WWE SummerSlam 2019: Should Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor happen?

Two years ago, Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt battled it out at SummerSlam, and it seems like they could have another match at WWE SummerSlam 2019.

It has been a rough week for Finn Balor in the world of WWE. After losing to Shinsuke Nakamura on the SmackDown go-home show before Extreme Rules, Finn lost the Intercontinental Championship to The King of Strong Style on the pre-show. One night later on Raw, Balor lost in mere seconds to an irate Samoa Joe.

And then after the match, the lights went out on Balor. Bray Wyatt appeared as “Fiend” to attack Balor, potentially setting the stage for a rivalry between them in the build to WWE SummerSlam 2019. Even Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio, via WrestlingInc.com’s Raj Giri,  that Balor vs. Wyatt is the plan for SummerSlam this year.

There are fears that Balor could lose as “The Demon” at The Biggest Party of the Summer, ending his undefeated run as one of WWE’s most popular characters. For three straight years, The Demon has been a key part of SummerSlam. Balor became the first Universal Champions as The Demon in 2016, defeated Wyatt in 2017, and then squashed Baron Corbin as his alter ego in 2018.

It seems unbelievable for Balor to ever lose as The Demon, but could The Fiend somehow be more powerful? And if Balor doesn’t show up as The Demon and loses, then that could set up a future win for The Demon over The Fiend, who should be even more dangerous by the time Balor returns from his reported time off.

A repeat of a Balor vs. Wyatt match from SummerSlam two years ago may not be as boring as it sounds on paper, as long as it has done correctly. Wyatt has changed a lot since being directionless after his WWE Championship loss at WrestleMania 33, as the character that emerged from Firefly Fun House is honestly one of WWE’s best and most engaging. That could help push something extra out of Balor in the segments leading up to SummerSlam, and it could lead to a reflective Balor returning as a more interesting, sinister version of himself in a few months, too.

There’s actually hidden upside to another match between these two. And remember, the SummerSlam 2017 match wasn’t supposed to be the last match between Wyatt and Balor in the feud. As awful as that rivalry was, it was actually supposed to conclude at TLC with a pumpkin-looking “Demon” Balor facing Sister Abigail Wyatt. Except Wyatt got sick, and we instead received a much better match between non-pumpkin Demon Balor and AJ Styles.

I guess “pumpkin” Balor was supposed to symbolize and even more twisted version of the performer, so if it’s done in a less tacky way, that could be a great long-term way of making Balor an even more interesting character. Balor is a solid performer, but he’s missing that little bit extra that would make him one of WWE’s very best, which is where his potential lies.

It’s unlikely a feud with Wyatt would be that final piece of the puzzle that causes WWE’s creative team to build a truly great character for the talented Balor, but there’s a chance. And if this is the best they can do with Balor before he takes some time off, then I’m willing to keep an open mind and let them surprise me. Wyatt is on fire right now and isn’t the dry character he was two years ago, so I’d be a fan of a little bit of a redemption story with a renewed Wyatt/Balor program.