WWE Extreme Rules 2017: Who Needs Main Event Win the Most?

Courtesy of WWE.com

4. Finn Bálor

An important distinction needs to be made here: There’s a difference between needing a win in this match and who the WWE will likely book to win.

Leading up to Extreme Rules, it’s easy to say that the WWE could be planning for one of two things: A Bálor win or a swerve.

Up to this point, Bálor did cut a promo will Paul Heyman in which Heyman indicated he thought Bálor was a strong potential opponent for Lesnar.

However, the very next week, Bálor hit his finishing move on Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe simply tossed Bálor off to the side like a rag doll and ‘stole’ the victory from him.

Bálor cannot be booked to win this match, but he’s over with the house whenever he comes out with his Fonz leather jacket, so the WWE might grant their wish and put Bálor in a match with a guy 15 times his size.

If Bálor does not win, it creates quite a unique opportunity for WWE: They’ve done nothing with the demon character and a loss here could ‘unleash’ it due to Bálor’s pent up rage.

Remember, he had to give up the belt due to a devastating shoulder injury, he never got a rematch, he was booked against jobbers when he came back, he got attacked in the No. 1 contender match for the Intercontinental Championship, and now, he loses at Extreme Rules and could say he shouldn’t have ever even needed to be in the match because he never lost the belt and was never given a rematch.

That’s where I’d go with Bálor, but WWE will do their best to maintain their viewership that set a record low on the ‘go home’ show before this event.

To sum it up: Bálor doesn’t need this win because there are other angles the WWE can go with him, or on the flip side, they’ll always have him at the forefront because the live crowd marks out every time they see him.