Finn Balor Will Become the Next Big Thing in the WWE

Finn Balor is one of the best recent signings the WWE has made.

The Irish professional wrestler made his name overseas, wrestling under the moniker Prince Devitt. As a former IWGP junior heavyweight champion, he’s wrestled all over the world, notably in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Balor knows how to wrestle in front of a crowd and has the ring psychology to succeed in the WWE. In fact, he’s shown his wrestling persona already in NXT.

Balor signed with the WWE on May 15, 2014. He made his debut October 23, teaming up with Hideo Itami to confront The Ascension. Since then, he’s become a huge face in NXT. He and Itami got one of the biggest reactions of NXT R Evolution when they defeated The Ascension in a tag team match.

Based on the reactions Balor generates from the NXT audience, he’s destined to be the face that rises to the top of the WWE, and he has the tools to do it.

Balor will become the next big thing in the WWE.

However, there’s a lot going against Balor, despite the fact that he's one of the best wrestlers in NXT today.

Balor will have to spend time in the NXT program. Just ask Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville, two faces who are over with the crowd and haven’t been called up yet.

Neville and Zayn engaged in a competitive feud for the NXT title, culminating with Zayn's victory. There are rumors circulating that Neville will debut soon on the main roster. According to F4WOnline.com (via Wrestlezone), Neville won’t make his debut until this spring.

Zayn, the current NXT champion, looks to be embroiled in a feud with Kevin Owens. Don’t expect him to move up to a permanent spot anytime soon.

Balor’s other problem is that he doesn’t fit the mold of the prototypical WWE Superstar. Balor is billed at 5’11” and 190 pounds. The WWE usually prefers wrestlers over the 6-foot mark.

Just look at those who have been successful recently. Guys like John Cena and Brock Lesnar enjoyed great campaigns last year. Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns are being groomed to achieve that level of success in years to come.

However, they aren’t exactly gaining new ground. Wyatt lost momentum by simply disbanding the Wyatt Family too soon. Their great faction lasted a little less than a year. Wyatt is doing fine on his own, but he would’ve been better if the family stayed together a little longer.

Reigns is a different story altogether. He’s a gifted athlete who is explosive in the ring. Unlike Wyatt, his promos have garnered criticism over time. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer (via eWrestlingNews.com) reported Vince McMahon is scripting Reigns’ promos. He also stated how some believe that’s hurting his push. If the crowd barely reacted to Reigns on live TV, I shudder to think how they’ll respond to him at WrestleMania 31.

Balor already succeeded in that regard. He knows how to captivate an audience without saying too much. His war paint symbolizes a man who stands out from everyone else. It reminds me of Sting and Jeff Hardy, among others, as men who used paint to play mind games with opponents.

Fans shouldn’t worry about his size either. Many wrestlers under 6 feet tall have achieved greatness in the WWE. Those names include legends such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. Even stars of today shine bright despite being undersized, notably Daniel Bryan.

Balor also has the distinct advantage of growing popularity. His entrance song “Catch Your Breath,” made the top 10 on iTunes' rock chart, reaching as high as No. 5. It’s a rare occurrence for a WWE song, even for one belonging to a wrestler on the main roster, so it seems Balor is doing something right.

Balor will become the next big thing in the WWE. Fans will have to wait for a while, but it’ll be worth it. Don’t be surprised if Balor's era begins as soon as next year. As he said himself, “Finn has risen.”