WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017: Samoa Joe's Rise and Top Takeaways from Latest PPV

Whether you loved or hated Monday Night Raw's controversial pay-per-view WWE Great Balls of Fire, it was certainly a night of talking points. With many exciting potential matches that had complicated finishes, the best of Raw were all in the mix for a show that everyone was talking about for better or worse.

Heels throughout the show found cheap ways to win, including Neville's low blows, Alexa Bliss escaping with a count-out loss and The Miz using his Miztourage to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. Meanwhile, the two top matches were filled with major moments as Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman looked to destroy one another and Samoa Joe may have proved himself worthy to Brock Lesnar.

Even while no championships changed hands, this might just have been one of the biggest Raw shows this year. Nothing was easily forgotten, but a few moments stick out as major takeaways from this show, providing context on the road to SummerSlam.

From Neville's dominance to Samoa Joe's rise to prominence, these are the biggest takeaways from Great Balls of Fire that made clear where Raw just might be headed for the rest of the summer.

No One Is Ready to Topple King of the Cruiserweights Neville

Another one falls at Neville's feet. Akira Tozawa looked to be the challenger who could test Neville with dominant showings up to this point, but the Japanese Superstar was no match for Neville. While Neville used cheap tactics to emerge victorious, he also dominated the contest from the outset.

If this was not Tozawa's time, when will it come? The answer may just be never. Only Austin Aries has consistently frustrated Neville as a challenge, and even he fell when the title was on the line. It looks as if the entire cruiserweight roster is out of its league with Neville.

Neville has already defeated most of the top stars on 205 Live. He has put to bed any threats from Aries, Rich Swann, Mustafa Ali, Jack Gallagher and TJ Perkins while also holding dominant victories over Tozawa and Cedric Alexander. His reign has been impressive and helped to elevate the division through his performance.

There is no reason to take the title off Neville yet, and no one is clearly ready to dethrone The King of the Cruiserweights. However, in time, someone will need to be built who can stand up to Neville and upset the top star of the division.

Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks Will Be Raw's New High-Profile Women's Feud

Credit: WWE.com

Last year around this time, Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks was becoming the biggest angle on Monday Night Raw eventually even main eventing Hell in a Cell 2016. With the summer in full swing, Banks' next feud may be the WWE's attempt to recreate that magic as she has just begun a personal war with Alexa Bliss.

Bliss and Banks had a solid match at Great Balls of Fire before the contest was cut off by a count-out finish. What followed showed the frustration already growing between these women, as The Boss destroyed Bliss and sent her to the floor beside the stage with a double knee drop off the announce table.

Not only did this attack make a big impact, it also solidified this feud as a major Raw angle with the two only beginning their war. While it may not be able to match up to the lofty heights of Banks and Charlotte's wars, Banks and Bliss should be given the time and spotlight to impress once more as the WWE puts more focus on the female wrestlers with each passing month.

If Bliss and Banks continue to prove themselves the most marketable women on Raw, it is possible they could be main eventing a PPV together as the seemingly genuine animosity between these two women boils over into a physical war.

The Miz and His Miztourage Will Define the Intercontinental Championship

Credit: WWE.com

While the same wrestler left Great Balls of Fire as WWE intercontinental champion as the one that entered, the title match in-between felt like an introduction. For the first time, everyone got a clear sense of The Miztourage and their effect on The Miz's matches going forward.

Frequently during the course of the action, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel interfered on Miz's behalf, even setting up Dean Ambrose for the finish. The two alongside Maryse make up three extra distractions to make sure Miz remains champion. This dynamic has just begun to develop, and it looks to dominate the IC title scene.

On the bright side, this means Dallas and Axel will be seen often on Raw and get a chance to shine again. However, during a time in WWE where heels are in complete control of the roster particularly on Raw, this may quickly grow tiresome with Great Balls of Fire dominated by messy finishes.

Miz has been one of the best acts in WWE since the brand split, and he should only continue to rise up the ranks. If anyone can sell this new dynamic and avoid the frequent issue of stable fatigue, it is Miz though it could very well be an uphill battle.

Braun Strowman Still Isn't Done with Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

No match left more questions after its finish than Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman. After a brutal ambulance match, Reigns crashed the ambulance with Strowman in the back, who took the full brunt of the impact. It was a display of frustration and aggression that has many wondering if Reigns just turned heel while the resilient Strowman, who walked out of his own power, turned face.

While this was left unclear even after Monday Night Raw, the clearest takeaway is that the ambulance match was not the last time Reigns and Strowman will battle. In fact, it signaled that the true ending will be even more physical and bloody down the line.

As Reigns attempts to turn to the Universal Championship, Strowman should be more fueled than ever to take out Reigns, perhaps costing Reigns his No. 1 contender's match against Samoa Joe next week to start. This feud has been surprisingly excellent and perhaps the best feud of the year, and it deserves one last contest to sell both men's animosity for one another.

However, it is hard to say how the WWE will top the action that has come before, with Strowman toppling ambulances and Reigns trying to kill The Monster Among Men. Can any match between these two live up to the unbelievable scenes that built it up?

Samoa Joe Leaves His Mark on Brock Lesnar

In the weeks leading up to this show, Samoa Joe was built as a dangerous force to combat Brock Lesnar, an at Great Balls of Fire, Joe brutalized Lesnar and constantly staggered him. Even though Lesnar escaped the match with a win, it was Joe who looked great at the end of the day.

Joe attacked Lesnar before the bell, and he kept that assault up throughout the match, taking suplexes and firing right back. The Coquina Clutch looked close to sealing this match multiple times over its short burst of action, and Joe looked just as much like a true challenge to Lesnar as Goldberg did before him.

This was a major statement on how the WWE perceives Joe, building him up as a force and showcasing him as one in this match. He may have lost, but the story of the match made it look like Lesnar was escaping rather than emerging victorious. It would not be surprising with this build to see a rematch in the near future with Joe more and more prepared for a title run even if it is not immediately in the works.

With this all said, though, the representation of Joe was heavy-handed in a match that rushed to a finish, which brings up one other takeaway from this showdown.

Brock Lesnar Will No Longer Wrestle Classics

Credit: WWE.com

With another short main event, a formula has officially been established with Lesnar, and it likely means The Beast will never wrestle a classic again in his career. This does not mean that Lesnar cannot wrestle long epics. He just does not want to, and perhaps he does not have to.

When Lesnar first returned to the WWE, he put on vicious battles with John Cena, The Undertaker and Triple H, which were long and physical contests that may have taken their toll on Lesnar. His last few matches have been sprints with only a bit of variation to the action.

His contest against Joe was supposed to be a knockdown, drag-out brawl. However, while it was sold as Joe's crowning moment and likely will elevate his standing, this was a mere six minutes of action with Lesnar suddenly winning with an F5.

With the roster wrestling long and athletic matches all the time, Lesnar contrasts everything WWE has built up as of late. If Lesnar was just a part-time attraction, that would be fine, but he is also Raw's world champion and must headline PPVs as Raw's top star.

Fans would be forgiven for having already grown tired with the suplex-heavy style Lesnar has adopted, and it would not be shocking for more fans to turn on the champion if he continues to rush through his matches despite carrying around a title many are working tirelessly to earn.