Smackdown VS Raw: December 2016

[Dagger Dias]

We've just had our third set of monthly brand exclusive PPV events. Smackdown had its "TLC 2016" event which was exclusive to the blue brand, and today the red brand had its exclusive "Roadblock: End Of The Line" event. Between these two shows this month we have seen new champions, the first ever Tables match between female competitors, the main roster's first Women's Iron Man match, an odd decision to use the Roadblock name for the second time in the same year, and more. The question is, though.... which brand had the better PPV event this month? Let's look back at both shows.




Smackdown - TLC 2016


1. Heath Slater & Rhyno VS Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper) [Smackdown Tag Team Championship]

2. Carmella VS Nikki Bella [No Disqualification match]

3. Dolph Ziggler VS The Miz (with Maryse) [Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship]

4. Baron Corbin VS Kalisto [Chairs match]

5. Alexa Bliss VS Becky Lynch [Tables match for the Smackdown Women's Championship]

6. AJ Styles VS Dean Ambrose [TLC match for the World Championship]





Raw - Roadblock: End Of The Line


1. Cesaro & Sheamus VS New Day [Raw Tag Team Championship]

2. Braun Strowman VS Sami Zayn [Singles match with a 10 minute time limit]

3. Chris Jericho VS Seth Rollins

4. Rich Swann VS TJ Perkins VS The Brian Kendrick [Triple Threat for the Cruiserweight Championship]

5. Charlotte Flair VS Sasha Banks [30-minute Iron Man match for the Raw Women's Championship]

6. Kevin Owens VS Roman Reigns [Universal Championship]





Here are the discussion questions for this topic:


Did the red brand or the blue brand have the best event this month, and why?

What was the worst match between these two shows?

What was the best match out of what took place on these two shows?


Please keep the forum rules in mind and do NOT spam. Also, remember that this discussion is about just these two PPV events. Not Raw/Smackdown television content from this month.

Discuss!

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Even though Smackdown got repetetive during the build-up to TLC, the PPV itself was great and Wyatts as tag team champions and Elsworth's turn, things got mixed up a bit.

On the other hand, RAW continues to provide horrendous PPVs. Charlotte vs Banks basically continued after Hell In A Cell for no reason at all, since Charlotte again regained her belt, Jeri-KO vs Shield has gotten really stale. RAW basically lacks emotion and connection to the crowd.

I'll have to give SD this one again.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

SD Live doesn't have quite the same depth of roster as Raw does as there are either a lot of brand new faces on the blue brand, many have spent years jobbing and/or some have essentially been in career limbo for such a long time that they'd been written off. However, the blue brand has consistently much better storytelling, the wrestlers have a more emotional connection to the crowd and the roster, in many ways, seems to be more on equal footing than Raw. What I mean by that is that there's not really anyone on the blue brand who's been built up to such an extraordinary degree that it's ludicrous to think of someone being able to defeat them.

Did the red brand or the blue brand have the best event this month, and why?
I thought SmackDown Live had the better ppv this month. Part of the reason was that I felt the overall quality of the matches were better, it was good to finally see Bray Wyatt win his first championship in WWE and TLC felt "necessary" whereas Roadblock didn't.

What was the worst match between these two shows?
I thought Nikki vs. Carmella was the worst match. I thought it was really sloppy and it just didn't do either lady any favors. They tried, but it's hard to be invested in a women's no DQ match when you know for 100% fact, not a sliver of doubt in your mind, who wins beforehand and the fact that the match wasn't going to be physical enough, not with these two.

What was the best match out of what took place on these two shows?
I have to go with Styles vs. Ambrose in the TLC match. It had a really good length of time about it and both guys flat out worked their asses off. I think working with Styles has brought Ambrose's game to a higher level and I feel the two of them play well off each other. I thought Charlotte vs. Sasha in the IMM last night was a great effort with genuine drama and, again, these gals left it all out there in the ring; however, part of the issue I've had with this feud is the playing of hot potato with the title. I dig that they've had some fantastic, competitive matches and last night was no different, but I just think that it probably should have ended with Hell in a Cell.

 

[ShinChan]

Smackdown had the best event this month. Why? Because Smackdown totally works on Less Is More which is good enough. We got first tables match for women in which Bliss won the title for the first time. We got Ellsworth screwing Ambrose of all people. We got Bray Wyatt getting his overdue first title. Advancement in storyline is a big advantage for Smackdown. Even Corbin Vs. Kalisto was a good match.

Worst match? Nikki Bella Vs. Carmella because Nikki can't lose.

Best Match? AJ Styles Vs. Dean Ambrose. Awesome storytelling. Bliss Vs. Lynch. A simple but effective match. Bliss Vs. Lynch > Banks Vs Charlotte.

Again, storytelling and wrestling gives a big advantage to Smackdown.

 

[blueskyy]

Got to say, I'm very impressed with Smackdown. They somehow managed to make everything work. I didn't imagine that Corbin vs. Kalisto would work, but it did. I didn't think that adding Randy Orton to the Wyatt family was a good idea, but it was. It seems like Smackdown actually plans ahead, and it feels like it's always moving along. I'm okay if I don't watch RAW (although Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and Charlotte are all doing fabulously right now), but I find myself looking forward to watching Smackdown each and every week.