Finn Balor's Return Announced, Top WWE NXT Feud Put On Hold?, New NXT Match For Next Week

By Marc Middleton

Finn Balor will make his return to WWE NXT TV during next Wednesday's episode on the USA Network.

As noted, last week's episode saw a backstage segment where it looked like Balor had been attacked before his main event with The Velveteen Dream. NXT General Manager William Regal pulled Balor from the match and that was the last we heard of him. Balor did not appear on last week's show in the aforementioned segment. WWE then announced on tonight's NXT episode that Balor will return next week.

There's no word yet on what WWE has planned for Balor, but he was expected for a new feud with Dream. WWE noted in last week's show preview, before Balor was pulled from the match, that the Balor vs. Dream match was the first in a new rivalry for Balor. As noted, Dream will get his title shot from NXT Champion Adam Cole next Wednesday. There's also speculation on Balor's feud with Imperium coming to an end.

It's always possible that the feud between Balor and NXT UK Champion WALTER resumes in the future when WALTER is no longer stuck overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic. WWE had Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner feuding with Balor while WALTER and Alexander Wolfe were overseas, but that program looks to be done as well. Tonight's NXT episode saw Barthel and Aichner attack NXT Tag Team Champion Matt Riddle and his temporary partner, Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher was recently chosen by Pete Dunne to be his replacement as Dunne is also stuck in the UK due to COVID-19. Aichner and Barthel destroyed Riddle and Thatcher on this week's show, then raised the titles over Thatcher and dropped them on him.

In other news for next week's NXT episode, Dominik Dijakovic vs. Johnny Gargano has also been announced.

This week's episode saw Dijakovic cut a promo on how Gargano and Candice LeRae know nothing about respect, and how they just want to complain and turn NXT into their own vision, which he called terrifying. Dijakovic, who turned 33 last week, challenged Gargano and the match was later confirmed. This will be Gargano's first match since his recent "Empty Arena Match" win over Tommaso Ciampa. This will be Dijakovic's first match since the April 1 NXT episode, which saw he and Damien Priest lose a Triple Threat to NXT North American Champion Keith Lee.

WWE is billing the next NXT episode as a "Takeover levels" show. Below is the updated line-up for next for next week's show from the closed-set WWE Performance Center, which was reportedly taped today:

* NXT Champion Adam Cole defends against The Velveteen Dream

* NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Io Shirai

* Karrion Kross and Scarlett will officially debut

* Johnny Gargano vs. Dominik Dijakovic

* Finn Balor returns

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