When the New Era arrived on Monday Night Raw, Finn Balor walked in like he owned the place. He defeated four of the toughest guys in the company on his first night on the main roster and now is going on to face Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. But bad booking can bring down even the most meteoritic rise, and we’ve seen it with Finn before. There’s no denying his impact on NXT, but many say his record-setting reign as NXT Champion was underwhelming. There’s a way to book a champion Finn Balor poorly, and a way to do it perfectly.
What not to book: A perfect babyface, an underdog
Finn Balor is no underdog. He’s held 13 championships all over the world, he’s the longest reigning NXT Champion and he looks like an elite athlete. This isn’t a Daniel Bryan type, or a Sami Zyan or a Bayley, no one is buying that he’s an underdog. When he got his push in NXT, it certainly didn’t come after years of grinding away trying to work his way up to being the best. That’s okay, not every good guy has to be an underdog. However, pushing him as an underdog to Seth Rollins when he’s older, nearly as accomplished, and has the same level of wrestling ability, is the biggest mistake they could make.
The second biggest mistake they could make is to push him as the perfect, squeaky-clean babyface like they did in NXT. He turns into a demon, so, no, no one is buying that either. Additionally, it’s boring. Few guys can really pull off that 100% good guy routine, and most of them are the aforementioned underdog. Cartoon goodies and baddies may have worked in the 80’s, and everyone being an anti-hero may have worked in the Attitude Era, but those days are gone. What do fans want now? They want to see humanity in their heroes. That complexity will get Finn Balor over.
What to book: An older veteran whose paid his dues
There are plenty of fans that are mad that they’re pushing Finn so hard when he “hasn’t paid his dues.” That’s the perfect catalyst for those teeth he needs to grow. How many people on Raw feel like they’ve been line hopped by him? Probably all of them so spend the next couple of weeks letting him show that he’s no rookie. He can be a nice guy about it, saying he understands their frustration and will happily take on any challenger to prove that he paid his dues in this business long ago. The line about him coming into every promotion, beating the top guy, and becoming “da man” showcased that facet of his character perfectly. Finn Balor believes he’s earned his spot and he’s not going to apologize for that.
Read Also: Seth Rollins to Call Out the “Demon King” Finn Balor on WWE Raw
What to book: Two Finn Balors: The man of the people, and the Demon.
The Demon gimmick is cool, but cool isn’t always enough. Slapping on some face paint and having a unique entrance might be exciting for a few minutes, but it won’t take his character to the next level. That can only be achieved by exploring the dichotomy between the two different Finn Balors. On an average day, Finn Balor is a hard worker with a big heart. He believes that as a champion he has responsibility to be a leader to the rest of the locker room. Take it a step further, and he could be the one who steps up anytime someone needs a partner or someone in his corner. The Demon, on the other hand, has no interest in anything other than winning. When he taps into the dark part of himself and becomes the Demon, he’s reckless, he injuries his opponents, and he doesn’t stop at anything to win. Showing the struggle between his two characters makes Finn Balor more than just the typical face champion.
What to book: The actual Finn Balor
You know who is an interesting character? Finn Balor. The real Finn Balor, who posts goofy pictures of him posing on Instagram. The one who is just so happy to be here and loves the fans. While it’s hard to push the Lego nerd as the toughest guy in the company, those aspects of his actual personality can find a home in his character. To his opponents, he’s all business, but to everyone else he’s the nicest person in the world. He asks Renee how her day is when she interviews him, and talks highly of his fellow Raw competitors and celebrates their achievements. Sneaking in small moments of genuine kindness will make him naturally endearing to the fans.
A champion Finn Balor has got to show a range of character traits, or the audience is going to just get bored of his babyface tactics. Finn should be unapologetic about the fact that he’s already paid his dues, but go out of his way to make the locker room know he has their back. Offering title shots, celebrating the triumphs of the women’s division, or tagging with a mid-carder who just needs a partner, that’s how he gains their loyalty. When the Demon comes out, that’s when he can bend the rules and play with a mean streak. Ultimately, WWE is best off packaging him as a people’s champion with a dark side: a confident veteran who will lift up anyone he can help, but take down anyone who gets in his way.
