WWE Money in the Bank 2018: Making the case for Finn Balor
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Former Universal Champion Finn Balor has fallen into the endless pit known as the WWE midcard. Could winning the MitB briefcase pull him out?
SummerSlam 2016 must feel like a different lifetime for Finn Balor. Since pinning Seth Rollins to become the first ever WWE Universal Champion, the former New Japan Pro Wrestling standout missed seven months due to injury, entered a terrible feud with Bray Wyatt and served as cannon fodder for Kane before floating along in the midcard. That’s a fairly significant fall from grace for a guy the company once pegged as one of its top stars.
For all the missteps WWE has taken since Balor has returned from injury, a victory in the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match could give him the reset he needs. If done right, a win could propel Balor out of the midcard muck and into the main event picture, where many fans feel he belongs.
How a win could elevate Balor
While the RAW roster seems flush with babyface talent, the mishandling of several of those acts has created a chance for Balor to reach the top of the card.
Roman Reigns still gets booed by the majority of crowds, though that won’t stop Vince McMahon from pushing him as the top protagonist. Bobby Lashley has absolutely no momentum after McMahon and the creative team put him and Sami Zayn in segments that constantly crossed the lines of good taste. Outside of Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins, the list of headline fan favorites is pretty thin.
WWE will still give the likes of Reigns and Lashley multiple chances to get over as top drawing babyfaces. However, the company’s continued struggles to get both men cheered on a regular basis have opened up chances for Balor to move up in the face hierarchy.
Balor winning Money in the Bank would show fans that the company has him somewhere at the forefront of its future plans. If booked correctly–which is always a big if in WWE–a MitB win could restore his main event aura.
The booking matters
Of course, simply winning the coveted world title match contract isn’t enough to raise Balor’s stock. The creative behind him must improve as well.
I’ve previously written about WWE’s tendency to give Money in the Bank winners lackluster storylines and pushes and how that needs to change for the briefcase to remain viable within their canon. Balor could become part of that change.
If Balor wins the briefcase, that could open up some interesting cash-in options. He could cash in as his normal self or as “The Demon”. He could use the briefcase to get a guaranteed title shot at WrestleMania. Frankly, anything would be an improvement over the “MitB winner cashes in on a vulnerable challenger” trope that WWE has run into the ground. McMahon and company would also have to maintain Balor’s momentum with a healthy dose of quality wins. They can’t have him lose all the time and hope that a cheap title win will make it all better.
There are also plenty of storyline options for Balor post-cash-in, whether he wins or loses. Winning the Univeral Title would obviously cement Balor as a top guy, but losing creates lots of narrative branches as well.
If, for example, Balor challenges Brock Lesnar to a title match and turns in a memorable performance before losing, the writer could use that to spark a story where Balor uses that effort as motivation to eventually get over the hump and win the title. In that same vein, WWE could use those same story elements as a catalyst to turn Balor heel due to the frustration of coming up short. No matter which route WWE takes, Balor winning Money in the Bank could revitalize him and the concept.
Why not Finn?
The men’s Money in the Bank ladder match is pretty much an open field this year. There are some interesting choices–The New Day immediately come to mind–but nobody stands out as the clear favorite to win the contract.
Strowman doesn’t need the briefcase. Neither does Kevin Owens, especially if McMahon moves the Universal title onto a babyface in the near future. Same goes for Samoa Joe. Miz feels like a retread option, although he would be a good choice too. The company still doesn’t seem interested in pushing Rusev. Bobby Roode is nothing more than a catchphrase at this point. Balor winning makes as much sense as the other guys, so why not him?
Next: Money in the Bank Staff Predictions
With the proper booking, Balor as Mr. Money in the Bank would give him a chance to be the guy WWE thought he could be back in 2016. It’s better than leaving him to flounder in midcard purgatory for another year.