We are back and Michael Cole is in the ring and he talks about the week that his guest had. He brings out Finn Balor.

 

Michael mentions Finn being a first round draft pick and he says Finn proved it was not a fluke. Finn agrees that it has been a wild couple of weeks. He says he knew that he had to come to Raw and make an impact. He knew that coming here meant a lot of things.

 

Seth Rollins’ music plays and he makes his way to the ring.

 

Rollins introduces Finn. He says Finn is a former NXT Champion. He wasn’t the first one because that was Seth Rollins. He says Finn was picked in the first round, but he wasn’t the first overall pick.

 

Last week, Finn shocked the world when he pinned Roman Reigns. Seth says that was admirable and he had a career threatening injury and came back on his first night back and beat Roman Reigns for the WWE Title. He calls Finn a cheap remake of Seth Rollins.

 

Finn says some of the things you say are true. You were the first to do some of those things. Finn says he will beat Seth at SummerSlam and become the first WWE Universal Champion.

 

Seth says that Finn is funny, but he is not a comedian. That is like expecting the Braves to win the World Series. He tells Finn he has beaten a lot of people and NXT would not be where it is today without Finn Balor. Seth tells Finn this is his show and this is his ring. He tells Finn that he is the man.

 

Balor says that he has been watching Seth for a while and he thought Seth’s laugh was bad, but hearing it live is annoying. He says that everywhere he has been, someone said they were the man. Finn says he beat that person to be the man.

 

Seth says you have never faced anyone like him. He is stronger, faster, and the most resiliant in the industry. If you want an idea, get on the WWE Network and watch his sweet special. Maybe he can watch when Seth faces Sami Zayn and makes an example of him.

 

Finn says there is one thing that is different about them. Finn says he earned his title match while Seth had it handed to him.

 

Seth says he has never had anything handed to him. He will be handed the WWE Universal Title when he beats Finn.

 

Finn says the only thing that Seth will have handed to him is his ass.

 

Seth tries to punch Finn but Finn blocks it and Finn with a Pele Kick and Seth goes to the floor.

 

WWE.COM: First off, a belated Happy Birthday to you, and congratulations on the debut.

FINN BÁLOR: [Laughs] Yeah, unbelievable. I can’t even try and describe the feeling of what happened Monday. It’s quite surreal, to put it mildly.

 

WWE.COM: Your debut was the source of a lot of speculation and rumors. Now that it has finally happened, did it live up to your own expectations of how you wanted to arrive on Raw?

BÁLOR: I guess it’s always something I’ve imagined was going to happen eventually, and I think it far exceeded any expectations that I’d ever imagined. I always had this kind of vision that I’d be turning up as a surprise, maybe an interference or jump the barrier. But the way it all happened was exactly the way it was meant to be. I’m glad my debut wasn’t left up to my imagination, because it wouldn’t have been anywhere close to being as good as it was on Monday night.

 

WWE.COM: What did it feel like to get that reception from the crowd in Pittsburgh?

BÁLOR: Yeah, incredible. NXT has been in Pittsburgh a lot, and to stand on that stage at the beginning of Raw and get the “Finn” chants really helped put a lot of anxiety and nerves at ease. NXT is its own kind of animal, and you’re never quite sure how much of that transfers over into WWE and into Monday Night Raw. To get that response instantly was a big reassuring pat on the back from fans saying, “We got you, dude.” I was happy about that.

 

WWE.COM: And you’re going to be one of the first Superstars to challenge for a new title. That has to feel pretty good, too.

BÁLOR: Yeah, man! To say it’s a fairytale is an understatement, the way everything has panned out. I spent two years at NXT and a lot of times questioned, “When is this going to happen?” or “Is this actually going to happen? Am I going to make it to Raw?” For what felt like such a long wait, now everything seems to be happening so fast. It has made literally every minute of that two-year wait worth it. I’d wait two years again just for that opportunity to walk out on Raw and have the same kind of feeling I had last Monday.

 

WWE.COM: Pivoting to NXT for a second, you had said for a long time you wanted to be a leader in that locker room and help guide it for as long as you could. Now that you’re transitioning to Raw, looking back, how do you think you left NXT versus how you found it?

BÁLOR: You know, it’s a very bittersweet moment. Going to NXT, obviously, the goal is to make it to Raw or SmackDown Live, and now that the opportunity came up to be on Raw and challenging Seth Rollins for this new WWE Universal Title, I’m kind of looking back and going, “Man, what about NXT?” I still miss the boys and I still very much feel a part of it.

Wrestling has a funny way of regenerating itself, and I’m sure in the past a lot of people have asked questions about “Who’s going to replace Sami Zayn in the locker room?” or “Who’s going to replace Kevin Owens in the locker room?” People always step in. There’s a lot of hungry up-and-coming talent in NXT that I’m sure will be more than willing to step in and fill my boots. Shinsuke Nakamura, obviously. Oney Lorcan, who I think has enormous potential to be not only an in-ring talent, but he’s a natural leader of the locker room. In the next couple of months, I think he’s going to be a real breakout star for NXT. Rich Swann is there as well; he’s a real good up-and-comer.

[There are also] the names people won’t have heard of, guys like Riddick Moss; he’s someone who started the same day as me at the Performance Center, but he was a transfer from football with no wrestling background. He has made incredible leaps and bounds, and he’s really a team player and will be a real locker room leader in the future. So, Finn will move on, but NXT is in good hands, you can rest assured.

The new face of Raw will be decided Sunday, Aug. 21, at SummerSlam, when Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins compete to become the inaugural WWE Universal Champion.

 

The historic matchup — Bálor’s debut on WWE pay-per-view — was made official on July 25, the same night that Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon revealed plans to introduce the Universal Title. According to Raw management, the newly sanctioned championship will eventually outstrip SmackDown Live’s WWE Championship in importance.

 

Rollins, who was selected No. 1 overall in the WWE Brand Extension Draft, was entered into contention by Stephanie. The announcement came less than 24 hours after The Architect failed to win the WWE Championship from Dean Ambrose at WWE Battleground, though it was Roman Reigns — the other participant in the championship Triple Threat Match — that lost the deciding fall, not Rollins.

The NXT factor

The WWE Draft saw the much-anticipated summons of Finn Bálor from WWE NXT, as well as the unexpected selection of Nia Jax, the powerhouse of the Women’s division. The WWE Universe will watch tonight’s to see if these dynamic competitors will make their first appearances as Raw Superstars. If they do, look for Bálor’s athleticism and Jax’s unparalleled power to make a big, big impression on the WWE Universe and the locker room alike.

The Demon rises from WWE NXT to Raw, courtesy of WWE Network.

Related Links, Photos & More:
» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > WWE Network > WWE Draft Center Live – July 19th, 2016

Finn Bálor makes his way to the ring. He says the first time he saw NXT on TV he knew he had to become a part of it. He has gone to war with a litany of NXT superstars. After all of that, he is standing here without the NXT title. The question on everyone’s mind is what is next for him. A loud “Bálor Club” chant breaks out.

Bálor too sweets the crows. Bálor asks, the crowd what is next for him. Shinsuke Nakamura’s music hits and he walks to the ring. Nakamura and Bálor shake hands. Nakamura too sweets and Bálor does Nakamura’s hand shakes taunt. Nakamura says when he was in Japan he watched Bálor become an NXT icon.

He knows Bálor is no longer the champion, but if he wants to be the champion he has to beat an icon. He has to beat, Finn Bálor. Bálor says Nakamura has answered Bálor’s question. What’s next for Finn Bálor is Shinsuke Nakamura! Nakamura and Bálor shake hands again and Nakamura walks away.

Related Links, Photos & More:
» FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > 2016 > June 15th
» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2016 > June 15th