Best Booking Options for Finn Balor's Potential WWE Raw Debut

When WWE Raw descends on the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on Monday night, fans will be surging with anticipation, wondering whether Finn Balor will arrive and just how he will fit into this new landscape. 

The longest-reigning NXT champion ever isn't confirmed to be at the show or even make the move to the main roster. Yet there are enough signs to read into and teases out there to have the audience abuzz with speculation.

Should Balor show up on Monday's Raw, WWE would be wise to lay the first bricks on his road to the spotlight. Create hype for his arrival. Craft subplots right away. Send him charging toward contention.

As Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald tweeted, the company needs to have Balor's long-term direction in mind:

Some of the rumblings about Balor making his way to Raw are due to the fact that Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are now WWE Superstars. Both men were Balor's former teammates when they ruled New Japan Pro Wrestling as the Bullet Club. Thoughts of a reformation are on many a mind.

Balor is no longer NXT champion, either, having been dethroned unexpectedly at a non-televised event, adding to the speculation. At a live show in Lowell, Massachusetts, last week, Balor lost the NXT Championship to Samoa Joe.

But really, it was Balor himself who put it in fans' heads that he was headed to Raw. Fan Connor JA caught a video of the Irishman addressing fans after his loss to Joe. Balor told the crowd, "See you all on Monday."

Kevin Owens further stirred up speculation when he tweeted Balor a welcome message:

"

@wwebalor See you soon, buddy.

— Kevin Owens (@FightOwensFight) April 22, 2016"

Balor, however, seemed to backtrack soon after. During a house show in Poughkeepsie, New York, he said, "Finn Balor is NXT. And I'm staying in NXT."

That doesn't rule out Balor's earlier tease leading to his Raw debut. Sami Zayn appeared on both Raw and NXT briefly. Kevin Owens was still NXT champ when he made his first appearance on the Monday night marquee show.

If the time is now for Balor to soar onto the main roster, WWE has a trio of strong ways to introduce him.

A Glimpse of the Demon

WWE has too often underutilized the introductory vignette. That has hurt newcomers like Apollo Crews and Tyler Breeze. Fans not familiar with their work at NXT weren't sure who these guys were.

To make Balor's debut bigger and subsequently signal that he's a major star, WWE should hype his arrival before it happens.

Rather than actually having Balor wrestle on Raw, WWE could show a clip of him talking about who he is, along with a video package of highlights and sound bites. That's a surefire way to get fans excited about what's to come.

The timing of the video would help, too. Having it air just before Payback, and just as former Bullet Club member AJ Styles is involved in a story in which Gallows and Anderson are lurking, would make the audience wonder if this is where Balor gets involved.

This route would allow Balor to still compete at NXT for now as WWE sets the stage for his move to the main roster.

Showcase His Skills, Foreshadow His Initial Goal

The standard way to welcome NXT stars has been to have them make a surprise appearance and win a mostly one-sided match. That method could work for Balor, especially if the bout is a high-quality one and WWE teases his next step during the process.

WWE could have Tyler Breeze walk out to the ring to discuss how frustrated he is with his record of late. In this scenario, he talks about wanting to make his mark by beating a big name and makes an open challenge. In walks Balor.

The two would likely have a strong showing. Some of Breeze's best work at NXT came against Balor. 

The Irishman could dominate his old foe after wowing the crowd with some of his athletic arsenal.

Then to have the audience looking forward to what's ahead, Balor could bump into The Miz on the way up the entrance ramp. After staring down the intercontinental champ, Balor can point at the title and smile. With Cesaro closing in on winning that title, it's easy to get excited about The King of Swing defending against Balor in the near future.

This debut would give fans an early impression of Balor through his ring work. It's a solid, fun route, but it wouldn't make him feel as big of a star as having him play into the WWE title narrative instead.

Complicating Styles vs. Reigns

WWE knows the appeal of reprising a Bullet Club angle. It has already printed up Balor Club T-shirts that hearken back his time in the group. And Gallows and Anderson's recent interactions with Styles (who also led The Bullet Club) have hinted at a possible reunion.

The Phenomenal One, though, seems hesitant to let the two powerhouses do his dirty work again. Maybe he's intent on remaining a babyface, and his old teammates are set to turn on him. 

Balor's part in all this is could be to turn heel, join Gallows and Anderson and trample on Styles. Andrew Watkins of Today's Knockout wrote, "Suppose Anderson and Gallows swerve Styles and cost him his match with Reigns at the direction of Balor. That could lead to a white-hot summer program between the two."

That would indeed be a fun feud. And toying with and tying in their pre-WWE past as the company has done with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is a smart move. The company already has a foundation to build on.

That clash between former Bullet Club head men can't happen yet, however.

That's an angle that should play out under the brighter lights of Payback. For Monday night, WWE could instead foreshadow that.

Balor could surprise Roman Reigns by meeting him in the ring. The former NXT champ could then announce his intention of making his name at the WWE level and taking out whoever is in the way.

The audience would be left unsure of what to expect at Payback. Visions of Balor joining forces with Styles or taking out both him and Reigns with Gallows and Anderson's help would swirl in fans' minds. 

This angle would put him in the limelight right away. It would give him instant momentum.

And it would do what Balor is so skilled at doing on social media—teasing that something major is on the horizon.