"They're running the same plays on both shows" - WWE veteran on RAW and SmackDown storylines (Exclusive)

WWE RAW and SmackDown are among the most popular programs on primetime television. The shows pull more than a million viewers on the USA Network weekly with stars such as Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, and Bianca Belair at the helm of drawing power.

However, a former WWE writer is convinced that RAW and SmackDown both are, more or less the same, when it comes to storylines. While speaking on BroDown on Backstage Pass, Vince Russo compared the recent angles on both shows, especially the double face turn involving The New Day and DIY:

"They're running the same plays on both shows, Mac." [06:51 onwards]

For those unaware, the latest episode of RAW saw Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turn their backs on Big E during The New Day's tenth-anniversary celebration segment. WrestleVotes provided a backstage update on Big E in the aftermath of the segment, which you can check out here.

Days after the double face turn on RAW, SmackDown featured a twist of its own when Johnny Gargano hit his longtime friend and mentor, Chris Sabin, with a low blow, turning heel and winning the WWE Tag Team Championship with Tommaso Ciampa in the process.

The massive title win placed DIY on the top of SmackDown's tag team division. It remains to be seen how The Motor City Machine Guns will respond to Gargano's shocking betrayal next week on the blue brand.

Check out the complete BroDown podcast only on Backstage Pass.

About the author

Manik Aftab writes Exclusive articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling’s WWE division. A BA (Hons) in English Literature helped him improve his writing skills before starting his career as a pro wrestling writer.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Aftab worked for Ringside News and The Sportster, where his wrestling articles and feature pieces consistently ranked on the first page of Google SERPs.

He prioritizes accuracy, relevance, and ethics in his reporting by conducting thorough research, verifying sources, and adhering to professional journalistic standards.

While Aftab’s favorite wrestler in AEW is Hangman Adam Page, he doesn’t have a favorite in WWE yet. However, he considers Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His earliest memory of watching pro wrestling was when The Rock faced The New Age Outlaws in a handicap match, but it was the John Cena vs. Edge match from Unforgiven 2006 that got him hooked. If given the chance to manage a star from the Attitude Era, he would choose The British Bulldog, as he believes Davey Boy Smith was a terrific worker and could've benefitted from having a mouthpiece for his lack of mic skills.

When not watching pro wrestling, Aftab enjoys reading science fiction and watching anime.

Know More

Edited by Pratyush Rai