Finn Balor Emerges as Potential WrestleMania Challenger

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This week's WWE Monday Night Raw featured several key developments, including Finn Balor emerging as a potential challenger to Roman Reigns' WWE Championship at WrestleMania, and LA Knight continuing to gain momentum as a fan favorite despite a crowded World Heavyweight title picture.

Why it matters

Balor's potential inclusion in the WrestleMania main event would add an unpredictable element to the marquee match, while Knight's continued popularity suggests he could be in line for a major push in the near future if WWE capitalizes on his connection with the audience.

The details

The show kicked off with a six-man tag team match pitting LA Knight and The Usos against The Vision. Later, there were qualifying matches for the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, with Becky Lynch, Asuka, and Natalya competing for the women's match, and Gunther, Je'Von Evans, and Dominik Mysterio battling for the men's. The article also notes that Roman Reigns has chosen CM Punk as his WrestleMania opponent, but suggests that adding Finn Balor to the mix could make the main event more unpredictable.

• The article was published on February 17, 2026, recapping the events of the previous night's WWE Monday Night Raw episode.

What’s next

The article suggests that if Punk, Balor, and Reigns continue to battle it out through the year, there is hope that LA Knight could become part of the World Heavyweight Championship mix again, potentially with a big win.