Why WWE STILL Won't Push Finn Balor

Survivor Series 2018
WWE.com

Finn Bálor's been trapped in stasis so long that it's now almost impossible to see anything for him beyond his the spot he currently occupies on Raw, which of course is that of…well, what, exactly?

After falling short in a match dominated by Raw’s giants at the ‘Fall Classic’ he stumbled again in a virtual rematch the next night. Before you worry that he’s about to slip down the card quicker than he did off of Miz’ chest last Sunday, consider what platform it is he even has at this point.

His current career is a complete contradiction. In flowery terms it’s mysterious, maybe. Enigmatic, perhaps. But the truth belongs not in a Jeff Hardy promo but in the cold calculated reality of capitalism. WWE are the capitalist kings of a fiercely capitalistic industry in a world never more consumed by capitalism. But capitalism assumes control by confusion, and in WWE’s vision of the world - in their ‘universe’ - he’s the soul most lost and isolated. He takes the “big smiles out there” line so literally that it paradoxically becomes impossible to believe he’s actually happy to be there. As if that wasn’t a bad enough thing to think about most of the muddled midcard as it is.

Despite theoretically having the power to portray both, he’s neither a supernatural entity like The Undertaker, nor an everyman like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He’s a jobber, like Finn Bálor. Save for those odd fleeting moments when he’s not.

CONT'D...

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Contributor
Contributor

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