WWE Raw Vs. Smackdown Live... Which Was Better? (10th, 11th September, 2018)
There's always a great deal of discussion about which one of WWE's two flagship shows was better? Did Raw prove to be more entertaining than SmackDown Live, or did SmackDown Live prove that sometimes you can do more in two hours than three? We answer that eternal question for the Hell in a Cell go-home shows of Raw and SmackDown.
Last week's Raw vs SmackDown Live... Which was Better? saw Raw triumph over SmackDown, thanks to the unpredictable nature of the events that transpired! The Shield were ambushed by the Raw locker room, Dolph and Drew won the tag team titles and The Undertaker returned to confront Michaels.
To determine the winner We'll be looking at the best match of the night for both shows, the opening segment, the mid-card, the tag-team division, the main event and any surprises or shocks that may have happened on either show. Then, at the end of it all, we'll be able to tell you who wins when it comes to WWE Raw vs SmackDown Live.
#1. The Opening Segment
Raw: The opening of Raw saw Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre kick off the show with the heel Raw roster that helped them demolish the Shield last week. The trio gloated about what happened to the Shield. Who then appeared, complete with axe handles, and cleared the area to stand tall in the ring.
SmackDown: SmackDown jumped straight into the opening match which was Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Jeff Hardy. We got a promo from Jeff beforehand saying he'll make Orton obsolete. The match itself is fine until Orton gets involved and pushes Hardy off of the top rope, leading to him winning by DQ. The post-match beatdown was decent with Hardy eventually turning the tables and popping the crowd to stand tall.
Which was better? Raw had a great open-ended question with 'why did the Raw roster attack the Shield' and I truly believe that what happened here was the worst way to answer it, with guys like Owens and Elias being made redundant and the storyline simply moving on asap. With that in mind, I've got to give this to SmackDown Live, even though I'm still not totally sold on the Hardy vs Orton feud.
Winner: SmackDown Live