The next installment in the Raw exclusive pay-per-views takes place in Dallas next week. Inspired by the famous Jerry Lee Lewis song, Great Balls of Fire has some solid match-ups and has the potential to be a first-class show. Here, we take a look at the match card in depth and give our predictions on what the outcomes might be. As always, WZ will be providing complete, LIVE coverage of the PPV tonight at 8pm EST so be sure to join us then!
1) Brock Lesnar (c) vs Samoa Joe – Singles match for the WWE Universal Championship
In his first title defense since winning the Universal Championship back at Wrestlemania, Brock Lesnar will take on Samoa Joe. The two behemoths tore the house down when they faced off with each other in the ring on WWE Raw weeks ago, and the entire locker room had to be called upon to separate the two.
Joe doesn’t fear Lesnar, and that was made clear by his ambush on Raw, when he attacked the former UFC Heavyweight Champion with a Coquina Clutch on the ramp. WWE is currently running with the idea that if Joe is able to lock in the hold next Sunday, we very well could have a new Universal Champion.
This one is unmissable, and if booked well, could be one of the best, hard-hitting bouts we have seen in recent years.
Prediction: Lesnar is sure to have his work cut out, and it will certainly not be the usual “German suplex, German suplex, F5” pattern for the man from Minneapolis. Joe is one of the fiercest strikers in the business and will bring his A-game to try and win his first championship on the main roster.
However, Lesnar should come out on top in the end and go into Summerslam as the champion. It will by no means a squash like many other of his matches, but the Beast Incarnate will survive and retain his title.
Brock Lesnar by pinfall
2) Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman – Ambulance match
Strowman returned on WWE Raw last week to inform Roman Reigns that he wasn’t done with the Samoan just yet. He challenged the Big Dog to an Ambulance Match at WWE Great Balls of Fire, and Roman duly obliged. Strowman is still furious at Reigns for putting him out of action with a dislocated shoulder, while the latter is still hurting at the former powerlifter costing him the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble in January.
This should finally put an end to their rivalry. Both men need the win, it seems, and the opinion is split on who will be booked to win. This is likely to have the most betting interest on the card, and you can use this promo code from SunBets to get in on the action.
Strowman will want to continue his momentum since Wrestlemania and push himself higher and higher up the pecking order. Reigns, on the other hand, hasn’t hit the heights he promised yet since beating The Undertaker back at the show of shows in April.
Prediction: Reigns has already declared himself as the number one contender for the Universal Title at Summerslam. He needs the momentum going into that match, either against Lesnar or Joe. Beating a monster like Strowman in an Ambulance Match is something the WWE could book Roman to do. The Mountain of a Man will dominate for large portions of the match, thereby looking great in defeat as well. This does look like the most logical outcome of this match, keeping the future in mind.
Roman Reigns
3) Alexa Bliss (c) vs Sasha Banks – Singles match for the Raw Women’s Championship
Banks won a gauntlet match last week on WWE Raw to qualify for this match. The Boss has been on the fringes a lot lately, but is now looking on course to becoming a main-event player once again. She hasn’t had the best 2017 by any stretch of the imagination, but the former Raw Women’s Champion will want to regain her crown at the first time of asking.
Her opponent Alexa Bliss is arguably the best heel in the entire company at the moment. Her naughtily evil antics have made her thoroughly dislikable, and she continues to surprise us all, despite the heavily panned “This is Your Life” Raw segment.
Prediction: This rivalry looks good enough to continue until Summerslam, although Bliss vs Nia Jax is possible for this summer’s big event. Bliss and Banks could put on fantastic matches together and if Sunday works out well, we are set to have a series of bouts between the two. Bliss has been fantastic of late and it doesn’t make sense to take the title off her at the moment. She needs to remain Champion to be taken seriously with her heel work, and putting the gold on Sasha so early won’t be the right way to go. There could be shenanigans, like a disqualification, but Bliss will walk out of Dallas with the belt still around her waist.
Alexa Bliss by pinfall
4) Neville (c) vs Akira Tozawa (with Titus O’Neil) for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Neville’s latest challenger for the Cruiserweight Title is Akira Tozawa. The Japanese wrestler has joined forces with Titus O’Neil and joined “Titus Worldwide”. Tozawa is an immensely talented individual and could pose a serious threat to the Englishman’s run as Champion.
Prediction: Neville is on a hot streak at the moment and is one of the most believable heels in the company. The whole Titus Brand gimmick hasn’t exactly been received with great enthusiasm by the crowd, and it doesn’t make too much sense having Tozawa become Champion. The Japanese cruiser is a fantastic wrestler and will get more opportunities down the line. Pulling the plug now would be undermining Neville, and therefore there is only one real outcome looking likely here.
Neville by submission
5) Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins – Singles match
Both Wyatt and Rollins have been completely lost in oblivion over the past few months. The former was the WWE Champion heading into Wrestlemania, but after dropping the belt to Randy Orton, he was drafted to Raw. The Eater of Worlds has lost his way completely since and this is the first meaningful he has got into.
Read Also: The Biggest Problem With The Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt Rivalry
The exact same thing can be said about Rollins, minus the bit about the draft. After beating Triple H at Wrestlemania, the Architect has been as cold as can be. He has never looked like being in the running fot the Universal Championship, and despite putting on good matches consistently, everything he has been doing has seemed directionless.
This will be an entertaining bout, but it’s difficult to see how a win would hugely help either wrestler.
Prediction: Rollins by pinfall
6) Big Cass vs Enzo Amore
Enzo has been dominated thus far into the relatively new feud with his former tag team partner Big Cass. I don’t see this one ending clean in anyway, as WWE risks burying either one of these talents if the match is decisive. Longterm, I think WWE is planning to have Cass go over in this feud to elevate him as a top heel in Raw, but as for Sunday, I think some type of DQ finish makes the most sense, setting up a rematch at SummerSlam.
Prediction: Enzo via DQ
7) The Hardys vs Sheamus and Cesaro in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the Raw Tag Titles
This match has the potential to steal the show, especially if Lesnar vs Joe is not the epic battle fans are clamoring for. As for the match itself, with the current teasing of Matt Hardy’s “Broken Universe” coming to WWE soon, I think the company is forward thinking to splitting up the current incarnation of The Hardy Boyz, leaving Sheamus and Cesaro as the Tag Team Champions on Raw.
Prediction: Sheamus and Cesaro win 3 Falls to 2
Now it’s time to see what you think will happen at WWE Great Balls of Fire! Vote in our poll below and sound off with your match predictions in the comment section!
Does Samoa Joe stand a chance at defeating Brock Lesnar at #WWEGBOF?!
— WrestleZone.com (@WRESTLEZONEcom) July 7, 2017
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
