Forecasting Finn Balor's Best Feud for WWE Payback 2017 After Injury

Finn Balor's return to WWE after months on the sidelines recovering from a devastating shoulder injury was halted during the April 10 episode of Raw, when he was concussed following a stiff forearm to the face, courtesy of Jinder Mahal. Suddenly, his status for the Payback pay-per-view has been called into question.

What should be the former NXT champion's first opportunity to wow audiences on a live WWE Network broadcast since his show-stealing performance at last August's SummerSlam may be yet another extravaganza missed for the leader of The Balor Club.

It would be a shame if that were the case, especially given the amount of energy and effort he put forth to get back into the squared circle.

Presuming he can return in time to compete at Payback, his path to the event still is not crystal clear.

At one point, it appeared as though he may be on a collision course with United States champion Kevin Owens. With the Quebecer slated to battle Chris Jericho and now the exclusive property of SmackDown Live, that no longer appears to be possible.

Samoa Joe is destined to throw down with Seth Rollins, Mahal is no longer with the red brand and teased rival Bray Wyatt is busy competing for the WWE Championship against Randy Orton in what could well be a comically bad House of Horrors match.

So what is the best feud for Balor should he be ready and able to compete on April 30?

There would be no finer way to re-establish Balor as one of the top babyfaces in WWE than by pairing him with the company's most effective heel.

The Miz

The short turnaround between the Superstar Shake-up and Payback makes it almost impossible for there to be a lengthy, layered rivalry between Balor and The Hollywood A-lister. Thankfully, there does not need to be in order for the Superstars to deliver a match fans can easily invest in on short notice.

The Miz is arguably the best heel in professional wrestling.

A master craftsman with an ability to poke at the nerves of every Superstar and fan, he is a throwback to the days when heels were heels and did not care about being perceived as cool or hip. He draws heat and proceeds to take his comeuppance as well, if not better, than any other villain in the industry.

With no clear direction for him and wife Maryse ahead of the upcoming spectacular, unleashing him on Balor would be a fine way for WWE Creative to give two potential marquee Superstars something valuable to do at the event.

Miz has never shied away from shooting on a prospective opponent, delivering tongue-lashings that are based in reality and dripping with controversy. Having the former intercontinental champion poke fun at Balor's injury history, perhaps equating him to glass or referring to him as "brittle" to generate heat, would be an effective way to kickstart their story.

The potential images to come out of that match would be worth the effort alone.

Imagine Miz and his lovely wife's look of sheer terror as Balor unleashes The Demon on the WWE Universe at Payback, stalking toward the ring for his first pay-per-view appearance in eight months. How about him unloading with a series of stiff kicks to the body of his opponent, similar to the ones Miz uses to mock SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan?

The potential for a fun match that puts Balor over while continuing to build on Miz's incredible heel heat is high and would be worth the brief amount of time put into setting it up.

The Aftermath

There would be none.

WWE Creative has already suggested that the post-Payback direction it is heading in with Balor is a showdown with Wyatt. The Reaper of Souls announced his intention to go after the former Universal champion on Monday, and following his WWE Championship match with Orton, expect that to ensue.

No, The Miz would not provide Balor with a long-term program of any kind, but it would present him with an opportunity to compete against an established character fans hate, promising a red-hot crowd for his first venture back on to WWE pay-per-view.

This is all assuming he can compete.

In order for that to happen, Balor will have to pass WWE's ImPACT Concussion Management Program, which states: "If the post-injury ImPACT results are not comparable with the talent's baseline test, then that WWE Talent will not be cleared until he/she retakes the ImPACT test. Repeat ImPACT tests are usually administered two-three days after the first post-injury ImPACT test."

Potential follow-up neuropsychological evaluations with a physician will follow as necessary.

There are hurdles between Balor and a return to the squared circle in time for Payback. It will not be easy and could prove impossible. If not, though, a brief program and consequent match with The Miz would be the perfect way to reintegrate the leader of The Balor Club into the championship hunt.