It’s kind of too bad that WWE used The Demon for Finn Balor in a losing effort at WrestleMania, though his entrance is still fun. No one quite makes an entrance like Seth Rollins, however, and the singalong is in full effect in Detroit.
Balor doesn’t even wait for the bell, attacking from behind during Rollins’ official intro and forcing the ref to pull them apart. You can feel the hatred as they trade right hands, but a Rollins elbow gives him a leg up.
Balor takes a beating from corner to corner but fires back and stomps the champ on the chest. He uses right hands to set up another chest stomp and poses for the hostile crowd.
Rollins is treated to some mat work, with Balor working over his left arm and shoulder. The fans rally him to his feet, but he ends up back with his face on the canvas again. He batters the champ to the corner, continuing to focus on the left arm before kneeling on Seth’s neck.
Finally, Rollins fires out of the corner with a lariat and a series of headbutts as he tries to pick up the pace. A big right hand scores, and he covers Balor for two.
The champ wants a Pedigree, but ends up switching gears and earning another near fall before he sees Balor roll to the outside. Seth connects on a suicide dive, then another, then a third to drape Balor over the announce table.
Seth goes up top but is sent back to the apron and run into the post. Balor looks like he may be bleeding from the mouth, which isn’t unusual for him. He wants a powerbomb on the floor, though the champ is able to escape … only to be caught and powerbombed into the barricade instead.
A Sling Blade back in the ring has the Prince looking confident until he eats a superkick. But it’s Balor who strikes next to earn a two count before trying for an armbar on Rollins’ left arm. Seth manages to roll his foe’s shoulders into a pinning predicament for two, then treats him to a buckle bomb.
Up top goes Rollins for a huge Frog Splash that is only good for two. Both men are moving slower now; though Rollins strikes first, Balor gets the upper hand with a double stomp and his shotgun dropkick. Back and forth they go, with the crowd clapping in appreciation.
Strikes fly both ways on the feet with neither man giving an inch. Another shotgun dropkick lets Finn break the cycle, though he misses a Coup de Grace and runs into a Pedigree, barely kicking out before three.
Damian Priest picks that moment to come down the ramp, causing a stir through the Ford Field crowd. Balor rolls up Rollins for two, then nearly gets pinned himself. Priest hits Rollins from the floor and he’s nailed by a Pedigree, but both Judgment Day members look beside themselves as Rollins kicks out.
Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio are now at ringside too. Priest is knocked off the apron, Rollins hits a Stomp, but somehow Balor kicks out too.
Rollins flies to the floor and takes out Priest and Dom, and the Coup de Grace connects … and Seth kicks out yet again as the crowd goes nuts and starts singing Seth’s song. Priest again looks like he is pondering cashing in.
While he’s on the apron, he throws his briefcase into the ring. But Rollins stomps Balor’s head on the case while the ref is occupied with Priest and gets the three count.
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