Finn Balor In WWE - What Went Wrong?
Size was always going to be a problem for the 5'11", 190lb former Junior Heavyweight. WWE isn't quite the land of the giants it used to be, but the company still typecast him as an overmatched dwarf when faced with towering opponents. Stifling Balor's creativity contributed to his fall, too. It was always going to happen on the main roster, but we've all seen how awesome his indie paint jobs became, and they were a huge reason for him getting over in the first place.
Ability-wise, he has proven his style can flourish within WWE's framework, and as goofy as the nickname sounds, Finn has proven himself an 'Extraordinary Man Who Does Extraordinary Things' between the ropes. Not that it matters, though: no amount of ****+ bangers can cave you when the man at the top loses belief.
That's the most frustrating aspect of Balor's situation. Vince clearly had faith in him at one point (he'd have never made him Universal Champion if he didn't), but not anymore. He's now just another also-ran babyface doing all he can to survive in Roman Reigns' world, sentenced to an eternity operating in 'The Guy's' shadow, the promise of his first few WWE years fast becoming a distant memory. Such is life when the WWE Chairman doesn't care anymore.
A Reigns-esque mega-push isn't essential. A Lesnarian Universal Title run is too much. We don't necessarily need to see Balor handed the keys to McMahon's kingdom at all.
Smarter booking, a fully-formed character, main event dalliances, and clearer rewards for his efforts and popularity would fit the bill nicely, and none of these things should be too much to ask for. Unless, of course, you happen to be a former game-changer stuck without a map to navigate WWE's sea of lost midcard souls.