Finn Balor has spoken out following Dominik Mysterio’s surprising defeat on WWE Raw, where he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor and JD McDonagh were present at ringside during the event but were unable to help Dominik maintain his hold on the title.
On the Monday night episode of Raw, Balor and McDonagh came out alongside Dominik, known as Dirty Dom, ahead of his championship defense. Despite accompanying him, Balor expressed his desire for Dominik to overcome Penta unaided, resulting in both Irish wrestlers remaining at ringside rather than entering the match.
As the battle intensified and Dominik realized a clean win might be out of reach, he requested assistance from Balor and McDonagh. While McDonagh attempted to provide the timekeeper’s hammer, Balor intervened, encouraging a fair victory. Despite this, Dominik was unable to overcome Penta, who delivered the Mexican Driver finishing move to seize the Intercontinental Championship.
Following the loss, Balor shared images from the match and posted his first reaction on X, formerly Twitter, reflecting the sudden turn of events.
“Boy that escalated quickly,” Balor tweeted.
The Next Chapter for Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor
Dominik’s reaction to this defeat is expected to unfold on the upcoming Raw episodes, with speculation that he might hold Finn Balor responsible for withholding help during the match. This tension could ignite the long-anticipated rivalry between the two wrestlers.
WWE’s Intentions for Finn Balor’s Character Direction
Following his unsuccessful attempt to claim the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk at the Elimination Chamber event in Chicago, Finn Balor has begun to display signs of turning into a babyface character. He notably congratulated Punk after their match, highlighting a shift in his persona amidst his ongoing title quests and a subtle distancing from Judgment Day.
Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is planning for Balor to face Dominik Mysterio at SummerSlam, though this match might be moved up to next month in Las Vegas, as part of the adjustments on the Road to WrestleMania.
“Finn’s been certainly building towards being a babyface. He did those babyface promos leading into this match,” Meltzer said.
Given the recent events on Raw, it appears WWE is preparing to finalize Balor’s separation from Judgment Day, setting the stage for a feud with Dirty Dom.
Boy that escalated quickly pic.twitter.com/vmPb0Vb5J7
— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) March 3, 2026
