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Finn Balor is undoubtedly one of the top stars in the WWE today, the man is immensely popular with the WWE Universe, both on the internet and in arenas. Finn Balor may be a star attraction in our eyes and in the eyes of Triple H, but apparently, he hasn’t made that much of an impression on the one man that matters, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
Reports broke last week that Vince McMahon has scrapped a potential Finn Balor vs. Brock Lesnar match because he feels the Irishman isn’t over enough. If this is true, we’re set to be robbed of a match for the ages. It’s strange how a genius who’s created so many legends in the past is failing to see the potential in a new one.
Here are 5 reasons why Finn Balor is over.
#5 Loudest crowd reactions
It may not be a scientific fact, but the louder your pops, the more over you are. Fans pay tickets to see the superstars they want, and you can often gauge by their reactions which superstars they paid to see. The louder your crowd reaction, the more popular you’re deemed. Even though John Cena was getting booed out every arena for a decade, the fact he got the loudest crowd reaction of the night determined his star power.
For Finn, a mixture of his star power and grand entrances has translated into the Irishman receiving one of the loudest reactions every Monday. In fact, outside of Roman Reigns, no one on the RAW roster gets a louder reaction than Finn Balor, not even Brock Lesnar himself.
#4 Can steal the show with anyone
It’s one thing to be a good wrestler, it’s another to be compatible with every wrestler on the roster. That’s the difference between a good wrestler like Neville and a bonafide star like Finn Balor. To be over, one must consistently have good matches with every opponent he’s given. It’s that consistency that keeps the wrestler at the forefront of the WWE Universe’s minds.
A lot of wrestlers are packaged with a lot of hype, but the few times they fail to deliver, that buzz is instantly diminished. Finn Balor is over because fans know he’s good and he proves that to them every time he steps inside the squared circle.
#3 Strong social media following
In the 21st century, your social media antics can be the difference between becoming a superstar or comical meme. In the past, the likes of Zack Ryder have forced the WWE’s hand due to a strong social media following. Finn Balor is very much active on social media, and why wouldn’t he? On Facebook, Instagram & Twitter he has a collective following of just over 4 million. That’s numbers the WWE cannot ignore from a marketing or branding perspective.
The Irishman is one of the more popular WWE superstars on Instagram, regularly attaining over 100,000 likes on his posts. Ever since reports broke that Vince McMahon doesn’t see Finn Balor as over enough, the 36-year-old has used his massive following to make several ‘OVER’ puns.
Clearly, he disagrees with the reports, and so do we.
#2 Popular merchandise sales
Out of all the wrestlers that debuted in 2016, only AJ Styles is more popular than Finn Balor, according to a report by Forbes. Despite being on the main roster for only a month in 2016, Balor acquired a Google search score of 9 and a shopping search score of 4.
These scores basically determine how much traffic the keyword generates and its likelihood of producing a profit. Basically, Finn Balor is a lucrative asset for the WWE to have in terms of merchandising. Even on Prowrestlingtees.com, his Bullet Club t-shirt was the second highest seller of 2016.
These kinds of achievements aren’t new to the Balor Club leader; he’s been a profitable name everywhere he’s gone. Even down in NXT, he and Kevin Owens were by far the highest merchandise sellers. The fact is, if you can sell high volumes of merchandise, you’re over. If Vince McMahon won’t listen to the WWE crowds, I’m sure he’ll listen to these figures instead.
#1 He has a Worldwide fan base
Lest we forget, Finn Balor’s name was ringing around the world of wrestling way before he made it into the WWE. In fact, before he came, he was the most popular wrestler in the world who wasn’t a WWE superstar.
The Irishman has wrestled all over the world in some of the most unique arenas on the planet. The 36-year-old has performed in England, Scotland, Japan, Mexico and now he’s blessed us with his presence in America.
Along the way he’s won championships in every single promotion he’s been a part of. That success has accredited him with a truly international fan base. He’s one of the few stars the WWE has that truly radiates an international appeal beyond Vince McMahon’s booking.
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