10 Things We Learned From WWE Raw In The UK (May 8)

8. Balor...Club?

The Miz Maryse Dean Ambrose
WWE.com

What on earth are WWE doing with Finn Balor?

A quiet murmur of indifference appears to be growing into a steady hum of annoyance from Balor's fanbase, as the former Universal Champion continues to tread water on the red brand following his post-WrestleMania comeback.

A disjointed victory over The Miz was another wasted week, as little is mentioned of his heroic rehabilitation or mental dedication to re-acquiring the title he never lost. 'Doing his talking in the ring' is all well and good, but a series of inconsequential victories hardly speak with the loudest voice, and he might as well be shouting into an empty room once trapped in a feud with Bray Wyatt (which was curiously parked again on this week's show).

The single notable occurrence from his latest dependable effort was a pointed return to using the 'Too Sweet' pose in a nod to his past (and possible future) alliance with fellow Raw strugglers Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Outside of subtle gestures, the former allegiance as not been something pronounced in his act up to this point, but either acting under instruction or by himself, it at least allowed the spectre of intrigue to sneak in amongst the cripplingly disappointing malaise of his current run.

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