5 reasons Raw is still better than SmackDown Live

Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins is one of the best feuds in WWE right now!
Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins is one of the best feuds in WWE right now!

Is it possible?

Could The WWE Universe be wrong about how bad Monday Night Raw is and are simply complaining over nothing? While some fans will swear up and down that Monday Night Raw has taken a down turn content wise, especially since Baron Corbin's reign as General Manager began, there are other signs that show this isn't the case.

Of course that's not to say that Monday Night Raw doesn't have its problems and that it doesn't need to fix those problems, but its probably not as bad as The WWE Universe and the internet wrestling community want to admit. Furthermore, there are a lot of positives happening on the raw brand right now that fans are outright ignoring.

With that being said and critique of Monday NIght Raw at an all time high, here are five reasons why Monday Night Raw is still doing a much better job than Smackdown Live. As impossible as that might sound, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us which show you think is better.


#5 Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey is one of the main reasons why Monday Night Raw is still the superior show!
Ronda Rousey is one of the main reasons why Monday Night Raw is still the superior show!

While rumour has it that Ronda Rousey will eventually be making her way to Smackdown Live as a part of WWE's deal with Fox broadcasting network, Monday Night Raw still has her for the time being. If nothing else, that is huge for Monday Night Raw, especially mainstream exposure wise and also gives a competitive edge for the Women's division on Raw.

Beyond that, Rousey's ability to take a superstar, have a match with them and instantly elevate them is unparalleled, which is another huge advantage Raw has over Smackdown Live. In the end, this ultimately change as Smackdown Live moves to Fox in 2019, but Rousey is making Raw the A show for now!

#4 Better blend of reality and fiction

Nia Jax's storyline is the perfect blend of fiction meeting reality!
Nia Jax's storyline is the perfect blend of fiction meeting reality!

WWE has done a great job of blurring realtiy in fiction as of late and while the company has done it a lot on both brands, Raw just seems to be able to do it better. In fact, after Dean Ambrose's cancer comment and WWE using Becky Lynch's injury to further Nia Jax's career, its obvious who is doing the better story telling right now.

Sure, Smackdown Live has Jeff Hardy versus Samoa Joe, which is supposed to focus on Hardy's past demons, but it seems to be the only example of the show intertwining realism and fiction. Looking at Raw however, they have managed to inject a lot of their feuds with some much need realism and is the better show for doing so.

In the end, its not that Smackdown Live can't do the same thing with their storylines, its the fact that they haven't yet and keep relying on older stars to carry the banner. Of course Raw could be accused of the same thing in some cases, but the difference is that Raw makes up for it by blending reality and fiction perfectly into an indistinguishable mix.

#3 Much better at building stars

Monday Night Raw is much better at building stars than Smackdown Live
Monday Night Raw is much better at building stars than Smackdown Live

Let's be honest here.

Monday Night Raw has done a much better job at building future stars than Smackdown Live since the brand split and its not even close. Not only is that evident by the rise of Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, and Elias, but also by the downfall of Smackdown Live superstars Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura and Andrade Cien Almas

With that being said and the these superstars listed above in mind, it is obvious that while some fans might perfer Smackdown Live, Raw is still the show building more stars. They are also the show that ruins less of their superstars, which is another huge advantage for the red brand that fans just ignore.

In the end, Smackdown Live has dropped the ball on countless stars in the past year or so and no doubt will again. Furthermore, they seem to be focused almost exclusively on AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and The Miz, which will definitely help the show boost ratings in the short term, but won't create any new stars in the long term.

#2 Heel Dean Ambrose

Admit it! Dean Ambrose is the best heel in WWE right now!
Admit it! Dean Ambrose is the best heel in WWE right now!

Whether The WWE Universe wants to admit it or not, Dean Ambrose's new heel persona is one of the best things the company has produced in some time and is one of the reasons why Raw is still the best. In fact, between his new entrance theme, excellent promo skills and legitimate lunatic attitude, he's almost like a fill in for CM Punk

Of course some people aren't going to like that comparison either, but Dean Ambrose is a superstar that is so polarizing that it just instantly tips the scales in Raw's favour. Not only that, he is also one of the best developed characters WWE has had in quite some time, which is yet another feather in their cap

If nothing else, Dean Ambrose's heel persona is that perfect mix of smug, crazy, debonair and personal that is hard to come by in today's WWE. Furthermore, WWE capitalised on the heel turn at a very opportune moment and has seemingly been on a row since than.

#1 Over arching storylines

Baron Corbin as an authority figure is a great example of Raw's use of overarching storylines.
Baron Corbin as an authority figure is a great example of Raw's use of overarching storylines.

Another thing fans might not like is the current Authority storyline that is unfolding on Raw, but at least the red brand has an overarching storyline! Compare that to Smackdown Live's disjointed overall storylines that rarely intertwine and you see why Raw is much better at telling a full story with a moving picture

Of course the current Authority storyline with Baron Corbin isn't the best thing WWE has come up with in recent time, but at least it is a coherent storyline that affects many different aspects of Raw. As for Smackdown Live, it seems like no two storylines intersect at all, which makes it seem less appealing.

In the end, a lot of this is probably a matter of opinion and will depend on what kind of wrestling that fans are into.

If fans are more into storylines, they will likely go with Monday Night Raw and their Authority trope, but if they are fans of the wrestling, than they will surely flock to Smackdown Live.