Rating The Champ: Finn Bálor

Apr 26, 2020
3 min read

Welcome to a new series on the website, called Rating The Champ. This will follow my prior World Title Series, where I reviewed each and every WWE Heavyweight Champion in history from Hulk Hogan’s first title win in 1984 all the way to the current days. Money in the Bank cash-ins will not be included for obvious reasons, unless it was a proper match (ie: Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006). Royal Rumble and battle royales won’t be included as well.

In this new series, I will rate all the PPV matches from each and every WWF/E Heavyweight Champion in history. To be fair, since this is the WWF/E title, I’ll only rate their PPV matches in the WWF/E. In this edition, we’ll be looking back at the PPV career of the one and only, former WWE Universal Champion, Finn Bálor.

2014

W/ Hideo Itami vs. The Ascension (TakeOver: R Evolution) ***

2015

Vs. Adrian Neville (TakeOver: Rival) ****
Vs. Tyler Breeze (TakeOver: Unstoppable) ***
Vs. Kevin Owens – NXT Championship (Beast in the East) ****1/4
Ladder: Vs. Kevin Owens – NXT Championship (TakeOver: Brooklyn) ****1/4
W/ Samoa Joe vs. The Revival (TakeOver: Unstoppable) ***
W/ Samoa Joe vs. Rhyno & Baron Corbin (TakeOver: Unstoppable) ***
Vs. Samoa Joe – NXT Championship (TakeOver: London) ***3/4

2016

Vs. Samoa Joe – NXT Championship (TakeOver: Dallas) ***1/2
Steel Cage: Vs. Samoa Joe – NXT Championship (TakeOver: The End) ***1/2
Vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Universal Championship (SummerSlam) ****

2017

Five Pack Challenge (Extreme Rules) ****
Vs. Bray Wyatt (SummerSlam) **3/4
Vs. Bray Wyatt (No Mercy) ***
Vs. AJ Styles (TLC) ****1/4
W/ Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series) **1/4

2018

Elimination Chamber Match (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
Vs. The Miz vs. Seth Rollins – WWE Intercontinental Championship (WrestleMania 34) ****
Ladder: Vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Greatest Royal Rumble) ***1/2
MITB Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****
Vs. Baron Corbin (Extreme Rules) **
Vs. Baron Corbin (SummerSlam) 1/2*
W/ Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series) ***1/2
Vs. Drew McIntyre (TLC) ***

2019

Vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool) ***1/2
Vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Universal Championship (Royal Rumble) ***3/4
Handicap: Vs. Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Elimination Chamber) **1/4
Vs. Bobby Lashley – WWE Intercontinental Championship (WrestleMania 35) *
MITB Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ****1/4
Vs. Andrade – WWE Intercontinental Championship (Super ShowDown) ***1/4
Vs. The Fiend (SummerSlam) **1/2
Vs. Matt Riddle (TakeOver: WarGames) ****