10 Booking Steps For WWE Raw (Sept 12)
5. Sow Some Early Seeds For Finn Bálor's Eventual Return
Finn Bálor is out for an estimated six months, so it may seem strange to start talking about his return now. Conversely, that's exactly what should be happening on Monday Night Raw, especially because Finn is an engaging and likable person when speaking from the heart.
All Raw needs is a short video package. Congratulating Kevin Owens on becoming WWE Universal Champion, the Irish star states that he plans on taking the belt back once he returns. Alongside this promo, some footage of his surgery and subsequent recovery in hospital can be shown. The whole thing can be relatively brief, but it'll lend a human side to the 'Demon King'.
That contrast is crucial for WWE, as they have something special on their hands with Bálor. His demonic guise is striking, but he's also a genuinely happy-go-lucky kind of dude. These are things he can talk about, as well as marking out his chief goals.
Whether Royal Rumble or at WrestleMania 33 itself, he wants to be back in the mix for 'Mania season. Sowing the seeds is wise, charting Bálor's journey back to good health in similar fashion to Triple H's recovery in 2001.