A former WWE Universal Champion finally ended a lengthy drought on Friday Night SmackDown. The star picked up his first singles victory on the blue brand in nearly three years.

On the latest edition of SmackDown, Finn Balor faced former Bullet Club member Tama Tonga. The match was set up after a brutal backstage ambush by Tonga and his brother, Talla Tonga, last week. The former MFT member claimed he was "closing the books" on his Bullet Club past by targeting The Prince.

Tonight, the match started with intense physicality right from the opening bell. Balor stepped into the ring looking for payback and wasted no time taking the fight directly to his opponent. However, the numbers game quickly became a factor as Talla Tonga was at the ringside area.

Talla Tonga repeatedly made his presence felt, executing cheap shots on Balor and distracting the referee. This allowed Tama Tonga to take control of the mid-match pace, grounding the former Judgment Day member with a heavy, power-based offense.

Tama Tonga connected with a vicious Cutthroat Slam that seemed to secure the victory, but Balor kicked out just before the three-count. The Irish star then used his speed to turn the tide, executing a high-flying dive over the top rope that wiped out both Tama and Talla Tonga on the floor simultaneously.

With Talla temporarily neutralized, Balor rolled Tama back into the ring. He then executed a shotgun dropkick into the corner, followed by his signature Coup de Grace from the top rope to secure the victory.

Tonight's victory was Balor's first televised singles win on the blue brand after 1,029 days. He last picked up a victory on the September 15, 2023, edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, where he defeated AJ Styles.

It now remains to be seen what's next for the 44-year-old star as WWE heads to SummerSlam.

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