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Last night on WWE NXT, the main event was one of the biggest matches we’ve ever seen take place at Full Sail University. Keith Lee, Tommaso Ciampa, and Finn Balor locked horns in a triple-threat match to determine the #1 contender for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship.
Although all eyes were on Lee and Ciampa during the match, it was Balor who got the win after delivering a Coupe De Grace to Lee, pinning him in the center of the ring for a clean victory.
Even though it may be puzzling for a few viewers as to why Balor took the opportunity so early in his return instead of Ciampa, there may be many reasons for the booking. In this article, we'll look at the 5 reasons why Finn Balor is the next challenger for Adam Cole’s championship.
#5 To keep the ratings up
Since moving to the USA Network, we’ve seen NXT deliver some major surprises week after week to keep fans engaged. Last week’s announcement that Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, and Finn Balor would battle in a triple-threat match excited fans a lot and prompted them to tune in this week.
Similarly, Balor’s name and star power will allow the company to pull more attention next week. Followers and fans of Balor want him to become a champion wherever he goes, even when he was on the main roster.
Keeping that in mind, the publicity a match between Adam Cole and Balor will bring to the brand will be unparalleled. Cole has already displayed his talents to the WWE Universe in the build-up to Survivor Series and during the event, but we all want to watch how he performs against one of the best Superstars in the company today. Their match next week will be a show-stealer for sure!
#4 To save Tommaso Ciampa vs. Adam Cole for TakeOver
NXT TakeOver: Portland is scheduled for February 16, and the company will be taking some of the current rivalries to the event. While we’ve seen NXT step up the competition each week since signing a television deal, they've still managed to set up some great matches for the major events.
The story between Tommaso Ciampa and Adam Cole has worked extremely well, and even after two months of build-up and no one-on-one matches yet, it hasn’t become stale.
The brand may be keeping these two huge Superstars apart and protecting a full-blown match between the two men at TakeOver: Portland. For this very reason, Cole has been set up against Finn Balor who is currently against everyone on the Black & Gold brand and not targeting specific Superstars.
This will allow both men to have a great match, and for Cole to possibly come out stronger than ever, leading to a clash between him and Ciampa next month. The company could end the rivalry at TakeOver: Portland, and give Ciampa and the NXT Universe a feel-good moment at a big event.
#3 To free Adam Cole from leading NXT
Adam Cole vs. Finn Balor is going to be a big match for some very interesting reasons. Cole has been leading NXT for quite some time, and his faction The Undisputed Era has taken over the entire company by storm.
Finn Balor, on the other hand, is one of WWE’s most popular Superstars who was the longest reigning NXT Champion and is a former Universal Champion. When these two men collide next week, no one can predict the outcome of the match.
However, one thing we need to note is that Balor has had his time and successes on RAW and SmackDown, while Cole hasn’t managed to reach that level yet. Fans are hoping to see Cole move to RAW or SmackDown soon to begin his dominance there. Keeping that in mind, the company may use Balor to take the title away from Cole and free him up to move in the coming year.
A loss to Balor will not remotely hurt Cole’s image, as Balor is already an established performer. If the champion does go on to lose his title to Balor, we could see him move to RAW or SmackDown before or after Royal Rumble, while Balor could build some good rivalries on the Black & Gold brand.
#2 To build Finn Balor as the ruler of NXT
Finn Balor’s return to the Black & Gold brand gave the NXT Universe a shock it wasn’t ready for. The Prince shocked the system by returning to his home brand, interrupting Adam Cole during his celebrations.
Although Balor walked in as a babyface, he turned into an ugly heel in no time. This quick change pointed towards an immediate focus shift on The Prince and his character, getting the media talking about Balor and NXT more than ever.
Knowing that Balor has so much star power, creative may be looking to crown him champion early on, building the competition at the top of the roster.
While many would say that it’s unfair to give Balor such a major push and bring him ahead of those already in line for an NXT Championship shot, it could bring some good results. A rivalry for the NXT title against Balor could immediately catapult the value of men like Matt Riddle, Roderick Strong, Keith Lee, and many others.
With Balor ruling NXT, the ratings are sure going to increase, which will help the brand grow in many other areas. Keeping in mind all the points mentioned earlier, it feels like an early championship reign for Balor could be best for business.
#1 To set up Johnny Gargano’s return
With everything currently going on in WWE NXT, fans shouldn't forget about what Finn Balor did to Johnny Gargano. The two men were scheduled to meet at NXT TakeOver: WarGames last month, but Gargano was not medically cleared for the match after the beating he received from Balor.
Keeping that in mind, Gargano could return very soon to avenge what Balor did to him. With such a big match on the horizon, there seems to be no better time than next week for his return.
Balor took a lot away from Gargano by attacking him, and Johnny could get his revenge by costing The Prince his championship shot next week. This would immediately allow creative to pick up the rivalry from where they left off, and give fans a huge battle to look forward to in the process.
Since Tommaso Ciampa was not pinned in last night’s match, we could then watch Ciampa climb back up to challenge Adam Cole for the title instead, while Gargano takes care of Balor.
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