10 Fascinating Facts About WWE In 2016
4. Finn Bálor Was Meant To Get Roman’s Push
![Cody Rhodes WWE 2016](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2024/07/a62d97eb2010064d60e76c857e646d22-600x338.jpg)
What might've been for Finn Bálor.
Head boy Roman Reigns was suspended for violating the Wellness Policy in June, and he was temporarily demoted to the upper-midcard when he returned. The rumour mill at the time claimed one Finn Bálor would’ve been the beneficiary of Roman’s backstage troubles - he was supposed to become the face of Raw, but got injured when winning the Universal Title at SummerSlam.
Finn had to vacate the belt 24 hours later on TV, and his push was toast in the blink of an eye. That's a real bummer, because it would've been fun to see if Bálor could offset Vinnie Mac's whims to become a bonafide success story as the poster boy for WWE's flagship brand. What a ride fans would've had during the second half of the year.
There is another story out there claiming that Kevin Owens was always going to dethrone Finn for the Universal Title anyway though, so perhaps 'Raw: The Bálor Years' wouldn't have lasted long enough to matter. It was rotten to see the Irishman vacate a brand new strap regardless.