NXT: Finn Balor cut one of the best promos of his WWE career

Finn Balor’s transition to NXT continued to be one of the most entertaining angles in WWE today after “The Demon King” cut one of his best promos in years.

For anyone still concerned about Finn Balor’s move from the main roster to NXT in WWE, this segment is for you:

Now that’s how you cut a freaking promo people.

Straight from the opening line, Finn Balor showed more swagger and confidence than he’s practically ever been allowed to display in WWE:

"“Two months ago, I’m laying down for what’s suppose to be the hottest new thing in the business just because he put on a new mask. Well I just took my mask off, and now I’m the hottest thing in the business.”"

That’s some CM Punk “pipe bomb” level material, and it just kept rolling from there.

From talking about “Twitter tough guys” to “too many fans in the locker room”, Balor gave fans exactly the right amount of reality era shots to really push through that this isn’t the same smiling, almost happy-go-lucky Finn we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

No, this is much closer to the Finn Balor from New Japan, the version of “The Demon King” that we haven’t gotten to see in WWE until that spotlight-lit promo on NXT.

Perhaps by design, it was also a much-needed departure from the typical rant accusing fans of turning their backs on someone that we’ve become accustomed to WWE heels using as justification in recent years.

A self-confident Balor who blurs the lines between heel and face could be perfect for not just NXT, but the main roster as well. It’s a dynamic that’s arguably missing from both rosters at the moment, with the possible exception of Tommaso Ciampa, meaning Balor could easily settle into a huge role if he’s handled appropriately by creative.

Speaking of creative, now that we know WWE is willing to tap into this version of Balor officially, the question of where we go from here becomes more urgent.

Obviously, there’s a looming match with Johnny Gargano on the horizon, but the reasoning for that bout isn’t exactly clear yet.

Balor certainly built up some hype with his proclamations that he would send Gargano back to the hospital if they ever crossed paths again, but as great as that promo was, it didn’t really give a solid motive for why he singled out the former NXT Champion.

The only potential sticking point mentioned was Gargano taking up the mantle of “the heart and soul of NXT”, something which Balor may obviously take umbrage with considering his history on the black and yellow brand.

Nevertheless, if this feud is going to be over Gargano proverbially taking that title away from Balor, then WWE is going to have to be carefully with how they book the winner of their inevitable match.

It’s clear after that promo that Balor needs to pick up the win when those two face off to solidify his new attitude change, but I would imagine creative would be reluctant to strip Gargano of his status as the de facto face of NXT, even if it’s only in a symbolic sort of way.

Similarly, you would have to imagine that Gargano is in line for a big win soon, given that he’s fallen short in high-profile matches at the last two TakeOver events.

There’s going to be a delicate balancing act to manage then when Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano eventually square off in the ring, but it’s one that I certainly can’t wait to see play out, especially after it looks like WWE is going all in on Balor’s character change.