What If…Finn Balor Did Not Get Injured in 2016

Recently the Universal Championship was quietly retired when Cody Rhodes lost to John Cena at Wrestlemania. Although Cody was technically the last champion, the title history has been amended and Roman Reigns will go down as the final champion. Over 8 years there have been 8 different champions. If we’re being honest, not many of those reigns were good. Roman’s 1,316 day reign is one of the greatest title runs in history, but the rest of them were incredibly hit and miss. The worst of them might be the inaugural champion, Finn Balor.

That isn’t anyone’s fault, unless your name is Seth Rollins. Finn Balor debuted on Raw in July of 2016 and the following month he won the Strawberry Jam Championship at Summerslam. Balor won his first major championship in WWE but sustained a serious shoulder injury receiving a Buckle Bomb into the barricade. He relinquished the world title the following night and was out of action for 6 months. Finn was fast tracked to the main event scene following his main roster debut, but he would never be pushed so strong again. I suspect his injury caused Vince McMahon to sour on him. Finn Balor would remain an upper midcarder for the rest of his WWE.

Finn Balor has been consistently great for WWE over the past 6 years. He is a 2-time Intercontinental champion, a US champion, a 5-time Tag champion and he had a great second run in NXT when he returned as a heel. His work with The Judgment Day might be the best character work Finn has done his entire career. Balor has challenged for the world championship occasionally, but these contests are usually mired with poor booking. His injury at Summerslam definitely killed his momentum, but what if that incident never happened? What if Finn Balor defeated Seth Rollins for the Universal championship unscathed? Today, we find out how that future might have panned out. Let’s book it.

Chapter One: Clash Of Champions

On the Raw following Summerslam, General Manager Mick Foley introduce the new Universal Champion, Finn Balor. They congratulate him for his success, but the journey has just begun. It is one thing to win a world championship, it is another to defend it. Seth Rollins interrupts and sarcastically congratulates Balor for his victory. He claims that Finn got lucky in victory. Seth doesn’t understand the whole ‘Demon Thing’ but he knows he is the better wrestler. He wants a rematch, but he is interrupted by Kevin Owens, flanked by Chris Jericho. Kevin Owens calls Seth Rollins old news, last year’s fad. He calls himself the fastest rising star in WWE and it is time that he fulfils his destiny of becoming the world champion.

Determining A Challenger

Their argument is cut off by Mick Foley who considers them as potential contenders, along with 6 other men. Roman Reigns, Cesaro, Sheamus, Sami Zayn, Rusev & Chris Jericho. Foley announces the return of the ‘Beat The Clock’ challenge that will take place next week. Each competitor will be trying to win their match the quickest and earn a match against Finn Balor. All of the matches will have a 15 minute time limit.

The following episode of Raw opens with Cesaro vs Sheamus who wrestle a physical match that goes to a 15 minute time limit draw. They’re unable to defeat each other and in turn cost each other a shot at the Universal title. This is also match 3 of the Best of Seven Series, Sheamus remains 2-0 ahead after 3 matches. This means their 7th match at Clash of Champions Cesaro will win to level the series at 3-3, avoiding a screwy finish on PPV. Roman Reigns defeats Chris Jericho by DQ in 10 minutes after an assault by US champion Rusev who he is already in a feud with. Chris Jericho is incredibly angry at that result and takes it out on Roman. Rusev goes on to defeat Sami Zayn in about 7 minutes with his accolade.

The main event of that night is Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins. Commentary mention how Owens has the advantage with Jericho in his corner, but before the bell rings we hear the music of Triple H. Seth Rollins is happy to see his mentor in his corner, but Triple H swerves him and drops Rollins with a pedigree. Triple H demands the referee rings the bell as Owens steals a quick pinfall with shock on his face. Triple H raises Owens’ hand in victory before leaving.

Running It Back

Kevin Owens comes out on the 5th September Raw and says he was initially confused why Triple H got involved last week, until it hit him. The answer is obvious. Triple H realises what everyone else will soon figure out. Kevin Owens is the best thing to come out of NXT and will be the face of this company. Finn Balor interrupts and takes issue with Owen’s claim. There are some incredibly talent that still work for NXT and there are some great graduates that are on Raw and Smackdown. Finn Balor praises Kevin Owens as a former NXT Champion, but asks who was it that defeated him for that title? That’s right, it was him. Finn Balor defeated Kevin Owens at The Beast in The East in 2015, and then again at TakeOver: Brooklyn.

Owens does not need reminding. He is set on getting revenge for Balor taking the NXT Championship away from him. While Balor ran around NXT wearing costumes and face paint like a kid’s Halloween party, Owens was a prize fighter and made NXT the legitimate brand it is today. Chris Jericho asks Finn Balor if he knows what happens to stupid idiots who dress up and paint their face? “You just made the list!” Jericho also says that Owens has made his point, if Balor does not get it by now then the only other option is they beat it in to him. Finn Balor tries to fight but he falls to the numbers game. Out comes Seth Rollins who helps fight off Jeri-KO. Balor and Rollins stand in the ring, but Rollins surprises Balor with a pedigree and he holds the Universal title over him.

NXT Throwback

The following Raw, Seth Rollins takes issue with Kevin Owens being number 1 contender and fully blames Triple H for his interference. Rollins also prides himself on being the first ever NXT champion and he was the foundation for what NXT has become. He warns Triple H that he will never forget this betrayal and once his business with the Universal title is settled, he will be coming for him. Stephanie McMahon does not like this and warns Seth that they made him a star but they can make him irrelevant just as quick. Mick Foley opposes Stephanie McMahon and he thinks Seth Rollins deserves another opportunity. Later in the night on Raw, Seth Rollins defeats Kevin Owens in a singles match. Rollins earns himself another shot at the Universal title. The triple threat is set up for Clash at Champions.

19th of September is the go-home edition of Raw before Clash of Champions. Kevin Owens calls it an injustice that Seth Rollins has wormed his way into his crowning moment but it ultimately doesn’t matter. Him becoming world champion is inevitable. Chris Jericho promises to help his best friend fulfil his destiny by any means necessary, there are no DQs in a triple threat. Seth Rollins interrupts with a chair in hand and suggest that he takes out Chris Jericho now to make their match an even match. Rollins manages to take out both Owens and Jericho with the chair. For the first time in a year, Rollins teases going for the stomp but Owens counters into a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Finn Balor comes out and saves Seth from the 2-on-1 asssault, but drops him with his 1916 finisher.

Clash of Champions

In the main event of Clash of Champions Finn Balor, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins wrestle a 25 minute barn burner. Balor is not in his Demon persona here, he wrestles as his regular self. Finn goes for the Coup De Grace on Rollins. Owens catches him in mid-air with a powerbomb onto Rollins but only gets a 2. Kevin Owens asks Jericho to help take out Balor whilst he finishes off Rollins. KO drops Seth Rollins with the Pop-Up Powerbomb. Meanwhile, Chris Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but Balor counters, dumping Y2J out of the ring. Balor drops Owens with a shotgun dropkick, sending him tumbling out of the ring. Finn Balor hits Rollins with the Coup De Grace and pins him to retain his championship.

In case you’re interested, elsewhere on the card:

Chapter Two: Hell in a Cell

A little note I am going to add here. Throughout this time period I would have Finn Balor interact with fellow ex-Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows backstage. No official alliance between them but there is a clear friendship and comradery between them. They wish each other luck in matches and offer tips against various opponents. This doesn’t have a lot of relevance right now, but it will make sense a little later on.

On the September 26th edition of Raw, immediately following Clash of Champions, Kevin Owens is pissed and calls out Finn Balor. KO claims that he never lost because he was never pinned. Seth Rollins was never meant to be in the match. He was screwed and he demands a rematch. Mick Foley initially says no, but Stephanie McMahon overrules him and believes a rematch is best for business. That match takes place tonight.

Getting Personal

In the main event of Raw, Finn Balor successfully defends the Universal title against Kevin Owens. He was able to fight off interference from Chris Jericho, countering a Pop-Up Powerbomb into a flash pinfall. Finn Balor is looking ahead at new challengers, but Owens has other ideas.

Next week’s Raw cold opens with a vicious assault by Kevin Owens on Finn Balor. Chris Jericho has barricaded a door and is holding off security trying to rush in and help. Owens bludgeons Balor with a chain-wrapped hand, painting Finn’s face with his own blood. “Do you like your new face paint Finn?! Huh?” Screams Owens as he continues to whoop Balor’s ass. Eventually, security manage to break through the blockade and restrain him. Kevin Owens is escorted out of the arena by security at the orders of Mick Foley. Finn Balor is taken away in an ambulance.

Chris Jericho comes out later in the show and relays a message on behalf of his best friend. No one deserves to be Universal champion more than Kevin Owens. An Irish idiot art project being world champion is a disgrace to this company. Kevin Owens is a real, legitimate badass who can beat up anyone he wants to. He expects Finn Balor to be too injured to defend his championship. When that title is vacated, Owens demands to be gifted the championship that he deserves.

The Demon Rises

On the 10th October edition of Raw, Kevin Owens is harassing Mick Foley for an update on Finn Balor. Foley is refusing to give him information and tells Owens that he will not be awarded the Universal championship. Owens threatens to go over his head and talk to Stephanie McMahon, who is married to the man who clearly vouches for Owens as the next big thing.

Later in the show, Kevin Owens heads to the ring for a promo. KO continues to mock and ridicule Finn Balor until the champ’s music starts playing. The crowd erupts as they expect to see Finn Balor, but out comes a face-painted Chris Jericho doing a parody of Finn’s entrance. Kevin Owens says Chris looks ridiculous and Jericho agrees. Y2J mocks the idea of face paint somehow giving Balor “Demon Powers”. He does not believe in the power of the Demon. It is just some silly indie gimmick that will never get over in WWE.

Then, we hear the heart beat. The arena pulses with red lights. The arena fills up with smoke. An ambulance reverses out to the entrance way. The music builds and the beating gets faster until it reaches the guitar break down. ‘The Demon’ Finn Balor kicks down the rear door of the ambulance and emerges from the smoke. He slowly makes his way to the ring, stalking his enemies. Kevin Owens, who has previous experience with the demon, has rolled out of the ring and fled through the crowd. Chris Jericho is skeptical and is still stood in the ring. Once he realises Owens has fled, he begins to panic a little. He runs at Balor but he is dropped with a sling blade. Finn Balor hits the dropkick and the Coupe De Grace on Jericho and stands tall.

Hell in a Cell

The following week we get a chilling vignette from ‘The Demon’. He talks about how the Demon is the embodiment of the darkness within. We live our lives resisting urges, not giving in to temptation and being the best version of ourselves. Whilst we walk around wearing a mask, we bury our true nature deep inside and it manifests into a dark energy. At Hell in a Cell, inside of the unforgiving structure, Finn Balor promises to showcase the full power of The Demon and unleash hell.

The go-home Raw before Hell in a Cell shows Finn Balor and Kevin Owens getting into a wild brawl all over the show. In the ring, out the ring, backstage, in the crowds. There is no boundaries for these 2 rivals. Eventually a bunch of security manage to keep them a part, tensions are at an all-time high ahead of their match.

Finn Balor vs Kevin Owens inside Hell in a Cell opens the show, with the women’s Hell in a Cell still going on last. Balor and Owens indeed put each other through a violent war over the Universal championship. Chris Jericho manages to steal the keys and break into the Cell and help his ally but it was still not enough. The power of the Demon is far too great for both of them. Balor finds a perch high up on the Cell wall and hits a Super Coup De Grace through Owens, through a table and retains the championship.

Elsewhere on the show:

Chapter Three: Survivor Series

Too Sweet

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan represent Smackdown and they challenge Raw to a series of brand vs brand matches at the Survivor Series. Whilst most of this card can remain the same, there is one crucial change I would make. There should be a WWE champion vs Universal champion match here. Why? Because not only is Finn Balor still world champion, but so is AJ Styles. Former leaders of the once highly coveted Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

During a Smackdown invasion of Raw, AJ Styles crosses paths with Finn Balor. They do not come to blows, they stand face to face. Balor and Styles exchange heated words and it looks like they’re about to trade blows, but they are both separated by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Gallows & Anderson have respect and a level of loyalty towards both men and do not want to see it erupt in a conflict.

Over the following weeks in the lead up to Survivor Series, AJ Styles and Finn Balor get into a war of words over their time in New Japan. AJ Styles takes credit for Bullet Club becoming the massive success it was, taking the faction to heights Balor could not. Balor disagrees and believes AJ capitalised off of Balor’s greatness. Balor calls AJ undeniably great, but he lost his shine thanks to his final years in TNA and used Balor’s Bullet Club to return to relevancy. Gallows & Anderson try to play peacemaker between both men but it doesn’t go over very well. Styles makes a joke about how no one even remembers that Karl Anderson was ever a leader of Bullet Club. It appears that Gallows and Anderson may have to pick a side in this fight.

For Life

Finn Balor vs AJ Styles is the penultimate match at Survivor Series, no ‘Demon’. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are stood watching ringside. The champions wrestle a 20+ minute banger full of call backs to their time in Japan. Finn Balor hits AJ with his own finisher. Styles hits Balor with the One Winged Angel, the finisher of current Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega. Finn hits Styles with a Milano-saku Dodon’s Throne, the finisher of one of his former allies and biggest rivals in Japan, Ryusuke Taguchi. AJ hits Finn with the Kinshasa, the finisher of one of his biggest rivals Shinsuke Nakamura. The match goes to a stalemate and the referee is knocked down.

Anderson & Gallows, who are heels at this point in time, appear conflict as they both grab Balor and Style’s respective championships. They tease sliding it to either man, AJ seems willing to accept it but they decide against it and throw the titles away. Styles and Balor will settle things in a fair one on one. Balor and Styles go back and forth a little more until finally Finn Balor hits the Coup De Grace and defeats AJ Styles. After the match AJ looks displeased, but Gallows & Anderson try to calm him down. Balor extends a handshake to Styles, but the WWE champion kicks it away. Instead, Styles holds up the ‘Two Sweet’ gesture into the air.

Balor, Styles, Gallows & Anderson all ‘Too Sweet’ each other and pose to the crowd. This can begin a slow and eventual face turn for Styles, Gallows and Anderson. (This could also set up a future reunion for all 4 men to make a new WWE version of Bullet Club. But that is another fantasy booking for another day.)

Chapter Four: Roadblock

In Demand

On the 21st November edition of Raw, Finn Balor comes out for a promo but he is interrupted by the US champion, Roman Reigns. Roman credits Balor’s run as Universal champion so far and he has beaten a few of Raw’s top guys. However, none of his challengers are Roman Reigns. Finn Balor reminds Roman that he defeated him to earn a shot at the Universal championship in the first place. Roman acknowledges that, which is why he has an offer for Balor. In exchange for a shot at the Universal title, Roman will put his US championship on the line. Finn Balor initially accepts but Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho take issue with this.

Owens again believes that he is the only one deserving of being the world champion. Whilst Owens wants the Universal title. Chris Jericho has his eyes set on a championship that has eluded him throughout his career, the US championship. Seth Rollins attacks Kevin Owens and they get into a brawl. These 2 men have been feuding over the past couple of months since Clash of Champions. In the main event of Raw, Seth Rollins defeats Kevin Owens.

The Gift of Jericho

On the following episode of Raw, Chris Jericho gets an assist from Kevin Owens to defeat Roman Reigns and become the new US champion. Afterwards, Chris Jericho asks if Finn Balor still wants to wrestle for the US championship, because he is willing to offer the same deal that Roman Reigns did. Stephanie McMahon does not see why not and she names Chris Jericho the number 1 contender. Mick Foley did not like that, but Kevin Owens hated this even more.

Kevin Owens accuses Jericho of being selfish and going after the Universal title himself, but Jericho says this is all part of his master plan. Later on in the show, Chris Jericho says that he has changed his mind about challenging for the Universal title. He is content being the US champion and he donates his number 1 contender status to his best friend, Kevin Owens. The besties hug in the ring and Owens is elated that he has another opportunity.

Roman Reigns says although he lost his US championship, the match with Balor was for him and he still feels deserving of that match. Seth Rollins interrupts him and pushes past Roman. Rollins calls this entire situation a scandal. Kevin Owens does not deserve another match, Rollins has beaten him therefore he should be the next contender. All 4 men get into a heated argument and they get into a fight. Owens & Jericho work together, so Roman & Seth team up to beat up both of them. Seth Rollins teases going for the stomp again, but he gets speared by Roman Reigns. They are far from friends. The show ends with Mick Foley trying to maintain order.

Fighting Champion

Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley demand order and professionalism from their top stars. McMahon comes to a decision that Chris Jericho was the contender, but he relinquished it to Kevin Owens, so he is the contender. Mick Foley takes a stand as General Manager. Roman Reigns was the initial challenger, whilst Seth Rollins has beaten Kevin Owens therefore they deserve the opportunity. Finn Balor comes out and he considers himself a fighting champion. Why not all of them? The match is made official for Roadblock: End of the Line. Finn Balor will defend the Universal championship in a Fatal Five-Way match.

The remaining episodes of Raw see the five men face of in various singles matches or promo segments. One from Finn Balor talks about the overwhelming task at hand. He must defeat 4 of the best wrestlers not just on Raw but in the whole of wrestling. This task might be too much for any normal man…but not for a demon. Signalling the return of the persona.

End of The Line

The Fatal Five-Way is the expected chaos. Here are just a handful of spots that I think would be really cool to see:

Kevin Owens gets speared by Roman Reigns and he tumbles to the outside. Roman and Jericho go at it, with the latter coming out on top. Jericho hits the Lionsault and looks to the outside. Owens is down and struggling to get up. Jericho decides to hit the codebreaker on Roman and go for the pin, but Reigns kicks out. Kevin Owens has pulled his head up to the apron and he watched Jericho try and get the win.

Eventually Kevin Owens gets back into the ring and he argues with Chris Jericho. He calls him selfish and how this was all part of his master plan to become world champion again. Jericho claims he was trying to win the match for him and he would have gave him the title afterwards. Their argument gets more heated, but before anything can happen Finn Balor dives in with a shotgun dropkick. Jericho collides with Owens who falls out the ring. Balor hits another dropkick then the Coup De Grace to retain his championship.

Chapter Five: Royal Rumble

December 19th Raw, Finn Balor comes out and celebrates his Universal championship success. He thanks the fans for their support because he couldn’t reach this level without them behind him. Before Balor leaves, he is confronted by Triple H. Hunter praises Finn’s championship reign so far and he agrees with the Demon Prince. Without the support and adulation from the fans, Finn Balor would not make it as far as he has. However, there is another level that Finn Balor could reach, but under certain circumstances.

The Offer

Triple H says Seth Rollins was indeed his guy once upon a time. He thought that Rollins was the future of this business and a great figurehead for The Authority. He was proved wrong when Rollins got injured and had to lose the title. Rollins’ weakness screwed over their plans so they cut ties with him. Balor asks about Kevin Owens, is he not Triple H’s new guy. Hunter says “You all are.” Triple H has made NXT the training ground for some of the best wrestlers in the world today to enter the system that is WWE. He is incredibly proud of the place he has built and the stars who have made a name for themselves during their time there.

Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Bo Dallas, Finn Balor. All of these men became NXT champions because Triple H saw the potential in them and he brought it to the surface. Hunter takes credit for the success of all NXT alumni and he was hoping that he would be repaid for his generosity. Triple H offers Finn Balor to be the new face of the WWE and become the corporate champion. He doesn’t want an answer today. He will come back in a few weeks and offer Finn a handshake. Balor will accept it and become the face of the corporation. In the meantime, Finn Balor will experience the benefits of being associated with him.

Triple H warns Finn before he leaves, that he does not like being told no.

Over the next couple of weeks of Raw, we see Finn Balor receiving preferential treatment. He gets a large locker room with personal security and butler services. He is flying on private jets, staying in the nicest rooms in the nicest hotel. Finn is being treated like royalty. Initially Balor is enjoying the lifestyle but he notices that the rest of the roster have soured on him. Stephanie McMahon tells him to ignore them. They are all just jealous. Mick Foley advises Balor that no one likes a suck up.

Triple H Guy

Out of all the wrestlers on Raw, none of them are angrier than Seth Rollins about Finn Balor receiving the offer. Rollins tries to warn Finn that this is classic Triple H manipulation. He is using Balor so he can take credit for his success and benefit from him. What do you think will happen when you lose the Universal title? Triple H is not loyal to you, he is loyal to the company and he is loyal to himself. Finn Balor still sits on the fence. He cannot deny that the lifestyle would be beneficial for him and he does owe Triple H making him into the star he is today. Seth slaps the piss out of Finn. Triple H didn’t make anything. YOU made you.

The tensions between Balor and Rollins results in a Universal title match on the 9th of January edition of Raw. The show ends with a successful title defence for Finn Balor. Afterwards, Triple H comes out and destroys Rollins with a pedigree. He extends his hand out to Finn, but the champion does not shake it. Balor grabs a microphone and appreciates the offer, but he wants to be his own man and carve out his own path. Triple H understands and he respects Finn Balor’s decision. He reminds him though that he said he doesn’t like being told no.

Emerging from behind through the crowd is Samoa Joe. The former NXT champion locks in the Coquina Clutch on Balor and chokes him to sleep. Samoa Joe stands tall and Triple H raises his hand.

Best Friends, Better Enemies

Triple H did not expect Finn Balor to accept his offer. He hoped he might, but Balor proved to him what he already knew. Finn is a great wrestler and he has his little Demon act, but he lacks the killer instinct to make it to the next level. Samoa Joe has all of the tools and skills to be the figurehead of this company. Samoa Joe cuts what I imagine would be a brilliant promo tearing down Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and anyone who dares get in his way of becoming the next Universal champion.

The match is official for the Royal Rumble, Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor for the Universal championship. Samoa Joe advises Balor to leave behind his face paint because the presence of the Demon does not intimidate him. Joe reminds him that he he has beaten the Demon before and he will defeat any version of Balor that steps up to him at the Rumble. Finn Balor recaps the history between him and Samoa Joe. They won the Dusty Rhodes Classic together before Joe betrayed him to get his hands on the NXT championship.

Samoa Joe wins a match on Raw heading towards the Royal Rumble to showcase his dominant ability. Finn Balor warns Samoa Joe that history will not repeat itself. At the Royal Rumble, he will continue to be the Universal champion. He tells Joe that ‘The Demon’ is coming for revenge and he won’t be stopped.

Royal Rumble

At the Rumble, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe wrestle a competitive 15-20 minute match. The whole story of the match is Samoa Joe gunning for the Coquina Clutch. He makes some early attempts in the match which Balor manages to avoid or counter. Mid-way through the match Joe manages to lock it in but Balor charges backwards into a turnbuckle to break the hold. Joe applies the hold again later in the match, the only way Balor manages to escape is by flipping backwards off the turnbuckle into a pin reversal, but Joe releases the hold before the 3 count.

Samoa Joe manages to lock in the Coquina Clutch again, this time Balor cannot escape. In a last ditch effort, Balor runs to the ropes and both of the men tumble to the outside. Joe keeps it locked in on the outside Balor seemingly passes out. Samoa Joe drags Balor back in to the ring and hits a Muscle Buster, but Balor kicks out! Joe goes for another Muscle Buster, but Balor fights out of it and he hits a Coup De Grace and Joe kicks out! Balor goes for a second Coup De Grace, Joe reverses it and once again locks in the Coquina Clutch.

Finn Balor struggles and struggles, trying to break the hold anyway he can, but Joe has cinched in the submission tight. The Demon resists, but ultimately fades away in the hold. The referee stops the match. Samoa Joe has defeated Finn Balor for the Universal Championship in only his 2nd match on the main roster. One match quicker than it took Balor to win a world championship.

Chapter Six: Fastlane

Dropping the Game

Samoa Joe parades around his new Universal championship on the Raw after Royal Rumble. He says that this is the beginning of a new age in WWE. There ain’t anybody who can rip away the title from him. Out comes the winner of the 2017 Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins. Rollins congratulates Samoa Joe on his championship victory, it is a shame that it won’t last long. Seth Rollins recaps his invasion of NXT last night, in an attempt to cause trouble for Triple H. Now that he won the Royal Rumble, he cannot think of a better way to stick it to Triple H than taking the Universal title from his newest pet project.

Seth Rollins is blindsided by Triple H who attacks his former protégé. He and Joe deliver a beat down. Hunter asks for his sledgehammer and prepares to take him out with it, but out comes Finn Balor. Triple H offers a handshake and tells him it is not too late to make a deal. This is a distraction for Samoa Joe to run at Balor with the title, but Finn counters with a sling blade. Balor takes out Joe and he waits for Triple H to turn around. HHH turns around into a shotgun dropkick and Finn Balor crushes him with a Coup De Grace to end Raw.

Unlikely Allies

Finn Balor admits that he has a lot to thank Triple H for in WWE, but that does not mean he owes him anything. Seth Rollins was right. Triple H was trying to manipulate him and benefit from Balor, not build him up and support him. If Samoa Joe is happy being Triple H’s bitch to make it in WWE, then all power to him, but Finn does things differently. Samoa Joe storms out and says that he is nobodies bitch. He made Finn Balor his bitch at the Royal Rumble and he will do it again tonight if Finn keeps talking. Finn Balor is more than happy to run it back once more if Joe wants to put the title on the line. Joe accepts and that match happens later on tonight.

Backstage, Triple H tries to scold Samoa Joe for making title matches without his knowledge. Samoa Joe cuts him off and says that he will do whatever he wants to do, because who is going to stop him? Later that night, Samoa Joe and Finn Balor wrestle their rematch and it is a good one. Finn Balor makes the climb for the Coup De Grace, but Triple H appears and pushes Balor off the top rope and out to the floor. Samoa Joe doesn’t look too happy but he joins Triple H in a 2-on-1 beating.

Seth Rollins runs out and returns the favour, saving Balor from the assault but he gets dropped by a sledgehammer shot to the head. Samoa Joe chokes out Seth Rollins and feeds him to Triple H who hits a pedigree.

Tag Team Warfare

Ahead of Fastlane, Seth Rollins is still campaigning for a match with Triple H. Hunter however, proposes something a little different. Since Rollins and Balor are trying to be buddies to each other now, why don’t they team up to take on Triple H and Samoa Joe at Fastlane. Seth Rollins doesn’t seem enthusiastic but he is interrupted by Finn Balor who accepts the match. Rollins tries to tell Balor that this does not involve him and he doesn’t need to do this. Finn has unfinished business with Samoa Joe and he does not like how Triple H tried to use him.

Triple H promises to deliver a beating on Rollins he has never experienced. Rollins won’t even make it to Wrestlemania. Triple H remembers that Finn Balor attacked him. He is owed a receipt. Hunter warns Balor that he has a lot of strings he can pull to make his life a living hell. At Fastlane, Finn Balor will experience first hand what nightmares await him.

Fastlane

Fastlane is main evented by Universal Champion Samoa Joe & Triple H vs Finn Balor & Seth Rollins. Joe and Balor start the match, throwing it back to their many encounters together thus far. Seth Rollins tags in and we get a mini taster of what we can expect from their match at Wrestlemania. Finn Balor gets back in as Triple H is tagged in. Balor uses his quickness to stay in control but a cheap shot by Joe allows Triple H to take advantage.

Balor is beaten down for a long time until Balor manages a tag to Rollins who can finally get his hands on Triple H properly. Together, Balor & Rollins turn the tide against their opponents. Seth Rollins throws a ‘suck it’ taunt at Triple H before dropping him with a pedigree. Finn Balor climbs up and hits the Coup De Grace. However, Samoa Joe wipes out the referee so no pinfall can be counted. Finn Balor drops Samoa Joe and goes to hit him with a Coup De Grace. Suddenly, the lights go out.

BONG

The lights come back and The Undertaker is stood in the ring. He goozles him by the throat and drops him with a Super Chokeslam from the top rope. The Undertaker has a chokeslam for Seth Rollins too. Taker drops Balor with a Tombstone Piledriver before the lights go out again.

BONG

The Undertaker disappears, Triple H crawls over and makes the pinfall and wins for his team.

Chapter Seven: Wrestlemania 33

Worth mentioning that I wouldn’t have The Undertaker return at the 2017 Royal Rumble. He doesn’t need to be a part of that.

The Demon vs The Phenom

The Undertaker is pretty much impossible to turn heel, but I want to present him as the heel against Finn Balor for this feud. Taker comes out on Raw and simply justifies his appearance at Fastlane as doing a favour for a friend, Triple H. On top of that, The Undertaker has been interested in Finn Balor’s career since he rocked up in NXT. He has heard stories of this dark and mysterious Demon that lurks within him.

The Undertaker calls The Demon cute. That might be a manifestation of darkness within Finn Balor, but The Undertaker IS the darkness. He IS the manifestation of evil. The Undertaker is an eternal force, not just a party trick to pull out for special occasions. Finn Balor comes out and thinks it is ironic what Undertaker just said, considering The Undertaker can only show up to work once a year now. Balor says that it was inevitable that this meeting would happen. It was about time The Demon met The Phenom.

Finn Balor reminds The Undertaker that for over 2 decades people have been underestimating the power of The Undertaker. Many of stepped up to him, not believing the unstoppable power that he possesses. Finn warns Taker to not do the same to him. The Demon is very real and if he was around 3 years ago, he would have been the one to end the Wrestlemania streak. The Undertaker casts doubt on that, but he offers Balor a chance to prove him wrong.

23-2?

The match is booked for Wrestlemania 33 between The Undertaker and Finn Balor. I would make it a No Disqualification match too, gives both men more freedom to work. The remaining weeks of TV ahead of Wrestlemania sees The Undertaker and The Demon trade spooky promos. The main theme of this feud is how The Undertaker simply does not believe that the Demon is anything close to the power and the character of the Undertaker.

The Undertaker and ‘Demon’ Finn Balor go to war in the penultimate match of Wrestlemania 33. Taker is significantly bigger and stronger than Balor so he is on powerful offence a lot in this match. Balor relies more on his speed and agility to outmanoeuvre the Deadman. Finn also uses various weapons to try and wear down Taker but he is more resilient than anyone he has ever faced.

The Undertaker unloads his entire offence on The Demon, but is unable to put him away. A Last Ride, a chokeslam, the tombstone piledriver. Finn Balor manages to kick out of it all. Undertaker even locks in his Hell’s Gate submission, which Balor manages to flip into a bridge pin for a near fall. Undertaker is shocked at the power and resilience of the Demon. Similarly, Balor exhausts his move set and is unable to put Undertaker away. Eventually though, Finn Balor puts a chair on Taker’s chest and drives him with one last Coup De Grace. Finn Balor pins the Undertaker in a monumental victory for him.

After his loss, The Undertaker acknowledges Finn Balor as a formidable force before disappearing, allowing Balor to celebrate his moment. ‘The Demon’ Finn Balor is the 2, in 23-2.

Wrestlemania 33 Card

Of course with the booking I have done, a lot of changes will have been made to the Wrestlemania 33 card. Here are some of the matches that would feature on the show.

The End

How did I do? What other fantasy bookings would you like to see? Make sure to drop a comment with your recommendations for future bookings.

Earlier this month, I fantasy booked Jeff Jarrett if he remained in WWE for the final years of the Monday Night Wars. Check it out!