3 potential directions for Finn Bálor following his US Title loss
Despite his best effort, Finn Bálor's recent United States title reign came to a halt at the hands of Vince McMahon’s new protégée, Theory. Moreover, the former United States Champion has once again become the focal point of the same polarizing argument fans have utilized since his main roster debut.
While some perceive Bálor as an ideal wrestler best suited for putting over the younger stars of the future, others feel the booking of this 40-year-old vet has been nothing short of abysmal.
With his most recent championship reign behind him, what does the future hold for Finn Bálor? Here are 3 possibilities.
#3. Finn Bálor eventually joins forces with Edge and Damian Priest
"Broken, hopeless, the state of all our fates. Revolted, woken, lead us from this place." ⚖️
@EdgeRatedR
#TheSignalFire @kseofficial https://t.co/8w6bTT52sn
It might not happen this week. This might be a stretch, but an Edge/Priest/Bálor alliance isn't too random a possibility in the near future, right?
Edge mentioned that he and Damian Priest haven't lived up to their true capabilities and that they hadn't used what destiny gave them during his promo on the April 18 edition of Monday Night Raw.
The Rated-R Superstar stated that despite being associated with Bad Bunny at last year's WrestleMania, Preist played a supporting role whilst Bunny raked in the glory. Edge then pointed out that he practically had to beg someone to face him at WrestleMania this year despite being a WWE Hall of Famer.
When looking back at Bálor in 2016 as opposed to now, being an afterthought could possibly be all the motivation he needs.
#2. Finn Bálor continues to aide in the process of Theory's rise in WWE
Falling down is how we grow.
Staying down is how we die.
STAND UP https://t.co/CsV4XPfvbg
The feud between Finn Bálor and Theory may be yet to reach its conclusion.
It's not uncommon for the former title holder to be the current champ's first challenger despite not having a guaranteed rematch clause. Also, Bálor and Theory's title match wasn't their first encounter; the two have been at odds since this year's WrestleMania.
If Bálor dropping the United States title wasn't the end, you can expect a possible rematch between the two at WrestleMania Backlash.
Despite both men being among Raw's brightest stars, it's no secret that Theory is much younger than Finn and naturally has more in the tank. His association with Vince McMahon also makes it plain that WWE intends on making him one of its biggest stars.
WWE might see this as the perfect opportunity to book the young upstart in the strongest way possible, utilizing Balor's star power to boost him further into the stratosphere.
#1. Finn Bálor ascends to the top of the WWE mountain once more
HISTORY IS MADE as #DemonKing @FinnBalor celebrates the @WWE #UniversalTitle! #SummerSlam https://t.co/KlcCNbZkPi
The inaugural WWE Universal Champion may no longer be considered a spring chicken, but this doesn't mean he's past his prime. This brings us back to that oh-so-polarizing argument at the beginning of this article.
WWE may see Bálor only as the guy who can successfully put over younger talent at this point. But if it boils down to age, statistics show that it's not too late for Finn to become world champion yet again.
Very few superstars have been able to capture world titles at the start of their careers. This sort of thing typically comes after they've gained several years of experience and maturity.
At 40 years old, and given that he's still immensely over with fans, Balor has the potential to reach the top of the mountain once more.