WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Worst-Case Outcomes for Roman Reigns and Top Stars

WWE Great Balls of Fire takes place Sunday, and fans are surely expecting a top-notch event.

Including the Kickoff, the card is stacked deep with eight matches, five of which are championship bouts. The Kingslayer will face down the ultimate evil. A lunatic will wage war with a pseudo A-lister. An indy circuit icon will get his shot at WWE's top draw. Monday Night Raw's top Superstars will be in the spotlight, and that includes the babyface fans love to hate: Roman Reigns.

There certainly seems to be a little something for everyone this time out.

Fans obviously want the best from the company, and WWE will certainly attempt to deliver. However, even though the event looks good on paper, there's always the possibility it could fall apart.

The question of what could go wrong is surely being asked.

Just because a guy is on a roll, that does not mean he's going to go over. Just because a guy desperately needs a win does not guarantee he will get one. In many instances, WWE chooses to go left just when everyone thinks the company is going to go right.

If that happens at GBOF, many fans will come away unhappy.

Someone has to lose, and someone has to win. WWE cannot make everyone happy all the time, but it will be interesting to see what will happen with the top names from the red brand on Sunday.

Seth Rollins Loses or Wins the Match Decisively

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Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt

The worst-case scenario in this match has implications on both Superstars.

Seth Rollins versus Bray Wyatt is not a bad feud. It's an interesting combination because of Rollins' evolution over the past several months. 

The Architect has had a real swagger since defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 33. It was the right move for his character, and it was the right move for the man behind the character. Rollins has come full circle; he has finally gained some absolution for the sins of his past.

He fought back against his mentor at the Showcase of the Immortals, and he took him down.

But though Rollins looks good and though his feud with Wyatt is OK, neither man seems to be making any progress. Wyatt cannot afford a loss, as he typically always loses every feud he's booked in. Rollins can't exactly afford a loss, either, as he has become a top player in the company.

If Rollins comes out looking good, that means Wyatt has put over yet another opponent. If Wyatt comes out looking good, that means fans will hope it leads to bigger things, which history suggests will not happen. The best anyone can hope for is a Wyatt win thanks to a distraction.

That distraction could come from The Game.

Rollins has been living off of his 'Mania win, and Triple H will eventually return to address the situation. If he comes back at GBOF, his entrance music alone could get Rollins' attention long enough for Wyatt to pull a fast one and get the pin. Both men would come out on top and live to fight another day.

The alternative is an incoherent mess that doesn't help either man in the long run.

The Miz Loses the Intercontinental Championship

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The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose

The Miz has become the heel fans love to hate.

That kind of antagonist is in short supply these days. Much of that has to do with the heels themselves, who just can't resist popping the crowd whenever the opportunity arises. Guys like Kevin Owens and even Braun Strowman have the potential to be great villains but seem too concerned with playing up to fans.

But The Miz is not that kind of villain.

Miz couldn't care less about what fans think of him. Instead of trying to entertain them, he ignores them. They boo him, and he waits until they're finished. Then he continues with his promos. They sometimes cheer him because many fans have a bizarre need to love the bad guys. 

But most of the time, The Miz continues with his work in the ring. 

That's why he's the top heel in WWE and is why he should not lose the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Ambrose at Great Balls of Fire. The Lunatic Fringe is hugely popular with the WWE faithful and doesn't need a title to remain that way.

When he does have a title, nothing changes.

However when The Miz has the belt, it does nothing but elevate him. He also elevates the title because of his personality. Miz has come a long way over the past year and evolved into a main event-level talent. If he loses to Ambrose once again, there's no guarantee there would be a rematch.

If there were a return match, there's no guarantee Miz would win.

Miz needs the IC title just as much as the championship needs him. He brings something to it that no one else can, and he's never looked better in his career than he does now. A heel intercontinental champion is a champion every top babyface can go after, which always makes for better feuds.

The Hollywood A-Lister just happens to be the best possible heel to wear that title.

Brock Lesnar Is Shut Down by Samoa Joe

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Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe

Many fans are likely worried that Brock Lesnar will squash Samoa Joe at Great Balls of Fire. But what if the opposite happens?

What if Lesnar is shut down from the moment the bell rings until the moment it rings again? What if Joe is a war machine who cannot be stopped and counters every move Lesnar makes? What if he forces Lesnar to tap out?

Joe's supporters would surely love to see all of that happen and more. After all, The Beast Incarnate has dominated every Superstar he's stepped into the ring with. He always steamrolls his competition before leaving for three months or more until WWE finds another victim for him.

But the one man Lesnar could not steamroll was Goldberg.

Lesnar may have won the last match, and with it the feud. But he did not dominate. For the first time, The Beast Incarnate ran into a man he could not beat. Goldberg had all the answers, and Lesnar never changed the questions.

So if he falls to Joe in much the same way, who cares?

Fans would pop, but then reality would set in. Goldberg has already humbled Lesnar, and if Joe were to do it too, would the win even mean anything? Had Lesnar never lost to Goldberg, and then Joe came along to defeat him, Joe's career and profile would skyrocket.

But perhaps it wouldn't if he did the same thing that a 50-year-old Goldberg did.

If Joe is to win this match, he must do so after going 10-15 minutes with The Beast. Lesnar must be on his game and pursue Joe as he does everyone in the ring. Joe must fight, and he must deliver on his reputation. But he must also be punished by Lesnar until it looks as though Joe cannot get back up.

When he does, the crowd would explode.

Lesnar does not need to squash Joe. The Samoan Submission Machine has earned his place in this match and deserves to be booked with the best. Joe must find a way to win that does not involve outmatching Lesnar. It must involve outlasting Lesnar.

Roman Reigns Loses to Braun Strowman

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Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Roman Reigns is constantly compared to John Cena, and with good reason.

WWE insists on presenting both men as babyfaces when the crowd has clearly turned on them. Both men have an edge, but they will always play by the rules when it matters the most. Most importantly of all, both men tend to win the majority of their matches.

But while Cena is down to a part-time schedule, Reigns is not. Though his critics are surely sick of seeing him come out victorious in one big match after another, that's exactly what should happen at Great Balls of Fire.

Braun Strowman is a monster heel, and he's the best opponent for The Big Dog. But he's the best opponent because he is being set up to lose. That does not mean WWE is booking him to fail. However, it does mean he's being booked to get Reigns over.

It's the Cena comparison all over again.

The fact is Reigns must win at GBOF. Haters will hate, and critics will criticize, but Reigns' character has not come back from the misery and pain Strowman has heaped upon him just to lose in the end. If he does, WWE has made the statement that The Big Dog done as the top guy.

That will simply not happen.

The bigger, badder and more menacing the opponent is, the more of a challenge it is for the top guy to overcome. That means strengthening resolve, and that means proving his worth. Beating Strowman at Great Balls of Fire will do all of this for Reigns and much more.

Strowman will live to fight, and dominate, another day. Reigns will continue on his ride at the top whether fans like it or not.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com.