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There's something about that blue brand right now.
While some fans might think it is just a product of only being a few weeks away from WrestleMania 35, WWE actually seems finally ready to set Smackdown Live up for long term success. Beyond that, they might finally be willing to make it just as important, if not more important than Monday Night Raw
With that being said, the results have already shown through in several of their recent booking decisions and it looks like this is the new trend for the blue brand. Of course, it probably has to be, especially with Fox sports paying big money to have Smackdown Live on their network and WWE has to pull out all the stops to make their network happy.
In the end, here are the top five reasons why Smackdown Live is now superior to Monday Night Raw. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to let us know which show you think is superior at this point in time.
#5. Raw too repetitive
Let's be honest here.
Monday Night Raw is at the point where you can practically predict what's going to happen in the opening segment in the show. It's either going to be some long drawn out promo that eventually leads to a match or a promo that leads to a fight. Either way, it's the same thing that the fans have seen countless times before and shows that the red brand isn't willing to take any chances.
Compare that with the chances that Smackdown Live has been taking over the course of the last two weeks and you see a huge contrast in booking styles. From the gauntlet match that featured Kofi Kingston taking on half of The Smackdown Live roster to the impromptu women's title match last week, the company is trying some very interesting things!
#4. Active WWE title picture
If nothing else, Smackdown Live having an active world title picture is one of the many things that sets it apart from that of Monday Night Raw. Beyond that, the fact that the champion shows up every single week and defends the title at every pay per view only serves as another advantage to Smackdown Live.
Of course, that's not to say everything Smackdown Live has done with the WWE title picture was great, but it was at least a change from not having an active picture at all. Maybe that's a little unfair, especially with some pretty great matches with Lesnar at recent pay per views, but again, the WWE title picture was kept relevant and the Universal title wasn't
With that being said, its active title picture is one of the saving graces and one of the main reasons why fans are tuning into the blue brand a lot more!
#3. Vince McMahon's involvement
Another thing that the WWE Universe needs to be honest about is that Vince McMahon's involvement on the blue brand is really helping spice things up for the red brand. Beyond that, his constant attempts at holding other superstars down and doing what he thinks is best for business serves as the perfect driving force to the show.
Sure, Monday Night Raw has had these authority type angles a thousand or so times, but they don't seem to have the same impact unless it is Vince McMahon doing it all onscreen. It's almost as if it's what helps the WWE Universe see these decisions for what they really are and are more easily able to react in anger to what McMahon's ridiculous plan is.
If nothing else, Vince McMahon is playing up his out of touch nature on screen and it's driving the fans insane right now. Interestingly enough, WWE has chosen to focus all this energy on the Kofi Kingston storyline, which could result in The New Day member having a lengthy run with the WWE title.
#2. Use of Becky Lynch and Charlotte
Vince McMahon isn't the only person helping to make Smackdown Live a must-see product as Becky Lynch and Charlotte have also been doing a great job at that over the last couple of weeks. In fact, between their endless brawls that seem to get more and more personal as time goes on to Charlotte's title match, these two have been a big part of Smackdown Live's success lately.
Of course, some will say that this is only due to the all women's main event at Wrestlemania 35, but if the company can make a few moves during the superstar shakeup, Smackdown Live could excel above and beyond anything Raw can do. In fact, if WWE is willing to do this kind of storytelling with women, Smackdown Live must have a better women's division in the time to come.
Maybe that's an over exaggeration, but WWE has just been hitting it on all cylinders with the feud between Lynch, Rousey and Flair and Smackdown Live has been a huge part in all of that.
#1. KofiMania
It's the yes movement all over again!
Except for this time, it isn't the yes movement, it's KofiMania and while it originally seemed like a stop gap until WrestleMania 35 came around, it now appears that this is the storyline the company is going with. Then again, they almost have to at this point, especially with the fan interest at an all-time high, but who would have thought this would have been the plan a few months ago?
With that being said and how amazingly Kingston has played in his underdog babyface role, this literally has to be one of the best things about Smackdown Live right now! Sure, some of that might have to do with the potential history Kingston could make if he were to win the WWE title at Mania, but it feels like most of it is genuine fan interest in Kingston and his championship plights.
In the end, this might not be the main event of the show or even the most high profile of the marquee event, but it's a moment that Kingston has deserved for a long time and it's going to be a hell of a match! Furthermore, it's something the fans deserve after how invested they have become in KofiMania.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
