Though the Finn Balor title win will serve a number of purposes (it will pop a Raw rating and keep the Money in the Bank gimmick strong), Balor as champion won't be a long-term plan. A livid Cena will invoke his rematch clause, challenging the new champion to a title bout at SummerSlam 2017. The match - the first proper bout between Cena and Balor - will headline at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, and though heel John Cena will have been getting largely positive reactions from fans (despite WWE's best intentions), the New York crowd will be in Balor's corner. The match itself will be a classic - reminiscent of the Cena-Bryan battle at SummerSlam 2013 - with the smaller, more technically-savvy grappler trying to prove himself against WWE's franchise. This time, there won't be a storybook ending. Cena's viciousness and willing to break the rules will make him too much of a match for Balor, and he'll defeat the Irish grappler to win the world title - his 18th.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
