Here’s my final thoughts on Raw’s WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017!
Neville (c) vs. Akira Tozawa (with Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews) (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
Reactions: On the indies, this would go for at least 20+ minutes. But for a WWE PPV Kickoff Match, it got the expected 5-8 minute runtime I’m used to. Neville and Tozawa still put on a fun bout within that short time span, though. Tozawa’s always hyperactive self brought me and the crowd to life, plus Neville’s A-Game was definitely on this evening. The match never slowed down, Tozawa got in a good amount of offense, Neville did the same and all that resulted in a solid outing. What brings it down a notch is the lame finish to a match that was just kicking into a higher gear. Give this one five more minutes and a more satisfying conclusion and it could have easily got more than three stars. This was still decent enough after all is said and done.
Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Cesaro and Sheamus (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) (30-Minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
Reactions: They may have fought in far too many rematches, but both these teams still presented another match worth a rewatch. This was the purest definition of a slow burn. Sheamus and Cesaro played it smart by getting a quick pinfall and making sure they kept one man down for an extended period at several points throughout the match. Things looked dire for Matt and Jeff as the clock ticked, but their match saving moments got me even more excited to see them pull off the big win. The match truly came alive after the score reached a tie. Both teams laid into each other with big moves. Matt and Jeff even pulled out their old top rope Leg Drop/Splash maneuver and Sheamus/Cesaro remained as slippery as they always are. The crowd (including me) came unglued when it looked like Jeff could actually tie things up once more. But that didn’t come to pass. Cesaro and Sheamus remain strong after putting on an Iron Man Match that will be placed alongside the greats of that particular match type. Kudos to The Hardy Boyz for their spirited offense throughout it all.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
The Miz (c) (with Maryse, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Reactions: This…again. At least the added element of Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas changed things up a bit. Ambrose was forced to target them as soon as the bell rung, which presented The Miz with the extra outside distraction he’s needed since becoming champion. The match itself proceeded just like their other matches, which made it quite stale as it unfolded. Things only got interesting after Ambrose laid Miz out with his Dirty Deeds. Maryse saved her man at the last minute and got Ambrose enraged to the point that he began assaulting Miz on the outside. A few moments later, Bo Dallas ended up getting his man the win by cracking Ambrose in the back of the head. One Skull Crushing Finale later and Miz ended up retaining. This felt like the type of match that belongs in the second hour of Raw. The lame finish and bleh action kept this title match from being anything worth remembering.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass
Reactions: This was hard to watch unfold. I was a huge fan of this super charismatic tag team ever since they moved the crowd during their NXT run. This breakup storyline stung so much for me as you can probably tell. Enzo’s pre-match promo was as amazing as all of his other mic moments. Cass cared for none of it of course, which led to nothing but a pure squash. Enzo was just a victim here who went down after a long, drawn out assault from Big Cass. The Gorilla Press to the outside and devastating Big Boot match finisher made this short bout a bit more entertaining to watch go down. Cass wins, which isn’t a shock. Question is – where does Enzo go from here?
Rating: 1 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt
Reactions: I wasn’t looking forward to his match too much. Not because of the men involved, but because the Raw brand hasn’t put them in much of an entertaining light lately. I knew this match would deliver on some front and that’s exactly what happened. Rollins and Bray turned out a pretty exciting bout with some back and forth offense that never slowed down one for one second. Bray’s usually methodical controlled portion of the match wasn’t as slow and plodding as it usually is since Rollins got caught with devastating moves from Bray. Rollins was a house of fire all the way through thanks to his high-octane offense during the match’s final moments. This was good, but imagine how much better it would have been with an extra 5-8 minutes attached to it. I didn’t care to see these two men go at it beforehand. After watching this match take place though, I’m open to seeing hem lock up one more time.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks (WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Reactions: Alexa Bliss has transformed into the MVP of Raw these past few weeks thanks to her strong character work and decent match work. It seemed like a safe bet that her taking on Sasha Banks would result in a good to great match. What we got here was more of a teaser of a rematch that will give everyone that expected result. Banks and Bliss put on a barn burner of a match. Bliss’ back work on Banks and Banks super heroic comeback crescendoed nicely into that nail biting Banks Statement moment. Bliss held on for dear life and it looked like her title reign was coming to a close. After this big moment concluded, I was disappointed to see this title match end on a flat countout. While the post-match brawl saved this one from being a total bust, its end result still hurt it in the end. I can’t wait to see the rematch, though.
Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (Ambulance Match)
Reactions: This was madness I tell you, MADNESS! Strowman turned his Beast Mode up to 100 against a craft Reigns who did everything in his power to weaken the big man. Strowman looked as dominating as he always is, which kept the crowd on his side as the match wore on. Reigns took several opportunities to bring Strowman down to his knees. Multiple Superman Punches, steel chair strikes, dropkicks and everything else but the Kitchen Sink managed to make that happen. But Strowman is hard to keep down for long. Watching such a behemoth tear into Reigns after getting assaulted repeatedly was awesome to see. Reigns’ big spear to Strowman through the stage lights was a jaw dropping moment, but his Spear right into the back of the ambulance was even crazier to witness. The match itself was pretty good, but everything that took place afterwards was shocking. Reigns drove the back of the ambulance with Strowman in it into the back of another truck! Reigns got his revenge on Strowman, but it looks like Strowman STILL won’t be finished with Reigns yet. The post-match proceedings are worth seeing more than the match, honestly. But this Ambulance Match was still a satisfying affair.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Curt Hawkins vs. Heath Slater
Reactions: I didn’t even see how it ended!
Rating: No Stars
Brock Lesnar (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Universal Championship)
Reactions: Ho-Lee-Crap! The start of this match was crazy! I was pretty hurt by the fact that this match got cut short due to Strowman’s ambulance shenanigans, but it still turned out to be pretty good. Joe went back to his 2005 self against an always game Lesnar. Joe put Lesnar through the table even before the official bell rung, which a jaw dropping moment. Once Lesnar got back to his feet, the crowd got an intense brawl that was filled with tons of suplexes, stiff strikes, two tight Kokina Clutch holds, a big Sidewalk Slam and a final F5. This really should have gone longer, though. It’s pretty sensible that Joe succumbed to one F5 after getting suplexed to death, but the strong booking of Joe over the past few weeks made me think it would take more than one F5 to finish him. The end result was so disheartening. This needs to happen again with an extra 10-minutes piled on top of it.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Match of the Night
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman!
Final Verdict
The inaugural Great Balls of Fire won’t be remembered for its high match quality. Instead, the moments make up everything that made this event stand out. While there were some good matches (the 30-minute Iron Man Tag Team Match, Rollins vs. Wyatt, Strowman vs. Reigns and the main event), they needed some extra time in order to turn them into MOTY candidates. Reigns attempting murder via ambulance on Strowman, Banks planting Bliss with her knees off the announce table and Joe’s announce table assault on Lesnar are the moments that equal up to that solid rating you see below. Great Balls of Fire didn’t fully impress, but it was far from a bust.
Final Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
