Great Balls of Fire 2017

[Charlie M.]

Brock vs Joe was fucking awesome. A second F5 would have made it more definitive to me. Brock caught him in one and got the pin but it didn't feel like he fully put Joe down. He beat him but he got his ass whipped.

Roman vs Strowman was a great brawl. Roman trying to kill Braun was a bit much because the announcers didn't really play it up enough that Braun tried to kill Roman a few months ago. They didn't sell it as payback. They sold it like they couldn't understand why Roman was upset.

Alexa vs Sasha was by far Alexa's strongest match. Sasha kept it pretty simple for her and kinda did stuff around her which was smart. The ending was like a RAW finish.

The rest of the show was pretty damn boring.

[odessasteps]

4 minutes ago, Matt D said:

All I saw was the main. Looking forward to seeing Roman/Braun and the apparently great tag match over the next week.

As for the main.

I said:

I underestimated how good Joe's initial attack would be, didn't predict the awesome low blow, and actually OVERESTIMATED the finishing stretch. Otherwise, pretty damn accurate if you ask me.

If the board says I've got stuff to review, fine, happy to do so, but you have to admit I more or less called what we got. It may come down to everyone having (rightfully) lowered expectations after two years of suplex city.

I presume Phil puts a POLL~! to decide it.

[The Man Known as Dan]

This is going to be one of those things we're there is no definitive consensus here, and Me and Matt are going to have to compromise and both review some matches, isn't it.

[hammerva]

So was this the bloodiest PPV in many years?   Matt Hardy eye was completely fucked up.   I think there was blood from Ambrose.    Strowman was a complete mess.   

Given how people were looking at the clock starting Joe vs Lesnar and thinking it would go about 5 minutes, that was perfectly acceptable.  Joe still looks like a monster to me.   I mean nobody has beaten Brock up that badly in the last couple years.   Not even Reigns or Undertaker

 

[Casey]

It seems like Matt lost this bet, to me. Generally positive reviews of the match, from what I see.

[The Man Known as Dan]

Also think Alexa was bleeding from the mouth after the double knees too.

[EVA]

2 minutes ago, El Dragon said:

This is going to be one of those things we're there is no definitive consensus here, and Me and Matt are going to have to compromise and both review some matches, isn't it.

Don't be modest.  Early exit polling shows you won this going away.

[Go2Sleep]

If the goal was to set up Braun/Brock at Summer Slam, the show did a good job. It was actually a pretty good show overall.

Seth/Bray was a solid opener with a good pace.

Cass squashing Enzo was expected, but ok.

The Iron Men match was the best between the two teams. The last 10 minutes or so were really good.

Sasha/Alexa was solid and they made up for the weak finish with a spirited post-match brawl. I'll take a gimmick blowoff for them.

Ambrose/Miz was the only match that I didn't care about.

The ambulance match was good with a great finish. The post match was pretty excessive, but Braun's dejected "leave me alone" was great. Also, lol at Heath Slater's off-camera win.

It'll be interesting to see the reactions to the main relative to expectations. It wasn't MOTY or anything, but it had some cool spots like the pre-match attack, Lesnar's little slip-out into the second set of suplexes, and the early match takedowns. It was a nice simple story of Brock avoiding the protected move and seeing if Joe could stand to actually be hit by Brock, which he couldn't. It was more of a "tv main event" feel than a ppv "main event" feel, but I liked it.

[Matt D]

I agree that the tenor of the board is pro-match and I'm fine conceding. I think you guys have just come to accept that Brock matches are going to sort of suck by the conventions of non-Brock matches and if the other person brings anything interesting to the table, you're happy with it. The match was the best possible bare minimum. I just look for more than that out of life. I thought it was definitely disappointing given the build, which was my argument (but not disappointing given the last two years of Brock matches, if that makes sense).

I've got four matches coming my way, two and two. You guys come up with worthy ones.

[Niners Fan in CT]

Yeah Sasha doesn't fuck with Alexa at all it seems.

[sydneybrown]

Only thing I saw was the main and yeah, I loved the first few minutes of it.  The crowd looked like they were reacting to a legit fight.  And it had a different kind of feel to it.  But then they went the "Suplex City" route and then it was "Jesus, can Brock have ANY other kind of match?"  I think Joe still came off as a badass, and the F5 really does need a reset so that when you get hit with it, you're done.  I think they could have done so much more with the match, Joe was treated like all he had was one move.  This really felt like one and done.  

[The Man Known as Dan]

I mean, I don't even think Lesnar was any good in the match, I just thought that it was booked well and Joe's intensity was great and carried it. But yeah, consensus seems in. I've got a good idea on what matches I'd like reviewed, and as Matt was in his bet with Bayley, I'm not gonna be cruel about it. Spreading stuff I love.

[Casey]

They're seemingly furthering the "Roman is kind of an asshole" angle on Raw Talk.

[Charlie M.]

5 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I agree that the tenor of the board is pro-match and I'm fine conceding. I think you guys have just come to accept that Brock matches are going to sort of suck by the conventions of non-Brock matches and if the other person brings anything interesting to the table, you're happy with it. The match was the best possible bare minimum. I just look for more than that out of life. I thought it was definitely disappointing given the build, which was my argument (but not disappointing given the last two years of Brock matches, if that makes sense).

I've got four matches coming my way, two and two. You guys come up with worthy ones.

or people just like different things than you?

[hammerva]

Yeah you can't pushing Roman as this "not a good guy, not a bad guy, the guy" thing anymore.  He is a complete heel.  Maybe you can change that for Wrestlemania with Brock but if you try to push that shit it is going to be a disaster for him

Man when people talked about Sasha vs Alexa being a shoot,  I can see it from this RAW talk.  

[Go2Sleep]

1 minute ago, El Dragon said:

I mean, I don't even think Lesnar was any good in the match, I just thought that it was booked well and Joe's intensity was great and carried it. But yeah, consensus seems in. I've got a good idea on what matches I'd like reviewed, and as Matt was in his bet with Bayley, I'm not gonna be cruel about it. Spreading stuff I love.

You can be the virtuous babyface, I'm gonna heel this shit up and bring some 98-01 WCW matches.

[Ryan]

At least they didn't do the Fujita/Sasaki finish with Lesnar/Joe. Only in reverse with the guy with the belt retaining.

[Matt D]

Just now, Go2Sleep said:

You can be the virtuous babyface, I'm gonna heel this shit up and bring some 98-01 WCW matches.

I embrace the challenge.

[Peck]

Miz and Renee bickering is still great after all these months.

[Niners Fan in CT]

The finish to Brock/Joe wasn't the greatest thing ever but I thought the first few minutes and some other moments sprinkled in there made it feel like a legit war going on,  Joe was definitely protected here,  I don't think anyone could say he wasn't

[Charlie M.]

The Miz is going to turn Bo Dallas into a star. Curtis Axel? Not so much.

[Eivion]

Neville/Tozawa was solid until the finish. Didin't pay attention to Seth/Bray. Enzo/Cass was not much of match, but did its job in gettign both over.

Was not all there mentally for the tag titles match, but I dug what I paid attention to. Not really sure where they go from here.

Sasha/Alexa was Alexa's best performance yet. Not sure if its better than the Bayley match, but it was up there. Feels like Alexa is doing better with Bayley and Sasha around.

Miz/Dean was decent.

Braun/Roman was probably MOTN. Glad Braun won. Roman going into to murder mode post match was something. This better be Roman's heel turn.

Joe/Brock was great the first few minutes. Unfortunately it became less when Brock was on offense. He just didn't have same explosiveness as Joe. I think it was less the suplex city stuff and more Brock trying to sell Joe's beat down. Still a fun match, Joe came across as a complete bad ass and still looked ready to try and destroy Brock again when it was all said and done.

This was a good show.

[Hagan]

Absolute garbage show.* 

Boring, dull and like the third straight PPV where the heels ran roughshod over the babyfaces. 

- Nevill/Tozawa was whatever. I know a lot of people are high on Neville's run but it's not doing much for me. 

- Rollins vs Wyatt was the most un-dynamic Seth match I can recall. I hate the eye poke finish in WWE. They treat a fucking eye rake as if it's fucking Muta's mist in the face. Wyatt can be shot into the sun. 

- Cass looked terrible and I'm not sure what that weird neck hug thing he was doing. His heel run is DOA. 

- Tag match was solidly worked but man that Cesaro/Sheamus team does nothing for me. Somehow this team makes them less charismatic, which is saying something. The Bar is such a terrible team name. Hardys need to get broken or Jeff needs a solo run because every other babyface has died.

- Bliss vs Banks was really good. Awful finish, especially if it doesn't build to a rematch but good post-match. Sasha still has some life in her. 

- Miz vs Ambrose was nothing.

- Ambulance match was fun but kind of a fuck finish. Listen, I know that Roman IS a heel by behavior but I'm still not convinced that the WWE thinks he's a heel. This seems like a double-turn according to all logic and evidence in the universe but pretty sure this isn't gonna be a character change for him. He should come out tomorrow and tell the fans to go fuck themselves but would imagine the announcers are still gonna be treating him like Cena.

- Lesnar can go away. Just book him as a special attraction and keep him the fuck out of the title scene and away from the main events. This short matches are fun and all when it's versus Goldberg but this portrayal of him against regular roster members is just garbage. Yeah, that was a great six minute match. It could have been a better 15 minute match y'know.

 

*I've enjoyed the shit out of WWE this year so this is the first PPV that I really was annoyed by.    

[maciej]

Sasha Banks is such a terrific professional wrestler.

[JCM]

Yeah this was clearly booked for Roman to come out of that as the heel and Braun the face. Joe/Brock was about what I expected. Joe didn't get squashed so I'm good with it.