The first ever Great Balls of Fire PPV is in the books and was it a showcase to behold or what?
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Brock Lesnar’s WWE Universal title defence against Samoa Joe was as hard hitting as we’d hoped it would be, neither Roman Reigns nor Braun Strowman seems to be finished with one another, Alexa Bliss barely managed to stave off a stiff challenge from Sasha Banks and I think it’s time we get used to seeing the Raw Tag Team Championships around the waists of Sheamus and Cesaro while we’re at it too.
All in all, it was an engaging and entertaining show, replete with talking points, rich in its narratives and given a multitude of possibilities going forward.
To run through just what they may be, join us as we comb through the preview for this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
#5 The turning of Roman Reigns
For the longest time, the WWE Universe has been clamouring for Roman Reigns to unleash his Dark Side, if you will, and on Great Balls of Fire, he truly did.
Causing his own undoing in the Ambulance match against Braun Strowman, by missing wildly with a Hail Mary attempt at a Spear, Reigns was understandably beside himself when he lost the match despite having his opponents on the ropes.
He then snapped, loading Strowman onto the ambulance before crushing it by backing into a truck at full speed. For all he knew, he could have even killed Strowman with that stunt. (Thankfully, he didn't)
Braun Strowman has indeed brought out an edge to Roman Reigns that he didn't possess before. Now that he has, will this finally be the unleashing of the Big Dog (read, heel turn) that everyone has been waiting for?
#4 The Bar has been set
After just pipping the Hardy Boyz in an Iron Man match at Great Balls of Fire, Sheamus and Cesaro have well and truly put daylight between themselves and the rest of the Tag Team division on Raw.
It wasn’t too long ago that the champs couldn’t even manage a single victory over the legendary duo... but fast forwarding to present day, they have managed to extend their Raw Tag Team Championship reign by valiantly fighting off their challenge yet again and outlasting them over a 30-minute time limit.
The million dollar question now would be what next for the Bar?
Do they give the Hardy Boyz another shot at their titles or is there a new team waiting to challenge them, lurking just around the corner?
#3 God beats man, every time
The logic is pretty simple, really.
When man steps up to God, there is only one winner.
And as much confidence as Seth Rollins has on himself, he is, after all, just a man. And Bray Wyatt is a god. Their contest was a close-run thing until Wyatt thumbed Rollins’ eye, even as the referee was blindsided, and hit him with Sister Abigail for the three count.
Rollins may cry foul, but Bray Wyatt simply did what the Architect wasn’t willing to – go to any extent to pick up the win. Will Rollins accept the loss and move on? Or will the eternal struggle between man and god continue on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw?
#2 Don’t cross the Boss
Alexa Bliss happily took the loss to Sasha Banks at Great Balls of Fire as it meant that she was still the Raw Women’s Champion. But not even she would deny that Sasha Banks is the greatest threat to her title that she’s ever come up against.
Bliss may have retained her Championship by virtue of a count out, but with the remainder of the Raw women’s roster hot on her heels, led by Sasha Banks, losing the title is a question of when and not if, unless she decides to buckle down and fight for her keep.
Will Alexa wisen up and actually defend her title instead of always searching for loopholes or exploiting the Champion’s advantage? Or will the Raw GM, Kurt Angle, be forced to interfere and level the playing field?
#1 Great Beast on Fire
Samoa Joe was just a few seconds away from putting Brock Lesnar to sleep with the Coquina Clutch at Great Balls of Fire.
And though the Beast Incarnate managed to rouse himself in the nick of time to deliver an F-5 that stunned the challenger long enough to keep him down for the three count, even he would know that it was a close run thing.
Joe blindsided Brock Lesnar yet again, spiking him on the announcer’s table before the match could begin, but even that wasn’t ultimately enough to tame the Beast. But will the Destroyer be put off by his failure so easily?
If Joe’s displayed anything so far, it is that he’s not intimidated by Brock Lesnar and that he’s as tenacious as they come.
So is this truly the end of the Samoa Joe-Brock Lesnar rivalry? Or are we witnessing only the beginning of the destruction that is to come?
For answers to all this and more, tune in to this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw!
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