For the first time ever, The Hardcore Legend battles The "Yes!" Man as Raw and SmackDown Live go head-to-head.

Following their tremendous success in the WWE Brand Extension Draft on SmackDown Live’s premiere last Tuesday, Commissioner Shane McMahon and his General Manager Daniel Bryan will now hit the ground running with the help of an explosive locker room.

And it’s already getting interesting. In the spirit of friendly competition between WWE’s two premium brands, SmackDown Live struck first by beating Raw in the ratings last week! There is no doubt that Shane and Bryan intend to keep it that way. But how will they maintain their success? Big blue’s new live element will create a new level of spontaneous energy to the show each and every week. GM Bryan has also maintained he will put Superstars first. But what other factors might contribute to SmackDown Live staying on the top of the New Era?