5 reasons Finn Balor going to NXT was the right move

When former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor took some time off after SummerSlam to do dumb, selfish things like heal injuries and get married (I mean, the nerve of that guy, right?), the Internet got to indulge in one of their favorite pastimes: the Prediction Game. How will Balor come back? Will he try to regain one of his former titles? Would he seek revenge on The Fiend for... cleanly defeating him in a match? Would he return on the debut of SmackDown on Fox?

Well, it turns out he returned to action in a way that nobody saw coming (well, actually, that's not true) - back to his roots.

No, you doofus, not Japan.

Following Adam Cole's successful NXT championship defense against Matt Riddle on the full debut of NXT on USA, Cole's celebration was cut short by some very loud, very familiar music. Hulk Hogan's "Real American." No, of course not, it was obviously Finn Balor's.

"As of right now," he announced, showing off his new haircut and one of his many, fancy leather jackets, "Finn Balor is NXT!" And it looks like he means it, too.

Whatever the reason for the choice, I think we can all safely agree it was the right one. Oh, you disagree? Well, read on and let me change your mind. Here are five reasons why I'm right and you're wrong!

Um... if you do agree, I hope you'll keep reading anyway.

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#5 The NXT brand needs established stars in order to compete

No offense, Breezango...

There's no question that the product NXT puts on TV every week is the best of all the WWE brands. Probably the best in US pro wrestling even (calm down, AEW fans, they've been on TV for one episode). But, good television doesn't always mean good ratings (*cough*Firefly*cough*), and with NXT on cable TV instead of the WWE Network, ratings are the name of the game.

One sure-fire way to get eyeballs on your show is to feature stars audiences are already familiar with. The NXT faithful are already familiar with great characters like Velveteen Dream, Io Shirai, and Kushida. But, there's still plenty of WWE fans out there that aren't. Yet.

NXT needs to get some familiar faces on the show to attract those casual viewers and have them discover the other talent on their roster. Finn Balor is just the familiar face to do that. Folks will tune in to see the cool, exciting Balor - the guy they've been watching on RAW and SmackDown all this time - if they know he's going to be on NXT.

Breezango are awesome, don't get me wrong, and they're a great fit for the black and yellow brand. However, Balor is a main event level guy NXT needs to bring in if they're looking to be competitive.

Which, you know, I imagine they are. I mean, otherwise, what are they doing?

#4 Balor had arguably his best WWE run while in NXT

Balor at NXT Takeover: London

Finn Balor's original NXT run lasted two years, from 2014 to 2016. During those two years, he had classic matches with Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, and Shinsuke Nakamura; won the NXT championship; and debuted his "Demon" persona, something that was heavily focused on once he went to RAW. It was during this time that he fine-tuned the persona that he took with him to the main roster and became the first-ever Universal Champion.

Then he had to go and get injured.

Now, it's not as if he hasn't had success since returning from surgery. He's won the Intercontinental Championship twice (though you'd be forgiven for not knowing about his latest run with the belt. I even kind of forgot about it until I started writing this thing - and Finn's in my top five favorite wrestlers). He's had some fantastic matches, including one with A.J. Styles and another with Brock Lesnar.

On the other hand, his booking has been back and forth at best - challenging for the Universal championship again at one point, being the first man eliminated in a traditional Survivor Series match the next. His "Demon King" persona had become an afterthought, coming out when people least expect it (like his SummerSlam 2017 match against Baron Corbin) and not when it would make the most sense (like the aforementioned match against Lesnar, or this year's SummerSlam bout against Bray Wyatt's Fiend) - at least in kayfabe.

A return to NXT - an NXT that's now on par with SmackDown and RAW, as opposed to "just" developmental - would give him a chance to be part of programs better suited to him, and maybe give him more creative freedom than he had on the other brands.

#3 A lighter schedule means Finn sticks around longer

Finn's all like "I know, pretty sweet deal, right?"

While NXT now has a live primetime TV slot on a major cable network, there are still a few things about it that make it appear, well, like a "lesser" brand. Don't get me wrong: these are all things that will be worked out in time and don't actually make NXT inferior - it's just a perception thing.

One of those elements is the fact that the show is filmed weekly at Full Sail University. That's no knock on Full Sail. I've been to the campus, it's a great school and an awesome place to watch a wrestling match. But, it's clearly a smaller arena than where RAW and SmackDown take place. One of the benefits of that, though, is that the NXT talent clearly have a lighter travel and work schedule than those on the Red and Blue shows.

Finn Balor is 38 years old. That's not elderly by any means (I'd be one to talk), but also consider both his injury history, ring style, and personal circumstances. He's spent a significant amount of time on the shelf during his WWE career, and while the way he works is exceptionally entertaining, it's also highly risky.

And, then take into account that he's a newlywed, as well. Now, his new bride, Veronica Rodriguez of Fox Sports, obviously knows the kind of life a professional athlete goes through, but it has to be pretty enticing to be able to start, at least, the first few years of a marriage (and maybe a family?) being able to be a pro wrestler and put down roots - even if they are in Florida (I'm kidding, Florida. I love ya.)

Most, most importantly, this will give Finn the lighter schedule to reduce the wear and tear on his body, which hopefully means that we'll still see more Finn Balor on our TVs for a long time.

And, also on that note...

#2 Balor's NXT situation could encourage more stars to come on board

A Daniel Bryan run in NXT would benefit both parties significantly. If you think about it. Which I did.

There are more benefits to moving to the main roster (and I'm going to just call it the "main roster" for now, out of convenience) than just the spotlight and prestige and the money. Well, no, actually, that's pretty much the list. But, those are good reasons! Come on! So, it's not unreasonable that, at least in the past, some WWE talent would have considered having to move "down" to NXT a demotion. Sort of like having to back to playing AAA ball after having a cup of coffee in the Majors.

Sorry, I just realized that was literally too much "Inside Baseball". But, you get what I'm saying here.

However, things have changed. Not only does NXT have way more exposure than ever before, but Finn Balor's contract situation may just entice more main roster folks to contemplate making the switch as well.

According to reports, while Finn Balor is working an NXT schedule, he's still making main roster money. Essentially, he's still working his original contract, but working less and will probably have more fun doing it, too. This could certainly be attractive to other stars, especially ones with families who have already been on the road for years.

I can see this being particularly intriguing to Daniel Bryan, for example, who would probably love to be able to stay closer to his own family, work less, and avoid injuries (protect ya neck, Daniel!)

And hopefully, this NXT run would go better than his last.

I sincerely doubt this would lead to a mass exodus of talent, but if WWE can offer the same deal they gave Finn to other established talent, it can only benefit NXT overall.

#1 We may just get to see a side of Finn we haven't seen in a long time

Hey! Remember THIS guy?

Finn's current "Extraordinary man who does extraordinary things and is super inclusive and loves everybody" character is actually way more entertaining that that description I just came up with makes it out to be, and it's served him pretty well so far. But, fans who remember his persona when he first came to NXT - and even back in his New Japan days - remember a Superstar that was a little edgier and darker.

I mean, you don't start a group with the name "Bullet Club" without being a little bit dark. Am I right, folks? Hello? Is this thing on?

So, this is the Finn we saw during his NXT reveal:

This guy was dark, intense, he... did that cool claw thing with his hands. And he hadn't even unleashed The Demon yet.

Again, I'm not saying the happy, smiling but still intense and badass Finn Balor we have now isn't pretty cool. But, not only would it be cool to see him go a little more towards how we was here, but maybe even experiment with some new personas, attitudes and styles. NXT could be just the place to do that.

Besides, it's WWE. Even without a Wild Card Rule, there's really nothing stopping the company from having Finn show up on another show every now and then. After all, he still has some unfinished business with a particular Fiend...

And when Finn Balor gets to do cool stuff... everybody wins.

So, I ask you, dear reader, what say you of Finn Balor's recent sojourn to the halls of Full Sail? And why am I talking like that? That's weird. Share your thoughts by typing them into the comment box below and then submit them for the world to read!

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