A monarch-less kingdom will fill its vacant throne on Sunday when Seth Rollins and Finn Balor battle at WWE SummerSlam 2016to become thefirst man to hold the Universal Championship.The fight to become Raw's top titleholder features a pair of athletic artists sure to craft something special in the squared circle. Rollins' resume is overflowing with stellar performances. Balor's matches helped the NXT brand continue its growth from developmental territory to cult phenomenon.Casual fans who only peek into the WWE world every few pay-per-views or so will find Balor's name unfamiliar.The Irishman is only a month removed from being a cornerstone of NXT. WWE has embraced his arrival to Raw and the main roster wholeheartedly. Balor's PPV debut is for a world title and is one of the top matches on the second-biggest WWE event of the year.Will WWE push all its chips to the center of the table with Balor and crown him this early' Will he and Rollins outdo everyone else on the SummerSlam card' Backstory and BuildAt the close of the Battleground PPV, SmackDown star Dean Ambrose still held tight to the WWE World Championship.His win over his former stablemates in The Shield, Rollins and Roman Reigns, left Raw without a world title to call its own.Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon quickly remedied that. The night after the PPV, she announced the birth of the Universal Championship.Rollins received an automatic spot in the match to claim the vacant title at SummerSlam. It clearly pays to have ties to a show's authority figures.Balor, meanwhile, had to earn his spot by first winning aFatal 4-Way match and then knocking off Reigns on the same night.The bold move shook WWE fans. The company doesn't normally catapult an NXT call-up at that pace. Balor was only hours into his run on the main roster before he claimed a world title shot.The narrative soon shifted into more surreal territory.Balor talked of how Irish mythology fueled him. He told the tales of Tuatha De Danann and Finn MacCool. "These are not just stories, Seth; they are a source of power," Balor said.A dark alter ego later emerged. On the Aug. 15 edition of Raw, Rollins called out Balor's Demon King persona. The painted figure stepped through red smoke to confront The Architect.Many assumed that WWE would save that reveal for SummerSlam. Perhaps the company has a bigger spectacle in mind for Balor at the show.The two warriors are now set to clash over a brand-new piece of hardware.Regardless of the result, history will be made. And no matter who wins, this bout promises to be memorable. Odds, BuzzSurprisingly, it's the newcomer who leads the way in terms of betting odds.According toOdds Shark, Balor is currently the betting favorite at 5-8, while Rollins' odds sit at 6-5. Translation: The oddsmakers believe the recent NXT transplant has a 61 percent to win.Some media members aren't as sold on that possibility. In CBS Sports' SummerSlam preview, Denny Burkholder, Matt Snyder and Nick Kostos all picked Rollins to prevail against Balor. Mat Elfring of GameSpot predicted that Rollins will win cleanly.A big question heading into the battle is whether WWE will weave Balor's past into his present. He once led The Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson serving as two of his soldiers. All three men are now a part of Raw.Doug Mortman of Busted Open radio tweeted about a possible reformation of The Bullet Club at SummerSlam:That's a thought many have had. WWE hasn't hinted at that possibility in the least, but it's an exciting option. It would be strange, though, for Balor to turn heel just weeks into his first babyface run.And Rollins vs. Balor's place on the card will be something else to watch.Justin LaBar of TribLive and Chair Shot Realitybelieves it will be the night's final match:Going by which match has received the most hype, one would expect Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar to be SummerSlam's main event. Lesnar has headlined the PPV four of the last five years. WinnerWWE will go all-in on the Balor push.From his arrival on, the company has made it clear that it believes in the former NXT champ. He won two matches (including one against the golden boy, Reigns) and earned the No. 1 contender's spot in his first night on Raw. The company immediately vaulted him into a prominent spot on the SummerSlam card.To make a loud, emphatic statement about entering the New Era, WWE will crown Balor.Rollins is already a made man. His victory wouldn't create the kind of headlines that The Demon King's triumph would.A stellar, fast-paced match is on the way. From an in-ring standpoint, it will be SummerSlam's best bout.And Balor will emerge with his face paint smeared as he holds the Universal Championship above his head.
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