By his own admission, Finn Bálor's first reign as Intercontinental Champion was much shorter than he'd have liked. It’s looking like his second is going to be much, much more interesting. One week after barely surviving a returning Sami Zayn in a championship bout, the Irishman suffered a non-title loss to Andrade in the latter’s Raw debut following a Superstar Shake-up brand jump.
The match was a coming-out party for Andrade, who turned heads on Team Blue with several instant classics against Rey Mysterio, though he had trouble breaking out beyond that remarkable rivalry. Here, he broke out over the course of one match, and Bálor, who tweaked his knee in the bout, struggled to keep up. He had no answer for the interference of Andrade’s business partner and human insurance policy Zelina Vega, who keyed Andrade’s victory. La Muñeca shielded her associate on multiple occasions to give him some breathing room and even sent Bálor flying with a hurricanrana from the ring apron that left him helpless against the Hammerlock DDT, which spelled the end to a blockbuster debut that was either a showcase or a reality check, depending on whom you ask.
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