5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (22 Aug)
1. Loser: Finn Balor
How can you not feel sorry for Finn Balor? The Irishman finally made his way to WWE in 2014 after grinding his way through the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and Japan in his quest for global wrestling success. He made his NXT debut shortly after signing, and quickly became one of the brand’s biggest stars.
Balor won the NXT Championship, and in the wake of Sami Zayn’s departure, he became the face of NXT. Regularly referred to as “NXT’s Icon” by colour commentator Corey Graves, Balor embarked on a recording-breaking title reign that ended at Samoa Joe’s hands earlier this year, and he was finally called-up to WWE’s main roster in last month’s WWE Draft.
SummerSlam saw him fulfil his lifelong dream and become a top WWE champion, but now it's over. 24 hours after reaching the top of the mountain, injury knocked Balor back to the bottom, and while he put on a brave face in last night’s promo, this is a huge personal disappointment for Finn Balor. The Irishman made it to the top through good old-fashioned hard work, and must now start again.
It was one hell of a speech from Balor, who remained calm and professional without ever pouring cold water on the situation’s emotion. Who knows what Raw’s main event scene will look like when he returns, but if there’s any justice left in the business, he’ll slot right back into the Universal Title picture.
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