What’s the story?
A potential Finn Balor vs, Brock Lesnar match may be off the cards for the time being, but that doesn’t mean that it’s slipped the mind of a certain Irishman entirely. This past week, in a sit-down interview with Sports Illustrated, Balor was probed about a showdown with Lesnar.
There, he talked a good game before taking a page out of the old promoter’s handbook with the line “bring it on. I’m ready, man.”
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The background
The initial idea of a Balor vs. Lesnar match was heavily teased a few weeks back when Paul Heyman cut a promo on the May 22 showing of Raw. There, Heyman heaped praise on Balor, touting him as the “most talented in-ring performer in WWE today” and tipping him to become the number one contender to Lesnar’s Universal Championship.
Such a scenario never came to fruition though, after Samoa Joe claimed that honour at Extreme Rules, but that doesn’t mean that an eagerly-anticipated Balor vs. Lesnar match couldn’t be revisited at some point down the line.
Going in depth
Balor also spoke of being a big fan of the David vs. Goliath style match, which is presumably exactly what we’d get if he and Lesnar ever went at it. Interestingly, though, it wasn’t just Lesnar that Balor touched upon.
He also name-dropped Braun Strowman—a man who doesn’t necessarily have the same kind of history with Balor but could make for an intriguing opponent all the same. Clearly, Balor’s got one eye on keeping his name in that main event conversation.
What’s next?
Unfortunately for Balor, if it Lesnar he wants, then he’s going to have to wait his turn. The reigning Universal Champion is currently slated to defend his belt against either Roman Reigns or Samoa Joe at SummerSlam in August, with the smart money likely being on Reigns to go on to take the title.
But with the foundation having already been built for a Balor vs. Lesnar showdown, there’s no reason we couldn’t see this one eventually take place in a non-title capacity. Don’t be surprised if this one still materialises at a Big Four pay-per-view somewhere down the line.
Author’s take
Realistically, it’s unlikely that there’s much to Balor’s comments beyond proper interview etiquette and your standard pro wrestling workmanship. Even so, it’s wise of him to be doing all he can to ensure the prospect of a big-money Lesnar match remains at the forefront of peoples’ minds.
After all, I can’t think of too many fans who want to see him feuding with newcomers like Elias Samson for too much longer. Here’s hoping we get that Balor vs. Lesnar match at some point or another.
