Great Balls of Fire took place last night from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. From the kickoff match to the main event, the card was stacked. There wasn’t a single match that disappointed compared to its expectations. So, now, how do we reset as Raw begins to ramp up for Summerslam? Where do we go and what did we learn from last night’s show?
No Finn Balor
Balor remains lost in the shuffle since his return the night after Wrestlemania. The Demon King didn’t end up on the show in any capacity. Being stagnant for a couple of months could make it hard for him to gain momentum moving forward. But, he’s still over, and as long as he’s over, he’s going to have a chance. Still, it’s hard to see where he’s heading. I’m sure we’ll get the Balor vs. Elias Samson match Monday nights have been building towards. But, it’s hard to imagine that’s the end game for Balor at Summerslam.
Neville Is Still the King of the Cruiserweights
The Cruiserweight Division has been the recipient of much criticism over the last several months, but the guys keep having good matches. The Neville-Akira Tozawa bout on the kickoff show was fun, but the result is typical of Cruiserweight Championship matches as of late. Neville wins, and continues to show why it’s his division. There’s simply no one as over as him right now. At this rate, he may never lose the title.
Bray Wyatt’s Not Dead Yet
Just when it seems like Wyatt’s character is on life support, he gets a clean pin fall victory over Seth freakin’ Rollins. Maybe it’s an indication that the best is still yet to come with Wyatt? Or, maybe it’s just a way to keep him afloat among the main event scene.
Big Cass Needs New Music
Seriously – did anyone else notice how awful Big Cass’ music was? The match was predictable, and it appears as though Big Cass is going to get the rocket ship strapped to his back. But, my goodness – that man needs a new track. 1990s WCW mid-carders would complain about having to walk out to that.
The Raw Tag Team Division Is Thin
Raw’s tag team division is in a weird transition period. This should obviously be the last bout between Cesaro and Sheamus and The Hardy Boyz, but that doesn’t leave a whole lot of options for either team coming out of Great Balls of Fire. There’s The Revival, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, and Heath Slater and Rhyno. Maybe we get Hardyz-Revival and Slater and Rhyno will challenge for the titles. There’s enough to get Raw through the Summer, but the division needs some new players.
Alexa Bliss Is the Gem of the Raw Women’s Division
Seriously, she’s the finest heel in the Women’s Division not named Charlotte Flair, and that’s arguable. There may not be another woman on the roster more naturally dislikable than Bliss. The match against Sasha Banks was her best showing in her WWE career, and she continues to improve week in and week out.
The Miz Needs a New Challenger
It’s time to move on from this Ambrose-Miz feud. While The Miz has become one of the all-time great Intercontinental Champions, these two both came over from SmackDown where they were already feuding. Fresh, new opponents for these two would reinvigorate the characters.
Roman Reigns Is Flirting with a Heel Turn
Hey, that wrestling show was great and all, but….what about that guy that drove an emergency vehicle into semi, then fled the scene? We just going to act like that wasn’t a heinous crime? This didn’t even happen during the match. Braun Strowman won fair and square per the rules of the match. But, Reigns didn’t accept that. Instead, he got out of the ambulance, delivered a spear, and proceeded to drive an ambulance into a truck. This isn’t something that a typical babyface does. Could it be the beginning of a Reigns heel turn? Maybe. Could it just Vince McMahon’s love of gray area characters showing up? Maybe. We’ll have to wait and see. Regardless, the Ambulance Match was stellar.
Samoa Joe Is a Bona Fide Main Eventer
People will complain that the match didn’t go 10 minutes, but at this point, it is what it is. Brock Lesnar simply isn’t going to go out there and put on 20-minute wrestling clinics. Still, Lesnar hasn’t had an excellent match in nearly two years. This match was excellent – it showed what a legitimate threat Joe can be, and just how dangerous Lesnar is (in the sense that he can put anyone away in a matter of seconds). But, the most important take away from this is that Joe was handed the ball and he ran with it. I imagine this won’t be the last time we see him in a championship main event.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of The SoBros Network and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
