Which name is worse for a WWE
pay-per-view in the modern era; Great Balls of Fire or December 2016’s
Roadblock: End of the Line? I’d probably go for the first option. Thankfully,
the Jerry Lee Lewis theme song is far superior to A Different Kind of Dynamite
by Thousand Foot Crutch. Drive-in cinema effects during the introductory hype
video showed extra attention to detail.
GBOF was a solid B-card from
top to bottom but nothing got close to match of the year quality.
The opening contest between
Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins had decent in-ring action and interesting moves,
but it didn’t matter because the story has been uninspiring on Raw. Rollins
lost his temper. Wyatt took advantage with an eye poke and hit Sister Abigail
for the pin. Wyatt needed the win more; they’ll probably go again at
SummerSlam.
Enzo Amore delivered a
brilliant promo before his showdown with former tag team partner Big Cass. Mic
skills and being a scrappy underdog are undoubtedly his major strengths. The
7-footer pinned Enzo after hitting a big boot in an elongated squash.
The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus
& Cesaro for the Raw Tag Team Championship was my favourite match of the
evening and a satisfying end to their rivalry. I love the slow burning drama of Iron Man matches
and their 30 minute effort was entertaining throughout. The Hardy Boyz went
behind, made their comeback and then suffered a last minute defeat. The final
score was higher than expected but all falls were believable.
Sasha Banks challenged Alexa
Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship. Bliss used the hypermobility in her arm
as a memorable distraction and worked over Banks’ previously injured back. They
went back and forth until Bliss refused to enter the ring so Banks won via
count out. My partner hated the screwy finish and has no desire to watch the
rematch, even after the post-bell brawl. I’ll give them the benefit of the
doubt.
In the third championship
bout, Miz successfully defended his WWE Intercontinental Championship against
Dean Ambrose. Miz had plenty of help from Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas and his wife
Maryse. He worked Ambrose’s knee thoroughly and The Lunatic Fringe sold the
pain convincingly. Little touches like that help the fans suspend their
disbelief. After a false finish, Miz hit Ambrose with Skull-Crushing Finale for
the win.
The Ambulance match between
Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns exceeded my expectations. They fought
Hardcore-style and used steps, chairs and equipment from the ambulance. Strowman
fell through the stage barrier. Eventually, Strowman sidestepped Reign’s spear
attempt and closed the door.
The post-match events were
gloriously ridiculous and felt like a throwback to the unpredictable backstage
segments of the Attitude Era. Roman locked Braun into the ambulance, then
reversed backwards into a production truck. The Fire Brigade used the Jaws of
Life whilst general manager Kurt Angle played his concern to perfection. Braun
stumbled out of the ambulance, bloodied and battered and refused medical help.
Roman and Braun both now look like badass characters and one of them will
surely face Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Speaking of The Conqueror, his
Universal Championship main event with Samoa Joe was tense but may divide fans.
They broke the formula immediately; Joe slammed Lesnar through the announcers
table before the bell. Not many wrestlers manhandle The Beast! Lesnar hit
multiple German Suplexes and Joe kept trying for the Coquina Clutch. Lesnar
predictably won with an F-5 but it lasted longer than Lesnar’s WrestleMania 33
match against Goldberg. Personally, I think Joe looked strong in defeat but
others might disagree.
Thanks for reading,
Philip.
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