Finn Balor: Analyzing Best Potential Feuds for New NXT Champion

When Finn Balor launched himself off the top rope and landed feet-first on the midsection of Kevin Owens with the Coup de Grace, then covered for the count of three and was announced the new NXT champion, he realized a dream.

It is a dream he had of coming to the United States and achieving the same sort of success he did in his native land of Ireland, then in Japan as the founder and leader of Bullet Club. It was a dream enhanced by the allure of championship gold and recognition as a true international icon.

Thanks to a roster full of young, hungry and driven stars determined to take the NXT Championship from him, that dream may very well turn into a nightmare.

Now that Owens has departed for the main roster, Balor is left to carry the mantle as the face of NXT. As such, every Superstar from Tye Dillinger to Samoa Joe will be waiting in line to challenge him for the top prize in the industry.

But which feuds are best for the new NXT champion? Which will strengthen his title reign? And who should be the contenders to step up and try to turn that dream of championing an entire brand into a nightmare?

Credit: WWE.com

Samoa Joe

Joe has been chasing after Owens from the moment he debuted in NXT. Unfortunately, unless Owens continues to pull double-duty, it looks as though that rivalry will go unsettled.

What better way to keep Joe a hot commodity than by immediately positioning him opposite of Balor, his top contender and the first man to test the Demon? 

Joe and Balor have styles that would complement each other between the ropes. Better yet is that Joe would be best served in this role. He would be allowed to wow the audience with his physically dominant style while the champion would be asked to fight from underneath, something he has excelled at thus far in his NXT career.

Add to that the legitimacy Balor's title reign would inherit from battling someone with the credibility Joe has garnered over the course of his career, and this is a no-brainer.

Credit: WWE.com

Hideo Itami

Did anyone else notice the smug, unimpressed look on Hideo Itami's face as he almost mockingly applauded Balor's NXT Championship victory at Beast In The East?

OK, so maybe this writer is investing too much into what may have been an innocent show of respect by one Superstar to someone he considers a friend.

But what better way to reintroduce Itami when he finally returns to the ring than by turning him heel? After all, his babyface character was fairly one-dimensional. Couple that with the fact Balor won the title in his home country of Japan, while he was forced to watch from ringside, and you have motivation for an angrier Itami than the NXT fans have ever seen before.

The few instances fans have seen Itami and Balor square off with each other have served as a nice appetizer for what they would be capable of with more time and a higher-profile spot on the card. A definitive feud is exactly what they have been groomed for from the moment Triple H recruited them to enhance the NXT product.

Credit: WWE.com

Baron Corbin

This is the "outside the box" feud.

Corbin has spent nearly his entire NXT career working squash matches on television and on live specials. Fans have had zero opportunity to see what the former Arizona Cardinal is capable of. That is, unless they have attended an NXT live event in Florida, where the Lone Wolf has earned positive reviews (this one courtesy of WrestlingInc.com) for his extended ring work.

With Corbin continuing to earn heel reactions with every passing week, the fans seemingly tired of seeing the same old shtick from the former gridiron gladiator, having him oppose Balor would not only freshen things up, it would present him with the opportunity to work with one of the most talented and gifted performers in the industry.

Corbin would grow both as a character and worker, while Balor would further cement his legacy by getting quality matches out of someone who, to this point, has been largely untested in anything resembling a main event match or program.

That WWE could promote the "champion vs. unstoppable force" match they seem to cherish only strengthens the reasoning for the match to take place.