WWE rumors, news 2016: Finn Balor to claim first Universal Champion? In the running to be WWE's next top guy

Finn Balor in his Demon form WWE.com

It looks like Finn Balor's rise to the top will not be hampered by Seth Rollins. According to WWE rumors, the WWE SummerSlam 2016 will end with The Demon as the first ever Universal Champion.

As per Cageside Seats, WWE CEO Vince McMahon is keen on giving Balor the big win and so is Triple H. While it is no surprise that The Game is all for an upset by Balor, McMahon's approval is the real surprise here.

According to Daily Wrestling News, the big man is the person behind the decision to have Balor emerge as the rightful holder of the newly-established title at WWE SummerSlam.

The site reports that Mr. McMahon has always wanted the former NXT superstar in the WWE roster way before people even talked about the WWE draft.

He reportedly engineered Balor's WWE epic back-to-back victories during his debut. He made him look like a real threat by having him pin the three-time world champion Roman Reigns.

Triple H, on the other hand, is not one to complain as Balor's success will resonate to the NXT. Ultimately, the higher-ups are keen on building up the Irish superstar as one of the top guys.

Some would say that the 35-year-old is being groomed to be the new face of WWE, replacing Reigns, who has been paying the cost of his wellness policy violation ever since he returned from suspension.

As per Daily DDT, Balor's purported WWE SummerSlam victory should effortlessly slip him into the babyface role (which he has mastered by now, as NXT fans who followed him would know.

Rollins will then be the bad guy in the equation. Nothing will have The Architect's heel blood flowing than seeing a WWE newcomer become the Universal Champion after everything he has been through to be at the top of the ladder.

This should fire up the feud and it should intensify from there, should rumors about the title being the top prize for WWE – making Dean Ambrose's WWE championship belt second on the hierarchy – come to fruition.

WW SummerSlam 2016 will take place on Sunday, Aug. 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

News
Marriage is the safest relationship, latest figures suggest
Marriage is the safest relationship, latest figures suggest

Of the eight children murdered during lockdown, 7 were killed thanks to the actions of a step parent or new partner.

Abortion rises in Northern Ireland for fourth year running
Abortion rises in Northern Ireland for fourth year running

Abortion was legalised in Northern Ireland in 2019.

Churches helping millions of Brits get by as living costs remain high
Churches helping millions of Brits get by as living costs remain high

Across the country, people are looking to the church for help.

Isaiah 41:10 is YouVersion's Bible verse of the year
Isaiah 41:10 is YouVersion's Bible verse of the year

Isaiah 41:10 had the highest international engagement on YouVersion during 2025, while in the UK it was Jeremiah 29:11 that topped the list.