5 Things We Learnt From Great Balls Of Fire

Goodness gracious, Great Balls of Fire, who would have expected a PPV with a name as ridiculous as this to have been as entertaining as it turned out? From the entertaining kick-off match between Neville and Akira Tozawa all the way to blockbuster main event between Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe, the show delivered in all senses.

Not only was the match quality high, but there was also plenty of great storytelling and progression for several characters with plenty of questions heading into Raw, which should make for an interesting build to Summerslam. But what were the five major talking points from the show?

 

5. Big Cass puts himself on the map

It has been clear from the moment Enzo and Big Cass made their main roster debut that the WWE had big plans for Cass as a singles star. His journey officially began at Great Balls of Fire as he destroyed his former tag team partner.

The match was only ever going to go one way, with a Big Cass victory being the only possible outcome. Yet the way the 7-foot superstar went about his business really showed the potential his heel character actually has. Cass physically mauled Enzo from bell to bell, throwing him around the ring like a rag doll whilst his former best friend sold each move to perfection.

Cass couldn’t have asked for a better start to his singles career. With mega heat behind him for his betrayal and his new actions, he is now ready to move on to bigger and better things.

 

4. The Boss is back

Despite not picking up the victory, Great Balls of Fire saw the return of Sasha Banks to her absolute best, which is a brilliant thing for all concerned. Banks and Alexa Bliss put on a fantastic match of the night contender, which was certainly the champion’s best match in WWE. It was exactly what was needed for the Raw women’s division, which was beginning to flounder.

Whilst the count out finish was a cheap way to end the match, it left the fans wanting more and kept The Boss looking strong moving forward. The post-match attack made it crystal clear this feud won’t be coming to an end any time soon. Banks’ attack on the champion, chasing her down the entrance ramp before hitting a devastating double knee drop from the announce table to the floor (busting Bliss open in the process) looked amazing and garnered a huge reaction.

It is clear WWE has realised what an amazing talent they have on their hands, and that she is not one to simply be wasted away in the background. Her star power, in-ring ability and fan connection are all simply too strong.

 

3. A Tag Team Classic

Ever since returning at Wrestlemania 33 the Hardy Boyz have been welcomed back to the company with open arms. They have put on several high quality tag team matches throughout their rivalry with Sheamus and Cesaro, but their Great Balls Of Fire clash will rank as their best yet.

All four men turned out a huge performance and created a tag team classic with storytelling at its best. It was well paced, incredibly structured and had the perfect mix of physical and high flying action to suit all fans needs, which it certainly did given the reaction of the live crowd.

The build in the match all the way to the very intense final five minutes highlighted just how good these two tag teams are, and hopefully more is to come in the near future.

 

2.Braun Strowman is a genuine monster#

Everybody knows Braun Strowman is the Monster Amongst Men, but at Great Balls of Fire, the former Wyatt Family member took it to an entirely different level, possibly turning face in the process. The ambulance match itself was of great quality (like the entire show) with Strowman and Roman Reigns laying on a physical brawl, but it was the post-match antics that really made this stand out, creating a genuine ‘holy sh#t’ moment.

After being thrown into the back of the ambulance by Reigns, the former Shield member would go on to crash the vehicle straight into the back of another lorry; whilst Strowman laid inside. With the ambulance folding like an accordion, the shock silence of the crowd told the perfect story and it was great to see WWE do something a little old school and different.

With firemen prying the door open, a bloodied and bruised Strowman somehow managing to stumble away, instructing the medical team to leave him alone, gained him a standing ovation from the live audience and the respect of millions around the world. It cemented him as the new giant in wrestling and made him appear to be a true, living, breathing monster.

 

1.Samoa Joe establishes himself as a main eventer

Heading into Great Balls of Fire Samoa Joe had been booked incredibly, leading to him being a genuine threat to Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship reign. Whilst the result came as no surprise it was a case of a superstar losing and still coming out on top and appearing as a star. Samoa Joe walked out of Great Balls Of Fire as a genuine main event star.

Everybody knows Joe’s qualities and that he is a gifted individual. After dominating NXT‘s main event scene it shouldn’t really come as a surprise, but it is refreshing to see WWE give people a strong push. The match left everyone in the WWE Universe wanting to see more from the Samoan Submission Specialist.

Whilst being beaten with just one F5 was a shame, it also shows WWE is looking to start protecting their finishers again, which is something desperately needed, and it did not make Joe look weak in any way. The manner in which the match started, with Joe putting Lesnar through a table before the bell even rang, showed he had no fear of the Beast . The entire battle had a big fight feel surrounding it, largely down to Joe’s presence.

The crucial key now is how WWE books him from here on out. They have a new, dominant, badass main event star on their hands. It is now important they capitalise fully on him and strike whilst the iron is still hot.