5 Things WWE Got Right with Great Balls of Fire Pay Per View

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good! So it's been well over a week since I last uploaded a blog post and it totally feels strange to be back. Good but strange. I mentioned in my previous blog post that I would be taking a week off because I was going away for a little break and I had a great time last week (still wishing I was there instead). I also want to mention that because of things happening in my family right now which I wont got into detail with at the moment but it does mean that my uploads may be a little all over the place and things might not be returning to normal at the time I had hoped. Anyway, I'll have more on that soon! As for today it's time to jump back into the reviews and last night saw the first ever WWE Great Balls of Fire pay per view and while I will forever hate that name the show was an interesting one. Heading into things I wasn't all too excited for the show. Yesterday didn't feel like a pay per view day and I didn't have as much as excitement for the show as I would have liked. Now, we didn't end up getting anything super big and I won't be rating this my favourite WWE pay per view of the year however, I enjoyed it more than I expected to say the least. In today's blog post I'm going to be running you through the best and worse moments as I count down five things WWE got right with the Great Balls of Fire pay per view with a bonus point talking about what I didn't like and what I would have changed. I am trying to lean further away from reviews and so you can expect to see more lists and creative posts coming up in the next couple of months or so depending on what happens in my personal life. As always, any recent blog post will be linked bellow and you can let me know what you thought of last nights show by leaving a comment at the end or by dropping me a tweet over at @TezangiVictoria.  Talking of twitter, I will be live tweeting throughout every WWE show this week including NXT so get following me there!

Alexa Out Smarts Sasha Banks

Okay, so over the past month or so I haven't had many positive comments to make in regards to the RAW women's divison. While women's wrestling as a whole is at an all time high right now with the Mae Young Classic coming up very soon and the first Women's money in the bank and last women standing match taking place last month there is a lot to be excited about and the current buzz around the divison has been fantastic to witness. However, it's over on Monday nights were things have just been slacking and if you compare the work from RAW to what are seeing over on both Smackdown LIVE and NXT it just doesn't live up to the standard being set. While we have had a couple of solid segments and matches here and there including a main event two weeks ago, the RAW women's divison still needs a lot of work. During last nights great balls of fire pay per view Alexa Bliss defended her RAW women's championship against four time champion Sasha Banks. This was a match I honestly was really looking forward too. The WWE haven't focused too much on building a big story between them but thats something we can expect to see grow over the next month. Of course there is already a little back story; the two women genuinely come across as though they cannot stand each other and with Bliss dethroning Ban ks' best friend Bayley there's something to be developed there. I did feel as though the smaller build up for this match worked in their favor here. It gives them both time to develop a bigger and more interesting story heading into SummerSlam where the fans can therefore have more of an interest in a story and the actual match without the feeling of this being something that has lasted forever. Now, the match itself last night was just as good as I was expecting it to be. Personally, I have been a fan of both these women pretty much from day one and seeing how far both have come from their days down in NXT really is something special. The crowed were invested in the action as was everyone at home and both girls knew exactly what to do to keep the WWE universe interested. From the arm spot from Bliss where her double jointed advantage played as a great little mind trick and drawed the fans right back into the action to how well both women actually worked together. Banks very quickly proved to be the perfect opponent for Bliss selling every little spot Alexa threw at her perfectly. It was also great to see an actual story being told throughout this match. We had Bliss working on Sasha's back throughout this entire match and where you add the emotion, passion and brilliant wrestling we saw this really does make the list as one of the best matches of the night. Of course I wasn't the happiest person in the world to see the match end in a count out but it worked. Bliss out smarted Banks and was able to sneak out of Great Balls of Fire with the championship still on her shoulder. When bell had rang however, Sasha was far from over and as the two women continued to brawl a risky spot was performed at the top of the stage and while it wasn't the biggest and most impressive spot ever it was effective and the work from the two women after the match does mean we can expect to see this feud continue and run over to Summer Slam where a title change could be on the cards... this is something I'm going to be talking about in more detail in an up and coming blog post so keep an eye out

The Miz Retains his Intercontinental Championship
Okay, so the Miz and Dean Ambrose have been feuding for quite some time now. Their rivalry dates back to their days over on Smackdown LIVE and while I have previously spoken about how well both superstars and the WWE have managed to keep their feud interesting and entertaining after last night I'm ready for them to go their separate ways and kick start something new. Ambrose and Miz do work so amazingly well together and their matches, promos, and segments over the past few months have been brilliant but just one more week of these two feuding and it's going to effect both superstars pretty badly. The match last night was solid. I struggled to get into it just because we have
seen them go one on one so many times already but with Maryse and Axel and Dallas at ringside it did bring something a little different. It kept us watching and interested in the finish. To be fair this match could have gone either way. I wouldn't have been surprised if Ambrose got the win last night but thankfully the WWE went with the smart decision and had Miz retain thanks to the help of his new buddies. As we have touched on before, Dean and Miz are forever putting on great matches and it was a good performance last night, Maybe not the best but it was decent and I don't really have any complaints. It fitted in the show perfectly and was a great little showcase of a new chapter kick starting in the title run of the Miz. I've mentioned in previous blog posts and tweets that I love the idea of Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas working alongside the champ. It gives them something to actually do for once, there is room for growth and I really do feel as though if the WWE invest time in this idea than it could really be a great success. I have got a post coming up talking about the WWE's need for factions and while this may not be the biggest and best faction ever it has potential and lets be honest... the Miz can make anything work.

Samoa Joe has a fairly Impressive Performance

Brock Lesnar VS Samoa Joe was never really going to be the technical wrestling match of century but it was the match that left me fighting through tired eyes at four am. When you put these two names as your main event it's going to attract some serious attention. As a long time fan of both these superstars it has always been a dream to see these two collide but never something I actually truly thought would take place. However, last night it was Lesnar VS Joe for the WWE Universal Championship and I could not wait. Now, I wasn't expecting to see a title change here. I did feel as though Joe would make an impact but a win over Lesnar and a title change? It wasn't something I was confident we would see actually happen especially with superstars such as Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman so popular for the next win. He did however stick to expectation and gave Lesnar a little run for his money proving to not be easy competition for the beast. Before the bell could even ring Joe was on the attack allowing himself to get the upper hand and it was in the moments that the crowed were fired up and ten times more excited for the action to come. The match itself was decent. I remained completely interested and hooked to my TV  screen and there really wasn't a dull moment. There's this special feeling during Lesnar matches you just don't get with anything else and it was in full effect last night. I was interested, entertained and while Lesnar of course retained as predicted it was a main event I can honestly say I enjoyed. In an ideal world I would have loved for the match to be longer but it was a good one and Joe really proved himself, standing toe to toe with the beast and having the performance he had puts him right at the top and I'm hoping the WWE can keep his momentum at a high and find a storyline that really works in his favor and sees him bounce back from last nights loss perfectly.

Roman Reigns VS Braun Strowman

I may not be the biggest Roman Reigns fan in the world but as I have gone on record to say plenty of times before, regardless of what you think of Reigns personally and of how the WWE has booked him over the past few years no one can deny the simple fact that week in and week out he is delivering. There has been a clear improvement in his in ring work over the years and while the WWE continue to make errors in booking designs, promo work and character development he's performance in matches is something no one can really fault anymore. Last night at the Great Balls of Fire pay per view Reigns yet again proved himself when he stood toe to toe once again with the monster among men, Braun Strowman. As you will probably know, this is a feud I have been completely obsessed with. Both superstars have been crazy impressive throughout and it's been brilliant seeing Strowman in particular really shine and get over with the fans. After this storyline there really is no denying that Braun Strowman is one of the top dogs in the WWE right now and worthy of the big push and attention he has been getting since the Summer of last year. Every match we have seen from the two has been strong with none to date actually being a disappointment and last night really was no different. Both men got a strong reaction from the crowd and throughout the match everyone was completely hooked and entertained. Unlike some of the matches we saw last night this was actually a really fun match to watch. Strowman and Reigns have fantastic in ring chemistry and therefore their work standouts so much more than others. Braun really has proven over the past eight months or so that he is capable of working a solid match with numerous superstars with different gimmicks and in ring styles but it's his work with Roman that has really allowed him to standout. The two last night put on what was one of my favourite matches of the night and with the time they spent competing full of intense, fast paced action with a bunch of crazy spots that highlighted both men as two of the best performers of the night. One of the spots I personally loved the most was with the chair. Seeing Reigns hit Strowman with the chair and it having zero effect on Braun was brilliant. It really showcased just how much of a monster he really is and had everyone in complete awe of him. I don't believe this was their best match to date but it remains one that I did really enjoy. I was glad to see Strowman pick up the victory but it was the action after the match that had everyone talking. Reigns, clearly frustrated with losing to Strowman for a second time wasn't planning on leaving GBOF without sending a message. Acting in rage he left Braun at the back of the Ambulance after driving backstage and reversing into another truck (from what I can remember) we had one of the best spots I have seen in a while. Watching this really did throw me back. This felt like attitude era work. It didn't feel like I was watching work from a PG era, it was though we had Stone Cold out there and it was the late nineties earl two thousands all over again. The whole thing towards the end was done perfectly and when you look back at the match also everything came together so perfectly. Braun and Reigns work so so well together and while I really don't want to see their feud continue for much longer (mainly because I feel the longer it goes on for the worse things will get for Strowman in the long run) I am interested in seeing what the fallout from this match and Reigns' actions will look like tonight on RAW. This really is a gripping, entertaining, throwback storyline that fans of all ages can get behind and the two superstars really did steal the show.

First ever Tag Team Iron Man Match

The tag team divison in the WWE is something I am forever complaining about. With NXT setting the bar so high thanks to the likes of DIY, the Revival and American Alpha over the past few years the work from the main roster has really struggled to live up to what we have seen down in developmental. However, with some of those teams now up on the main roster, the New Day making the impact they have had, and the Hardys making their epic return at Wrestlemania things look hopeful for the tag team divisions on both RAW and Smackdown LIVE. At the Great Balls of Fire pay per view it was Sheamus and Cesaro defending the RAW tag team titles against long time rivals the Hardy Boyz in the first ever tag team iron man match. Okay, so I have mixed opinions on this match. I don't believe this was a bad one at all. With Sheamus picking up the first fall within seconds of the match actually starting it had us all hooked. It's not the first time we have seen such a quick

pinfall win from Sheamo and it started things strong for him and Cesaro. Throughout most of the match the Hardys were playing catch up and while this wasn't the most fun wrestling match of the night we got some great action, I was on the edge of my seat towards the end, the superstars worked the thirty minuets so well and the timing towards the end was perfect. The two teams have worked so well together in the past and the action last night showed that once again with every superstar standing out and playing such a big part. We also got to see some brilliant in ring psychology and the overall work from the heels in particular was brilliant. Now, while I loved this match it wasn't my favourite of the night and I do feel it could have been just that little bit better but that honestly is me just being really picky. It was a great tag team match and in the end the right decision was made. Personally, I don't want to see this feud continue. Just like we mentioned with Ambrose and the Miz, these guys have been working their feud for so long and we have seen so many matches that I don't know if there is a story there that can last and remain entertaining up until summer slam. I am however interested in seeing what the next month looks like for both teams and what the booking will look like heading into SummerSlam. I do still feel as though the WWE will have this feud drag out a little longer but I'd love to know what you guys think! Can this rivalry survive another month?

And thats my little list of the things I thought the WWE got right with the first ever Great Balls of fire pay per view. No title changes but the show overall was far better than I expected. Big Cass picked up a strong win over Enzo after an impressive performance and Enzo himself cut a phenomenal promo that allowed him to standout in his own right. Not to mention Bray going over clean against Seth Rollins in the opening match. Hopefully, last night saw the end of certain feuds and the continuation of others with the fallout of the show tonight a real must see. As always I will be live tweeting throughout this weeks episode of Monday night RAW and you can let me know what you thought of the show by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

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