Pros and cons of Finn Balor being in the Elimination Chamber match

WWE made a surprise announcement when they revealed that Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, 'Woken' Matt Hardy and Apollo Crews would compete for a spot in the Elimination Chamber next week on Raw in a second chance fatal-four-way match. While Balor is the obvious favorite to win the match, there are good and bad things that could happen as a result of that decision.

With that being said, here are the pros and cons of Finn Balor winning the contest and going on to compete in the Elimination Chamber match.

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Pro: Putting him back in the Universal Title hunt?

Will Finn Balor regain his Universal Title at WrestleMania 34?

It's no secret that the WWE Universe wants to see Finn Balor compete for the Universal Title one more time, and what better way to do that then have him win the fatal four-way match and enter the Elimination Chamber. Not only does this allow WWE to make up for Balor being eliminated earlier, but also gives him a chance to go to 'Mania.

If nothing else, having Balor win the last chance fatal-four-way allows him to gain some of his momentum back and gives him some sort of storyline direction heading into WrestleMania 34. It may not be what everyone wants, especially since most fans want Balor to win the Elimination Chamber match as well, but it puts him in a much better place than the midcard position he is stuck at now.

Con: Possibility of not winning at the Elimination Chamber

Can Finn Balor afford another lose in his hunt for the Universal Title?.

Finn Balor might be the WWE Universe's favorite to win the Elimination Chamber match and go on to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34, but that doesn't mean he's the company's choice to do so. In fact, it is far more likely that even if Balor enters the match, it isn't going to save fans from the fate of having to see Roman Reigns main event WrestleMania again.

With that being said, and given the violent reaction that WWE received when John Cena defeated Balor to earn his spot in the Elimination Chamber match, the company might want to watch what they are doing here. With WWE so fixated on Reigns, it doesn't look like Finn will come out on top at the Elimination Chamber, and might give him a chance to move on.

Pro: High profile opponent for WrestleMania 34

Could Finn Balor vs John Cena be in the cards for WrestleMania 34?

Although winning the match is the primary goal for Balor, especially if he hopes to get back into the title picture, a loss might set up a chance for him to take on some high profile opponents at WrestleMania. In fact, Balor could do anything from fight for The Miz's Intercontinental title, to earn a marquee match with John Cena.

Again, that's probably not what fans are looking for in terms of Balor's WrestleMania moment, but it is a lot better than him being relegated further and further down the card. In the end, at least a match against John Cena, The Miz or even Braun Strowman would help raise his stock a bit for a Universal Title shot down the line.

Con: Chance of Injury

Will a lose at the Elimination Chamber hurt Balor's momentum?

Finn Balor already seemed to be favoring his right shoulder after his match against The Revival on Monday Night Raw, and while seeing him have another chance at making the Chamber match is great, it also puts the injury prone star in a lot of danger. In fact, Elimination Chamber matches are some of the most brutal in WWE, and can lead to injury.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, and this could just be a nitpick in the whole thing, but it will be very interesting to see how Balor responds to some of the bumps he may end up taking inside the Elimination Chamber. Not only that, it will also be interesting to see how his shoulder holds up in the contest as well.

Balor was previously plagued with a ankle injury back in NXT, and then suffered a torn labrum only months after appearing on the main roster. Like it or not, both of these things point to Balor being a little injury prone, and puts serious doubt that WWE will want to give the young superstar a big push in the future.

With that being said, the Elimination Chamber match is getting closer with every passing day; this is Balor's chance to prove he can go into a high profile match and not get injured in the process. Not only that, this is also Balor's chance to find a suitable opponent for WrestleMania 34, which could end up being any of the other competitors inside the chamber.

Conclusion

Could Roman Reigns stand in Balor's way of WrestleMania 34 glory?

WWE needs to be very careful with what they choose to do with Finn Balor next week on Monday Night Raw. While a victory in the last chance fatal-four-way match will ultimately secure his spot as the underdog of the Elimination Chamber match and give him a great deal of momentum heading into the bout, it also could set the stage for failed expectations.

Yes, Balor is a definite star in the WWE and should probably have been in the Chamber match to start with, but WWE obviously didn't see it that way. Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, that means that they probably don't have any plans for him to win the Elimination Chamber match either

On the other hand, adding Balor into the Elimination Chamber match does open up the possibility of him going on to face a huge star at WrestleMania 34. It could be against The Miz for the Intercontinental Title, or it could be a match with John Cena to pass the torch, but at least it's something big for the former NXT star!