Roman Reigns Beats 'Demon' Finn Balor, Retains Universal Title at Extreme Rules

Roman Reigns beat "The Demon" Finn Balor in an Extreme Rules match at the same-titled pay-per-view on Sunday night to retain the Universal Championship.

Balor, having used his powers as The Demon to shake off a Spear through the ringside barricade, was in a position to hit Coup de Grace and win the title. However, the top turnbuckle suddenly broke, sending the challenger to the canvas.

That allowed Reigns to hit another Spear for the win.

Both wrestlers took full advantage of the match stipulation.

The Usos also appeared to break up a pinfall after Balor hit Reigns with an earlier Coup de Grace. With no disqualifications, the match continued.

Reigns and Balor began interacting shortly after the Irishman made the move from NXT to SmackDown. Before long, he  stepped up and challenged The Tribal Chief to a match for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.

While Reigns initially accepted the challenge, their contract signing was interrupted by Baron Corbin, and John Cena ended up signing the contract for a SummerSlam match against the titleholder.

Shortly after Reigns beat Cena to retain the title, Balor put himself back in the championship picture and was given a championship match against The Tribal Chief on the Sept. 3 episode of SmackDown.

Balor was unable to capture the title after getting attacked by The Usos prior to the match, but the return of The Demon was teased after the bout when a red light filled the arena and a heartbeat played out over the loudspeakers.

It came to fruition the following week after Reigns interfered in the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match between The Usos and The Street Profits. As The Demon, Balor made the save and set the stage for his rematch at Extreme Rules.

Reigns entered Sunday's PPV as one of the most dominant champions in recent memory, having held the universal title for over a year, but The Demon represented a new and unique challenge.

During his entire time in NXT, Balor only lost one match as his alter ego. Upon bringing the character to the main roster, Balor never lost as The Demon, which made him a major threat to The Tribal Chief.

Reigns also had to worry about the looming threat of Brock Lesnar after The Beast Incarnate confronted him following his match against Cena at SummerSlam.

Ever since turning heel last year, though, Reigns has always had a plan in place, and it has often included The Usos, which forced Balor to have his head on a swivel.

Ultimately, Reigns became the first person to beat The Demon on the main roster, but the circumstances of the match suggest their rivalry may not be over.

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