, and there's no denying how much better Mickie James was used when she first came back. It took her months before she was put into a storyline with the champion on Raw.
Tamina Snuka is starting to become more relevant, Natalya is the champion and if Nikki Bella ever returns, she can add the needed star power to the division. EB: The biggest issue facing the SmackDown women's division is bringing out those personalities. The Money in the Bank ladder match and the weeks proceeding that bout hurt the momentum the division had built over the spring. Too many multi-women matches diminished those characters to the point there are a bunch of Superstars fighting for the title without rhyme or reason or any real direction.
Yes, Natalya is great, Naomi is explosive and Tamina's dominance has been played up nicely, but WWE Creative on that side of the aisle has not done as strong a job of late when building on their foundations and giving fans a reason to care.
It feels too much like the Charlotte Show, while Raw has recently refocused and built a division full of interesting and compelling stories—even if it did not have to work all that hard to do so. EB: The Raw tag team division is one built on the backs of stars. There are some who will argue that teams like The Bar and the reunited Rollins and Ambrose are thrown-together to compensate for the fact WWE Creative does not have anything better for them to do. Their inclusion in the division, though, has led to some of the best matches of The Hardy Boyz are an iconic duo whose work with Sheamus and Cesaro was phenomenal.
Then there is the team of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, who are merely complementary of the higher-profile teams, if only because the division is that stacked they cannot possibly fit them into the title picture.
CM: I agree that Raw has put on some incredible tag team matches this year, and as a fan of The Hardys going back to when they first broke into WWE, it's hard to argue with their success. However, SmackDown's offering feels more like a real tag team division to me. They have the kind of longevity we used to see in tag team wrestling. Then you have The Hype Bros and the newly formed Benjamin and Gable adding something different to the mix.
We can't forget about Breezango.
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