Heading into 2018, Finn Balor is one of the hottest commodities under the WWE umbrella. Unfortunately, his recent bookings may have dampened his relationship with the crowd.
Finn Balor is one of the most enigmatic superstars to grace a WWE ring in some time. From his humble beginnings in Ireland to the main stage of Monday Night Raw, Balor has made good on his dream. In recent weeks it’s being reported by some that Balor may not carry the favor of the company. It’s hard to argue against this, as his booking since his return has been varied. But Finn is also the same man that won the Universal Championship in his first major event.
When the reports first started to hit the news wire I was taken by surprise. Yes, in recent memory his booking hasn’t been the most exciting, but he was still getting wins. But this is also the same company where it seems if you’re not named Roman Reigns, you aren’t considered over. Balor has been huge with the crowd everywhere he has worked. If you look at his career, it didn’t matter which company on which continent he was working for, the fans fell in love with Finn. The WWE has not been immune to that.
So when I think about the office not believing Balor is over with the crowd I look right back to them. Is it because fans weren’t clamoring for more Balor/Wyatt matches? Well, you can look right in the mirror for that one. Make the story more intriguing and also not completely one-sided and the fans will want more. I also have an inkling this recent feeling may still be related to SummerSlam 2016.
I AM NOT OVER
— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) November 23, 2017
Cooking the turkey#HappyThanksgiving pic.twitter.com/lrajiyLIeg
Finn made his long-awaited debut on the main roster and quickly found himself in a Universal Title match at SummerSlam. In the match, he would get injured in a freak spot where his shoulder hit the barricade the wrong way. The injury would cause Balor to miss the better part of a year. So the sour feelings could stem from giving Balor the keys to the castle and him getting injured his first night with the title. But that didn’t ruin his image with the fans in any way shape or form.
What does it mean to be ‘over’?
More from Daily DDT
- It’s time for Adam Cole and MJF to drop the ROH tag team titles
- Tom Lawlor talks MLW return, AEW opportunity, CM Punk’s WWE return and more
- Eddie Kingston stands to gain the most from the AEW Continental Classic
- Trish Stratus on WWE NXT would help elevate that women’s division
- Randy Orton signs with SmackDown to go after The Bloodline
When Balor made his return from the injury he was met with an amazing reaction from the fans. Each and every week you can watch RAW and see fans with Balor Club shirts all around the arena. Kids are always seen either wearing the Demon King merchandise and there are always some with their own face paint as well. So with great merchandise numbers, huge fan reactions, constant twitter fan art, and interactions, how is Balor NOT over?
That is literally the definition of being over with the fans. They’re buying his merch, constantly starting social media campaigns to get him into better feuds, and they building explodes when he makes his entrance. If you need to see any physical evidence of Balor’s influence with the fans, what his entrance, people are with him every step of the way. Balor is great at teasing the fans with his social media accounts. He’s a smart guy and he knows how to work the fans in the right way.
https://twitter.com/FinnBalor/status/934943775058690049
Balor is not in any danger of going anywhere anytime soon. Sure he may be frustrated, which lately it seems many people are in WWE. But all it takes is one great story to sink your teeth into and that all goes away. His matches week in and week out are some of the most fun to watch on WWE programming. His recent reignite feud with Samoa Joe looks to propel both men back to the main event picture. If Finn Balor knows anything about the wrestling business, it’s how to get the crowd behind him.
Next: WWE 5 Biggest Storylines of the Week
When watching the WWE programming each week, it’s clear the fans still love Balor. So it doesn’t seem to be a matter of being over with the fans but more so the office. If I had to guess, I’d say getting injured in the Universal Championship match gave the higher-ups a bit of a sour taste. But with his charm, charisma and insane ring ability, the fans will always be behind Finn Balor. As 2018 approaches, the Demon King will be sure to make major waves in the Royal Rumble and reclaim his throne.