Analyzing Finn Balor's second coming at NXT
When one of the greatest NXT Champions of all time, Finn Balor, made his return to NXT in October 2019, it seemed like a welcome move by WWE.
The Extraordinary Man Who Does Extraordinary Things was struggling on RAW, as he seemed trapped in his smiling babyface character. Hence, those high hopes were encouraged when Balor turned heel and showed shades of his times in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he was one of the best heel characters in the industry.
The Prince was back.
More than eight months into his return, Balor is yet to win a title in NXT, despite being given opportunities at both the NXT and NXT North American Championships. Considering this, one might wonder whether this second coming of Finn Balor to NXT has been a success or not.
Finn Balor has been more successful than you think
However, while analyzing this, one has to understand that there are two aspects attached to it. First, through this stint, Balor is attempting to revitalize his WWE career. Second, as a veteran, he also holds the responsibility to push younger talent and give them credibility in the eyes of the fans.
So far, Finn Balor has been involved in feuds with superstars of varying degrees of experience and popularity in NXT.
On the one hand, he has emerged victorious against Johnny Gargano and Matt Riddle, both of whom are ihighly credible names in the roster (Riddle has even moved on to SmackDown, and defeated Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles in his first match). His opportunity to claim NXT Championship from Adam Cole was squandered by interference from Johnny Gargano. On the June 24 episode of NXT, Keith Lee pinned Balor to defend his NXT North American Championship in a hard-fought Triple Threat Match.
Hence, even in losses, Balor has been portrayed powerfully and as a credible opponent who took the champions to the limit.
In terms of character work, Balor is showing traits of an anti-hero rather than a full-blown heel. This intricate portrayal has made him one of the most unpredictable characters on NXT.
Recently, Finn Balor has also been involved in feuds with newcomers such as Damien Priest and Cameron Grimes, with both of these superstars coming out stronger than they came in.
While Priest lost a hard-fought match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Grimes received a massive push when he managed to pin Balor. Notably, Balor continued to be portrayed strongly in his loss to Grimes as the match was affected by interference from Damien Priest.
Thus, as a veteran in a roster filled with upcoming talent, Balor has played his role perfectly well, wherein he has provided the needed helping hand to elevate these younger superstars.
The global pandemic crisis has also played a major role in determining the trajectory of Finn Balor's NXT career. NXT UK TakeOver: Dublin was set to take place on April 26. Finn Balor was slated to face the current NXT UK Champion WALTER in a dream match.
That pay-per-view has been shifted to October. Nevertheless, it remains a highly anticipated feud. Once the global pandemic crisis subsides, WWE will want to pick up from where they left off. This particular feud holds the potential to elevate the credibility of Finn Balor, WALTER, and - more importantly - the NXT UK brand as a whole.
In conclusion, Finn Balor's second coming to NXT so far can be deemed as a success. Not only has he been giving quality matches consistently, but he has also ensured that younger talent receives a platform to shine through him. The only thing that he needs to substantiate this further is a championship run, which may come sooner rather than later.