WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017: Full Grades and Star Ratings for Each Match

Sunday night, WWE presented the best pay-per-view of 2017 so far in Great Balls of Fire, a Raw-exclusive event that brought to a head some of the most competitive rivalries in sports entertainment, ignited others and was headlined by a dream match pitting the baddest men in professional wrestling against each other for the Universal Championship.

Featuring strong in-ring work and extraordinary individual performances from some of the brightest stars in WWE, the show was everything fans expect from a high-profile pay-per-view extravaganza. It was wild, chaotic and though somewhat predictable, never feeling tired or boring.

Touting one of the best cards WWE has presented since WrestleMania 33, there was a reason for excitement. As it turned out, that excitement was entirely justified.   

The Superstars of Raw turned in an explosive night of in-ring work, making it difficult to rank the matches according to work rate, storytelling, potential historical significance and crowd reaction. 

But it has been done.

Relive Sunday's superb night of entertaining and in-ring contest with this countdown of every match on the card, including star ratings that reflect the following, according to yours truly:

Rating Summary

• Zero stars - A bad, irredeemable match.
• * - Just slightly above worthless.
• *½ - Just ok
• ** - A TV-worthy match
• **½ - Average
• *** - Above average
• ***½ - Very good
• **** - Great
• ****½ - Match of the Year candidate
• ***** - Classic

8. Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass

Credit: WWE.com

Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass was the worst match of Sunday's pay-per-view. Even with that said, it accomplished exactly what it set out to and did so in an effective manner.

Cass, a ruthless and uncaring competitor, pummeled his longtime tag team partner with malice and disdain. He mocked him and the audience as he stood tall as a physically superior oppressor.

Amore got zero offense and was completely overwhelmed from the get-go by a former friend worried only about building his own star now that he is out of the shadow of his silver-tongued sidekick.

The big boot that ended the bout was an exclamation point on the bout and an announcement to the wrestling world that it should get comfortable seeing Cass in high-profile positions, because Sunday's match was just the beginning of a journey to the top of the industry.

The booking and emotion of the bout elevated beyond the "zero stars" the actual in-ring content otherwise would have commanded.

Grade

C-

Rating

7. Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz

Credit: WWE.com

If there is anything WWE fans know about Dean Ambrose and The Miz since December, it is that they have wicked in-ring chemistry. Why December? That's when their rivalry kicked off, spawning a never-ending series of matches on television and pay-per-view.

No matter how well they work together, though, there is only so much of a specific act, rivalry, match or moment fans can take before it loses its luster.

Sunday, staleness and a dead Dallas crowd doomed their latest battle to mediocrity.

The sequencing was there, the reversals were strong and Miz worked the leg to set up the Figure Four. Ambrose ignored said leg during the babyface comeback until it was convenient to remember it, as Ambrose is prone to doing.

The interference from Maryse, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas fit the context of the story, but nothing champion and challenger could do made up for the overwhelming sense of "been here, done this" that hung over the bout like a heavy, dark cloud.

Miz won with the Skull-Crushing Finale, as he did at Extreme Rules, and hopefully brought the dispute with The Lunatic Fringe to an end.

Grade

C-

Rating

6. Cruiserweight Championship Match: Akira Tozawa vs. Neville

Credit: WWE.com

Akira Tozawa and Neville are really quite good at the whole wrestling thing.

Kicking off the night's festivities on the Great Balls of Fire Kickoff Show, The King of the Cruiserweights defended against the latest member of Titus Worldwide in what was a hard-hitting, ultracompetitive match that clearly sought to steal the show from the onset.

The Superstars cut a furious pace, setting the stage for a show that rarely gave the audience a moment to catch its breath.

An entertaining match with late-match near-falls, like the falling senton from Tozawa that had him just seconds away from achieving championship glory, the bout had fans thinking Neville may actually lose the match and title.

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

A cowardly low blow from Neville to his No. 1 contender allowed him to scored the pinfall and retain his title. The finish was an immensely disappointing conclusion that was otherwise an outstanding wrestling match between two Superstars devoted to carrying the cruiserweight division on their backs for the time being.

A few more minutes and it may have been even better.

Grade

C

Rating

5. Raw Women's Championship Match: Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

Credit: WWE.com

Alexa Bliss is a resourceful, cunning heel. Beyond her ability to worm her way out of defeat or exploit her opponent's weaknesses are the meanness and ruthlessness that she unleashes over the span of a match. She seizes openings and turns them into victories.

When a win is not assured, she lives to fight another day.

All of those traits were on display during her Raw Women's Championship defense against Sasha Banks.

Overwhelmed by an aggressive Banks early, she stooped to dislocating her own elbow (thanks to her double-jointedness) and capitalized on the opportunity her stunned No. 1 contender presented. She proceeded to target the back of her opponent, an area of the body that had previously affected The Boss.

When frustration set in and it became apparent she simply was not going to defeat Banks on that night, Little Miss Bliss bailed on the match, intentionally getting herself counted out.

Complain about the finish if you will and trumpet the values of clean finishes on pay-per-view if you want, but Bliss' character is a coward when she needs to be, and Sunday she needed to be. The finish seemingly sets up another showdown with Banks and the post-match angle, in which The Boss blasted Bliss with her double knees from the top of the English commentary table confirmed as much.

Grade

C+

Rating

4. Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

Seth Rollins spent weeks downplaying Bray Wyatt's mind games and preposterous claims of being a god.

Sunday night, there was no laughing, no diminishing of any of Wyatt's abilities as Rollins was systematically picked apart and beaten by the former WWE champion. 

Wyatt controlled the majority of the match. Whenever The Kingslayer managed to get a blow in or string together a few moves that gave fans hope of a Rollins win, Wyatt cut him off. The third-generation Superstar had an answer for everything the WWE 2K18 cover athlete attempted. 

Rollins was so focused on discrediting his opponent that he was entirely unprepared to actually do battle with The Eater of Worlds, and like the wars between The Shield and The Wyatt Family years ago, Wyatt was more ferocious and determined than the overconfident Rollins and it cost him.

Had the match started hotter and maintained a consistent pace throughout, it may very well have ranked at the top of this list. As it is, Rollins and Wyatt wrestled a strong match that was not out of place on pay-per-view but hopefully laid the groundwork for an even better match at some point in the near future. 

Grade

C+

Rating

3. 30-Minute Iron Man Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships

Credit: WWE.com

The Raw Tag Team Championships were up for grabs Sunday in a 30-Minute Iron Man match that was undeniably hampered by the gimmick attached to it at the last minute six days earlier.

Too often during Sunday's Iron Man match, it felt as though The Hardy Boyz, Sheamus and Cesaro had a 20-minute classic laid out but were forced to shoehorn 10 extra minutes of filler into the bout to satisfy the stipulation. It led to a few disjointed spots and a messy middle rather than the fluid contest that surrounded it.

The saving grace was a red-hot finish that saw a series of dramatic near-falls captivate the audience. Late, Jeff Hardy dove off the top rope with a Swanton Bomb to Sheamus but Cesaro, the legal man for the champions, caught an unsuspecting Hardy with a roll-up that gave him and Sheamus a 4-3 lead with seconds to go.

Had the former champions had a few more seconds, they likely would have tied the match at four falls apiece. They did not, so they didn't, and the result was a disappointed fanbase that must come to the realization that while largely equal, Sheamus and Cesaro were just that much better.

The pacing was a little problematic at times, and Cesaro, in particular, looked to have struggled with the timing of the bout at least twice. The drama and otherwise strong performances from the four Superstars helped overcome those deficiencies and made for a fitting end to their rivalry.

Hopefully.

Grade

B-

Rating

2. WWE Universal Championship Match: Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

From the moment Samoa Joe attacked Brock Lesnar during the pre-match introductions Sunday night, it was evident the Universal Championship match between the two badasses was not destined to be another pedestrian main event.

For the next six minutes, Joe obliterated Lesnar. The champion was as vulnerable as he had ever been, physically overwhelmed by another Superstar for the first time in his career. He had no answer for Joe. Every suplex he unleashed was answered by The Destroyer.

Then he found himself trapped in the clutches of the Coquina Clutch.

Not once, but twice.

Then, like a desperate fighter, Lesnar threw a haymaker, flattening Joe with an F-5. It was enough to win the match...this time. Next time—and there will be a next time—he may not be so lucky.

Joe bested Lesnar in every way Sunday night. He was the better man, and the look on The Beast Incarnate's face as he headed up the ramp told the world as much.

What the match lacked in expanded arsenals, it more than made up for with a compelling story that had fans in Dallas believing Joe could actually win the title. His dominant performance earned him the respect of the audience, bought him credibility as a main event star and elevated his status in WWE significantly.

Grade

B

Rating

1. Ambulance Match: Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Credit: WWE.com

Some guys have an in-ring chemistry that defies logic.

Two heavyweights having show-stealing matches every time they mix it up on pay-per-view is not meant to happen in today's work rate-heavy WWE, but every single time Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman clash in a high-profile bout, that is exactly what happens.

Sunday, The Big Dog and The Monster Among Men brought the latest chapter of their intense rivalry to a head in a brutal and violent Ambulance match Sunday night.

The match felt very much like two mastodons looking to conclude their rivalry in the most fitting, and final, manner.

Full of big spots, such as Reigns' third recent bump into the side of an ambulance and Strowman being thrown through the stage, the match fit the wild and chaotic tone of the feud.

Like a 1980s horror movie slasher, Strowman recovered from every big bump and every strike. He continued to stalk after Reigns, with the promise of punishment looming if he got his hands on former WWE champion. 

Reigns, utilizing his speed and resourcefulness, stayed just out of harm's way late. He had the big man reeling and set him up for a spear. Overconfidence proved his downfall, and Reigns speared his way right into the back of the ambulance. Strowman closed the doors and sealed the win.

The match was an Attitude Era brawl of epic proportions with post-match activities, not taken into consideration here, that were straight out of that period's playbook.

Grade

B

Rating