WWE RAW Flops and Hits: Kevin Owens breaks top champion’s streak, Seth Rollins gets a message from Roman Reigns (January 17, 2022)

By Shruti Sadbhav

Modified Jan 18, 2022 05:01 GMT

WWE RAW had a few surprises in store for fans tonight

#3 Flop on WWE RAW: Finn Balor gets pinned, again

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This week, Finn Balor returned on WWE RAW for a singles match against Austin Theory. The latter was given a chance to redeem himself in the rematch against the former Universal Champion, and he made the most of the opportunity.

Not to forget, a backstage segment saw Vince McMahon motivating Theory to win at all costs by threatening to cut him open and sending gory pictures to the budding superstar's mom.

We saw Finn Balor and Austin Theory face each other in a good match. It was all too good until Theory got a clean win. The pinfall accounted for another underwhelming booking decision involving Balor on WWE RAW.

Austin Theory added to the insult by attacking The Prince once after the match had ended. Finn Balor's booking has been a recurring issue since his return to the main roster, but there are still a couple of positives for the writers to explore.

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Now that both Balor and Theory have one victory each, WWE should book them for a third and final encounter to determine a clear winner. At the moment, Austin Theory can afford a loss or an unclean victory, but the same can't be said for Finn Balor.

He is one of the most talented performers on the red brand, and the creative team should refrain from repeatedly subjecting their first-ever Universal Champion to weak booking decisions.

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

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Edited by Kaushik Das