WWE Raw vs. Smackdown Live: Which Was Better? (17th, 18th September, 2018)
The eternal debate of which of WWE's flagship shows did a better job of entertaining the audience continues this week, after what was one of the arguably best WWE pay-per-views in recent memory. So what happened this week in the fallout shows for Hell in a Cell? Did Raw seize the initiative, or did SmackDown lead after three incredible matches for them at the pay-per-view?
Last week's Raw vs SmackDown Live... Which was Better? saw SmackDown Live win out after an impressive display prior to the show. They were better in more categories than the other, and a lacklustre display by the Monday Night show saw them win out.
To decide who the winner of the shows is this week, we will be looking at the following:
- The opening segment
- The mid-card
- The tag-team division
- The women's division
- The main event
- Any surprises or shocks
- The best match of the night
After looking into each of these categories individually, and seeing which show did better, we will be able to tell you which was the better show on this week's WWE Raw vs SmackDown Live.
#1. The Opening Segment:
Raw: Raw's kickoff segment had Roman Reigns come down to the ring to start off the show. The Universal Champion talked about how his fight against Strowman came to an end without a solid conclusion to their match due to an attack by 'The Beast' Brock Lesnar. He called Lesnar down to the ring but instead found his challenge answered by Strowman. He offered Strowman a rematch, but in the end, they were interrupted by Baron Corbin, who announced that Roman would face Strowman and Lesnar at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the Crown Jewel show. Corbin ended the segment by saying that Roman would face him for the Universal Title in the main event of the night.
SmackDown: SmackDown's show was kicked off by the Miz inviting his wife, Maryse down to the ring as his guest. The two mocked Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan's marriage and were predictably interrupted by Bryan himself. He ran down to the ring, but while trying to attack Miz, hit Maryse instead. Maryse appeared to be hurt and lay down, but was playing possum, while Miz tried to attack the unsuspecting Bryan. Bryan caught onto the plan and attacked the Miz instead, and dodged his charge, where he ended up hurting his own wife.
Which was better? Raw's opener was great, giving us a Triple Threat Title Match to look forward to, while also revealing the second WWE Event in Saudi Arabia in 2018. The end of the segment also gave the crowd a title match as the main event, which is always a plus point. Corbin using his power to reward himself also sets up a story in the long run. SmackDown Live may have started off well with the Miz and Daniel Bryan, as well as convincing acting by Maryse, but in the end, there was something lacking in the entire segment.
Winner: Raw