Daily DDT
Fansided

Finn Balor Stuck in Pointless WWE Feud vs. Baron Corbin

By Tom Clark

facebooktwitterreddit

Finn Balor was believed by many fans to be the next breakout star on Monday Night Raw. The WWE Superstar spent an entire career outside of the company proving himself night after night long before he ever stepped into NXT. It seemed he was on his way in WWE as he has been a featured performer over the past year.

But when it comes to the fans’ perspective, success in WWE lies not only in wins and losses, but placement on the card. Balor is a main event level talent and is capable of working a five-star match with anyone on the roster but he’s not realizing his full potential. That has become clearer than ever thanks to his upcoming bout at Extreme Rules.

Balor will face off against Baron Corbin in a match that seems to serve no purpose. There’s no championships on the line. The winner does not get an opportunity at the Intercontinental or Universal title. Balor versus Corbin is not the result of a month long rivalry that spans the globe and needs a resolution. Balor versus Corbin is a Monday Night Raw match. Pure and simple.

One bout typically does not mean the end for anyone, especially Finn Balor. Balor delivers despite whether he’s in the first or last match. WWE depends on him to step up and he always does. So one match on one night probably does not mean much in the long term.

But the short term is what matters the most right now. Pro wrestling is a “what have you done for me lately” type of business. Experience and ability may get a guy to the dance but they won’t keep him there. It’s up to the company to get the booking right and that has become an issue for Finn Balor.

The fact is that Balor is a big fish in an even bigger pond on Monday Night Raw. On any other program in any other company, Balor is the world champion or at least one of the top two guys. But on WWE’s flagship program, Finn Balor is just one of the boys.

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre and the returning Dean Ambrose, are all on the red brand. Each man is capable of carrying the program as Universal champion. Balor does not seem to be in the championship conversation and as a result, he appears to be going nowhere.

That is clear from his upcoming match with Corbin. Baron Corbin is not exactly a main event player these days as he has set up residence in Raw’s corporate power structure. Corbin is now Constable Corbin, an authority figure whose sole job seems to be criticizing Kurt Angle’s every move.

Angle is the Raw General Manager of course but it’s a job title that carries no real power. Oddly enough, it also seems to carry no real power in storyline terms either. Angle receives threats of  termination on numerous occasions by Stephanie McMahon, whose sole job seems to be annoying everyone within the sound of her voice.

Stephanie is out to get Angle and does everything she can to rattle him. Now that responsibility falls to Corbin, who relishes the idea of tormenting Raw’s Olympic Gold Medalist GM. While Baron is giving everything he has to the role, it’s unclear where it’s all leading. Baron Corbin seems to just be along for the ride.

Facing Corbin right now is pointless because it’s not a high profile bout. It’s also pointless because beating him doesn’t do much in the way of giving anyone a rub. This includes Finn Balor, who is in this spot because WWE apparently doesn’t have anything else for him to do. However both men are doing everything imaginable to get the feud over. So should fans just let this go?

https://twitter.com/FinnBalor/status/1015048360796016641

More from WWE

Maybe part of the problem is fan expectation, which has always been extremely high for Finn. He’s a fresh alternative to the stereotypical WWE top guy and that has always been intriguing. Balor also has the mystique of The Bullet Club about him, which he takes everywhere he goes. Then there’s The Demon living in his shadow and that persona takes him to a whole new level.

Finn Balor is one of the best hands in WWE but he’s also one of the most entertaining. Balor just gets it and he always has. He knows that to truly succeed in the industry, he must be a versatile performer willing to accept new ideas. Balor excels because of his willingness to put himself out there and because he takes the business seriously. Fans see that and respect him for it.

Of course the WWE faithful want more for him. Seeing Finn Balor resume his run at the top to become Universal champion once again would surely be a very satisfying outcome. Brock Lesnar has faced every type of Superstar and he’s beaten them all but he’s never seen anyone like Balor or The Demon King. Why not give Finn another shot at main event glory?

But that’s where Raw’s talent pool comes into play. Finn is in the mix but does WWE consider him to be on that level? It could very well be that Balor is meant to reign at the mid-card and fans should get used to that idea.

Next: WWE Raw Power Rankings July 2, 2018

When it comes to facing Baron Corbin, it is indeed just one match. However if the feud escalates and continues past Extreme Rules, then there may be cause for concern. But at the very least, Balor will be in a program in which he can shine and maybe that will lead to something more just over the horizon. Fans want that for him. But whether or not WWE wants that for him is another matter.

Home/WWE