Update On Finn Balor's WWE Injury Status
Is the Demon King nearing his return?
Finn Balor's rise and fall was one of wrestling's most bittersweet stories in 2016. The affable Irishman became WWE Universal Champion less than a month after his main roster debut, but was forced to relinquish the title the following night on Raw.
The Demon King suffered a severe shoulder injury while wrestling Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016, and has been out of action ever since. This week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Balor was evaluated by doctors over the past week, but was not cleared to return to the ring.
There was widespread speculation that Balor would appear as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble last week. The Observer, however, notes that it is possible that Balor was never even considered for the Rumble, as his return date was always expected to be late February/early March. Balor had previously told podcaster Sam Roberts that he was looking at WrestleMania 33 as his return date, and is now expected to appear at the event in some form.
It sounds like WWE won't be rushing Finn back anytime soon, which should be a wise decision. Earlier this week, Balor Tweeted a full list of the injuries he sustained from Rollins' barrier powerbomb, and it isn't pretty:-