Finn Bálor has been on fire this past year, and has done an excellent job since taking over from Kevin Owens as the NXT Champion back at the Beast in the East WWE Live Event from Tokyo, Japan in July. He has worn the title with pride, defending against Owens a final time in the NXT brand's second-ever Ladder Match in Brooklyn, and took on all newcomers including Apollo Crews and most recently, Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover: London. While we all want to see the effect that Bálor would make as a member of the main roster on Monday Nights, the man himself has stated that he wants to stay in NXT for as long as it takes until he can proudly say he took the brand to new, previously unforeseeable heights. Quite frankly, given the fact that NXT just underwent its first international tour ever, it's safe to say that the once developmental promotion is headed in the best direction, and while previous Champions like Neville and Owens have made a huge impact in cementing the success of NXT, you have to credit Finn Bálor with wanting not to move on to bigger, arguably better things, but to continue to preserve the magic behind NXT. That, to me, is the embodiment of a true champion. Someone who doesn't reach the top of the WWE mountain and immediately start looking for the next thing to benefit them, but reinforces the current division to prepare the next generation to take over when he's good and ready to move on. Bálor could easily become the face of the WWE if the higher-ups pull the trigger and let him run with it, but for now, Finn Bálor is representing the true essence of a champion in his quest to make NXT the place to be for professional wrestling.
