WWE Had Plans For Finn Balor's Demon Persona In 2025 Until Changing Course

This past Monday on "WWE Raw," Finn Balor was officially kicked out of The Judgment Day after Dominik Mysterio had blamed the "Prince" for his Intercontinental Championship loss against Penta. At first, Balor claimed that Mysterio was a "spoiled little p***k, which caused both men to get physical, and though The Judgment Day didn't seem to know who to side with, they were ultimately loyal to "Dirty Dom." With WrestleMania 42 on the horizon, it's expected that Balor and Mysterio will go one-on-one at the event, but according to a new report, a match between both competitors was supposed to happen months ago.

In a new edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed that Balor versus Mysterio was originally planned to take place at last year's SummerSlam, but WWE decided to hold off on the 44-year-old's split from The Judgment Day after there was still fan investment in the group's creative direction. Additionally, Meltzer notes that Balor was going to emerge as "The Demon" in his scrapped match against Mysterio, which would've been the first time since 2023 that he's portrayed the gimmick. Instead, Mysterio defended the Intercontinental Championship against AJ Styles at SummerSlam, while Balor was not featured in a match on the card.

Earlier this year, Balor stated that he's been unsatisfied with WWE's use of "The Demon," and if he were to present himself with the face paint again, he wants more creative control on how the persona should be utilized. At this time, it's uncertain if Balor will awake "The Demon" for WrestleMania 42, but WWE having plans for the gimmick last summer is good news for those who have been itching to see it return.