Finn Balor's chase for the Universal Championship

[Psykohurricane55]

This might not be a scenari that would please everybody especially those that want balor to be in the title picture right after he return but I had an idea that would be a long term build for balor that would concluded with balor winning the title at mania next year.

My idea starts the night after this year's mania, balor makes his return, does his big return interview says that he doesn't want to just get a rematch for the title that he didn't lose, he want to earn it. Here's come stephanie mcmahon, and says she's glad that he feel like this because tonight, she will give him the opportunity to earn the title match at payback when he fight kevin owens for the title shot. Whoever wins the match gets the title shot against lesnar and that if he lose this match, he goes to the back of the line and won't get a title match until lesnar lose the belt.

So you do the match at the end of raw and it finish with joe costing balor the match. Owens gets the payback title match and balor starts a feud with joe for a couple of months.

After that you could have balor gets in other feuds until the rumble which could include a feud with styles and the club.

At the rumble, lesnar drops the belt to somebody maybe joe, aj styles, nakamura or rollins.

Balor would also win the rumble and get the title shot at mania but stephanie put one last obstacles in balor's path before mania by booking balor in a match with less say braun strowman for his title shot at mania. Somehow balor found a way to beat strowman and goes on to mania where he would get his mania moment and regain the title at mania.

 

[enviousdominous]

Sounds an awful lot like Triple H's comeback after ripping his quad.

Your version would probably work from the perspective of the fans, but the big question is whether or not Finn is more-so worth a year's worth of investment than anybody else. Seth, Kevin, Roman, Braun and Joe will all be vying for that spot. This is all assuming that Goldberg and Lesnar cancel each other out and are no longer in the title picture next year, from what I hear Goldberg is contemplating sticking around after WrestleMania.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Yeah but my version is better then what they probably will end up doing which is push him in the title picture right away like they did the last time. At less that way you get a slow build toward finn becoming a fop guy

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It'd be okay with me, but I'm not all that certain if Finn Balor will be in the title picture when he comes back. Even though he technically didn't lose the title, they may simply decide to let him slip quietly out of the title picture, especially if they have something else interesting planned for him like Samoa Joe, for instance. I only say this based on reports I've read in the past few weeks that suggest Brock Lesnar may only be dropping the title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania next year. I remember reading that the report specifically mentioned that the plans didn't necessarily say that Lesnar would hold the title for a year, but that it'd ultimately be Roman Reigns who soundly takes the title from him.

If the plan is ultimately to give Reigns another big WrestleMania moment by having him be the one to possibly stop Lesnar once and for all, as Lesnar's deal expires just after WrestleMania next year if I'm not mistaken, then I think I might prefer that they do something else with Balor. I'd rather see Balor feud with Samoa Joe, possibly head to SmackDown and eventually feud over the WWE Championship than see him offered up as yet another lamb to slaughter for Brock Lesnar as part of Vince's master plan for Roman Reigns.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I think Balor's storyline will be a "chasing the championship" storyline. Even though what happened to him was crappy, they can't just give him the strap right away. For one, I'm sorry folks but Finn Balor against Brock Lesnar is just not a believable feud for me. It's not just the size thing, I can't put my finger on it but I just can't picture Finn Balor beating Lesnar to win the belt. (This is all assuming that Lesnar wins the belt at WM). Secondly, I think WWE will want to give Balor some feuds before giving him the belt back right away, to see how well he's recovered. It would be horrible to bring him back, give him the belt, only to have him have to relinquish it again right away due to injury.

So, I think he'll be chasing the title for at least a few months but IMO won't get it back until probably like Survivor Series.

 

[Spencesc11]

I think WWE would be better served to move him to Smackdown and feud with Wyatt. Raw needs more star power.

Move Styles, Ambrose, & Cena back to Raw

Move Balor, Zayn, Cesaro, & New Day to Smackdown. Those 4 along with Orton gives Smackdown plenty of faces to carry the brand. Add in Rusev to join Wyatt, Harper, Miz, & Corbin as top heels and you have a nice "B" brand whether you want to call it than or not. Because let's face it would anyone buy Balor beating Lesnar for the Universal Title??? I'm thinking not. WWE will have Reigns defeat Lesnar at Summerslam and then next year's Wrestlemania they can finally have Reigns vs. Cena headline a PPV which they're hoping gets a Hogan vs. Warrior reaction but they will probably be sadly disappointed.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I also do not want Balot to go straight into the title picture, let alone win it. I also want to see Balor challenging for the title and failing to win. Why? Because that sets for a great underdog story going forward.

But do not plan things ahead. Keep Balor chasing the belt, and let things unfold naturally. Then, pull the trigger at the right moment.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Fast push is not gona happen. Obvious reason is that WWE would back up in pushing him that hard because he was injured and they dont want to do what they did last time. He would get there, they were high on him and if he proves that he can go out like when he started on RAW no doubt that he is in for another major title. But just cant see it happening that soon after he spend several months injured. So he would probably spend some time in midcard with few stints at main event before he goes back on top.

 

[ShinChan]

So Finn Balor will say that he wants to earn the title shot. Really?

Did he get the title shot first time as a stroke of luck? Nopes, he EARNED it. He won a fatal four way match first and then defeated Roman Reigns to get the title shot. That's EARNED, I think.

Since he didn't lose the title, he has already EARNED a title rematch.

Also, I don't want the beast slayer to lose the title to Balor.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

I'm not sure they'll wait that long to put the title on Balor. If circumstances were different and the injury was clearly Balor's fault, sure they might wait a year, but he finished that SummerSlam match.

The timing seems off for someone to disappear with the Universal title. It's WrestleMania season and WWE will want to retain as many of the casual fans they usually onload this time of year. When Brock disappeared with the title before, it was during the fall.

I think we could see Balor winning the title as early as Payback. I doubt we see him pinning Brock though (assuming Brock wins at Mania, which seems likely regardless of what happens with Goldberg's contract). A third man could be added to eat the pin and preserve Brock for later.

If they decide to wait, they the Op has the right idea. You need to write Balor out, as logic would dictate that he should be coming back for his title, that he earned and never lost.

It makes sense to have Balor feud with Stephanie, she could be mad that he got hurt in the match or something like that. Balor could feud with Joe or Owens out of the gate there and be forced to earn his title shot back by running through her goons.

As much as a long chase is exciting and fundamentally better, a part timer is coming out of Mania as Universal champion. If Balor doesn't take the title from that part timer (most likely in a multi man scenario) then he'll surely be chasing it as we approach summer.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

If Lesnar wins the title and they book Balor coming for the title this will lead to Lesnar vs. Balor, obvious Balor isn't going over so it makes no sense for him to lose and kill his Demon gimmick on the main roster. If he does go for the title it will probably be a multi-person affair.

I have a feeling there will be another draft Lottery after both brands have their exclusive PPV after WM and Balor will be moved to Smackdown Live. RAW has Joe and it's best to separate Joe and Balor due to their NXT history.

This will allow Balor to be in the title picture on Smackdown Live and can work with Styles, Wyatt, Orton, and others in the roster.

 

[d_henderson1810]

IMO, Balor got pushed too far too soon.

So, greats like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock, Bret Hart, Triple H and Shawn Michaels had to take the long build to glory, winning the IC belt first. In most of these cases, it took 1-2 years from them debuting to winning the ultimate prize.

It worked well in the past. Yet Finn Balor won a WWE Universal Title shot on his first night, and the title itself the next week. So he went past others who had worked longer and been more prominent on RAW, and had headlined RAW PPVs, to put the title who was a skinny Pom who wears face and body paint.

Don't get me wrong, he is a great wrestler, and has a cool gimmick. So build him slow, put the IC or U.S. belt on him first, see how he does with that, and then, when he is ready and seasoned, and proved that he sells main event seats, put him in the main title picture and off you go.

Why rush it? Did not rushing SCSA, Rock, HBK etc hurt them becoming main-eventers? No! It built them perfectly, and they proved that they deserved the spot.

It seemed that they put the belt on Balor to cater to the NXT fans, rather than because he had proven himself. The Shield members were on RAW longer before each of them became main champion, so why does Balor get the fast track to glory?

Also, someone said that Balor hasn't had a rematch. Well, Triple H hasn't got a rematch for the WWE Title he lost to Roman last year, but is that ever mentioned?

Move Balor to SD Live for a fresh start. Give him four or five programs first, then see if he is ready to step up then.

 

[JoeMallard]

IMO, Balor got pushed too far too soon.

So, greats like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock, Bret Hart, Triple H and Shawn Michaels had to take the long build to glory, winning the IC belt first. In most of these cases, it took 1-2 years from them debuting to winning the ultimate prize.

It worked well in the past. Yet Finn Balor won a WWE Universal Title shot on his first night, and the title itself the next week. So he went past others who had worked longer and been more prominent on RAW, and had headlined RAW PPVs, to put the title who was a skinny Pom who wears face and body paint.

Don't get me wrong, he is a great wrestler, and has a cool gimmick. So build him slow, put the IC or U.S. belt on him first, see how he does with that, and then, when he is ready and seasoned, and proved that he sells main event seats, put him in the main title picture and off you go.

Why rush it? Did not rushing SCSA, Rock, HBK etc hurt them becoming main-eventers? No! It built them perfectly, and they proved that they deserved the spot.

It seemed that they put the belt on Balor to cater to the NXT fans, rather than because he had proven himself. The Shield members were on RAW longer before each of them became main champion, so why does Balor get the fast track to glory?

Also, someone said that Balor hasn't had a rematch. Well, Triple H hasn't got a rematch for the WWE Title he lost to Roman last year, but is that ever mentioned?

Move Balor to SD Live for a fresh start. Give him four or five programs first, then see if he is ready to step up then.

Fresh start? He was on the main roster for only a freaking month before he got hurt. Fresh start on a different brand my ass!