A Necessary Sacrifice

Singles match

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor

The Fiend has been a slashing hit. That’s why it’s so important WWE gets this match right.

The Road to SummerSlam

The Firefly Funhouse debuted on April 22nd.

Bray Wyatt, donning a sweater, tamed beard, and chagrined expression, claimed that he’d been “barbarically punished” for all his wrongdoing in the past, and that that part of him was dead now. But as the Funhouse progressed, it featured Wyatt’s past traumas; the “Hurt” glove adorning his right hand promised also future destruction.

At the same time as Wyatt’s re-debut, Finn Balor was on SmackDown, picking up a big win as the Intercontinental Champion against Andrade. Things seemed to be on the up and up for Finn...but that changed pretty dramatically. And just as Balor disappeared from SmackDown, Wyatt was introducing us to his new friend: The Fiend.

Shortly after, Balor lost his Intercontinental Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura on the pre-show of Extreme Rules. It was as massive setback for Balor, who utilized the Wild Card rule to hop back in the saddle against a former rival in Samoa Joe. It was a short, physical match that had Balor losing yet again. He ran Joe off after the bell for a hollow victory...which became even less important as the lights went out.

Hello, Fiend. Since then the paths for these two men have been very clear. While Balor’s been scrambling for purchase on this downward spiral of his, Wyatt’s Fiend has steamrolled through several legends, showing off a shiny new Mandible Claw in his wake.

What’s at stake?

This should be a bloodbath.

There’s something huge at stake for both men. For Wyatt, he needs a massive, eye-opening victory. It needs to be something that has people talking and anticipating the Raw after SummerSlam. This sort of momentum doesn’t happen every day, after all; WWE needs to capitalize on how well the Fiend and Wyatt’s new persona have been embraced.

For Balor, he’s reportedly taking some time off after the match, but that doesn’t mean this outcome isn’t important. He’s been the same guy, the same character, since his WWE since his NXT debut in 2014. And after a massive Raw debut that had him winning the first Universal Championship, he’s never even come close to regaining that form. He needs some sort of shakeup, and Wyatt ought to be the perfect catalyst to make a change.

Meanwhile, this feud isn’t a new one. The Balor vs. Wyatt feud from 2017 was unfortunately disappointing. This match could be the first step in doing this feud properly. And it all starts with Bray Wyatt slaughtering Finn Balor.