WWE: Does Ric Flair Make Valid Points About Finn Balor?

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair made comments that said he didn’t believe Balor was a believable main eventer. We explore his comments and put them into context.

With the amount of time invested into the new era, WWE appears to be listening more to what their fanbase is saying, and giving younger and different talent an opportunity to shine. However, with change, in wrestling and pretty much everything else, there will be some apprehension. Such apprehension was recently expressed by one of the most notable names in wrestling history. When ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair speaks, it is nearly impossible for fans not to listen. However, his recent comments have received their share of backlash, specifically what he said recently about a recent NXT icon on his podcast.

Everyone keeps asking how I'm gonna deal with Balor....did you folks forget what happens when #TheMan comes around? https://t.co/jhDBOZFL6e
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) August 7, 2016

The former sixteen-time World Heavyweight champion has seen a lot during his time, so rather than dismissing his views as that of an out of touch old-timer that has no idea what he is talking about, maybe we should give it some credence and hear him out. While pleased with Dolph Ziggler becoming the number one contender for the WWE Championship, he wasn’t pleased with the choice to have Finn Balor contest for the new WWE Universal Championship. Flair felt that Reigns would have been better suited for that role, and should have been the one to defeat Balor and challenge Seth Rollins for the title.

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While many have criticized Flair for his comments, maybe we should explore the comparison he made and how his point is actually quite valid. Flair compared Balor to Tommy Billington, ‘The Dynamite Kid’.

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For wrestling fans that aren’t aware of Billington’s work, he wrestled a stiff and high-flying style both as a singles wrestler, and as one-half of The British Bulldogs tag team. Balor’s style is similar. What fans didn’t realize about Billington was that for all of his in-ring strengths, he wasn’t a draw as a singles wrestler in the United States. At the time when Billington competed, athletes over six feet were being pushed as main eventers. Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant and King Kong Bundy were the focal point of the main event picture at the time. Today, even though the likes of Daniel Bryan has endeared themselves to fans, Flair is talking about the believability and sustainability of Balor in that spot.

The Demon King character certainly stands out, but is it enough to keep fans captivated without having facets of that persona becoming too repetitive? There is no question when Balor first debuted the Demon during an NXT Takeover event it made people stand up and take notice. Much like Billington, Balor’s ability to convey his message in promos isn’t as clear and coherent; as a face and with a thick Irish accent it can be harder to draw fans in because he has to be twice as emphatic when he’s trying to make a point. To Flair‘s point, Ziggler is much more on point with his promos because of how they are conveyed to the audience and how clearly they come across.

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Flair was never one of the bigger wrestlers to step into the ring, but he was still over six feet tall and his conditioning was remarkable, as he competed in matches that sometimes went over an hour in length.

There shouldn’t be any confusion though about what Flair is saying, and he does see how talented Balor is and how entertaining he is in the ring. As someone who has seen it all and done it all, Flair is speaking from a business standpoint. In his mind, it isn’t just about what someone is able to do in the ring, it is about sustainability and their ability to draw money. Wrestling is a business, so if there are nuances of a person’s character that don’t appear as convincing or less marketable they will be scrutinized. Some may argue that his support for Reigns over Balor shows that he has lost touch. However, it isn’t cheers or jeers that define a wrestlers’ popularity in the eyes of management, it’s merchandise, attendance, and sustainability.

Flair also goes on to say that he may be wrong, and he also can’t see a Cruiserweight main eventing a Wrestlemania, but he may have only been focused Balor rather than ignoring former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. He also states that he has a preference for Reigns, and as fans we all do. So rather than giving him flack, maybe understand he appears to be weaving in not only his preference, but the bigger picture as it applies to Balor.

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