RAW vs Smackdown LIVE: The Better Home for Lars Sullivan

It has recently been revealed that NXT standout Lars Sullivan is set to join the main roster in the coming weeks with both RAW and Smackdown LIVE teasing his arrival. The announcement of his call-up has fans anticipating exactly where he will be sent and in today’s blog post we are going to be looking at both shows and discussing where he truly belongs and what promotion will benefit the most from his presence and where Sullivan himself will find the most success. If you know me you will know I’m a huge Lars Sullivan fan so I cannot wait to dive into this one!

RAW – A Legit Opponent for Lesnar

I’ll be honest, I’m not too happy to see Brock Lesnar as the Universal Champion once again. I’m still living in deep frustration that Braun Strowman hasn’t been given the title and we once again have a part-time (Lesnar in particular) as the title holder, however, with Lesnar back on top it opens the doors for a new top star to be created; this is an opportunity for a new big guy to step up to the plate and be established as the new top dog of Monday night RAW and with rumours suggesting Sullivan is a huge company favourite he may just be the big guy talent set to take over Monday nights. His size and in-ring capabilities make Sullivan a legitimate contender for the Universal Championship capable of scoring a win over the beast and that win making sense/seeming legit. On the flip side it does push aside the likes of McIntyre and Strowman but if Sullivan wants to be established as a top star whom must be taken seriously then there really is no better way to do that.

Smackdown – The Blue Brands Need for A Monster

I do personally find myself enjoy Smackdown LIVE more than Monday night RAW like the majority of the WWE Universe. The roster is stacked full of former indie talents, veterans, fan favourites, and big personalities but what the blue brand is missing is a monster. While the Big Show waves the flag for big guy talents on Tuesday nights a young up and coming monster is needed taking on a similar role as the likes of McIntyre and Strowman portray on RAW. Sullivan’s presences is something new and fresh the WWE Championship picture/main event scene could really benefit from. He’s the type of star Smackdown LIVE is lacking and his arrival could really shake things up and add a little more to the already stacked roster.

Smackdown – Similar Characters on RAW Harm Sullivan

Looking at the RAW roster we can see that Monday nights are full of talents like Sullivan in terms of height, size, in ring skill, and character; the likes of Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar all fit into the same box which means introducing Sullivan to the RAW roster makes it difficult for him to standout as something new. We see these stars all pushed in the same way and Monday nights are bombarded with talents all so similar. It wouldn’t take long for Sullivan to come across as just another big guy superstar offering the same as what Monday Nights already present the WWE universe with and in the long run we would probably be stuck seeing him pointless matches much lower down on the roster.

RAW – The Land of Sports Entertainment

It’s evident looking at the two brands that RAW and Smackdown LIVE both stand for and present something slightly different. Tuesday nights resemble something similar to NXT with a greater focus on the actual wrestling and keeping storyline’s rather simply but entertaining while over on Monday night RAW there is a much stronger focus on sports entertainment. It’s where the bigger stars live, the bigger characters, and there is more time spent on storyline entertainment which may just benefit Sullivan. While he has spent the past twelve months truly show what he is capable of doing in the ring and it must be mentioned that he is more than able to work as part of strong match up he is far more about entertainment and his character is one that would fit in more on Monday nights. It’s where he will arguably be given more time to show his capabilities to tell a story and won’t get lost in a series of losses in the ring and weaker matches. RAW will allow him to work some of those shorter bouts and step up in terms of his character.

Smackdown LIVE – A Need for Fresh Blood

The Smackdown LIVE roster is jam-packed full of all time greats ranging from the likes of Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, and even Shelton Benjamin while we also see those who have dominated in the industry for years also take home on the blue brand such as AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Samoa Joe meaning there is another kind of superstar Tuesday nights are missing, up and comers. Many stars from the black and yellow brand have gone on to compete for Monday night RAW meaning Smackdown is in desperate need of being able to showcase more stars of the future. The likes of Rusev and Andrade Cien Almas wave the flag for the future of the WWE but Sullivan’s presences shows exactly what the future holds and representing that more on the blue brand is truly something needed.

RAW – Over Shadowed Stars Already on RAW

Its safe to say that both RAW and Smackdown LIVE has its stars who are greatly overshadowed, however, it must be pointed out that there are many names who fit into the main event/WWE Championship picture who unfortunately would be pushed back even more upon the arrival of Sullivan on Tuesday nights. The likes of Rusev, the Miz, Samoa Joe, Andrade Cien Almas and more all await their rightful and deserving shot at gold and in the main event and while RAW has names also that are missing out there are more who would, in fact, suffer on the blue brand. Sullivan would have a more comfortable fit on RAW in this are with more opportunities for matches, opponents, and not taking any major opportunities without it making sense and working.

And there we go, hopefully after today’s article you can get a little idea as to where Sullivan is better off. Both shows have a strong argument and I personally have to admit that its Smackdown LIVE I would like to see him apart of however, after writing this I may just be swayed a little. What do you guys think? Feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria telling me where you believe Lars Sullivan should go, RAW or Smackdown LIVE. 

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