{"id":150993,"date":"2026-01-17T14:53:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T19:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=150993"},"modified":"2026-01-17T14:53:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T19:53:53","slug":"3-reasons-why-cm-punk-vs-finn-balor-is-happening-on-wwe-raw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/17\/3-reasons-why-cm-punk-vs-finn-balor-is-happening-on-wwe-raw\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons Why CM Punk vs. Finn Balor is Happening on WWE RAW"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CM Punk vowed to be a fighting champion, and he will live up to his promise on the next episode of RAW. For the second time this month, Punk will put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Only this time, he stands across a highly motivated Finn B\u00e1lor.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, WWE wants to book some high-profile matches for its ongoing European tour, but Punk vs. B\u00e1lor seems to have come out of nowhere. Here, we explore a few reasons why Triple H might have booked CM Punk vs. Finn B\u00e1lor for the upcoming episode of RAW.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151000\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151000\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic of CM Punk and Finn Balor as they will compete this Monday in Belfast on WWE RAW for the World Heavyweight Championship\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" class=\"wp-image-151000 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/20260114_RAW_Netflix_Match_PunkFinn_16x9_Monday_0-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>#3. Belfast Will Be Hot for CM Punk vs. Finn B\u00e1lor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Second City Saint offered to face Finn B\u00e1lor in Germany this past week, but Balor turned it down. The match was booked for RAW in Belfast. From a business perspective, this is a logical approach. Having grown up in Ireland, the Prince is a well-loved and popular figure in Belfast.<\/p>\n<p>The WWE Universe will come in huge numbers to see the Prince battle Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. European crowds are known for their insane energy. However, Balor&#8217;s popularity and fame will only increase the crowd&#8217;s energy level on RAW.<\/p>\n<p>Although Punk is incredibly popular and over, he could be booed as Belfast will firmly support B\u00e1lor. Therefore, WWE was looking to capitalize on B\u00e1lor&#8217;s fame by booking him in a high-profile bout.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CM Punk will give Finn B\u00e1lor a World Heavyweight Title Match: Raw highlights, Jan. 12, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3KJ5QWt9RY0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>#2. WWE Wants to Keep CM Punk Away From the Vision<\/h2>\n<p>For the majority of 2025, CM Punk was embroiled in a perpetual feud with the Vision. When Seth Rollins was part of the group, the storyline made sense. However, WWE unnecessarily prolonged the Vision&#8217;s storyline with Punk beyond Rollins&#8217; injury and ejection from the group.<\/p>\n<p>Punk defeated Bron Breakker on the first RAW of 2026. While this could have been the end of their feud, Triple H might just be keeping the Straight Edge Superstar away from the Unpredictable Badass to avoid audience fatigue. Adam Pearce handed Breakker a suspension this past week, and the company could continue this angle for a while.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, in this scenario, Finn B\u00e1lor is just a placeholder challenger, keeping the World Heavyweight Champion preoccupied until WWE revisits the angle with Breakker.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso help CM Punk combat The Vision and Logan Paul: Raw highlights, Nov. 10, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GX3ps_QZ1Pk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. WWE Might Be Looking to Pull a Massive Surprise<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Very few people expect Finn B\u00e1lor to win the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW in Belfast. The Prince has not been booked convincingly in months, and Triple H has not committed to a sustained push. However, Hunter is known for pulling out surprises, especially this close to the Road to WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p>Drew McIntyre recently dethroned Cody Rhodes in an epic Three Stages of Hell Match on the January 9th edition of SmackDown. Along similar lines, the World Title scene on RAW could also receive a major jolt. The Prince could shock the Best in the World out of nowhere and snatch the World Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n<p>If WWE has potential plans with B\u00e1lor as champion, then a bold move like this would make sense. However, considering B\u00e1lor&#8217;s lack of momentum and Triple H&#8217;s low-risk booking, it is an improbable option.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Finn B\u00e1lor spills Bullet Club secrets | What Do You Wanna Talk About?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HjTQFbplVe4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><amp-ad data-block-on-consent=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"600\" layout=\"fixed\" data-multi-size=\"300x250,300x600\" data-multi-size-validation=\"false\" type=\"doubleclick\" data-slot=\"\/15188745,22512265771\/FS-lastwordonsports-AMP\/AMP-2\" data-enable-refresh=\"30\" data-lazy-fetch=\"true\" data-loading-strategy=\"1.25\" rtc-config=\"{ &quot;vendors&quot;: { &quot;t13&quot;: { &quot;TAG_ID&quot;: &quot;4f799893-5665-4629-b0fc-8b97d3569fd6&quot;, &quot;ACCOUNT_ID&quot;: &quot;9a3c6c23-453a-4cba-b419-30b908f39a50&quot; }, &quot;aps&quot;: { &quot;PUB_ID&quot;: &quot;600&quot;, &quot;PUB_UUID&quot;: &quot;16268e26-dabe-4bf4-a28f-b8f4ee192ed3&quot;, &quot;PARAMS&quot;: { &quot;amp&quot;: &quot;1&quot; } }, &quot;criteo&quot;: { &quot;NETWORK_ID&quot;: &quot;4905&quot;, &quot;ZONE_ID&quot;: &quot;1382491&quot;, &quot;PUBLISHER_SUB_ID&quot;: &quot;FS-lastwordonsports-AMP-2&quot; }, &quot;medianet&quot;: { &quot;CID&quot;: &quot;8CU8ZT2C4&quot; } } }\"><\/amp-ad><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i><span>\u00a0<\/span>for more on the WWE Raw, Finn B\u00e1lor, CM Punk, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><amp-ad data-block-on-consent=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"600\" layout=\"fixed\" data-multi-size=\"300x250,300x600\" data-multi-size-validation=\"false\" type=\"doubleclick\" data-slot=\"\/15188745,22512265771\/FS-lastwordonsports-AMP\/AMP-2\" data-enable-refresh=\"30\" data-lazy-fetch=\"true\" data-loading-strategy=\"1.25\" rtc-config=\"{ &quot;vendors&quot;: { &quot;t13&quot;: { &quot;TAG_ID&quot;: &quot;4f799893-5665-4629-b0fc-8b97d3569fd6&quot;, &quot;ACCOUNT_ID&quot;: &quot;9a3c6c23-453a-4cba-b419-30b908f39a50&quot; }, &quot;aps&quot;: { &quot;PUB_ID&quot;: &quot;600&quot;, &quot;PUB_UUID&quot;: &quot;16268e26-dabe-4bf4-a28f-b8f4ee192ed3&quot;, &quot;PARAMS&quot;: { &quot;amp&quot;: &quot;1&quot; } }, &quot;criteo&quot;: { &quot;NETWORK_ID&quot;: &quot;4905&quot;, &quot;ZONE_ID&quot;: &quot;1382491&quot;, &quot;PUBLISHER_SUB_ID&quot;: &quot;FS-lastwordonsports-AMP-2&quot; }, &quot;medianet&quot;: { &quot;CID&quot;: &quot;8CU8ZT2C4&quot; } } }\"><\/amp-ad><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CM Punk vowed to be a fighting champion, and he will live up to his promise on the next episode of RAW. For the second time this month, Punk will put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Only this time, he stands across a highly motivated Finn B\u00e1lor. Naturally, WWE wants to book some [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":151001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,25,4,3],"tags":[140,111,49],"class_list":["post-150993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-raw","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cm-punk","tag-finn-balor","tag-wwe-raw"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150993"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150995,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150993\/revisions\/150995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}