Back from a break and Curt Hawkins is in the ring. He mentions Big Show stepping into the ring with him last week and being in the main event this week. He says if you want to be a main event WWE Superstar, you step into the ring with Curt Hawkins. Hawkins wonders who it’s going to be this week. He waits until the music hits and out comes Finn Balor.

 

Finn Bálor vs. Curt Hawkins

 

The bell rings and Balor ducks Hawkins and goes to work. Balor with a dropkick and a Slingblade.

 

Balor with another dropkick. Balor goes to the top and nails the Coup de Grace for the easy win.

 

Winner: Finn Bálor

 

After the match, Balor stands tall as we go to replays.

 

Nothing indicates NXT’s readiness to compete with Raw and SmackDown LIVE more than the brand’s ability to land sports-entertainment’s top free agents.

Whether it’s a former champion’s surprise appearance in the crowd at NXT TakeOver, or a full-on press conference heralding the arrival of an international competitor, the excitement that surrounds new Superstar signings has become a hallmark of WWE’s hottest organization.

As NXT continues to bolster its stock, look back at 10 of the brand’s most notable signings since the dawn of TakeOver in 2014.

2 – Finn Bálor

The signing of one ripped Irishman in 2014 registered on some social media feeds, but even those familiar with Finn Bálor’s success in Japan and the United Kingdom probably didn’t realize he was fated to become the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history.

Yet, it was under The Demon King’s 293-day reign that NXT blossomed into a worldwide sensation. Bálor’s coronation took place after a triumph against Kevin Owens in Tokyo, the first time the NXT Title changed hands outside its home state of Florida. And, as his immediate success on Raw proves (not to mention becoming WWE’s first-ever Universal Champion), Bálor’s signing wasn’t just a boon for NXT.

We have a video package for Finn Balor. Back to commercial.

 

Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal

 

Back from the break and Jinder Mahal waits in the ring for his opponent. The music hits and out comes Finn Balor to a big pop.

 

They lock up and Mahal pie faces Balor on a break. Balor with punches but Mahal with a knee. Mahal with a sunset flip but Balor rolls through and hits a drop kick. Balor with an arm drag into an arm bar. Mahal kicks Balor in the ropes. Mahal with a series of knee drops and then he chokes Balor. Mahal with a near fall. Mahal with a quarter nelson and chin lock. Mahal has a punch blocked but Mahal with a forearm. Mahal with a chin lock but Balor with a pele kick. Balor kicks Mahal in the corner and hits Slingblade.

 

Balor with a running drop kick that sends Mahal into the turnbuckles. Balor goes up top and hits Coup de Grace for the three count.

 

Winner: Finn Balor

 

After the match, Bray Wyatt appears on the Titantron and he says this is his new home. He says he did not come alone. He brought a gift. He says we will see Bray Wyatt torture Randy Orton in his House of Horrors match. He tells Finn to watch himself because he will be watching him. He tells Raw that he is here.

 

Finn Bálor is back!

 

Seth Rollins needed a tag team partner to battle United States Champion Kevin Owens & Samoa Joe Monday night, and Raw General Manager Kurt Angle delivered big time by teaming The Architect with the returning Finn Bálor. Bálor had been unseen in a WWE ring since he was forced to relinquish the Universal Championship the night after SummerSlam, due to an injury sustained at the hands of Rollins. There have been more awkward tag team pairings in WWE, but not many.

 

Fortunately, Rollins and Bálor put their differences aside to defeat The Prizefighter and the dominant Destroyer, and the duo even shared a brief victory pose when The Kingslayer raised the returning Superstar’s hand following the match. Now that Bálor has returned to the red brand, what does his future hold? We’ll find out Monday night.

Seth Rollins & Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens

 

We are back. Owens and Rollins tag in and Owens with a wrist lock but Rollins with a reversal. Owens with a kick and side head lock. Owens with a shoulder tackle and Rollins with a thrust kick. Owens avoids a suplex and gets a near fall with a rollup. Owens tags Joe into the match. Joe and Rollins with punches and Joe backs Rollins into the corner and connects with jabs. Rollins with forearms and chops. Joe with a kick to the shoulder. Owens tags in and he punches Rollins.

 

Owens with an Irish whip but Rollins with a flatline into the turnbuckles. Balor tags in and he punches Owens. Owens with a sunset flip and Balor rolls through with a drop kick. Balor goes to the apron and he hits an enzuigiri. Owens goes to the floor and Balor goes to the floor and hits a running drop kick that sends Owens into the ringside barrier. Balor sends Owens back into the ring and he works on the arm.

 

Rollins tags in and he goes to the floor. Rollins with a suicide dive onto Owens. Joe checks on Owens and Rollins with a flip dive over Owens and Joe and he glancingly hits them. Rollins is limping and favoring his injured knee. Owens with a kick to the knee and a DDT. Owens gets a near fall. Owens wtih another near fall. Joe with jabs to Seth and Seth fires back. Joe wtih an Irish whip and a running elbow into the corner followed by an enzuigiri for a near fall. Owens tags in and chokes Rollins.

 

Owens mocks Balor and it was too sweet. Owens with punches to Rollins. Owens with a back senton for a near fall. Owens with a rear chin lock. Joe tags in and he kicks Rollins Joe with a take down and he applies a spinning toe hold on Rollins to work on the injured knee. Rollins kicks Joe to get Joe to release the hold. Joe keeps Rollins from making the tag. Rollins leaps to make the tag but Joe catches him and hits the knee buster. Owens tags in and kicks Rollins. Joe tags in and hits a back senton. Joe misses a second one.

 

Rollins tries to make the tag but Joe grabs Rollins. Rollins lands on his feet when Joe pulls him away from the ropes. Joe with the Kokina Clutch and Rollins goes to the ropes and then hits an enzuigiri. Balor and Owens make the tag and Balor with running forearms and he knocks Joe off the apron. Balor with a back heel kick and a drop kick. Balor with Irisih whips and running chops. Owens with a back elbow on a third attempt. Balor with an enzuigiri and then he kicks Joe from the apron. Balor goes up top and he leaps over Owens. Owens with a Samoan Drop for a near fall.

 

Balor with a boot and Slingblade. Balor is cut off by Joe with a Kokina Clutch but Rollins with a springboard knee. Balor with a running drop kick and then he hits the Coup De Grace for the three count.

 

Winners: Seth Rollins & Finn Balor

 

After the match, there appears to be tension between Finn Balor and the man who injured him, but Seth raises his hand and we go to credits.

 

Finn Bálor returned to action for the first time since tearing his pectoral muscle in August and did not miss a beat, giving the WWE Universe in Buffalo, N.Y. an incredibly memorable moment.

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