WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017: Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to PPV
Despite its unorthodox name, WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 is slowly shaping up to be a solid show. From what has been teased and what has already been confirmed for the card, there is a decent chance it could exceed expectations and be better than Extreme Rules.
Thankfully, there is plenty of time between now and the pay-per-view on July 9, meaning there is plenty of time for WWE to continue fleshing out feuds and storylines on Raw. The flagship show hasn't been in the most exciting state as of late, but there are a handful of promising programs that could make the inaugural Great Balls of Fire a must-see event.
Most importantly, universal champion Brock Lesnar will once again have a regular role on Raw as he prepares for his upcoming title encounter with Samoa Joe. However, that will be far from the only marquee match taking place at the pay-per-view.
Fans have a pretty clear picture of what the finalized card will look like come July 9. More championships will be on the line than at any other Raw-exclusive event in recent memory, with an ample amount of star power from Team Red to boot.
Let's look at all the angles worth keeping an eye on as Great Balls of Fire quickly approaches.
Can Brock Lesnar Gain Retribution for Samoa Joe's Assault on Paul Heyman?
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Against all odds, Samoa Joe secured his Universal Championship contest when he won the star-studded Fatal 5-Way match at Extreme Rules. Now, he shifts his focus to titleholder Brock Lesnar, with whom he is set to do battle for the first time.
As if Joe didn't already have a target on his back following the high-profile victory, Lesnar is out for vengeance after Joe choked out Lesnar's advocate, Paul Heyman, on the June 5 edition of Raw. Heyman simply wished to send a message to The Destroyer, but Joe took things one step further when he decided to put his hands on Heyman and force him to pass out.
It's been business as usual for Lesnar for several years, and rarely does he get personal with his opponents. Joe, on the other hand, is no ordinary adversary and has successfully gotten into the head of The Beast Incarnate by refusing to show any signs of fear.
On Monday night, Joe wasted no time in taking the fight to Lesnar, and a chaotic brawl broke out between the two as a result. It wasn't until the entire Raw roster emerged from the back that they were separated, and even then, it was apparent Lesnar wasn't satisfied with the beating he gave Joe.
The Beast Incarnate is scheduled to be on hand for a handful of Raw shows heading into Great Balls of Fire, so don't think we have seen the last of him and Joe going at it.
Will Alexa Bliss Be Able to Contain Raw's Women's Division?
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Since beating Bayley for the Raw Women's Championship at Payback, Alexa Bliss has had a massive target on her back. Although she was successful in defending her title against Bayley at Extreme Rules, she has felt the wrath of the rest of Raw's women's division in recent weeks.
Bliss barely escaped her June 5 championship clash against Nia Jax with her title reign intact, though that was the least of her worries. The following week, she was confronted by Jax, Mickie James, Dana Brooke, Emma and Sasha Banks, all of whom wanted a shot at the strap.
At the end of the consequent six-woman tag team match, Bliss walked out on her partners and looked on from afar as Banks tapped out Emma. Surely, that would cement her as the new No. 1 contender to the championship as Great Balls of Fire looms large.
During Bayley's feud with Bliss, Banks stood by her best friend's side yet still yearned for a title match of her own. Thus, with WWE's resident hugger out of the picture, that should allow Banks to vie for the gold.
In the meantime, the self-proclaimed Goddess of WWE will have to deal with the entire women's division on Monday nights until a challenger is formally determined.
Why Has Bray Wyatt Set His Sights on Seth Rollins?
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It didn't take Bray Wyatt long to settle into his latest program following his loss in the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. After declaring war on every other combatant in that match, he fell short of beating Roman Reigns on the June 5 edition of Raw before setting his sights on Seth Rollins later that night.
Wyatt attempted to explain his actions on the most recent episode of Raw but instead cut one of his rambling promos wherein virtually nothing of substance was said. Rollins intended to exact revenge by confronting Wyatt face-to-face, but The Eater of Worlds disappeared into thin air before he could.
All signs point to this being yet another program in which Wyatt talks about his mythical powers and fails to back any of his claims up, losing to Rollins at Great Balls of Fire. Then again, it is also possible this could be a turning point for him and he is finally taken seriously as a threat on the Raw roster.
Granted, their initial encounter wasn't the most exciting, but there is enough time for them to pick up steam ahead of their likely match at Great Balls of Fire. Moreover, we still don't know why Wyatt wants to make life miserable for Rollins, and perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye.
Regardless of what that reason might be, look for this feud to a focal point on Raw in the weeks to come.
How Will Dean Ambrose Reclaim the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz?
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In a fair fight, Dean Ambrose has always been able to topple The Miz. In fact, that was how he took the Intercontinental Championship from his longtime rival on SmackDown Live in the first place earlier this year.
However, each of their encounters on Raw has seen the odds stacked against Ambrose, making it almost impossible for him to emerge victorious. That was especially evident during their match at Extreme Rules, with Miz outsmarting Ambrose to win back the belt he claims he made prestigious again.
Ambrose has made it clear coming out of the event he will not rest until he has the gold in his grasp. When he wasn't granted his automatic title rematch by general manager Kurt Angle on the June 5 edition of Raw, he crashed Miz's championship celebration before costing him a tag team match on Monday.
If there were ever a perfect place for The Lunatic Fringe to invoke his rematch clause, it would be at the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view. While it would be best to wrap up the rivalry sooner rather than later considering how long they have been feuding, it likely won't culminate on an upcoming episode of Raw.
If nothing else, they work exceptionally well together, and the question remains whether Ambrose can reclaim the championship off Miz if Maryse continues to play a factor in the finishes to their matches.
What's Next for the Hardy Boyz in Their Pursuit of the Raw Tag Team Titles?
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For over two months, The Hardy Boyz were undefeated in both singles and tag team competition, knocking off Sheamus and Cesaro on a weekly basis. They seemed to have the advantage in their Steel Cage clash with that duo at Extreme Rules, but a loophole allowed the heel challengers to recapture the Raw Tag Team Championships.
Despite that, Matt and Jeff Hardy have remained resilient in their pursuit of the twin titles, gunning for the gold on Monday's edition of Raw in a much-anticipated 2-out-of-3 Falls match. The two teams produced an exhilarating contest and split victories before the final fall ended in an underwhelming double count-out.
As unsatisfactory as it came across, the non-finish was designed to keep the feud alive through Great Balls of Fire. Similar to Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz, the rivalry has overstayed its welcome, but the teams can create magic in the ring, so there is still something to look forward to.
Additionally, will the rival teams do battle in yet another gimmick match of some sort? Having them face off in another standard tag team match would be disappointing, and fans can be assured that The Hardy Boyz will continue to get more and more extreme until they have the belts back.
As the rest of this rivalry plays out, it will be interesting to see whether The Hardy Boyz resort to their broken personas (assuming they are legally allowed to) if they no longer feel complete without gold around their waists.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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