The Decisive Factor for WWE’s Best Show

As good as AEW Dynamite and Collision can be, and no matter how influential NXT is, WWE Raw and SmackDown remain the top tier in terms of ratings and importance. During the Attitude Era, Raw was such a juggernaut that it led to the creation of SmackDown. There have been many iconic moments in the three decades of the red and blue brands, but even diehard WWE fans are likely to admit that these shows aren’t as good as they used to be. Triple H and TKO’s bad booking have hurt the company. Still, there is a lot of fun to be found on Monday and Friday nights, and a single factor sets one show apart from the other.

WWE SmackDown Has the Roster With the Biggest Names

• WWE Raw has been the A-show for three decades.
• SmackDown is built around Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Gunther.
• Roman Reigns is Raw’s biggest name by far.

On the surface, there is a big difference between Raw and SmackDown found in their lopsided rosters. Outside of the time that SmackDown was drawing big numbers with the Bloodline on Fox, Raw has been WWE’s A show. Monday nights are where it’s at, while Fridays, or whatever other days the show has aired on over the years, were filled with replays from Raw, or were where lesser names were sent during the initial brand splits.

Today, SmackDown has the most impressive roster. There are a plethora of main event veteran icons that include Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Gunther. That’s not even counting the likes of absent names such as Drew McIntyre and Rhea Ripley. Look at Raw, however, and it’s the Roman Reigns show when he’s there. The OTC is the man, and while Seth Rollins is a great 1A option, it’s Roman’s kingdom. After that, it’s a big drop-off.

A Focus on the Same Veteran Main Eventers Hurts the Blue Brand

• Constantly being in the main event has hurt Cody Rhodes.
• A rising star like Trick Williams is having to wait his turn on SmackDown.
• The return of CM Punk and Kevin Owens on the blue brand will keep more legends at the top.

Because of the lopsided roster edge, SmackDown should be WWE’s best show. You can always have too much of a good thing, though, and the blue brand has proven this by relying way too heavily on their veterans. Cody Rhodes is the face of WWE when Roman Reigns is away, but having him in the main event scene constantly for over three years has tarnished his image. Fans got sick of his never-ending feuds with Drew McIntyre and Gunther.

SmackDown has stars on the rise, the best among them being Trick Williams. Trick Willy has to wait, because the blue brand recently acquired a returning CM Punk and Kevin Owens. Both of those guys are as good as it gets, yet it’s more of the same. And while Sami Zayn deserved his first WWE Championship win, he’s been a mainstay for over a decade. The midcard of SmackDown is held back due to the same half dozen names being used on repeat. What is best about SmackDown is also what can make it so hard to watch at times.

WWE Raw Is Fresh and Building New Stars

• On Raw, Oba Femi and Bron Breakker are the future of WWE.
• LA Knight and Solo Sikoa have become fan favorites.
• A heel turn for Royce Keys has saved his WWE career.

Roman Reigns rules Raw, and although this could be a bad thing with a revamped never-ending Bloodline faction, Monday nights are just fine when he’s not around. This is because Raw has become focused on younger and underutilized talent. Oba Femi has become the most popular star in wrestling, a soon-to-be-world champion who will be the face of WWE for years to come. Standing in his shadow and now getting closer is a revamped Bron Breakker. Imagine them on SmackDown, where the legends they hope to surpass would hold them back.

It’s not just the new guys getting a chance on Raw either. Monday nights have been building around the super over LA Knight as its primary babyface. In recent weeks, Solo Sikoa’s natural sense of humor has allowed him to shine. And just last week, Royce Keys was finally given something to do with an incredible heel turn. There is still a lot of work to do on Raw with their women’s and tag team divisions, but the men’s singles division is exciting because it’s new and not the same old thing we’ve seen every week for years. What will happen next with Keys? How far can Sikoa go? Will LA Knight become a world champion? Those questions create anticipation.

SmackDown is top-heavy with its biggest names. You could watch SmackDown only once a month and not miss a thing. The same can’t be said on Raw anymore. There, risks are being taken and storylines are allowed to grow and breathe. Not having Roman Reigns around every week has forced Mondays to evolve instead of bringing in another veteran to make up for his loss. If WWE can continue what they’ve been doing on Raw every week recently with SmackDown too, then the company can rebound and thrive again.