Finn Balor was on the shelf this weekend, and things didn't quite go his way.
Balor was sidelined with what was described as a stomach flu, in a situation that definitely didn't go WWE's way. Balor was slated to take on Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Title at WWE Smackville, but minutes before the show went on the air, WWE announced Balor wouldn't be able to appear. The announcement actually came after the the hybrid house show-Network special had already started.
The former Universal Champion Balor was actually at Smackville, and many were informed for the first time upon his arrival that he'd been battling the stomach flu and had been hospitalized. The decision was made to pull Balor from the show in favor of the healthier Ali. We're told that WWE officials realized that Balor left when they decided that they were going to film a segment where Shinsuke Nakamura took him out. We're told that Balor didn't know of the plans, and there wasn't any malice on his part.
Balor did not wrestle at Sunday's live event, and was not at the venue.
