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The Intercontinental Championship was not on the line at WWE Fastlane. Instead, it was announced that it would be defended the night after, on the RAW after Fastlane 2019. Finn Balor would take on Bobby Lashley for the big prize before a packed audience. Everyone expected this to be a decisive win for Finn Balor.
But believe it or not, Bobby Lashley came out victorious during the contest against Finn Balor. He is your brand new Intercontinental Champion once again. Why did WWE decide to take the title off Finn Balor on RAW?
I will try and answer the question in this very article. Chime in with your comments in the section below as well.
One thing is for sure, the WWE Universe isn't all that happy.
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#5 WrestleMania is a bigger stage for Balor to win
WrestleMania is aptly called the grandest stage of them all because it's the ultimate feel-good show. Because Finn Balor did not lose the match clean, one can assume that he'll be awarded yet another opportunity at the prize, come WrestleMania. Anyone who's grown up with WrestleMania knows that that's the one show where the babyfaces usually stand tall.
So many crowd favorites are in line to win the big one at the show of shows, this year. There's Becky Lynch, there's Seth Rollins and there's Kofi Kingston as well. Finn Balor could be added to the lineup, going up against Bobby Lashley for the prize that he lost thanks to Lio Rush's interference.
Maybe a similar angle could play out where Lio Rush tries to distract Finn Balor yet again, but only this time around Balor does not fall for the mind games. It'll be a fun storyline conclusion that makes the WWE Universe happy.
#4 To re-establish Lashley as a credible contender for Brock Lesnar
Remember how much hype there was around Bobby Lashley when he first came in? And then came the angle with Sami Zayn and Lashley's 'sisters', and all of the mystique was lost in a mere instant. The need of the hour is to rebuild Bobby Lashley and establish him as a top competitor.
I would imagine that a Lesnar vs. Lashley match is planned for down the line because there are few men that measure up to Lesnar, as Lashley does. Like him or not, it is impossible to deny that he's more of a mountain than a man. Plus, the match between the two men has been discussed and talked about for years, even when Bobby Lashley was in TNA
By having him become Champion again, WWE is rebuilding Lashley as a top star. One day, he can become a credible challenger for Brock Lesnar again.
#3 To wean Lashley away from being a faction player
Only a few hours ago, Lashley was in a match of a very different kind against The Shield. We saw how both Rollins and Reigns have singles matches on RAW, to establish the fact that both men are singles superstars as well.
Similarly, it was important to remind the WWE Universe that Bobby Lashley is a singles superstar, first and foremost, and not just a member of a throwaway faction on RAW. Because of this reason, the Intercontinental Championship was awarded to him and Finn Balor was protected during the match, with Lio Rush's assist.
This will also help whichever babyface eventually decides to dethrone him, in due course of time. Bobby Lashley is a monster and a half and is faring much better as a heel than he ever did as a babyface.
Even though the WWE Universe may not be happy, this was perhaps the right move.
#2 Lack of fresh competitors for Finn Balor on RAW
Let's assume for a minute that Finn Balor remained Champion and beat Bobby Lashley, to go all the way to WrestleMania. Whom could you possibly see him take on at the show of shows? I mean he's taken on Corbin already and McIntyre as well, in addition to Elias, the three heels that potentially size up against him.
Now that Lashley is Champion, a whole new range of competitors can potentially challenge him for the prize at WrestleMania. One of them is certainly Lio Rush, with whom Lashley has had several problems over the last few months. Another is Braun Strowman with whom he's never really had a full-fledged program yet.
Maybe Johnny Gargano can take on Lashley, now that Ciampa is injured. There are many credible opponents for him in the red brand, against whom he can potentially have entertaining programs.
#1 Lashley needs the Intercontinental Championship a lot more than Finn Balor does
Finn Balor became the Universal Champion in just 27 days when he first debuted on the main roster. Before that, he was a big deal in NXT as well. In fact, one can argue that NXT was at its hottest back when Finn Balor was the Champion. And now, he continues to remain a pretty big deal on RAW.
If you look at Lashley, he's not fared nearly as well since his return to WWE. He's always been booked in the mid-card, and except for a program against Roman Reigns, has never really been in the spotlight as we had initially expected. The WWE Universe is a lot more invested in Balor than they are in Lashley.
And so Lashley needs the Intercontinental Championship. Finn Balor doesn't.
Please share your thoughts about the title change in the comments below.
