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Well, the rumor mill is running, and it's churning out the name Finn Balor. According to WrestleVotes, SmackDown just may get a visit from the Prince of NXT tonight.
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Finn Balor had the run of his WWE career over the past year and a half in NXT. Between the stellar matches and the incredible angles we saw him take part in, Balor proved why he's one of the greatest superstars WWE has.
That being said, Balor's done everything he needs to do in NXT. He had another run with the NXT Championship that earned him match of the year candidates over the course of 212 days, ending with a hellacious war with current NXT Champion Karrion Kross.
With rumors that Kross is also on his way up, one would assume that the man that preceded him would be making his return to RAW or SmackDown in the near future. If it is indeed tonight, there are some opponents we'd love to see him come face-to-face with as soon as possible.
Today we'll be taking a look at five things Finn Balor can do on SmackDown.
#5. Finn Balor confronts, and hopefully wrestles, Sami Zayn
The great part about Finn Balor possibly coming to SmackDown is that the roster is jam-packed with competitors that are a perfect match for him. Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Sami Zayn. Heck, even a few matches against Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode would be fun to watch.
Still, if we're thinking about moments and feuds we want to see start tonight, the Conspiracy Theorist and The Prince is a great one. It's also something that could get the live crowd on their feet. Just picture it, Sami Zayn in the middle of the ring complaining about how he should be in the Money in the Bank match.
Karma is on his side, but the machine is keeping him down. Fans get tired of him badmouthing the likes of Owens and other competitors in the match, when all of a sudden Balor's iconic music erupts throughout the arena.
If we get another impromptu match between the two like the video above, it would definitely be Too Sweet.
#4. Finn Balor sets his sights on Cesaro
So this may just be the wrestling fan in me, but a feud between Finn Balor and Cesaro would be must-see television. Two of the greatest workhorses of a generation battling it out on the blue brand over the next few months? Who wouldn't want to see that?
Add a stipulation to the end match. Let's say the winner gets to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam or whatever show would be around that time. Cesaro's already been close to putting away Reigns and would be a believable threat.
On the other hand, Finn Balor coming fresh off a phenomenal run in NXT would have to win his first feud, right? It becomes a bit hard to predict, which is exactly what you want out of wrestling. Imagine the hard-hitting matches we could get out of these two.
It's really simple, but it's worth doing. Plus if Cesaro goes over Balor, it doesn't make the Prince look weak. It's the Swiss Superman for God's sake.
#3. Finn Balor gets some revenge on the King of SmackDown
Yeah, Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura have some history, folks. They've battled on a few occasions between WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling. However, in one of Balor's final feuds on the main roster, he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura on the Extreme Rules 2019 Kick-Off.
We didn't even get a rematch, as Balor was attacked the next night by "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Now, considering The Prince is a bit more aggressive and less forgiving than he was a few years ago, one would assume he'd like to get some revenge on the man that stripped him of the Intercontinental Championship.
Nakamura is, hopefully, finishing up his feud with Baron Corbin now, and is in need of a fresh match-up. Finn Balor could either attack Nakamura tonight or just let him know that he's watching. Balor's been great as a tweener the past few years. Someone who fights anyone at anytime, and isn't afraid to get dirty.
To have Balor go after Nakamura would give returning fans a great feud to latch onto. On a personal note, a reaction between Finn Balor and Boogs is something we all need in our lives.
It's also important to note the tweet above. It seems that Balor is thinking about a possible meeting with Nakamura after all. Can we get that tonight.
#2. Finn Balor goes after Apollo Crews and the Intercontinental Championship
Finn Balor is a former WWE Intercontinental Champion. In 2019, he captured the title on two separate occasions, beating Bobby Lashly for it both times. We've already gone over who he lost it to, but wouldn't Balor want to go right back after the title he lost all those years ago?
If that's the case, that means he's on a collision course with Apollo Crews should he show up on SmackDown. The Prince and Crews could put on a phenomenal back-and-forth with one another, as long as Commander Azeez is out of the picture.
That being said, Balor's definitely used to fighting at a numbers disadvantage. If someone could overcome Crews' talent and his giant bodyguard, it would be Balor. If we do get this though, hopefully it's a straight-up match between the two.
Finn Balor and Apollo Crews can steal the show on any card they're on. Nobody could dispute that.
#1. Finn Balor makes it clear to Roman Reigns that he's coming back for what's his
If there's one thing we want from Finn Balor returning to the main roster, it's for The Prince to confront a top WWE Champion. Since we're talking about SmackDown, that leads us to Roman Reigns.
The former NXT Champion has gone through a major metamorphosis since we last saw him on the main roster. No longer the happy-go-lucky Balor who was occasionally possessed by a demon, he's one of the most ruthless competitors in the company.
We've seen him run through the likes of Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Keith Lee and Tommaso Ciampa. Save for Karrion Kross, the man who has beaten the best NXT has had to offer into the ground. The aggressive return of Balor to NXT back in 2019 was a breath of fresh air, and elevated him right to the top of the card.
Finn Balor is someone who should be going after the main title. He was the original Universal Champion after all, and he ran through Roman Reigns to get the opportunity. Knowing all that, it makes sense that he'd be targeting the man that's been running SmackDown for nearly a year.
In one-on-one matches, the series is 2-1 in favor of Reigns. Adding in tag and multi-man matches, it's 4-3 with Reigns still ahead by one. There's a lot of history between these two.
Whether it's just a passing glance or something a bit more, an interaction between Finn Balor and the Tribal Chief is a must.
Randy Orton picks the next Randy Orton HERE.
