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The year 2019 is already a month old, Royal Rumble pay per view is history and WWE is officially on the road to WrestleMania with just two months to go.
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins won their respective Royal Rumble matches and are set to challenge for the Raw championship titles at WrestleMania. Last year was great for these two Superstars as WWE gave them the best opportunities and they utilized them to the maximum by giving some of the best performances of their career. Fans rallied behind them.
But, there is another WWE Superstar, who has been a great performer throughout last year and fans rallied equally behind him, but he lagged behind when it comes to opportunities. His name is Finn Balor.
At the beginning of the year 2018, he was in the Intercontinental championship picture, but as Seth Rollins became the champion, Balor got lost. He spent the remaining year lingering away in the oblivion. Afterwards, he didn't get many opportunities, but the performance and fan support were always the constant for him throughout the year.
But at the start of the year 2019, things suddenly changed for Balor. Braun Strowman was removed as the #1 contender to Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Subsequently, Finn Balor replaced him by winning a fatal four-way match the same night in which he pinned the all-time great, John Cena. Balor then went on to challenge Lesnar for the Championship at Royal Rumble in, what proved to be, one of the most demanding matches of his career. He ultimately lost the match but not without giving a tough fight to the Beast Incarnate and came out stronger as a result.
Now, what next?
With the challenger for the RAW's top championship at WrestleMania already finalized, who can Finn Balor face at WrestleMania? One good answer is The Undertaker. Even though Finn could be involved in the Intercontinental championship match at WrestleMania as a challenger or even as the champion (as he is currently in a feud with the IC Champion, Bobby Lashley), a match against the Undertaker can do much more for his career.
Finn Balor recently posted a picture on Instagram, teasing a match against the Undertaker which sent the wrestling world buzzing.
There have not been any hints by the WWE about this match taking place. But it will be a great watch in case it happens at WrestleMania and the Demon must definitely go on to face and defeat the Phenom. Here's why.
#1 Even without the Streak, Undertaker is still the Gold Standard at WrestleMania
After winning 21 matches, the Undertaker suffered his first loss at WrestleMania at the hands of Brock Lesnar in the year 2014. It sent the entire WWE universe into shock as the streak was holy to them and it was something that was not meant to be broken. Breaking the streak propelled Brock Lesnar to the top of the mountain and established him as one of the most dominant wrestlers in the history of WWE. He never looked back since then.
Three years later, Roman Reigns delivered the second loss to the Undertaker at WrestleMania. The loss had almost no shock value as there was no streak left to save but even then it was a very big deal. It was the final stamp for establishing Roman Reigns as the new top Superstar of WWE. Thus, the losses at the hands of the Beast Incarnate and The Big Dog did not belittle Undertaker's 21 years of domination at WrestleMania.
Though the Undertaker's record now stands a two losses, he is still the gold standard at WrestleMania. His legacy at the 'Grandest stage of them all' still stands tall. Thus, another loss cannot damage the 25-year-old legacy of the Undertaker but a talent like Finn Balor can gain a lot by competing against him and defeating him at WrestleMania.
#2 Finn Balor deserves a WrestleMania moment
Finn Balor had a great time in NXT and his record for the longest NXT championship reign is still unbroken. He went on to become the first ever Universal Champion in his first pay per view appearance on the main roster but had to relinquish the title within 24 hours due to injury.
On his return, he got lost in the shuffle and it took him years to again come close to the main event picture. He missed the WrestleMania 33 as he was injured at that time and at WrestleMania 34, he was involved in a triple threat match for the IC title, which Seth Rollins won by pinning The Miz.
Given his skill set and calibre and the fact that he has a huge fan following, Finn Balor deserves a WrestleMania moment and should experience the feeling of standing at the centre of a few thousand people with his hand held high.
And there can be no WrestleMania moment better than the victory over the Undertaker.
#3 The Phenom Vs The Demon King is a great show on paper
It is a well-known fact that when it comes to wrestling, the Undertaker is way past his prime years. He has aged and cannot be involved in long matches anymore. Finn Balor, on the other hand, is in his prime and is one of the best in-ring performers in WWE. Therefore, they might be able to deliver a decent wrestling match but not an excellent one. So what would make it special?
The Undertaker is one of the most intimidating characters to ever step foot inside a WWE ring. His domination begins right from his entrance, which sends chills down his opponent's spine. Even after decades of watching him compete, a mere sound of gong before his entrance still sends the audience into a frenzy and they are left awestruck.
Similar things can be said about the in-ring presence of Balor's alter-ego, the Demon King. The sounds of heartbeats, which is followed by his entrance, instils fear in his opponents. The expressions on the face of Baron Corbin when The Demon entered at SummerSlam last year is the ideal example for it.
The Phenom vs The Demon might not prove to be the match of the year candidate but it is sure to enthral the audience with the mere aesthetics. The moment when these two come face to face in the ring will be one of the most awe-inspiring ones in the recent memory and is sure to receive a huge pop from the crowd.
And if Balor wins this match, it will be like a passing of the torch moment from the Demon of Death Valley to the Demon King.
#4 This would indicate that WWE actually believes in Finn Balor
Ever since Finn Balor was chosen to face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble, WWE fans were happy but largely confused about what did it mean for Balor. What will happen to Balor after the match? Is WWE actually behind Finn Balor or is it just a way to grab the attention of the fans?
The match already took place and Finn Balor failed to capture the Universal title. But all the questions still stand. There is no doubt among the WWE fans that Finn Balor is a main event calibre Superstar who deserves the spotlight. The only doubt is whether Vince McMahon and co. also feels the same way yet and whether they are ready to push him into the main event picture.
Balor is currently involved in a feud against Bobby Lashley and this will most likely lead to a match for the Intercontinental Championship. But the IC Championship is a secondary tile and for a person who just a few days ago was involved in a gruelling match for the Universal Title, it is a downgrade.
Making Finn Balor defeat the Undertaker at WrestleMania is the best way for WWE to answer these questions positively and thus clear all the doubts about how it feels about Finn Balor.
#5 Fans want it
WWE recently set a new record for lowest ever viewership of its flagship show. The reason for this could be attributed to certain booking decisions exhibiting a pattern of ignoring the fan-favourites as on many occasions, WWE failed to strike when the iron was red hot.
Remember, when Rusev Day chants running wild? Or the crowd reaction when Braun Strowman used to enter? Such opportunities, to push a Superstar, should not have been allowed to pass unutilised. Though not all opportunities were wasted, as in the case of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch where the push came at the right time, thus allowing them to shine. But not everyone is as lucky as these two.
As a consequence of falling TRPs as well as the threat posed by the rise of AEW, WWE recently vowed to bring changes to its product and promised that the fans will get what they want. The decision to make Finn Balor face Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble was, possibly, the first sign of change.
In the digital age, social media is the biggest mode of expression. WWE has a very vocal fan following. They express their feelings about the product, what they feel is wrong, their likes and dislikes. One thing that fans from all over the world express on a continuous basis is the need to rejuvenate the WWE scene by reducing dependence on old talents. They want the the old Superstars to hang up their boots, thus allowing the new faces to come forward. Instead of relying heavily on the old legends, they want WWE to create new ones.
We are not yet sure about whether the match between Undertaker and Balor will take place or not. But, unlike his last year's WrestleMania match against John Cena or the one before that against Roman Reigns, the WWE fans actually want to see this happen and they also definitely want the Demon to defeat the Phenom at the Grandest Stage.
If it goes this way at WrestleMania, WWE will make a strong statement to the fans about its willingness to embrace the future and let go of the past.
