Finn Balor finally seems to have escaped “The Judgment Day vortex.” After spending nearly 4 years with a group that did him no favors, Balor has been moved to SmackDown. The Prince is now away from Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh.
WWE has tweaked its rosters a bit in the aftermath of WrestleMania 42. Gunther was traded to SmackDown, and he immediately inserted himself into a major feud with Cody Rhodes. On the other hand, Jacob Fatu found new life as a main event player on RAW. Therefore, Balor could turn his fortunes around in his new home.
SmackDown has been uninspiring and underwhelming in recent months. Balor’s inclusion adds intriguing possibilities to the equation, which could make the show worthwhile. On that note, let’s look at 4 potential opponents for Finn Balor on SmackDown.
#4. Finn Balor Tries to Knock Some Sense into Sami Zayn
While the quality of feuds and programming on SmackDown has been underwhelming, Sami Zayn’s character work is commendable. Zayn finds himself in a moral crisis. The Canadian veteran has spent much of his career as a babyface, but meaningful and sustained success has eluded him.
In recent weeks, he has shown a more selfish side. Although it makes sense for Zayn to pursue the WWE Championship, a feud with Finn Balor is also a decent option. The Prince could remind Zayn of his original roots. The Canadian star was the heart and soul of NXT.
Balor, who turned face months ago, could reason with the morally frustrated Zayn. This could lead to an enjoyable and intriguing feud between two of WWE’s finest talents. The Prince’s ultimate goal would be to help Zayn realize the error of his ways. However, SmackDown’s last real good guy, i.e., Sami Zayn, will only be concerned with getting his career back on track at all costs.
#3. Balor Goes After Trick Williams
WWE has struggled to make genuine stars in recent years, but Trick Williams’ natural rise to stardom has been amazing to witness. Williams debuted on the main roster at the start of 2026 and won the US Title within 6 months of his arrival. He defeated Sami Zayn at Mania to win the belt. The charismatic star is destined for great things, but holding onto the title won’t be that easy.
The US Championship scene on SmackDown is pretty stacked at the moment. Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints are gunning for Trick Willy’s title. Triple H could make things more interesting by adding Finn Balor to the title picture. Balor’s inclusion adds a veteran presence and brings significant prestige into the fold.
The Prince is a former US Champion, but his reign failed to materialize into something meaningful. He was left off the WrestleMania 38 card as champion and unceremoniously dropped it to a young Austin Theory. Balor could now remove this blemish from his record with an extended run with the US Title.
#2. The Prince Crosses Paths With Damian Priest Once Again
The early days of Damian Priest’s singles run as a babyface revolved around a grudge feud with Finn Balor, who betrayed and cost Priest the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2024. The program wasn’t memorable for Balor Club, as the Prince was crushed and defeated by his larger foe several times.
However, switching the roles could work wonders for Balor this time around. The Punisher has been conflicted in recent weeks, taking issue with Royce Keys’ involvement. Truth be told, the WWE Tag Team Championships are the only thing keeping the makeshift alliance between Damian Priest and R Truth alive.
Remove the titles from the equation, and Priest will not hesitate to obliterate Truth. This is where Balor could step in as the babyface to stand up for Truth. The Prince could work together with Truth to navigate the eventual feud with the Archer of Infamy.
#1. Balor Pursues the WWE Championship
Finn Balor is one of the most gifted performers of this generation. However, he has only held the World Title for 24 hours. Balor was the inaugural Universal Champion, but had to relinquish the title due to a shoulder injury. While the wounds healed, the Prince never truly reached the same heights again.
Balor Club would be hoping that 2026 will be different. The inaugural Universal Champion took CM Punk to the limit during their World Heavyweight Championship feud, but he had to simultaneously deal with the Judgment Day. Now that he has escaped the Judgment Day vortex, Balor could commit to a WWE Championship pursuit.
Cody Rhodes is the current champion. He claims that he is easy to find but hard to beat. However, the American Nightmare may not be prepared for a motivated Finn Balor.
