10 Most Heartbreaking WWE Moments Ever

5. Bálor Gives Up The Belt

Tegan Nox
WWE

...because at least Batista was destined to get another taste of the big time. Finn Bálor's 24-hour holiday as the Universal Champion may be the only spell he ever experiences with Raw's top title.

Though Finn handed the belt (and potentially, any shred of respect from Vince McMahon) over to Mick Foley with a quiet dignity, there was a reluctant acceptance of his fate too soon after he'd picked up the injury defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016.

It was impossible not to pity a depleted 'Demon' after the fact, but it was an emotion The Chairman was perhaps all too aware of as he bid his dreams a farewell he presumably thought temporary.

Finn's 1000-yard stare told more stories than his 2018 vacant smile. 'Grin' Bálor was a million years away from the dejected figure he cut less than a month into his Monday Night Raw career two years earlier, and hasn't been anywhere near the summit since.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett