Will Finn Balor ever win another world championship in WWE? The likelihood of The Demon holding the Undisputed Title

WWE

Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown had a mean sting for Finn Balor fans, with the star just missing out on qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Balor faced off against CM Punk and GUNTHER on September 25, with the winner set to join the ladder match lineup ahead of October 10.

In the closing moments of the match, Finn Balor hit GUNTHER with his Coup De Grace, breaking the Ring General’s sleeper hold on CM Punk.

Before Balor could make the cover however, Punk quickly pinned GUNTHER to win the Money in the Bank qualifier.

In the space of like ten seconds, Balor went from looking like he was going to become the eighth person ever to pin GUNTHER in WWE, to watching CM Punk celebrate.

While this result does indicate that there is more story to tell surrounding CM Punk, it has also led many to question WWE’s booking of Finn Balor, and whether he’ll ever reach the top of the mountain again.

Universal Championship reign

Finn Balor’s first world title reign began less than a month following his main roster debut.

On the July 25, 2016 Raw episode, Balor defeated Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Rusev in his Raw in-ring debut, then pinned Roman Reigns later in the night to earn his spot in the match for the inaugural Universal Championship.

“The Demon” went to win the title at SummerSlam, defeating Seth Rollins to make WWE history.

Balor’s title reign lasted just 24 hours, with the star relinquishing the gold on the following night’s episode of Raw.

While many fans were disappointed that they didn’t get to see Finn Balor as a defending world champion, Balor recently noted on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast that he still views his Universal Title win as a success story, because even if it was for a day, he was on the top of the WWE mountain.

Is time running out?

Finn Balor has since challenged for variations of WWE’s world championships numerous times since returning from injury in 2017, with each title loss being more painful than the last for fans of “The Demon”.

From miscommunication between teammates, to the ring literally breaking, it feels like the universe is throwing anything and everything at Balor to keep him from WWE’s shiniest belts.

Even recently, Balor had to contend with Kevin Owens and GUNTHER’s surprise additions to his Undisputed WWE Championship #1 contender’s match at SummerSlam, and having his pins stolen in other qualifying matches.

While Balor’s proximity to the Undisputed WWE Title scene has some fans optimistic, others are concerned that this is the popular star’s swan song with the company.

Also during his appearance on the What’s Your Story podcast, Balor emotionally opened up about his guilt surrounding living so far away from his family in Ireland, and missing out on much of his family members’ lives.

the 45 year old stated that once he reached the top in WWE, he started to question why he’s still doing what he’s doing when it keeps him away from his family, noting that he doesn’t need any more money, success or attention.

Any real fan of Finn Balor just wants the star to be happy, and if he’d find it more fulfilling to hang up his boots and spend more time with his family, that’s what we’d want for him.

However, there are a few reasons why I’m not selling my Finn Balor stocks…

Top contender

Finn Balor has played a key role in both the World Heavyweight Championship and Undisputed WWE Title scenes this year.

The Irish star challenged for CM Punk’s World Heavyweight Title twice at the beginning of the year, first on the January 19 Raw episode, and again at Elimination Chamber.

Balor has secured some big wins in the SmackDown main event scene since his brand switch, notably defeating Damian Priest, Trick Williams and Royce Keys to earn his way into the Undisputed WWE Championship #1 contender’s match at SummerSlam.

Even though Finn Balor ended up coming up short in the eventual surprise-four way, being included in the recent Money in the Bank qualifier shows that WWE has not forgotten about the inaugural Universal Champion.

Also, the finish of that match also gives me a lot of faith that they plan to make Balor look strong in the latter half of the year.

Instead of taking the fall, it was GUNTHER who was staring up at the lights, a star who is pinned or submitted so rarely, that only seven individuals can claim to have decisively defeated him.

Not only did Balor not lose, he very nearly won the match, only coming up short because CM Punk – who Balor saved from the submission hold – was quicker to make the cover.

While the future of the Undisputed WWE Championship is uncertain, following numerous title changes this year, Finn Balor doesn’t look like he’ll be out of contention any time soon. Regardless of what’s next for Balor, fans can be thankful for the Grand Slam winner’s decorated career.

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