Why Bray Wyatt Feud Is Crushing Finn Balor's Momentum on WWE Raw

At SummerSlam 2017, Finn Balor decisively defeated Bray Wyatt in one-on-one action, but if their interaction on WWE Raw this past Monday was any indication, their feud is far from over.

Of course, this provides both men with a sense of direction for the foreseeable future, but it is crushing Balor's momentum more than it is advancing it at the moment. Nothing they have done together up to this point has been compelling in the slightest, which is why their program should have concluded at SummerSlam last Sunday.

Their first singles match against each other occurred on the Aug. 14 edition of Raw, and there was nothing out of the ordinary about the outing. Balor and Wyatt contested a better bout when they waged war for a second time at SummerSlam, but the contest still lacked intensity and excitement in addition to ending abruptly.

Unless they are given some sort of stipulation match to work with, it isn't likely that their third battle will be any more memorable than the previous two. Furthermore, Balor beating Wyatt is virtually guaranteed, yet that victory won't mean much because Wyatt has zero credibility.

Basically, this program isn't benefiting either individual, and their No Mercy match won't change matters. Worse yet, it is dragging down Balor when he should be competing against the elite in the main event scene where he belongs.

Credit: WWE.com

Balor returned to the ring after a long layoff on the post-WrestleMania edition of Raw, receiving a raucous reaction from the live crowd. Unfortunately, WWE failed to follow up on that and instead relegated him to wrestling in meaningless matches for the next several months.

A storyline with Wyatt was teased back in mid-April, but it didn't officially materialize until late July. On paper, it appeared to be a cool combo given their similar enigmatic personas, but Wyatt's track record of uninspiring rivalries in 2017 didn't bode well for their feud.

Sure enough, they didn't have the chemistry fans expected them to, and their program has been largely lethargic in recent weeks. While it has kept both men busy, it hasn't done anything to launch Balor back into the Universal Championship picture.

The idea when Balor was forced to relinquish the title due to injury last summer was that he would challenge for the championship as soon as he resurfaced, but that has yet to be the case. Granted, Brock Lesnar has had a stranglehold on the strap since WrestleMania 33, but a Lesnar vs. Balor match would be fresh and has the potential to be entertaining.

Once Balor finishes his feud with Wyatt, he should set his sights on the Universal title, but it remains to be seen whether he will still be as hot of a commodity by that point.

Aside from a short-lived WWE Championship run earlier this year, Wyatt has done little to evolve as a character this year. As talented of a talker as he is, he has been booked so inconsistently that it is difficult for fans to buy into him as a believable threat.

Consequently, everything he is involved in is almost instantly considered a waste of time by fans because the end result is never in doubt. He will continue to target random members of the roster and say the same things about them but never actually back up his claims.

Until he executes a face turn or undergoes a significant character overhaul, Wyatt might as well be damaged goods, which is why Balor needs to escape this program unscathed while he can. He can not afford to fade off into obscurity the same way Wyatt has as of late, given his untapped potential as a performer.

With Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins joining the tag team ranks and John Cena and Roman Reigns squaring off at No Mercy, there is no better time for Balor to emerge as a top-tier babyface on Raw than right now. He can always be counted on for quality matches when in the ring with the right opponent, but unfortunately, he hasn't been able to bring the best out of Bray Wyatt.

Balor has become an afterthought on the flagship show thanks to his feud with Wyatt, so the sooner it can culminate, the better off Balor will be.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.