WWE Extreme Rules 2017: Feuds That Will Continue Through Great Balls of Fire

In addition to not living up to its "extreme" name, WWE Extreme Rules 2017 didn't feature the culmination of several storylines as had been the hope from fans going into the event. Rather, it merely felt like a placeholder show, building to what should be a stacked Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view.

That said, the show wasn't without its fair share of solid wrestling. There were a handful of quality matches over the course of Sunday night with finishes that left the door open for feuds to continue if WWE decides to go in that direction.

Coming out of last night's newsworthy episode of Raw, it's fairly clear what we will be seeing come Great Balls of Fire, including a few rematches from Extreme Rules. Let's look at the rivalries that are set to continue on Raw heading into the July 9 event.

Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz

Credit: WWE.com

Dean Ambrose and The Miz have been at odds for over six months, dating back to their time on SmackDown Live. The latest chapter in their long-running rivalry came at Extreme Rules when Miz knocked off Ambrose to secure his seventh Intercontinental Championship.

Despite how many times fans have seen them face off, there is no denying that they work well together and that they delivered another enjoyable encounter at the event. The finish was also what it should have been considering how much more compelling Miz is in the role of champion as opposed to Ambrose.

Unfortunately, that means the feud must continue until Ambrose receives his rightful rematch for the title, and that might not be until Great Balls of Fire in early July. The Lunatic Fringe demanded from Raw general manager Kurt Angle that he get another shot at the strap on Monday night, and while Angle denied his request, he ensured him he would get his golden rematch sometime soon.

It is high time these two moved on to fresh feuds and opponents, but on the bright side, they could produce more entertaining television over the next month. Their segment on Raw this week was well done and was a solid follow-up to their match at Extreme Rules.

Miz regaining the gold on Sunday night breathed new life into the feud as now Ambrose can finally flourish in chase mode and Miz can return to restoring prestige to the prize.

The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus and Cesaro

Credit: WWE.com

For the first two months of their ruthless rivalry, it was pretty apparent The Hardy Boyz had Sheamus and Cesaro's number, beating them on every occasion in singles and tag team competition. At Extreme Rules, however, the European duo avenged the many losses they've suffered as of late by beating Matt and Jeff in a steel cage match.

The finish was far from decisive with Sheamus and Cesaro barely hitting the floor before The Hardy Boyz, but it was enough to earn them the Raw Tag Team Championship. They declared their superiority over The Hardy Boyz on the next night's Raw following a quick victory versus Heath Slater and Rhyno.

Of course, Matt and Jeff still have their automatic rematch clause for the championship, so it's inevitable they'll clash with Cesaro and Sheamus for a third time with the titles on the line. Hopefully that bout will blow off the feud once and for all and both teams can move on to other programs.

In the meantime, Sheamus and Cesaro can have a strong reign as Raw Tag Team champions considering their awesome chemistry as partners. As for The Hardy Boyz, it will be interesting to see whether this loss causes them to become "broken," or if it will be business as usual for the team upon their return to Raw next week.

Additionally, The Revival are due back in the ring any time now, and it would make sense for them to challenge The Hardy Boyz for the titles at SummerSlam.

Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

The main event of Extreme Rules featured five of Raw's most elite athletes battling it out for a future shot at the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe all put forth a fantastic effort, though it was Joe who walked away the victor.

On the next night's Raw, Wyatt opened the show promising to exact revenge on each of his adversaries from Extreme Rules, beginning with Reigns. Although he fell short of defeating The Big Dog, he resurfaced at the end of the evening and cost Rollins his match against Joe.

That would seem to indicate Wyatt vs. Rollins will be the next feud for both men heading into Great Balls of Fire, playing off their bad blood prior to Extreme Rules. They faced off for the first time ever one-on-one on the May 15 edition of Raw, a match that concluded on a disqualification due to outside interference.

While Wyatt vs. Rollins is an unprecedented program, Wyatt lacks credibility at the moment and won't be viewed as a legitimate threat against Rollins. Their matches could be good, but it might not be incredibly intriguing due to how forced it feels following Extreme Rules.

Nevertheless, expect this feud to be prominently showcased on the flagship show in the weeks ahead with Wyatt continuing to target Rollins and possibly others involved in the pay-per-view main event from Sunday.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumni and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.