Should Finn Balor move to SmackDown and win the WWE Championship?

#2 Counterpoint: Balor’s title history

The last time WWE trusted Balor with a world title, it didn't end up so well.

When Finn Balor first got called up to the main roster, he got an uncommonly big push. Perhaps as a testament to the NXT system and WWE’s confidence in it, WWE didn’t wait to slowly build him up and make him a star, but rather went the route of getting him over with convincing wins over top talent. Balor peaked when he pinned former world champion Seth Rollins at SummerSlam to win a tournament final that crowned him the original Universal Champion.

Balor got injured in that match and had to relinquish the title the next night.

No, Balor wasn’t responsible for this injury—by all indications, it was the kind of accident that could have happened to anyone. However, given how modest WWE’s been about pushing him since, it does seem that WWE is a bit trigger shy about going all the way with him again.

The stakes, for now, seem a little lower on SmackDown as a less marque brand for WWE. That may change quickly, though, given WWE’s new deal with FOX which is rumored to lead to WWE taking the blue brand more seriously. It’s not clear Balor is the guy to put at the forefront of that movement.