OpinionWWE

Why Balor vs. Gunther Is Worth Waiting For

Summary: Opinion. This is our view, not news. As of Nov. 9, WWE reportedly pulled Finn Balor vs. Gunther from Crown Jewel to give it more build. We think it should stay off a crowded Survivor Series too, and say why.

The WrestlingNews.com Team · 4 min read

Opinion. This is our view, not news.

Opinion. This is our view, not news.

The quick version

  • Our writers argue WWE should keep building Balor vs. Gunther on SmackDown instead of forcing it onto Survivor Series.
  • The facts below come from Wrestling Observer Radio, WRKD Wrestling, WrestleTalk, WrestlingHeadlines and our own SmackDown results. The view is ours.
  • The strongest case against us is that the feud could go cold.

A match that has promotional material but no date is a good problem, and it is better than a bad date. Our view is that WWE should not rush Finn Balor against Gunther onto Survivor Series just because Crown Jewel passed it over.

The facts first

Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that Balor vs. Gunther was on a five-match lineup for Crown Jewel, per Ringside News. WWE advertised four matches. WWE has not explained the change. WRKD Wrestling reported afterward, as carried by WrestleTalk and WrestlingHeadlines, that people in the company felt the match would be better with a longer build and that four matches were enough for the show. That is one report and WWE has not confirmed it.

On the Oct. 30 SmackDown, Balor brought back his Demon persona and put Gunther through the announce table, per WrestlingHeadlines. On the Nov. 6 SmackDown, Gunther demanded the "real" Balor, Balor came out without the Demon paint, and Gunther left before a Coup de Grace, per Wrestling Inc, as we reported in our SmackDown results.

Survivor Series: WarGames is Saturday, Nov. 28, at Daikin Park in Houston. WWE has announced no card. One match is set by Rey Mysterio's own words, Team USA against Team Mexico. Two WarGames matches are rumored. See our men's WarGames rumor story and our women's WarGames rumor story.

The view

The Nov. 6 segment tells us the story is unfinished. Gunther asked for one version of Balor and got another. A match that finally puts him in the ring with the Demon is the obvious payoff, and a Survivor Series with two rumored WarGames matches and a five-on-five has little room to give that the time it needs.

The better fit is SmackDown. Two more weeks of television could answer the question the Nov. 6 segment raised, and the match could close a show or headline a SmackDown of its own. WrestleTalk argues that Survivor Series is "in need of some singles bouts." That is fair, but one singles match squeezed between team matches is not the same as a feud that has its own night.

The best case against us

The feud could go cold. Crown Jewel was the natural place for the match, and every week without it asks fans to care about a bout that has already been delayed once. WWE also has not said when the match will happen, or whether it will happen at all. If the build is thin, waiting only costs the match its momentum.

Our answer is that the delay is a choice WWE can still use. If SmackDown spends the weeks on it, the wait helps. If it does not, we will say so.

What to watch

Whether Balor appears as the Demon on SmackDown on Friday, Nov. 13, in Fort Lauderdale, and whether WWE announces a match for either Survivor Series or a later date.

How we know

Source: Ringside News on Meltzer's comments, WrestleTalk and WrestlingHeadlines on the WRKD Wrestling report, and our own SmackDown results. The argument is ours.

Finn BalorGuntherWWE SmackDownSurvivor Seriesopinion

Sources

How we credit sources: Editorial standards.

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