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Finn Balor is still on the shelf due to injury. But if he’s well enough to return this month, he should win the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble.
Check your calendars folks. It’s about that time. Finn Balor was injured at SummerSlam a little over four months ago. The torn labrum he suffered against Seth Rollins came with an initial timetable of four to six months. But according to an interview Balor did on the Ross Report in October, his injury was more complicated and his time on the shelf could be closer to that six-month mark rather than four. Regardless, as we approach five months since he got injured, fans are going to start speculating about his return. After all, it’s not uncommon for WWE superstars to heal faster than the average person. Just ask John Cena.
But what reason would there possibly be for Balor to return right now? It’s not like the Royal Rumble is coming up or anything.
Oh, right.
Balor may be the most frequently fantasy-booked winner of this year’s Royal Rumble. Fans are clamoring for his return after his white-hot debut and subsequent devastating injury. Balor looks set to be a big part of the future of WWE, and that could get back on track on January 29.
Here are five reasons why Finn Balor, if healthy, should win the 2017 Royal Rumble.
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5. He Can Go After The Title He Never Lost
The legend of Finn Balor is on hold right now. But as it stands, he is one of the most dominant superstars in WWE history. Nobody has ever made more of an immediate impact than Balor did after he made his long-awaited debut on Raw. He showed up, defeated Cesaro, Rusev, and Kevin Owens in a fatal-4-way, then defeated Roman Reigns later in the night for the right to challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Then he beat Seth Rollins clean as a whistle, capping off an incredibly dominant initial run for the former NXT Champion.
But then he was forced to relinquish his title due to injury. The man who came up from NXT and ran through all of Raw’s top talent had to vacate his title due to a torn labrum. What does that mean? It means Balor has yet to be defeated on the main roster and that he never rightfully lost his championship. When he’s finally healthy enough to compete, Balor should be given the chance to regain the Universal title. One way to give him that chance is through the Royal Rumble.
The story of Balor trying to reclaim what is rightfully his would be fantastic heading into WrestleMania. Coming back somewhat early from injury and winning the Royal Rumble just to get back to the top of the mountain, a place from which he was wrongfully knocked off, would be an ideal way for him to return.
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4. His Monumental Push Can Continue
WWE is obviously all-in on Balor. He was kept in NXT for much longer than anyone anticipated just so he could anchor the brand. Then when he was brought up the main roster, he beat all of Raw’s top talent in the matter of a month. And not only was he dominating everyone he competed against, the fans were into it. This wasn’t a Roman Reigns situation where the fans hated having one superstar shoved down their throats. They were behind Balor wholeheartedly. So when Balor returns, there’s no reason his push shouldn’t continue.
Balor has already accomplished so much as mentioned before. Clean victories over Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins as well as a world title victory highlighted his ridiculous first month on the main roster. Now imagine if the first thing he did after returning was win the Royal Rumble and earn the right to main event WrestleMania? Talk about committing to one guy for the future.
But this is a push that fans want to see. By giving Balor the Rumble victory, it would confirm that his push isn’t stopping just because of an injury. There is no reason not to put Balor right back on the path he was on prior to his injury, and a Royal Rumble victory would do exactly that.
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3. It Could Be One of the Best Royal Rumble Returns Ever
The Royal Rumble is the place for surprises. In addition to determining the WrestleMania main event, the Rumble is one of the most anticipated PPVs of the year because of the surprises that characterize it year in and year out. Just last year, AJ Styles made his WWE debut by entering third and coming face-to-face with Roman Reigns; a sight no one ever expected to see. There will undoubtedly be some surprises in store this year, so why not have Finn Balor be the biggest of them all?
If Balor is healthy and he doesn’t enter the Royal Rumble, it would be a huge missed opportunity by WWE. Assuming they’re able to keep his return quiet leading up to the Rumble, the reaction he would get from the 60,000 people in the Alamodome would be thunderous. Balor is one of the most popular superstars in WWE right now. So you can pretty much guarantee everyone in that capacity crowd would be in their feet. And that’s just for his entrance.
If Balor actually won the Rumble, it would be one of the best returns of all time. Being on the shelf for months and then showing up and immediately securing a spot in the WrestleMania main event is quite a statement to make. There’s no question fans around the world would be behind a Finn Balor surprise Royal Rumble entrance and victory.
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2. A Feud With Roman Reigns or Kevin Owens Would Be Perfect
Roman Reigns is set to square off with Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. The result of that match will probably shape the road to WrestleMania since the title is unlikely to change hands after that, meaning the winner will be in one of the main events at the Show of Shows. And if Balor wins the Royal Rumble, it doesn’t matter if Reigns or Owens comes out on top. They would both would create a great feud with the Demon King.
With Owens, we’ve seen that story before in NXT. But nobody would complain about it being rehashed on the main roster. They destroyed each other over the title in NXT, especially during their infamous ladder match at TakeOver: Brooklyn. They have chemistry with each other and could undoubtedly produce a classic match at WrestleMania if it came to that.
As for Reigns, he and Balor have history to build off of. Balor defeated Reigns the night of his debut, and following the match he said, “I hope Finn Balor beats Seth Rollins for that WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Because when he does, I want him again.”
Plus, Reigns vs Balor would allow Reigns to work more as a heel which he has been effective with in the past. His match vs Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank saw him basically be a full-fledged heel, and he excelled. With Balor being so popular, him up against Reigns in that role would be electric, especially considering how good they both are in the ring.
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1. The WrestleMania Main Event Would Be Guaranteed to Deliver
Last year’s WrestleMania was, let’s just say, not good. For an event that is supposed to be the biggest spectacle of professional wrestling in the world, last year’s iteration was flat out disappointing. One of the biggest reasons for that was the main event. Roman Reigns vs Triple H was simply not a match fans were into. And when the main event is capable of salvaging an otherwise average PPV, it becomes that much more important. But it disappointed as well, perhaps more than any other match on the card.
That’s why WWE needs to ensure they nail the main event this year. How can they ensure that happens? By having Finn Balor win the Royal Rumble and headline their biggest event of the year.
No matter who Finn Balor faces in the main event of WrestleMania, it will be a great match that would likely have a ton of interest. Why? Because he’s a great wrestler that people are invested in. If he is involved in a title match in the main event of WrestleMania, whether it’s against Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Diego, Hornswoggle, or whoever else, it will be a big fight feel. If WWE wants to make sure their main event doesn’t disappoint this year, putting Finn Balor in it is a surefire way to get that done. And him winning the Royal Rumble is an easy way to put him in the spot.
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