Demon Rising: Booking Finn Balor's Path to Contending for WWE Universal Title

Finn Balor belongs in the WWE Universal Championship picture.

He's a magnetic star with video-game agility. He's one of Raw's hottest talents. And he has a built-in storyline to surge back into that spot as no one actually defeated him for that title—he vacated it due to injury.

But how does WWE get him from where he stands now to facing off with Brock Lesnar?

Survivor Series, the Royal Rumble in January and victories on Raw will be key. The goal needs to be to show off his ability while providing images of him being mighty.

It looked as if WWE was going in that direction when Balor knocked off AJ Styles at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on Sunday. But then he followed that huge win with a loss to 50-year-old Kane on Raw the next night.

That's not a career-derailing victory, but The Demon King could certainly use rehabbing of his aura afterward.

That process should lead to a showdown with Lesnar in the coming months.  

In a recent interview with Metro writer Martin Hines, Balor expressed his desire to go after The Beast Incarnate. "I don't shy away from a fight for one second and I would absolutely love to be in there with Brock Lesnar," he said.

To get to that point, Balor needs career-defining moments, and that could easily start with how he does at the upcoming pay-per-view.

Extraordinary Survivor

Survivor Series is a prime opportunity to showcase Balor and make it clear how special he is.

A battle between brands is on the way at the Nov. 19 event. Randy Orton has already earned his spot on the SmackDown squad. The rest of the teams will be decided soon.

Balor being on the Raw side is a no-brainer. Having him tear through Team Blue come Survivor Series is a wise move. Should he be the one to eliminate guys like Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and Styles, he's going to emerge from that event on fire.

Making him Raw's sole survivor would be the icing on the proverbial cake.

WWE used this method to elevate Orton early in his career. The Viper came out of those matches looking like a man tough to take down, a warrior to be reckoned with. That's the same aura Balor needs.

Every Monday Another Win

Following his big performance at Survivor Series, Balor shouldn't be bogged down with a feud. Instead, he should focus on climbing the Raw ranks.

He can do that by taking on and toppling a new foe each week. 

In addition to low-card guys like Curtis Axel, Balor should beat bigger bruisers like Luke Gallows and Sheamus. Seeing The Demon King outlast more powerful opponents would be a good precursor to an eventual clash with Lesnar.

Credit: WWE.com

And rather than fully delve back into the off-kilter narrative he had going with Bray Wyatt, he should finish off that feud with a Street Fight and be done with it. It won't help the Irishman to tangle with Wyatt's Sister Abigail alter-ego. Walloping Wyatt with a steel chair and standing over his fallen body, though, will help him enter the next phase of his journey hot.

Balor Charging Through the Bracket

As 2017 approaches and Lesnar still holds tight to the Universal Championship, WWE can build excitement for the Royal Rumble and give Raw plenty of quality material with one move: set up a tournament to decide the next No. 1 contender for the Universal Championship.

The December episodes of Raw would suddenly have a number of high-stakes matches on the docket.

As for Balor, he'd get a chance to continue to catch fire. Making his way through the bracket and finishing off with another win against Roman Reigns would be huge for him.

Credit: WWE.com

The Demon King would not only have a string of wins on his resume, but with the right foe (Seth Rollins, Cesaro?), he could deliver a barnburner or two to remind us of how electric he is in the ring.

Face to Face with The Beast

Once the inaugural universal champ earns his shot at his old title back, WWE has to work on making Balor a believable challenger.

Thriving at Survivor Series and winning the No. 1 contender's tourney will help in that regard, but the audience also needs to see concrete evidence that Balor could stand toe to toe with The Beast Incarnate.

A standoff between champion and challenger would see the Irishman show no fear against his monstrous rival. 

As things turn violent, Lesnar would whip Balor around the ring and smash him into the security barricade. The champ could F-5 through a table to put an exclamation point on it all.

That's when WWE can show off Balor's heart and guts. It could have him emerge from that wreckage and stagger over to Lesnar, looking to continue the fight. 

Lesnar would be stunned to see the babyface still coming at him. And just before officials step in to quell the brawl, Balor would land a flying kick to the head that leaves the powerhouse loopy. 

That image would help plant the idea that Balor has a puncher's chance when he enters the upcoming Universal Championship match.

And win or lose at the Royal Rumble, he would move forward with far more momentum than he has now. He would be a contender, a warrior, a man closing in on the gold that slipped from his grasp last summer.