What if Finn Balor had beaten Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship?

3. The crowd in Brooklyn explodes

The fans at the Barclay Center would have lost their minds if Balor beat Reigns.

When WWE books a face vs. face match, there are often questions about whom the crowd will side with, and whether it’s worth jeopardizing someone’s popularity by demanding a direct comparison to another well-liked star. In the case of Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor, however, WWE seemed fully aware of what it was doing. Yes, Reigns and Balor are each ostensibly good guys, and popular with kids. However, a huge chunk of the hardcore fanbase loathes The Big Dog and is all too eager to get behind Balor.

We can tell from the false finishes late in Balor vs. Reigns that the live crowd in New York was very excited about the prospect of Balor winning. Had he pulled off the upset, there’s little question they would have exploded into one of the biggest pops in Raw history. To be fair, though, WWE did ultimately do all right for itself with the fake out Money in the Bank cash-in, followed by the Shield reunion.