Finn Balor Returns from Shoulder Surgery at WWE Raw in Buffalo

After being out with a shoulder injury since August, Finn Balor made his in-ring return to WWE during Friday's Raw house show in Buffalo, New York.

WWE tweeted out video of Balor at the event:

Balor's return marks the culmination of what was a tumultuous seven months for the WWE Superstar. He was on top of the world in August, becoming the first WWE universal champion by defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. 

The next night, though, Balor was forced to relinquish the title on Raw after it was revealed he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery. 

While Balor did miss out on several marquee events, including January's Royal Rumble, his return does put him in the mix for a match at WrestleMania 33. 

The top of the WrestleMania card on the Raw side looks set, highlighted by Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg for the universal title. The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns hasn't officially been announced, but it is clearly the direction after Undertaker chokeslammed Reigns on Raw this week. 

Seth Rollins suffered a knee injury in January but will reportedly be ready for WrestleMania with a match against Triple H, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer (h/t Jack Jorgensen of Fox Sports).

With those names off the board, Balor's opponent at WrestleMania could be Samoa Joe, who was recently promoted to the Raw roster from NXT.

Regardless of what direction WWE decides to go with Balor, having him back adds to the roster depth during the most important time of the year for the company. It also gives WWE plenty of storylines to play with leading up to and past WrestleMania.