The Demon Finn Bálor hit Gunther with a Coup de Grace off a ladder through the announce table on the Oct. 30 episode of WWE SmackDown. The attack came during a Halloween-themed SmackDown hosted by Danhausen in Charleston, West Virginia. Gunther has never faced the Demon in a match. Here are three reasons that matchup spells trouble for Gunther.
The Demon Finn Bálor’s Biggest Wins Came With Titles On The Line
Bálor first appeared as the Demon at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on Dec. 11, 2014, teaming with Hideo Itami to beat The Ascension. The Demon took the NXT Championship from Kevin Owens at The Beast in the East in Tokyo on July 4, 2015. Bálor kept the title in a ladder match against Owens at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on Aug. 22, 2015.
At SummerSlam on Aug. 21, 2016, the Demon beat Seth Rollins to become the first WWE Universal Champion. A powerbomb into the barricade during the match left Bálor with a torn shoulder labrum. WWE announced on the next night’s Raw that the title would be vacated.
The Demon beat Bray Wyatt at SummerSlam on Aug. 20, 2017. Filling in for an ill Wyatt on short notice, AJ Styles lost to Bálor at TLC on Oct. 22, 2017. Baron Corbin lost a short match to the Demon at SummerSlam on Aug. 19, 2018.
Bobby Lashley dropped the Intercontinental Championship to the Demon at WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019. Andrade challenged for that title at Super ShowDown on June 7, 2019, and lost. Each of those matches ended with the Demon’s hand raised.
Samoa Joe took the NXT Championship from Bálor at a live event in Lowell, Massachusetts, on April 21, 2016. The rematch came inside a steel cage at NXT TakeOver: The End on June 8, 2016, and Joe beat the Demon for the first time. A Super Muscle Buster off the middle rope secured the win and the title.
More than five years passed before the Demon lost again. Roman Reigns retained the Universal Championship against Bálor at Extreme Rules on Sept. 26, 2021. The buckles holding the top rope snapped as Bálor climbed for the Coup de Grace. A Spear from Reigns finished the match moments later.
Edge beat the Demon in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 39 on April 2, 2023. Bálor did not wrestle as the Demon again for three years. On Night Two of WrestleMania 42 on April 19, 2026, the Demon beat Dominik Mysterio in a Street Fight with a Coup de Grace through a table. The win was the Demon’s first since Super ShowDown in 2019.
Gunther beat Bálor twice in 2024. A sleeper hold ended the first match on the July 29 Raw by referee’s stoppage. The second came at Saturday Night’s Main Event on Dec. 14, 2024, when Gunther pinned Bálor in a World Heavyweight Championship triple threat with Damian Priest. Both matches fell between the Demon’s 2023 loss and 2026 return.
On the Oct. 9 SmackDown, Gunther beat down Danhausen before a scheduled match between the two could start. Bálor ran out to make the save. Danhausen summoned the Demon on Oct. 30 after an attack interrupted the reveal of a “very evil experiment.”
End Of My Finn Bálor Rant
Gunther has an answer for almost everyone on the roster. Regular Bálor is a solved problem, with two 2024 losses to prove it. The Demon is a different animal entirely, with losses to Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, and Edge standing out because they are so rare. One of those defeats came inside a steel cage, and another followed a snapped rope. Charleston showed Gunther has no plan for the paint.
WWE needs to book this match and stop letting posters do the talking. Survivor Series, or a SmackDown main event would all work. Gunther spent October bullying Danhausen, and the bill came due through an announce table. The Demon should collect the rest with a referee watching and a three-count to finish the job.
