Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor: 5 Superstars Who Could Interfere During Match

Kevin Owens will defend his NXT title against Finn Balor on July 4’s The Beast in The East, which can be viewed only on the WWE Network.

It will mark the second time these two men will battle for championship glory and also arrives at an interesting time for both WWE Superstars.

Owens has made a name for himself on the main roster in the past few months, while Balor is taking NXT by storm. It’s a modern-day tale of the unstoppable force in Balor meeting the immovable object in Owens. Something’s got to give, folks.

However, each man doesn’t come without his enemies. Both men made plenty of adversaries during their WWE runs, meaning someone might interfere during this encounter.

Each of the following wrestlers has motive against either man, and each would stop at nothing come Saturday to make sure their enemy is squashed in Tokyo.

Without further ado, here are five superstars—and an honorable mention—who could interfere during the NXT title bout.

Honorable Mention: Brock Lesnar

Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press

Do you really expect Lesnar to just face Kofi Kingston and walk away?

It’s Lesnar’s first appearance in Japan in 10 years. The Beast will face Seth Rollins for the WWE title on July 19’s Battleground event. With all due respect to Kingston, it doesn’t make sense for Lesnar to take on this one man.

Lesnar makes an impact wherever he goes. Inserting himself into the NXT title bout could provide the eventual champion with even better positioning.

It might be a step back for Lesnar, making this scenario unlikely. But one can only dream, right?

5. Hideo Itami

Hideo Itami, the Japanese striker, is Balor’s ally and a tenacious wrestler. However, he isn’t on Saturday’s fight card.

Itami suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. He is expected to miss several months.

Frankly, Itami would likely make an appearance in his home country for this special. Maybe he helps Balor win or maybe he costs Balor his title opportunity.

One must wonder if Itami is well enough to interfere on Balor’s behalf.

4. Tyler Breeze

Tyler Breeze, the most flamboyant NXT superstar, is one of Balor’s enemies.

The two fought to become the No. 1 contender for the NXT title, with Balor coming out on top to face Owens on Saturday. That has to burn inside Breeze.

Breeze isn’t listed on the card, either. He’s not injured and is also one of NXT’s most recognizable stars.

Stopping Balor from winning would not only keep their feud going but also add an intriguing wrinkle to the NXT title picture.

3. Cesaro

The strongman from Switzerland made quite the journey this year.

He went from tag team champion to a solo act in a matter of months. Tyson Kidd, his partner, got neck surgery and will miss the remainder of the year. Cesaro’s on his own again.

Cesaro went to face John Cena, answering Cena’s United States Open Challenge. He almost won the title with the Sharpshooter, but Owens interfered. Owens laid out both men and cost Cesaro the U.S. title.

Cesaro is also not listed to face anyone on the card yet. However, he’s a strong bet to cost Owens his coveted NXT title.

2. John Cena

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The current United States champion is ready for any obstacle. Cena is also on the top of Owens’ hit list.

The two will meet at Battleground for Cena’s U.S. title. It will be the rubber match, as both men are tied at one victory apiece.

Owens also attacked Cena after costing Cesaro his opportunity. He stood over the champion on numerous occasions. Owens must clearly get under the skin of Cena.

This could mean Cena shows Owens the true meaning of disrespect. Owens wants what is Cena’s coveted prize. Cena could cost Owens his own title, and he has the best motive to do so.

1. Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe makes No. 1 on the list for few but important reasons.

For starters, Joe made his WWE debut stopping Owens from injuring Sami Zayn further at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable.

Both men fought four weeks later to a no-contest. Joe teamed with Balor to fight Owens and Rhyno, with Balor getting the victory for his team.

Joe has made a slow transition to the WWE. He’s also not on the card for this Saturday.

But he can show up and make his presence known in a heartbeat. He still wants to fight Owens again and has made it clear that nothing will stop him from doing so.

Samoa Joe is the likeliest candidate because he lets his rage consume him. Whether he interferes or not remains to be seen. We’ll have to wait for this Saturday to see how this match plays out.