Go on, admit it: when you heard the name of WWE’s newest PPV, you were a little perplexed. In fact, some of you may have been a little amused. After all, Great Balls Of Fire is certainly an unorthodox name for a wrestling PPV.
In the past decade, the company has come up with a truck-load of new special events — many of which ended up being match-themed. However, despite promotion, major stars and big matches, a lot of them didn’t take off and never returned the following year. And if history taught us anything, WWE’s newest PPV could very well head the same way.
Having said that, there are actually a number of reasons why WWE Great Balls Of Fire could end up surprising us all.
A Solid Match Card
Ever since the brand extension returned last year, it’s no secret that SmackDown LIVE has been beating RAW to the finish line in every single part of the brand supremacy race. And one of the main reasons for that was the red brand’s lackluster PPVs. While there have been glimmers of hope for the RAW, it ultimately ended up giving us more of the same. However, WWE Great Balls Of Fire could change that.
Despite the controversy surrounding the unusual name, all you have to do is glance at the stacked match card to see that the event has the potential to produce an evening of solid matches.
Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman will meet in an Ambulance Match — these two men always deliver when together and the stipulation will allow them to go a little further. Moreover, Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Samoa Joe for the first time ever. In addition, we will see Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks collide for the RAW Women’s Championship. These two women shone on their respective brands before Alexa came to RAW. They are both fan-favorites and great athletes, so this also has the potential to deliver.
The Iron Man Match for the Tag Team Championships between Sheamus and Cesaro and the Hardy Boyz could be a strong contender for match of the night — this rivalry has verged on brutal before and nobody knows how to deliver quite like the Hardys.
It’s been a while since we saw an event with such a strong card, and perhaps this time, we will finally see the talent shine through.
Brock Lesnar’s First Title Defense
The decision to put the WWE Universal Championship on Brock Lesnar was met with criticism from fans. Lesnar’s part-time schedule resulted in the Championship disappearing from WWE TV for the better part of three months, and a portion of RAW’s PPVs without a main championship match.
But like it or not, Lesnar keeps bringing fans back. So, despite the criticism, you can bet that the WWE Universe will be tuning into the event to see him back in action.
Thus, it’s no coincidence that WWE held off on his first title defense until Great Balls Of Fire. Adding his name to the inaugural edition of the PPV will undoubtedly increase its value.
Moreover, giving him a different opponent like Samoa Joe will also have us tuning in to see just how these two forces of nature collide in the ring. Lesnar usually squashes his opponents with countless suplexes, but now that he has an equally intimidating opponent like Joe, we should see a lot of back-and-forth action between the two titans.
The Return Of The Strowman Era
Of all the possible outcomes for tonight’s matches, one thing must be certain: Braun Strowman must defeat Roman Reigns and walk away from their rivalry as the victor. The Monster of a Man dominated WWE for months, and even squashed the almighty Reigns back in April. There were plans of him taking on Lesnar at WWE Great Balls of Fire, but his unfortunate injury set everything back.
Now with the monster back in action, he must reclaim his spot at the top of WWE by taking down Reigns one more time.
There’s no doubt about it: the Ambulance Match is a fitting ending for the feud between the two behemoths, but nobody is going to be talking about yet another Reigns victory in the endless line of them. Thus, it’s imperative that Strowman walks out victorious and reclaims his monster push.
With rumors of Strowman facing Lesnar at SummerSlam — the second biggest WWE PPV of the year — he must walk into that match looking absolutely unstoppable, and the only way that can happen is if he stops Roman Reigns once and for all. And based on the reaction of fans when he returned, a Strowman win is something we all want to see. And the stipulation would protect Reigns from another pinfall loss — not that he really needs it.
Having Great Balls Of Fire as the starting point for Strowman’s resumed push would immortalize the event in WWE history — especially if the Monster of a Man ends up becoming one of the company’s biggest stars in the years that follow.
WWE Great Balls Of Fire has the potential to deliver a really strong night of non-stop action and great matches, all while making names for certain superstars. And if it manages to do all this, it could end up being an event we will be talking about for a long time to come. And this time, it wouldn’t be due to its unusual name.
Do you think WWE Great Balls Of Fire will be successfully delivered? Let us know in the comments below!
