Finn Bálor's return to NXT was all things to all viewers, even critics.
Used in a transparent attempt to capture buzz and numbers as the show was roundly trounced by AEW in the first week of the wednesday night wars, the feeling of the prodigal son returning home was brilliantly subverted when he turned heel on Johnny Gargano with a brutal attack just weeks later.
Exhilarating stuff, but the best and most controversial was yet to come. In the bilious worked shoot promo that followed, Finn raged on the roster that had reshaped the black-and-gold brand in his absence. Like a contemporary Undertaker, self-appointed conscience of the company Bálor was cloaked not in the flesh of his victim but in the darkness that mirrored his stifled self-loathing.
It was the instant propulsion back to relevance that could be felt on the night he returned, but yet again WWE's best brand serviced his story in a way far more captivating than anybody could have crafted.
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
