by This week was Raw Reunion, featuring a lot of classic stars and new talent butting heads. However, that could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Time to see if Smackdown, despite all of Raw’s hype, had the better show.
Best Match:
Raw: Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns- Samoa Joe came out and cut a promo about his issues with the Raw Reunion. Specifically, the John Cena and Usos segment from the opening of the show, which brought out Roman Reigns, because you don’t disrespect his family. It was a decent match, with Roman Reigns eventually winning with the Spear.
Smackdown: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Apollo Crews- This was the first match on this week’s Smackdown, and it really showcased both men. Shinsuke looked like a brutal champion, while Apollo got to show off his strength. The match ended with an absolutely devastating Kinshasa for the Shinsuke win.
Winner: Smackdown- While neither match was specifically breath-taking, this match actually accomplished something. Joe has lost so many matches that his is never expected to win, and Roman didn’t get anything from this win. Meanwhile, Shinsuke Nakamura looked strong as a champion and Apollo had a good showing.
Best Segment:
Raw: 24/7 Shenanigans- The 24/7 Title went through a lot on this show. R-Truth started out as champion, but Drake Maverick’s wife Renee Michelle helped Maverick get it back. Later on, Boogeyman scared Drake, allowing Pat Patterson to pin him after a few kicks. Gerald Briscoe laid out Patterson to win, only for Kelly Kelly to hit him with a low blow for the title. Later on, Melina revealed she is a certified referee, allowed Candice Michelle to win the title before she was choked out by Alundra Blayze. Blayze attempted to throw the championship away, but she instead sold it to Ted DiBiase. As Ted went to the limo to leave, Drake Maverick pinned him in the limo, only for Truth to get it back moments later and take off in the car with both the 24/7 Title and Drake’s wife.
Smackdown: Finn Lays Out the Challenge- Now this is exactly how Bray Wyatt should be portrayed! The only reason Bray wasn’t the best segment on both Raw and Smackdown is because I couldn’t choose which was the better of Bray’s segments. So Finn was interviewed in the ring about Bray, with Finn saying he has no idea why Bray is doing any of this, but regardless, he challenges Bray to a match at Summerslam. An episode of Firefly Fun House plays, with Bray, Mercy, and Ramblin’ Rabbit saying that they are fans of Finn’s, but the Fiend is not. The Fiend officially accepts, and Bray warns Finn that The Fiend is no man, and that he remembers. We end on a creepy shot of The Fiend inside of the Fun House.
Winner: Smackdown- There is no way that Bray wouldn’t win here. The problem with Raw’s segment is that it was just a bit too much across the show. In the end, Bray Wyatt is still the best thing in WWE today.
Main Event:
Raw: A Toast to Raw-There wasn’t a match to end Raw, but rather a feel-good moment. Legends gathered on the stage, and we saw Ric Flair come out. Hulk Hogan came out and said his peace. It really picked up when Stone Cold came out, probably a few Steveweisers deep at this point. Steve came out, started talking about different foods he ordered and seeing all the legends. This ends with bringing the rest of the legends in for a big beer bash to close out the show.
Smackdown: Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns- Shane McMahon set up this match in the beginning of the night, while making himself the Guest Ring Announcer, Elias the Guest Timekeeper, and Drew McIntyre as the Guest Referee. This match never really happened, dissolving into a beatdown by Shane, Drew, and Elias on both men. However, it sent the crowd home happy, because Owens and Roman eventually fought back, hitting Stunners and Spears on everyone. Very gratifying.
Winner: Smackdown- While both moments sent the crowd home happy, this one garnered more of a reaction from the crowd. Also, Kevin Owens will be a huge star in the WWE in the future.
Biggest Story Angle:
Raw: The OC May Be Invading- The Club renamed themselves “The OC”, either standing for Original Club or Only Club. During last night’s show, AJ left a lot of doors open, firstly inviting Finn Balor to join them.. Then, during their segment with DX later on, you could hear AJ say to Shawn Michaels “ I know where NXT is. Don’t think I won’t come down there.” Now this may be wishful thinking, but this may be signaling a big NXT invasion by the OC, which I am all for.
Smackdown: Randy and Kofi Square Off- Kofi Kingston called out Randy Orton, reminding him when Orton stopped his push from 2009. Kofi says he never forgot, and despite all Orton did, it didn’t stop him. Randy says that Kofi wasn’t ready back then, he isn’t ready now. He didn’t have to do anything except be Randy Orton. Orton said that if he didn’t injure Ali, Kofi would not be champion. Kofi then laid out the challenge, Kofi vs. Orton at Summerslam.
Winner: Smackdown- This win basically because The OC point is mainly speculation. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton is so much more concrete, so this is the bigger story.
Overall Presentation:
Raw: Nostalgia Trip- Overall, Raw had a lot of feel good moments that the crowd in attendance were very into, but overall, this show didn’t make me want to tune into Smackdown, Raw the following week, or even Summerslam. All this show was seemingly to do was to boost a rating.
Smackdown: Compelling Stories- This show built toward Summerslam, and it was pretty consistent throughout the night. This was the best Smackdown in recent weeks, and that’s even with all of the feel-good Raw moments.
Winner: Smackdown- Both shows were fun in their on right, but at this point, I am looking at the long term, and Raw was not a show building to that.
Bonus Points:
Raw:
- Bray Wyatt destroying Mick Foley with the Mandible Claw (+1 Point)
- John Cena’s Opening Promo (+1 Point)
Smackdown:
- That Miz TV Segment with Shawn Michaels makes me believe we can see HBK vs. Dolph Ziggler and I don’t mind that. (+1 Point)
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Total Scores:
Raw: 2 Points
Smackdown: 6 Points
Final Thoughts: Overall, both shows were very fun to watch for their own reasons. In the end, Smackdown was show that built future stories, while Raw provided another run of past WWE Stars.
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