WWE NXT: Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor Was The Perfect Opening Chapter

Last week, on the final NXT before Wrestlemania, we witnessed the first WWE match to take place between two stars who may one day square off in the main event on the grandest stage of them all, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens.

Before the match took place, HHH tweeted:

And his hand-picked talent did not disappoint. In front of a capacity crowd at Full Sail, the hotly anticipated title match delivered from before the word go, with both champion and challenger entering the ring with such presence and aura, that it is hard to believe they are considered the future, rather than the here and now. Similarly, the in-ring action was that of veteran ring generals; whilst Ring of Honor is sometimes accused of being all about big spots with little storytelling, Kevin Owens could not be further from that assertion. The way he retreats from the ring at the first sign of trouble, trash-talks at every opportunity, or applies headlock after headlock to grind down his opponent, Owens is a master of in-ring psychology, and plays mind-games with his opponent and the crowd simultaneously, before treating the NXT viewership to his juxtaposing brutal, yet graceful offensive style.

By contrast, Balor is just the ultimate technician. His striking power, combined with his speed and high-flying prowess make him one of the most entertaining stars to watch in all of the WWE, and he is an entertaining outside the ring with his elaborate entrances and eye-catching face paint, as well as boasting a champion’s physique. The clash between these two distinct styles was exactly as entertaining as it promised to be, delivering an epic title match that perfectly enhanced both men; Owens continues to look like an opportunist, who has both the hunger and skill to get the job done, conveyed in the predatory way that he focused on Balor’s injured leg, whilst Balor looked impressive in defeat; showing incredible resiliency despite his injury, incredibly explosive on the counter, and if not for the injury, perhaps could have pinned the seemingly unstoppable Owens after nailing the champion with the Coup De Grace.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, Balor may be getting fast-tracked to the main roster with a call-up imminent, and whilst it may be of detriment to NXT to not have these two fight again on the brand, it would be foolish to assume that Owens will be hanging around too long on the enhancement brand either. Whilst we may not see it again for a while, Owens vs. Balor is a rivalry that could shape the upper echelons of the WWE main roster for years to come. This is merely the beginning of a very long story…

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised.