10 Big Mistakes WWE Will Probably Make Before 2017
7. Not Replacing Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor’s shoulder injury is catastrophic to both the Irishman and his employers. Bálor was made a megastar by defeating Seth Rollins to become WWE Universal Champion at SummerSlam, and his injury is both cruel and unfortunate. As soon as he’d become one of WWE’s biggest stars, Bálor was put on the shelf for at least six months, and it’s unlikely he’ll feature on WWE television again until just before WrestleMania.
Moreover, Bálor had become Raw’s top babyface. While WWE continue to jam Roman Reigns down everyone’s throats, the naturally likeable Bálor had ascended to the position organically, and his absence leaves a glaring hole at the top of the card. There are plenty of heels buzzing around Raw’s upper reaches, but Reigns remains a flopped good guy, and other babyfaces are very thin on the ground.
WWE need to build a new face to take Bálor’s spot and give fans someone to root for in the Universal Title division. Someone like Sami Zayn fits the bill perfectly, but the company have shown next to no interest in elevating him since his epic win over Kevin Owens at Battleground. With Rollins, Reigns, Owens, and Big Cass set to clash for the Universal Title on Raw, all trends point towards an endless series of Reigns vs. Rollins matches until Bálor is fit to return. If this is the case, Raw’s main event scene will continue to be the same disjointed mess that it's been for the past two years.