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Finn Balor has been on a roll since his return to NXT, and he has defeated two former NXT Champions since then. Matt Riddle was the first to take the fall, while former NXT Champions Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were soon to follow.
This week, Balor came out to announce his future plans in NXT. He spoke about his achievements and wanted to know what he could do on the Road to WrestleMania.
The former Universal Champion did not have to wait long, as Imperium's Fabian Aichner and Marcel Bartel came out to deliver a message on behalf of their leader, the NXT UK Champion WALTER.
Balor did not take the interference lightly and tried to attack Aichner and Bartel but ultimately succumbed to the number’s game. Now it seems like NXT is building its next rivalry for the NXT UK Championship, and Balor seems to be the man who will take the fight to WALTER.
In this article, we will look at the 5 reasons why a rivalry between the two for the NXT UK title could be best for business.
#5 Mix things up for the NXT brand
NXT and NXT UK have been going hand in hand for some time, and we’ve seen several altercations break out between the two brands. This has allowed NXT to construct some big rivalries, with the feuds between The Undisputed Era and Imperium proving to be the biggest along with Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm for the NXT Women’s Championship.
The lines between the two brands have blurred in the past year, and Superstars such as Kushida, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, and many others have made the jump to the other brand to make a name for themselves across the pond.
With all that in mind, it makes sense to bring in a top name like The Prince to take on the Ring General. With Joe Coffey disposed of by Walter at NXT TakeOver: Blackpool II, there aren't a lot of big names to challenge WALTER at the moment.
#4 Give a boost to NXT UK
NXT UK premiered on the WWE Network in October 2018. The brand has since developed into a strong pillar of WWE and has helped spread the company's product around the globe. NXT UK has given us some top quality stars such as Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne, Toni Storm, Kay Lee Ray, Rhea Ripley, and Imperium to name a few.
Last year, several fans were relishing at the idea of seeing Scotland’s Drew McIntyre make his way to NXT UK where he could have taken WALTER on for the NXT UK Championship. However, that never really materialized.
With Ireland’s Finn Balor receiving a message from WALTER, NXT UK could have the most to gain as the former NXT Champion will bring a large chunk of his fanbase to the Network to see him duel with the Ring General. Apart from that, the Superstars of NXT UK will get some top quality competition from Balor, as Fabian Aichner and Marcel Bartel will be in The Prince’s crosshair first followed by several other Superstars.
#3 A worthy challenger for the UK
As mentioned earlier, Finn Balor belongs to the Republic of Ireland. That closer to the United Kingdom than most other NXT Superstar who could might challenge for the NXT United Kingdom Championship.
While the first two NXT UK Champions, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, are both English, WALTER is Austrian, making the title an affair between the European region.
Balor could therefore easily make the cut to compete for the NXT UK Championship, even though no rules state that the challenger has to be from a specific region. This would allow Balor to move to his native land for some time and easily travel to compete in NXT UK for a while.
As stated by Balor himself, he has done almost everything in WWE and even won the Universal Championship. However, the NXT UK Championship has been far out of his reach till now, and he finally has the chance to win his third major belt in the company. He’s currently one of the most worthy men to compete for the NXT UK title.
#2 Another David vs. Goliath buildup
WWE has been able to give us some captivating stories over the decades. One type they exceed at quite well is the story of the underdog battling against a giant.
Finn Balor had an extraordinary storyline and match against Brock Lesnar last year at the Royal Rumble. WALTER, who is 6ft 5in tall and weighs 310 lbs, is no less a Goliath in front of Balor who is 5ft 11in and weighs 190 lbs.
While Balor is one of the smallest men in WWE who doesn’t compete on 205 Live, he is one of the smartest and most skillful wrestlers in the company and has scored victories against giants during his run.
While this will be an interesting storyline for both men involved, what will make things more difficult for The Prince is the fact that WALTER doesn’t roam the streets alone and is always with his faction, Imperium.
This will make things even more difficult for the former Universal Champion who will not only have to take out three other men to even the odds against the NXT UK Champion, but he will have to fight one of the biggest opponents yet.
If done right, the villainous Prince may be a babyface again before it's all said and done.
#1 The only loss that can’t hurt WALTER’s image
WALTER defeated the longest-reigning NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne at NXT TakeOver: New York in April 2019. Since then, WALTER has reigned supreme and literally bowled over anyone who has stepped up to take his title away.
He hasn’t lost a singles match since winning the title aside from a disqualification on RAW against Seth Rollins. Kushida and Joe Coffey have been the two best challengers who have stepped up to the giant but they’ve taken ended up on their backs staring up at the lights just like every other challenger.
Finn Balor has competed with the biggest and the best in the world, and that has allowed him to be one of the longest-reigning NXT Champions in the history of the brand, not to mention a former Universal Champion.
With so many achievements under his belt, and with his experience from competing on NXT, RAW, and SmackDown, he is one man who can defeat WALTER convincingly. Even though he appears as an underdog in most fights, it’s never surprising when Balor defeats his opponent.
If Balor does go on to compete for the NXT UK Championship against WALTER and defeats him, it won’t hurt WALTER’s image at all since Balor has a reputation of taking down the biggest men.
