You have to admit, the name “Great Balls of Fire” is among the worst in pay-per-view history. It doesn’t matter how many times it is said on WWE programming, the PPV name “Great Balls of Fire” is quite laughable. 1950’s music, drive-ins and old cars aren't likely to appeal to modern audiences.
That being said, despite the silly name, Raw has successfully built a lot of long-term feuds leading into July’s show. It is proof that you can overcome bad names with smart, logical long-term booking. This is, on paper, the strongest Raw brand pay-per-view of the year.
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Also read: WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017: Prediction and analysis
There are a lot of great storylines going into the show. It leads to some important questions that will need to be answered. Will Sasha win the title for the fourth time? Will the Miz versus Dean Ambrose feud ever end? Will the Hardy Boyz be on their way to being broken after the 30-minute match? Will Braun finally be finished with Roman Reigns? Will Samoa Joe look really strong against Brock Lesnar? With these questions in mind, I present my list of top five most likely twists to WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017:
#5 Braun Strowman destroys Roman Reigns
Are we really sure Strowman isn’t the face in this feud? The reaction he got for his return was quite loud. His constant build is one of the best from in the WWE in 2017, and he certainly can use a major victory over Roman Reigns. It would make a lot of sense to have Strowman get the big win and face Brock Lesnar in the near future.
Since Roman Reigns injured Braun for a few months, it would simply make sense for the Monster Among Men to get his true revenge. I feel Roman could survive a loss, and the image of Braun standing over a destroyed Roman Reigns would do wonders to set up Strowman as a future monster for the company going forward. They should not throw away that opportunity on Sunday.
#4 Neville loses the Cruiserweight Championship
Neville has proven himself the biggest star of the 205 Live division since joining it late last year. His in-ring work and the best promo work of his career makes him the clear highlight of the Cruiserweight Division. He has held the belt since January, and it is time for a change.
Akira Tozawa has done a good job getting over with the WWE crowd. His matches have been of high quality, and his feud with Brian Kendrick was more than solid. The fact that his simple catchphrase is easy for the crowd to get behind also doesn't hurt.
205 Live is having issues getting over with the WWE audience. I think part of it is fans do not think of most of the Cruiserweights as credible stars, and the division needs a needle mover other than Neville or Austin Aries. This might be the opportune moment to crown a new king in WWE’s newest division.
#3 Enzo pulls the upset
Enzo sure has taken a beating in the last few months. In any tag match, his role was to get beaten up before the hot tag to Big Cass. In a lot of instances, he was cast as the Damsel in Distress, and Cass had to save him. It is almost too obvious that Enzo will lose yet again and get beaten down by Big Cass. That is why I expect a swerve.
Big Cass has a bright future as a heel because he possesses the mic skills and look that Vince desires. But you cannot deny that Enzo is still quite popular with the crowd, and a surprise victory over Big Cass could be the ideal start for this program and get the audience even more invested in this story.
#2 Bayley cost Sasha the title
I am not saying that Bayley will turn heel. Few characters have been more damaged in the last few months than the California native. They have made her look like a little child. You can tell by the crowd reactions that she has lost a lot of steam.
In the last few months, they have also been playing up the friendship between Sasha and Bayley again. It really is one of the last remaining fresh match-ups that hasn't been done to death on the main roster. We just need a catalyst to start a conflict between the two best friends. That could happen this Sunday.
Alexa Bliss will likely have Nia Jax backing her up, and Bayley will likely make an appearance to even the odds. This could cause Bayley to accidentally cost Sasha Banks the title match. The friendship is sure to explode some day, so why not start at Great Balls of Fire?
#1 Samoa Joe Wins the Universal Championship
The WWE has been floating a lot of potential future match-ups for Brock Lesnar. I mean who wouldn’t want to see him against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins? They seem to be setting up Samoa Joe as an afterthought in future feuds. That is why I doubt that he will lose convincingly.
Samoa Joe has really gotten over with the crowd. His promo work and physical brawls have made him seem like a credible threat to beat Brock. It would be a terrible waste to throw away his momentum with a bad loss to a part-timer.
The best twist would be to have Samoa Joe win. The crowd would love it, and Samoa Joe could be a credible tough guy champion going forward. You would even have an actual full-time Universal Champion as well. As for Brock? Do you think it would really affect his character long-term? I think not.
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