10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE Great Balls Of Fire
1. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
With such a major section of the pay-per-view dedicated to what once would have been its main event, Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe were almost forgotten men as they made their way to ringside for 'The Beast's very first defence of his Universal Title.
It was a fact openly acknowledged on air, leading purists to question why Lesnar hasn't been stripped of his prize. A simple note of Paul Heyman's legal wangling would have done the job from a storyline perspective, but in real life, the protection of his aura does huge things for Raw (and by proxy, the company's) biggest title.
It was an interruption to Heyman's usual posturing that gave Joe the advantage in the match and finally attempted to draw clear lines of heel/face demarkation between the pair. The 'Samoan Submission Machine' struck from behind with a sneak attack, then forced Brock into agreeing to start the match all the same. Back-jumps and low blows followed, but just like Roman/Strowman, the crowd were deeply invested in the villain.
Chants of 'Joe's Gonna Kill You' highlighted just how successful WWE have been transitioning the Samoan to the main roster, with Lesnar's quick victory looking more like he escaped from jail than dominated another hapless victim. Perhaps five minutes too short, the match lacked a meaty middle, but the Coquina Clutch/F5 counter was a pleasingly decisive conclusion.