WWE Raw vs SmackDown Live: Which was the better show this week? (22 and 23 April 2019)
After the most unpredictable Superstar Shakeup in WWE history, the WWE Universe was set to witness a plethora of fresh feuds on WWE TV this week. The Creative team have set their eyes on the Money in the Bank pay-per-view as 3 matches were made official for the event this week.
On this week's RAW episode (read results here) we saw AJ Styles emerge as the new #1 contender for the Universal Championship. While on SmackDown Live (read results here), the match between Roman Reigns and Elias was announced for the show along with a SmackDown Women's Championship bout between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. The RAW Women's Championship between Becky Lynch and Lacey Evans was already booked last week.
There was no focus on the tag team divisions this week. Also, there was no build-up for the 2 Money in the Bank ladder matches on both the episodes. So which show was better?
To determine the winner, we’ll be analyzing the opening segment, the mid-card, the tag-team division, the women’s division, and the main event of both the shows. Then we will conclude who wins when it comes to WWE Raw vs SmackDown Live.
#1 The opening segment
RAW: Triple H kicked off Monday Night RAW to address the WWE Universe. Home state hero Seth Rollins then joined him in the ring as we came to know that there will be a new #1 contender crowned by the end of the show. All the six candidates then marched down to the ring to present their candidature before Seth Rollins shut them all with his one-liner promo.
SmackDown Live: The Best in the World opened SmackDown Live and called out Roman Reigns as he was a man who had hit another man's father.
It seemed like WWE hinted at a future match between Shane McMahon and Roman Reigns but Elias interfered and attacked the Big Dog from behind. Elias and McMahon stood tall at the end of the segment.
Which was better? While the opening part of RAW did not progress a future storyline, the SmackDown one did lead us to an announcement of a pay-per-view match. The promos of all the six men did not add value to the show hence, the blue brand takes the victory here.
Winner: SmackDown Live