WWE: 7 Opponents Finn Balor Should Take On Next

Finn Balor has had one amazing run in NXT, returning from some time away as The Prince and never [...]

By Matthew Aguilar - June 6, 2021 10:33 am EDT

Finn Balor has had one amazing run in NXT, returning from some time away as The Prince and never looking book. What followed was a revitalization of Balor as both a force to be reckoned with and as a performer, and he's been money because of it. Not only did he experience a lengthy run as NXT Champion (building on his already impressive previous run as Champ), but he's been consistently compelling as a character in whatever feud he's been in. The question then becomes what's next for Balor, as after a classic title match and a thrilling rematch he needs a new opponent and feud, and we've got seven perfect ideas for him.

These seven potential opponents and feuds carry across all three brands, as there's nothing stopping him from staying in NXT. In fact, one of the most anticipated matches is in NXT, and hopefully, he gets the chance to actually have that match before moving over to Raw or SmackDown.

Now, as we've seen with Rhea Ripley, you can lose the title and still have some compelling feuds and matchups, but Balor's time in NXT still seems like it is closer to its end than its beginning, and the possibility of him moving to Raw or SmackDown seems ever closer. That's not a bad thing though necessarily, as there are some big-time opponents for him to face if he does move over, and they could end up being thrilling matchups.

The last time Balor was on Raw or SmackDown he was a far different version of himself than the star we see in NXT these days, and that could factor into whatever story they want to tell with him when he returns. As The Prince, Balor has recaptured that magic and intrigue he had when he first showed up on Raw, but he's truthfully even better now, and the runway is clear for him to soar if he gets the right opponent.

You can hit the next slide to see the seven opponents I think would be a perfect fit for Balor, and let us know your picks in the comments. You can also talk all things WWE with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

Walter

This is the one every fan has been waiting for since last year, as the feud between Balor and Walter was actually already teased and picking up a little steam before the pandemic hit. Once that happened and international travel was greatly halted, it became pretty much impossible for that feud to take place.

Since then though things have gotten better and Walter even made a trip over here to take on Tommaso Ciampa in a match of the year contender. So, it seems the all-clear is there for Balor and Walter to pick up where they left off and give us an epic feud, and hopefully this happens before Balor decides to depart NXT.

Roman Reigns

Now, this one seems like a long-term plan, but man how amazing would it be to have The Prince taking on Roman Reigns? You are correct, it would be amazing. The most anti-hero version of Balor vs a full-on heel like Reigns would be incredible, both in terms of coolness factor and in-ring performance. Balor showed how skilled he is when battling someone of bigger physical stature in the ring in those greater matches with Kross, and if he gets to battle Walter we'll only have another example.

That means it should be no different with Reigns, and the matches with Jey Uso and possibly Jimmy Uso on the way to Reigns should be fantastic as well. Plus, what a hell of a way to make a return to SmackDown if we enter him into a long-term feud with Reigns as Reigns is finally set up to fall to someone. Again though, this would need to be a bit later down the line, as right now there's no way Reigns is losing to anyone, even Balor.

Big E

Speaking of SmackDown, there is someone on the roster who Balor could take on immediately and created some magic, and that would be Big E. This would serve two purposes, as not only would they deliver in the ring, but it would help E after his feud just vanished out of thin air. That's because he had just started (literally) feuding with Aleister Black when Black was released from WWE with a number of other surprising stars, which leaves Big E in limbo.

This would give him a perfect foil that should play well against his personality and ring style. Prince can embrace the more heelish aspects of his character here against a pure face like E, and again, their contrasting styles should play well off each other. This would also set up both stars for whatever comes next for them, which in both cases could be a trip to Reigns land at some point.

Drew McIntyre

Now, we've been focusing on NXT and SmackDown so far, but there's also an amazing feud sitting in plain sight for Raw fans. That would be Balor vs Drew McIntyre, and can you imagine? Good Lord, that could be amazing.

McIntyre's been hovering around the title picture, but things have gotten a little stale on the red brand just because of the same names being at the top. Having the Prince debut and immediately go to make a name for himself in Raw by attacking McIntyre would inject a fresh matchup into the show and give both a great showcase for their talents while then giving Lashley a bit more time as the top guy. Then Balor or McIntyre could move onto their title hunt again afterwards, and speaking of...

Bobby Lashley

If Balor comes out on top, well, why not go after the top prize? Bobby Lashley has had a great run at the top of WWE so far, and while it's still too early to take the title off of him, the Balor vs McIntyre feud could play out over the course of a month or two (maybe three if it's really clicking) to give him that time he deserves at the top. If that's the case, then Balor could challenge Lashley for the title, and that could be an epic matchup.

Lashley is a different beast these days than he has been in WWE over the past few years, and you could say the same for Balor, who is a far cry from the Balor that was last on Monday Night Raw. Their in-ring styles and characters are fully fleshed out and hitting on all cylinders, and these would be incredibly physical confrontations that would showcase both stars. Make it happen WWE.

Seth Rollins

This one writes itself, as Balor and Seth Rollins have a history that you can immediately play on. The match with Rollins ended up in injury for Balor, meaning he had to relinquish his Championship and recover from a serious injury. That was quite a while ago obviously, and the two characters are in very different places, but that's the fun of a matchup here, as this version of Balor and this version of Rollins could be absolute gold together.

You can play on Balor seeing that point in his career as the moment when things all changed, beginning his ascension into The Prince and becoming this ultimate version of himself. No Demon here, just The Prince, and he's ready to make good on what he should've done back then, and that's put away Rollins for good.

Rollins meanwhile is more frayed and full of himself than ever, and he would see Balor as the ultimate ally in his quest to make the wrestling world see his vision. Plus, his more unhinged character would allow for some unexpected moments in the story and a more brutal and physical feud, and that plays to both of their strengths. As a bonus, Cesaro needs an opponent while Cesaro is injured, and when Cesaro comes back you could still involve him in the storyline if you wanted, perhaps as Balor's next opponent, so it's a win-win.

Ricochet

This one might be a curveball, but hear me out. The prevailing opinion is that Ricochet is being underutilized or mishandled completely on Raw, and every time he gets a little shine he is quickly buried and takes another loss to kill whatever momentum he had. Now, we've seen before that you can still take a loss and keep your momentum and shine, especially in NXT, but the story just has to be told right and you need to maximize both stars.

So, let's say Balor moves to Raw and immediately makes an impact, clocking someone high up just to make an immediate impression, announcing he's here. Whoever he takes out was in a match with Ricochet, but Balor leaves him alone. We then see Ricochet find Balor and ask why he didn't attack him and Balor says he doesn't want to kick someone who is already down.

Ricochet then tries to convince Balor he's not down and out and worthy of a match, and he starts pushing Balor further and further by intervening in matches, thus allowing him to showcase a bit of an edgier version of himself in the process. We finally get the matchup between the two and of course, it delivers before these two are fantastic, and then you can go into a full feud between the two, capitalizing on the reality of them being misused in previous versions as part of the storyline to fuel it.

Again, you want Balor to come out of this as the ultimate winner, but if you do it right you've built up a new version of Ricochet that feels more relevant and still showcased Balor, teeing him up for whatever is next.