Heath Slater, Finn Balor, Sheamus-Cesaro and More from the Best-of-Seven Mailbag

On the go-home show for Sunday's SummerSlam, one of WWE's biggest events of the year, one that featured the likes of Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns, it was Heath Slater who came out of nowhere to become the biggest star of the show.

Sinking their Heath into the Main Event?

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.@ThisIsNasty is it a bad thing that Heath Slater connected more to Raw audience than Finn Balor?

— The Cheeky Jobbers (@CheekyJobbers) August 16, 2016"

Heath Slater connecting more with the WWE audience than Finn Balor says more about Slater and his untapped potential.

Without a doubt, Slater is one of the top five most talented performers on the WWE roster. I'm not sure there are very many wrestlers on the roster who have the range that Slater does. Though his latest gimmick has been entertaining and filled with comedy, he managed to infuse a serious, almost heartbreaking layer to his plight as he spoke man-to-beast with Brock Lesnar about his children.

Fans are clearly getting behind Slater to land a contract, as the SmackDown Live crowd could be heard cheering when Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan offered him a contract, only to boo when it was later rescinded after a dazed Slater called Shane "Stephanie."

No WWE Superstar has been more productive with so many false starts than Slater. This time around, he has the relatable storyline of a man trying to earn a living. And though he is currently the butt of many jokes en route to an eventual contract, he is once again gaining fan support as the world's most lovable loser.

Call me crazy, but once Slater finally lands an elusive contract, WWE should consider giving him an underdog run toward a World Championship.

All He Does is Finn  

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Who do you think will walk out as the first #WWE Universal Champion at #Summerslam?

— ScreenGurus (@ScreenGurus) August 18, 2016"

After the free debut of Finn Balor's Demon King character on Raw, he almost has to win at SummerSlam, right? WWE has invested a lot of time showcasing this character, and it will all seem like a waste should he fail in his first pay-per-view match.

If Balor loses to Seth Rollins following all the fanfare of his face-painted alter ego, it would be detrimental to that character, especially considering that fans don't seem to be entirely on board yet.

WWE is in the midst of creating a new star, and in order to solidify Balor as a future money-drawing main eventer, it needs to at least continue his push by having him win the Universal Championship. There's no doubt that Balor and Rollins will have a strong wrestling match, which would only help Balor become an overnight sensation should he win.

But WWE needs to continue to emphasize the supernatural, larger-than-life elements that will intrigue more casual fans. While his promos aren't particularly weak, they certainly aren't his strength. Balor's demon character is awe-inspiring, with a spectacular entrance that adds value to WWE's live event experience. WWE needs to continue to roll with this new character and hope it catches fire.

World Series of Wrestling?

I was impressed when WWE ditched its usual 50-50 booking formula to have Cesaro go over Sheamus two weeks in a row. And while a Best-of-Seven series seems to fall right back into that pattern, it's actually an example of WWE taking a rivalry seriously.

By the end of this series, there will (hopefully) be a definitive winner, but both wrestlers can still benefit. Sheamus and Cesaro have great in-ring chemistry, and the task of out-striking one another should lead to some interesting matches.

This rare match type in WWE is exactly what each character needs right now. Sheamus, while a very strong heel, is very inconsistent when it comes to connecting with fans. Cesaro simply cannot be trusted on a microphone.

The emphasis on wrestling benefits both performers, and their series could be a weekly staple that finally adds more of an identity to the Raw brand. If I had to pick, I'll go with Cesaro in seven.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.