Samoa Joe Thriving and Finn Balor Floundering on WWE Raw

Samoa Joe's engine roars as he races down the track on WWE Raw each Monday; Finn Balor remains in a ditch off the road, his wheels spinning in the dirt.

The two former NXT champions continue to walk vastly different paths on Raw. WWE's presentation of Joe has allowed him the space to become a key component of the red brand. Balor, meanwhile, feels like an afterthought on the show.

While Joe is busy devouring prey, Balor is stuck twiddling his thumbs.

How Monday's Raw unfolded is a prime example of the contrast between these two Superstars' current status.

Joe opened the show with clenched teeth and bad intentions. He set a trap for The Shield and led the way as he and The Bar beat down their rivals. The Destroyer later outlasted Dean Ambrose, leaving The Lunatic Fringe out cold on the canvas.

The powerhouse came off as an overwhelming force, a crafty villain and a rising contender.

He looked powerful in the ring. And on the mic, he was again masterful.

Bryan Rose of Fightful saluted Joe's sometimes underappreciated promo work:

Balor's night wasn't nearly as fruitful. He battled Curtis Axel in a nothing match where the biggest moment was the heel removing his neck brace.

This was no one-night situation, either. WWE has continually been unable to tap into what makes Balor special. While the company has a clear understanding of who Joe is, the Irishman remains a new gadget it can't seem to figure out.

Credit: WWE.com

Their respective nicknames are indicative of that.

Joe's moniker is simple and to the point: The Destroyer. That's what he does. That's the reason to fear him. 

As for Balor, WWE has taken to referring to him as "the extraordinary man who does extraordinary things." That's not particularly catchy or meaningful. It's more movie tagline than wrestler alias.

But given WWE hasn't wrapped its mind around who Balor is, it's not surprising that's the best it could come up with.

Joe's character is clear. He's an angry, violent man who wants to bring down your heroes. He's a sadist with a glare that could cut through a collarbone.

When Balor is not invoking his demonic alter-ego, he's presented as a good athlete who wows in the ring and little else. Minimal mic time has him unable to explore his persona. And a run of feuds that are either unfinished or under-developed has held him back.

Joe is in the midst of battling the tag team titleholders, intercontinental champ Roman Reigns and Raw's rising star Jason Jordan. Earlier in the year, he was clashing with Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar.

Balor's sparring partners haven't been quite as impressive. In addition to being mired in the hokey Sister Abigail story opposite Bray Wyatt, he spent time trading blows with midcarder Elias. More recently, he's mixing it up with The Miztourage with no clear direction.

Why is Balor not being put in longer matches that could showcase his skills? Why did he struggle to take down bottom-feeding Bo Dallas? Why is he wasting time with these cronies in the first place?

Kevin Berge of Questionable Critics is among those confused about Balor's booking. "I don't really know what the point of all this is," he wrote of Balor's interactions with The Miztourage.

Joe is on the edge of the Universal Championship picture. He is just one big win away from getting his second crack at Lesnar. Even if he doesn't, he's established himself as one of the Raw jungle's most compelling predators.

As Bryan Heaton of Daily DDT wrote: "Joe is on a roll right now, and is doing some of the best work of his career."

Balor's spot is less certain. Many expected him to move up to face Lesnar, but recent losses to Kane and Joe have him headed in the other direction. That would be fine if WWE still had something substantial in mind for the former universal champ. That doesn't appear to be the case.

During last week's Raw, Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman wrote:

That remained true on the most recent episode. It's been a nagging issue.

Braun Strowman has been a centerpiece of the show. Joe has been a major player at times. And WWE has made Reigns its top priority.

Not so for Balor, who amassed just over seven minutes of ring time in the past two weeks compared to 37 minutes for Reigns, per CageMatch.net.

Balor is too smooth of an athlete, has too much of a rock-star aura and is too magnetic of a figure not to be a bigger deal on the marquee show. Where Joe is buzzing with momentum after taking advantage of his opportunities, his old NXT nemesis is forced to wait around for a better spot on the Raw stage.