It will take Finn Balor little time to reclaim the surging momentum he had as he becomes the heart of WWE Raw.You could feel the energy surrounding the red brand change even before Balor stepped out of the curtains Monday night. WWE heavily teased The Demon King's return on the first Raw after WrestleMania 33. Electricity filled the arena as a result.Thanks to Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe throttling Chris Jericho backstage, Seth Rollins needed a new partner for the night's main event tag team match. New general manager Kurt Angle promised to find him one.And when Balor eventually strode out in his leather jacket, revealing himself to be Angle's choice, the arena exploded for the rock star of the wrestling ring.As much talent as Raw boasts, it's clear the show missed the former NXT champion. Balor provided a surge of freshness upon his arrival last year. He looked right at home on the show's top tier as he tangled with Roman Reigns and Rollins, delivering high-energy action along the way.Balor was a clear star from the get-go, but it all ended in a flash.The Demon King shredded his shoulder at SummerSlam, forcing him to relinquish the Universal Championship he won that night. A potential linchpin of the much-hyped New Era found himself in physical therapy rather than in the heat of battle.After he was healthy enough to perform again, WWE held off bringing him back. Balor remained an attraction on house shows only.He missed WrestleMania 33 as the company apparently wanted to save his comeback for the biggest Raw of the year.Moments into his return, his impact was obvious. His music elicited high-pitched screams. Fans joyously mirrored his signature posearms outstretched, chin up.Kyle Fowleof the A.V. Club wrote, "He's back, in full abs and leather jacketform, and it's an immediate jolt toMonday Night Raw."Looking ahead, WWE now has a key component to plug into theUniversal Championship picture. Denny Burkholder of CBS Sports talked of the depth he will bring:Current universalchamp Brock Lesnar will not be around full-time. He's a marquee special attraction with a limited schedule. We learned that firsthand when he was WWE champ in 2014 and 2015 and rarely appeared on Raw.That leaves a space open on center stage for the dynamic Balor.His athletic prowess and top-flight in-ring ability will allow him to make full use of that opportunity. Whether WWE pits him against a heel Reigns, Owens or The Beast Incarnate Lesnar himself, he will be among the highlights of the show each week.We saw glimpses of that the first time around.Balor thrived in a Fatal 4-Way match against Cesaro, Owens and Rusev on July 25. He followed that up with a thrilling victory over Reigns later on the same Raw. And he and Rollins delivered the second-best match at SummerSlam behind only AJ Styles vs. John Cena.Raw felt different last summer with Balor in the spotlight, too. There was a sense that WWE was marching toward the future, that we were witnessing the genesis of the next big thing.The roster felt significantly more robust. WWE's match options were more enticing.Raw is at that point again with Balor back onboard.And his return comes just in time. Undertaker stepped away from the squared circle after his farewell match. Goldberg said his goodbyes on Monday's Raw Talk. Now that WrestleMania season is done, Lesnar's presence won't be as regular.Luckily, Raw can offset those losses with a game-changer in Balora gladiator with a GQ look.
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