In 2002, WWE decided to split the rosters down the middle with some stars on Raw and some on Smackdown. Although they've done away with the concept at times and brought it back at others, the split has been mostly consistent. At both Survivor Series and the old Bragging Rights event, the brands would do battle.
Over the course of time, there have been twelve multi-person tag matches that pitted Raw against Smackdown. This does not include the 2019 Survivor Series matches that also featured NXT. Some of these tags were stellar and featured top-tier talent while others heavily disappointed or were lackluster.
12 Survivor Series 2008
None of this event was devoted to a Raw vs. Smackdown theme, except when it came to the ladies. Raw was represented by Beth Phoenix, Candice Michelle, Jillian Hall, Kelly Kelly, and Mickie James. Smackdown had Maria, Maryse, Michelle McCool, Natalya, and Victoria.
This was before WWE women were taken seriously and the match was pretty dull. The teams traded quick eliminations before Phoenix was the sole survivor. The whole thing lasted under ten minutes.
11 Survivor Series 2017 - Men
This show wrapped up with the men in action and they also missed the mark. On Raw you had Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, and Triple H. Meanwhile, Smackdown had Bobby Roode, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon, and Shinsuke Nakamura.
None of this made sense. Though there were some solid interactions, Orton and Shane ended up as the lone men on their team. Shane fought off Owens and Zayn and was then the last man remaining for his team. He got help from Raw's HHH to beat Angle, only to then get beaten by HHH. It was all so HHH and Braun could have an awkward showdown in the end.
10 Survivor Series 2017 - Women
Survivor Series 2017 wasn't a good time for these matches. Raw had Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Sasha Banks. Smackdown featured Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Natalya, and Tamina. The problem was the structure.
Becky Lynch was eliminated first. Bayley got taken out by Tamina. Hype was thrown at a Nia Jax/Tamina staredown that nobody cared about. The only saving grace here was that Asuka was the sole survivor.
9 Survivor Series 2018 - Men
After 2017, WWE decided against having this tag close out the show. Raw had Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Balor, while Smackdown had Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Samoa Joe, and Shane McMahon.
If you forgot this happened, you're like most fans. The main story was McIntyre not wanting to take Strowman's orders. Seeing Rey go against Finn was fun but that's really it. Shane was again the final man for his team again and Braun put him down with ease.
8 Bragging Rights 2009
The whole point of the Bragging Rights PPV was to pit the brands against each other. For this tag, Smackdown had Chris Jericho, Finlay, The Hart Dynasty, Kane, Matt Hardy, and R-Truth. Raw had Big Show, Cody Rhodes, DX, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Mark Henry.
While this was a fine match, it suffered a bit from not having elimination rules. Plus, it was crammed on a show with an Ironman match, so it felt rushed at just 15 minutes.
7 Survivor Series 2018 - Tag Teams
A 20-man tag, Raw had The Ascension, The B-Team, Bobby Roode & Chad Gable, Lucha House Party, and The Revival. Smackdown had The Club, The Colons, New Day, SAnitY, and The Usos.
This was relegated to the Kickoff Show but still was quite good. It came down to two of the best teams in the world in The Usos and The Revival. Their interaction wasn't long but it was entertaining.
6 Survivor Series 2016 - Women
For Raw, you had Charlotte, Bayley, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and Sasha Banks. For Smackdown, there was Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Naomi, and Natalya.
This was early into the 2016 brand split and the women were hungry to show out with the revolution still in its young stages. They did just that, putting on a very good match. There were issues, like rising star Carmella getting eliminated by Alicia Fox. It was still solid overall, though, with Bayley and Charlotte surviving.
5 Survivor Series 2018 - Women
Mickie James, Nia Jax, Tamina, Bayley, and Sasha Banks represented Raw, while Naomi, Carmella, Sonya Deville, Asuka, and Mandy Rose held things down for the blue brand. That gave this a unique blend of talent.
Almost everyone got a character moment and names like Deville and Rose had an opportunity to shine. Nia Jax entered with nuclear heat after injuring Becky Lynch, so her as the sole survivor wasn't surprising.
4 Bragging Rights 2010
Bragging Rights 2010 was unique because you also had the intrusion of Nexus to add to the Raw vs. Smackdown dynamic. The tag for the trophy went off without a hitch, though. Alberto Del Rio, Big Show, Edge, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, and Tyler Reks were Team Smackdown.
Team Raw had CM Punk, Ezekiel Jackson, John Morrison, The Miz, R-Truth, Santino Marella, and Sheamus. Despite there being more star power on the red brand, it was Smackdown who again came out on top. The elimination style helped make this fun. Edge and Mysterio survived for their team.
3 Survivor Series 2016 - Tag Teams
When this was announced, fans expected it to be a huge mess. Raw had The Bar, The Club, Enzo & Cass, New Day, and The Shining Stars, while Team Smackdown was American Alpha, Breezango, Heath Slater & Rhyno, The Hype Bros, and The Usos.
The 20 men came together way better than you'd think and it made for an action-packed match filled with smooth offense. Team Raw won after The Bar beat The Usos in the end. It was a thrilling final five minutes between the two stellar duos that previewed a great straight tag match the following year.
2 Survivor Series 2005
The first of the Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown battles came in 2005. Raw had Big Show, Carlito, Chris Masters, Kane, and Shawn Michaels. Meanwhile, Smackdown was represented by Batista, Bobby Lashley, JBL, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio.
The bout was expertly laid out and they even teased calling back to 2003, when Michaels had a miraculous last stand comeback on his own. However, that was snuffed out by an RKO, making Orton the sole survivor. The Undertaker made his long-awaited return after the match.
1 Survivor Series 2016 - Men
There wasn't even a question for which match should've topped this list. Following the 2016 Draft, Raw had Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins. Smackdown had AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, and Shane McMahon.
There was so much to like here. From tons of action to a mini-Shield reunion to a funny James Ellsworth spot, this had a bit of everything. The finish was also great, as Orton sacrificed himself and took a Spear to save Bray. That allowed Bray to beat Reigns with Sister Abigail, as the two Wyatt Family members stood tall as winners.