10 Booking Steps For WWE Raw (Aug 1)
9. Finn Balor Defeats Kevin Owens
As aforementioned, interaction between Finn Balor and Kevin Owens was strong last week. Their issues should be brief for now, ultimately settled by the result of this very match. Inside the ring, Balor would defeat Owens clean as a whistle. If WWE are going to get behind the Irishman's quest to be a major part of SummerSlam, he simply couldn't lose.
There was a definite focus on the in-ring product last week, and that must continue this Monday. Giving Owens and Balor between 15-20 minutes to work with would allow both to show off a little, but also create drama for the big, crowd-pleasing finish.
Presenting Finn as a workhorse style of competitor is advisable, because it then feeds in nicely to his upcoming bout with Seth Rollins. Previously, Rollins has been portrayed in a similar manner, albeit on the opposite side of the babyface/heel divide.
Angry about his loss to Balor, KO could use that to spit venom in a promo segment backstage later. Meanwhile, Balor would leave the match with more momentum.