Welcome to the third installment of this series!! Today, we'll talk about the WWE career of Finn Balor! He's had quite the career in wrestling. He was the original member of the original Bullet Club and it was a huge signing at the time when he came to WWE. Let's take a look at his NXT/WWE career and see if he's been a success or a failure.
NXT Highlights:
- Made his NXT debut on the September 24, 2014 edition, aiding Hideo Itami vs the Ascension. He and Itami defeated Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd in Finn's first official match in October
- He and Itami defeated the Ascension at Takeover: R Evolution in December
- Won a number one contender tournament in 2015 for the NXT championship, but lost to champion Kevin Owens in March
- Earned another title shot vs Owens at The Beast In The East PPV in Tokyo in July and won to win his first NXT championship
- Retained his title in the rematch vs Owens at Takeover: Brooklyn in August in a ladder match
- Entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with tag team partner Samoa Joe and won the Tournament, defeating the Lucha Dragons, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, and Baron Corbin and Rhyno
- Joe turned on Balor in November after Joe chased Corbin away after Corbin interfered in a NXT title match between Balor and Apollo Crews
- Successfully defended the NXT title vs Samoa Joe at Takeover: London in December and at Takeover: Dallas in April 2016
- Became the longest reigning NXT champion at 287 days (surpassed by Adam Cole); lost the title at 292 days to Samoa Joe at a NXT event in late April
- At Takeover: The End, lost the rematch (and first as the "DemonKing) vs Joe in NXT's first ever steel cage match in June
- Wrestled his final NXT match at that time, teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Bobby Roode and Samoa Joe
Main Roster
- In July 2016, was the 5th overall pick of the WWE draft, selected by Raw
- Won a Fatal Four Way match on his first appearance on Raw the next week, defeating Rusev, Cesaro, and Kevin Owens, then beat Roman Reigns for the right to compete for the inaugural WWE Universal Championship
- Became the first ever WWE Universal Champion, defeating Seth Rollins at Summerslam in August, but was forced to relinquishing the title the next night on Raw after suffering a shoulder injury that required immediate surgery
- Retuned in February 2017, in NXT, to assist Nakamura vs Bobby Roode and Andrade Almas
- Returned to Raw the night after Wrestlemania 33 and teamed with Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe and won
- Was involved in a Fatal Five Way match at the Extreme Rules PPV in June for the number one contender spot for the Universal Title, but lost
- Feuded with Bray Wyatt and beat Wyatt as the Demon King at Summerslam in August
- Was supposed to Face Wyatt's Sister Abigail" at the TLC PPV in October but Wyatt was hurt so AJ Styles took his place. Balor won
- Was part of Team RAW at Survivor Series. Was eliminated by Randy Orton, but Raw won
- Formed the Balor Club with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in early 2018
- Entered the Royal Rumble in January at number 2 and lasted 57 minutes, eliminating 4 wrestlers but was eliminated by John Cena
- Was the last participant in the Elimination Chamber at that same named PPV in February but was the second man eliminated by Braun Strowman
- Made his Wrestlemania debut at Wrestlemania 34 in early April in a triple threat match vs Seth Rollins and The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship match, won by Rollins
- Challenged foe the IC title at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia in April in a Fatal Four Way vs Rollins, Miz, and Samoa Joe but was unsuccessful
- Was part of the MITB ladder match at the MITB PPV in June, but didn't win
- Feuded with Baron Corbin and beat him at Extreme Rules in July and at Summerslam as the Demon King
- At last, receives his Univesal Championship rematch at the Raw after Summerslam against champion Roman Reigns, but was unsuccessful
- Was part of Team Raw for the second consecutive time at Survivor Series in November, but was the first Raw member eliminated
- Faced Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble after defeating Drew McIntyre, John Cena (pinned) and Baron Corbin in a Fatal Four Way match on a episode of Raw, but loses
- Defeated Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush at the Elimination Chamber PPV in February to win the IC title, but lost the Championship to Lashley on Raw in March
- Won the IC title back from Lashley at Wrestlemania 35 as the Demon King. Successfully defended the title vs Sami Zayn the next night on Raw, but lost a non title match to the debuting Andrade Almas in mid April on Raw
- Was drafted to Smackdown the next week. Retained the IC title vs Almas at Super Showdown as the Demon King in June
- Lost the IC title to Shinsuke Nakamura at the Extreme Rules PPV on the kickoff show in July
- Lost to Bray Wyatt at Summeslam
He returned to NXT shortly thereafter, ending his main roster career for now.
Sooooooooo how has Finn Balor's Main Roster career been: Success or Failure?
-
NXT Highlights:
- Made his NXT debut on the September 24, 2014 edition, aiding Hideo Itami vs the Ascension. He and Itami defeated Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd in Finn's first official match in October
- He and Itami defeated the Ascension at Takeover: R Evolution in December
- Won a number one contender tournament in 2015 for the NXT championship, but lost to champion Kevin Owens in March
- Earned another title shot vs Owens at The Beast In The East PPV in Tokyo in July and won to win his first NXT championship
- Retained his title in the rematch vs Owens at Takeover: Brooklyn in August in a ladder match
- Entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with tag team partner Samoa Joe and won the Tournament, defeating the Lucha Dragons, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, and Baron Corbin and Rhyno
- Joe turned on Balor in November after Joe chased Corbin away after Corbin interfered in a NXT title match between Balor and Apollo Crews
- Successfully defended the NXT title vs Samoa Joe at Takeover: London in December and at Takeover: Dallas in April 2016
- Became the longest reigning NXT champion at 287 days (surpassed by Adam Cole); lost the title at 292 days to Samoa Joe at a NXT event in late April
- At Takeover: The End, lost the rematch (and first as the "DemonKing) vs Joe in NXT's first ever steel cage match in June
- Wrestled his final NXT match at that time, teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Bobby Roode and Samoa Joe
Main Roster
- In July 2016, was the 5th overall pick of the WWE draft, selected by Raw
- Won a Fatal Four Way match on his first appearance on Raw the next week, defeating Rusev, Cesaro, and Kevin Owens, then beat Roman Reigns for the right to compete for the inaugural WWE Universal Championship
- Became the first ever WWE Universal Champion, defeating Seth Rollins at Summerslam in August, but was forced to relinquishing the title the next night on Raw after suffering a shoulder injury that required immediate surgery
- Retuned in February 2017, in NXT, to assist Nakamura vs Bobby Roode and Andrade Almas
- Returned to Raw the night after Wrestlemania 33 and teamed with Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe and won
- Was involved in a Fatal Five Way match at the Extreme Rules PPV in June for the number one contender spot for the Universal Title, but lost
- Feuded with Bray Wyatt and beat Wyatt as the Demon King at Summerslam in August
- Was supposed to Face Wyatt's Sister Abigail" at the TLC PPV in October but Wyatt was hurt so AJ Styles took his place. Balor won
- Was part of Team RAW at Survivor Series. Was eliminated by Randy Orton, but Raw won
- Formed the Balor Club with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in early 2018
- Entered the Royal Rumble in January at number 2 and lasted 57 minutes, eliminating 4 wrestlers but was eliminated by John Cena
- Was the last participant in the Elimination Chamber at that same named PPV in February but was the second man eliminated by Braun Strowman
- Made his Wrestlemania debut at Wrestlemania 34 in early April in a triple threat match vs Seth Rollins and The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship match, won by Rollins
- Challenged foe the IC title at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia in April in a Fatal Four Way vs Rollins, Miz, and Samoa Joe but was unsuccessful
- Was part of the MITB ladder match at the MITB PPV in June, but didn't win
- Feuded with Baron Corbin and beat him at Extreme Rules in July and at Summerslam as the Demon King
- At last, receives his Univesal Championship rematch at the Raw after Summerslam against champion Roman Reigns, but was unsuccessful
- Was part of Team Raw for the second consecutive time at Survivor Series in November, but was the first Raw member eliminated
- Faced Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble after defeating Drew McIntyre, John Cena (pinned) and Baron Corbin in a Fatal Four Way match on a episode of Raw, but loses
- Defeated Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush at the Elimination Chamber PPV in February to win the IC title, but lost the Championship to Lashley on Raw in March
- Won the IC title back from Lashley at Wrestlemania 35 as the Demon King. Successfully defended the title vs Sami Zayn the next night on Raw, but lost a non title match to the debuting Andrade Almas in mid April on Raw
- Was drafted to Smackdown the next week. Retained the IC title vs Almas at Super Showdown as the Demon King in June
- Lost the IC title to Shinsuke Nakamura at the Extreme Rules PPV on the kickoff show in July
- Lost to Bray Wyatt at Summeslam
He returned to NXT shortly thereafter, ending his main roster career for now.
Sooooooooo how has Finn Balor's Main Roster career been: Success or Failure?
-
