Much to the shock of the WWE Universe and professional wrestling fans all over the world, Finn Balor did not win the Extreme Rules Fatal Fiveway Number 1 Contender match last night at Extreme Rules, with the honour instead going to Samoa Joe.
While Balor looked primed to win the bout after hitting Roman Reigns with the Coupe de Grace, Joe sneaked up behind him to lock in the Coquina Clutch and claim the right to face off against Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire for the WWE Universal Championship.
But, was the decision the right one? Is it a good thing that it will be The Destroyer instead of The Demon who goes up against The Beast Incarnate in the next Monday Night Raw exclusive pay-per-view which happens next month?
We believe that Finn not winning the Fatal Five-way was indeed the right reason and we’ll tell you why.
So, without any further ado, here is our list of 5 reasons why Finn Balor not becoming the Number 1 Contender at Extreme Rules was the right decision:
#5 He is not a believable opponent for Brock Lesnar
Finn Balor has never let his size affect his wrestling career. Despite weighing less than 200 pounds, the Irishman has always succeeded with his superb wrestling skills and ability to connect with the audience. How else did he manage to win the WWE Universal Championship back at Summerslam 2016, right?
But, even for Finn Balor, Brock Lesnar is a step too far. With how Lesnar is booked in the WWE, constantly dominating the biggest names in the industry, it just doesn’t make sense that Balor would be able to hang with The Beast in a one vs one contest.
Lesnar has squashed John Cena, broken The Undertaker’s Streak, caved in Randy Orton’s skull with nothing more than his elbows, and these guys are legends in the business. Even if he brought out The Demon, it just isn’t believable that Finn could stand up to Brock.
#4 Everyone expected him to win at Extreme Rules
All the buzz before Extreme Rules 2017 was that Finn Balor would be winning the Extreme Rules Fatal Fiveway main event to become the Number 1 Contender for the WWE Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire. Seth Rollins was given a tiny shot of an upset, but no one else was expected to pick up the victory.
That is why it was so refreshingly great to see a genuine surprise at the end when Samoa Joe came out of nowhere to lock in the Coquina Clutch and pick up the victory, against all the odds.
It was the perfect booking decision in order to provide the perfect swerve. You don’t need to surprise people for the hell of it, but when you do it this well, it is inevitably the right call.
#3 He can elevate the upper mid-card
If Finn Balor had won the right to face off against Brock Lesnar last night, he would have definitely been in the main event of Monday Night Raw in the build up to Great Balls of Fire, and possibly beyond. His loss last night is actually a blessing for the upper mid-card on Monday nights.
The WWE Universe loves Finn and responds to everything he does. And, now that he will not be in the main event, it adds an extra layer of interest in what he is going to be doing in the upper levels of the mid-card instead.
Having Finn involved in a good feud can really help in ensuring a reduction of filler content on Raw. Also, this brings me nicely to my next point...
#2 He needs another feud before going after the Universal Title
One of the major issues Finn Balor faced upon his return from injury is that there were no storylines for him to be a part of. This is what caused him to miss Wrestlemania 33, after all. Even after Wrestlemania, he has only been involved in these multi-man matches rather than a one vs one feud.
Finn really needs a solid one vs one feud before going after the Universal Championship. Whether it is facing off against Bray Wyatt or going after The Miz and his Intercontinental Championship, he needs something high profile.
This will help him reconnect with the fans and generate enough momentum so that when he goes after the Universal Championship, he actually wins it. Which brings us to our final point...
#1 He needs to win the Universal Championship when he challenges for it
Finn Balor never lost the WWE Universal Championship. And this means he really has to win it again when he challenges for it. It is the perfect redemption story and a loss would undermine the progress he has made too much.
And, there is no way Finn is getting the win against Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. So, it makes sense to keep him out of the picture and until they are ready to put the main belt on him.
