WWE NXT: 3 reasons why Finn Balor needs to beat Adam Cole

Finn Balor and Adam Cole will go head-to-head next Tuesday for the WWE NXT Championship. Here’s why Finn must win.

This past week, WWE NXT aired on a special Tuesday edition of the show with a 60-minute Ironman match fought among Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole for the prestigious NXT Championship.

Each wrestler took one fall, including Gargano when he stole Ciampa’s fall, and it looked like Balor had the match won with a Coup de Grace for a second fall. But right as the clock started to wind down, Cole hit Balor with the Last Shot from nowhere to get a tying second pin as the clock literally hit zero.

So William Regal came out and cleared the confusion by announcing a singles match between Balor and Cole for the following Tuesday edition of WWE NXT.

Here are three reasons why Finn Balor needs to beat Adam Cole next Tuesday and win the NXT Title for the second time in his career.

1. Finn Balor needs to be the face of the brand

There’s no doubt that Finn Balor is the biggest name on WWE NXT right now. He was a star in NJPW, creating one of the most popular factions in modern wrestling history in the Bullet Club. And then he helped put NXT on the map and was once their longest-reigning men’s champion. Finally, he was the first-ever Universal Champion on Raw, winning two Intercontinental Titles as a workhorse upper mid-card wrestler on the main roster.

Balor moved back to NXT last Fall when the USA Network picked up the Black and Gold brand on Wednesday nights. Thus far, Balor has been used to help make everyone else look incredible, but it’s about time the biggest name on Wednesday nights, especially with Keith Lee on Raw now, gets his time with the title.

It just fits. There’s nobody who would elevate that championship more right now than Balor. He is the star of the show, and he is the right man to carry that title through the end of 2020.

2. Adam Cole needs to move on from the WWE NXT Title

Adam Cole is, without a doubt, the greatest NXT Champion in history. His reign lasted 403 days – more than 100 days longer than Finn Balor’s previous record-breaking reign.

The leader of the Undisputed Era, Cole has wrestled some of the most acclaimed matches in NXT over the last few years. He and his friends have absolutely fulfilled the self-proclaimed prophecy they foretold when they attacked Drew McIntyre in 2017. Whether it’s Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, or Keith Lee, Cole has produced excellence against anyone and everyone.

But it’s time for him to take a break from the NXT Title after holding the belt for 400 days. He’s already undergone a babyface character change after feuding with Pat McAfee at TakeOver: 30, and it may even be time for him to head to Raw or SmackDown. The NXT Title is not in his future.

3. The roster will benefit the most from Finn Balor as champion

WWE NXT could write different feuds for Adam Cole and a different story with him as a babyface champion, especially if there’s an Undisputed Era fallout from all of this. But I don’t think that’s the best idea, nor do I think it has lasting power.

Finn Balor has feuded with prominent members of the NXT roster, such as Gargano, but his second title reign with the brand would definitely feel fresh.

There are still a lot of wrestlers Balor hasn’t put over yet on the Black and Gold brand. Guys like Bronson Reed could benefit a lot from a good title program with Balor, for example. Even a one-off match would help a lot of wrestlers in NXT, because working with a guy who has succeeded on Raw and SmackDown is a big deal.

When Karrion Kross returns, a babyface Balor vs. heel Kross feud could be great and transition Balor into another aspect of his character. A Kross vs. Balor feud is more appealing than a Cole vs. Kross feud.