WWE SummerSlam 2019 preview: Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt

We get our first taste of The Fiend in action against an old rival in Finn Balor.

What year is it again? We have seen this feud take place before, and also at SummerSlam. It was just two years ago, in 2017, that Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt met in the squared circle. Months of trolling from Wyatt led Balor to unleash The Demon at the hottest event of the summer. Fast forward to 2019, where both of these characters were on completely different paths before setting this stage.

Balor, the now-former Intercontinental Champion after dropping the title to Shinsuke Nakamura in what many would call a forgettable title reign. Wyatt, who possibly has had the hottest run of his WWE career in recent months. The Firefly Fun House segments have captivated the WWE Universe and dominated social media. Providing a dark twist on a children’s television show, it seemed WWE had finally struck gold with the Wyatt gimmick.

It was only a matter of time before fans would see Wyatt on television again. But why face Balor? The answer is quite easy: unfinished business. While Balor took the SummerSlam 2017 contest, the two were set to run it back at TLC later that year. An untimely illness forced Wyatt out of the match. This would lead to a “dream match” of Balor versus AJ Styles.

That was easily the match of the night. WWE also dodged a huge bullet in what would have been an awkward debut of the “Sister Abigail” character portrayed by Wyatt. In hindsight, this match could have been cringeworthy levels of bad with all of the theatrics. Think Bray versus Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33-level bad.

Enter The Fiend, who has made his mark on Raw twice now. First bt attacking Balor, then Mick Foley at the Raw Reunion. The Fiend has a darker feel than anything Wyatt has previously presented, especially when paired with the happy-go-lucky attitude he portrays on Firefly Fun House. This is the alter ego that Wyatt needed to launch him into prosperity.

While Bray has apologized for all of his past transgressions in WWE, The Fiend is here to terrorize the entire company. This starts with Balor, who is set to take some time away from WWE to recover. The anticipation of this character is immense and it’s expected that Balor will be squashed by Wyatt’s Fiend.

With The Demon Finn Balor versus The Fiend this time, this presents a true test for the Balor’s unbeaten Demon persona. The buildup for this battle and ultimately the match itself will be main event-worthy. Wyatt and Balor owe it to the fans.