Fresh from retaining his WWE NXT title at Wembley Arena last night, pro wrestler and keen Spurs fan Finn Bálor stopped by at Hotspur Way today (Thursday, December 17).
The 34-year-old Irishman, famed for his athletic in-ring style and signature body paint, chatted with Kyle Walker before being taken on a tour of our world-class training facilities by the England international right-back.
“It’s great to be here and just looking around, on first impressions it’s very similar to what we have in Florida at the WWE Performance Centre,” said Balor, who has been main-eventing WWE NXT’s first-ever UK tour this week.
“It’s so important to invest in the future in any kind of business or sport and obviously this training facility is a perfect example of what Spurs are doing, so I think the future is very bright for the club.
“I personally became a Spurs fan from a young age. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s my brother Colin was a Spurs fan and of course we had a great team then with the likes of Lineker and Gascoigne and the FA Cup victory of 1991. That era was what really sucked me in.”
Of course, Balor has a hectic schedule in the United States, but he confirmed he still keeps a keen eye on our performances from across the Atlantic.
“Neville (WWE wrestler and former NXT Champion) is a big Newcastle fan and of course I got a text from him last week saying ‘get in there son!’ when that last-minute winner went in, so that was heartbreaking,” he added.
“I always follow the results on Twitter and the online apps and I try to catch the games as much as I can. I pay for a package out in the States that gives me all the matches, but it’s rare that we have a Saturday off!”
NXT is WWE’s developmental arm, with a steady stream of grapplers called up to the mainstream WWE roster over recent years including Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens.
Balor won the NXT title, the brand’s top prize, back in July by defeating Owens, who made his WWE main roster debut earlier this year and recently held the prestigious Intercontinental Title.
He successfully defended the belt against Samoa Joe at the NXT TakeOver London event at Wembley Arena on Wednesday evening – and he’s determined to see us enjoy success in that vicinity again soon.
“Spurs have had a lot of great victories at Wembley – last night was a tough night at Wembley Arena and I’m feeling it today, but it’s all good,” he said.
“It’s great to meet Kyle – he’s been here a long time and I’m a big fan. I’m obviously a big Harry Kane supporter and a huge Jan Vertonghen fan as well. He’s rock solid!”
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