Balor vacates Universal title, out up to 6 months with torn labrum
Less than 24 hours after becoming the first Universal Champion in WWE history, "The Demon King" Finn Balor has been forced to relinquish the title he fought so hard to win.
"Raw" general manager Mick Foley first revealed on his Twitter account Monday evening that Balor would hand over the belt to open the show, as he'll be unable to defend it for the foreseeable future due to a right shoulder injury he suffered at SummerSlam.
Due to his injury, @StephMcMahon and I jointly accept @FinnBalor relinquishing of the @WWE Universal Championship. #Raw
— Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley) August 22, 2016
Lead announcer Michael Cole revealed in the opening that Balor would miss up to six months of action, as he'll have to undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum.
You can rest assured that @FinnBalor will come back better than EVER for the @WWE #UniversalTitle! #RAW https://t.co/6DB8sDJGp9
— WWE (@WWE) August 23, 2016
Balor's opponent on Sunday night, Seth Rollins, powerbombed him into a nearby barricade at the Barclays Center, dislocating his shoulder. Miraculously, Balor was able to pop his shoulder back in almost immediately and finish the match, where he'd go on to pin Rollins following a Coup de Grace from the top rope.
"Last night was an unbelievable milestone moment in my career," Balor told ESPN's Arash Markazi. "It's something I never, ever expected to happen. It's still really hasn't sunk in yet. Talking about it Monday morning is a little difficult, but if you fast-forward a week, maybe I'll be able to articulate it a little better."
The Irish-born superstar has had just three matches since first appearing on the main roster earlier in the month, becoming the first man to ever capture a world title in his pay-per-view debut.