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April 23rd, 2015
April 16th, 2015
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WWE’s annual April European tour is one of the most eagerly awaited stages of the professional wrestling calendar, and the 2015 edition has been a major success with many sellouts across the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Dublin last week, Ireland’s own Finn Balor competed in his home country for the very first time as a WWE Superstar, while Preston’s Bad News Barrett has enjoyed a heroes reception across every English arena.
Balor made his in-ring debut in 2000, and spent many years as one of the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling, the second biggest wrestling organisation in the world. Frequently touted as one of the best talents in the world, he signed with WWE in May 2014 and made his NXT debut four months later.
Wade Barrett has been a member of WWE’s main roster since 2010 after winning the inaugural season of NXT, later becoming a five-time Intercontinental Champion and one of the most successful British competitors in the history of the company.
The Independent caught up with both Superstars at London’s O2 Arena, and caused a little mischief when asking Barrett if he and Balor had ever competed against each other before. With smiles on their faces, the two men reminisced over their first meeting.
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April 9th, 2015
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Finn Bálor vs. Tyler Breeze in a Semi Final Match to determine who gets into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Breeze retreats into the ropes to keep Balor from setting the pace of the match. Breeze with an arm drag and he goes onto his perch on the turnbuckles again. They lock up and Breeze with a side head lock. Breeze with a shoulder tackle but Balor with a drop kick. Balor goes to the turnbuckles to mock Breeze. Breeze misses a splash and Balor with a near fall. Balor with a chop and Irish whip followed by a running chop.
Breeze with knees to the midsection and then he Irish whips Balor into the corner. Breeze misses a splash and lands on the turnbuckles. Balor with kicks to Breeze but Breeze with a kick and clothesline. Breeze gets a near fall. Breeze with kicks in the corner and then he chokes Balor in the corner. Breeze argues with the referee and then he snap mares Balor and hits a leg drop and gets a near fall.
Breeze with a reverse chin lock on Balor. Breeze wants the referee to ask the referee if he wants to quit. Breeze with an elbow to the chest and he tries for a sunset flip but Balor rolls through and hits a drop kick. Balor with a running forearm or two. Balor runs into a boot from Breeze but Balor with an enzuigiri to Breeze on the turnbuckles and Balor gets a near fall.
Breeze with a back heel kick and punch. Breeze with a running forearm into the corner and he hits a second one. Breeze goes into the corner a third time but Balor with Slingblade followed by a running drop kick that sends Breeze into the turnbuckles and Balor with the double stomp for the three count.
Winner: Finn Bálor
Hideo Itami vs. Finn Bálor in the NXT Wrestlemania AXXESS Tournament to determine who gets to participate in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Itami with a waist lock but Balor with a hammer lock. Itami with a reversal and they go back and forth until Itami gets a near fall. Balor with a side head lock and Itami with a head scissors. Itami with a side head lock and Balor with a head scissors and Itami escapes. They lock up and Itami with a wrist lock. Balor with a reversal and a hip lock take down into an arm bar. Balor works on the wrist before returning to the arm bar.
Balor has a kick blocked and Itami with a leg sweep. Balor with a drop kick and he gets a near fall. Itami with an Irish whip and Balor floats over and Itami with a knee to the midsection and he connects with a kick to the chest and he gets a near fall. Itami with a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Itami turns it into a rear face lock and then he connects with a knee. Itami with a sunset flip but Balor rolls through and he hits a drop kick. Balor with a clothesline and forearm followed by a running chop into the corner.
Balor with an Irish whip but Itami with a boot and he goes for the tornado DDT to the apron but Balor holds on and puts Itami on the turnbuckles and hits an enzuigiri for a near fall. Itami with a flying clothesline and both men are down. Itami with a running knee into the corner and he sets for the tornado DDT onto the top rope. Itami with a flying clothesline for a near fall.
Itami gets Balor on his shoulders but Balor escapes. Itami with kicks but Balor with a Pele kick and both men are down. Itami gets to his feet first. Balor with a forearm but Itami with a forearm of his own. They go back and forth but Balor with the advantage. Itami with chops and kicks and he sends Balor into the turnbuckles. Itami with the hesitation drop kick into the corner and then he sets for the flying boot but Balor with Slingblade. Itami with a running drop kick into the corner and Balor goes up top for the Double Stomp.
Itami crotches Balor and he gets Finn on his shoulders but Finn escapes and he rolls up Itami but can only get a two count. Itami with the flying boot and he gets the three count.
Winner: Hideo Itami
After the match, Itami and Balor shake hands and hug.
Related Links, Photos & More:
» FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > NXT > 2015 > World Wrestling Entertainment > Miscellaneous > WrestleMania 31 > NXT Tournament at WrestleMania Axxess
» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2015 > April 8th
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April 4th, 2015
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Finn recently spoke to Digital Sky about NXT’s growth, his debut and much more!
Finn Bálor has said that many NXT wrestlers already consider the brand to be part of the main WWE roster.
Bálor told Digital Spy ahead of WrestleMania 31 that he was in no hurry to move from Full Sail to Stanford.
“I really feel like as part of NXT we’re really on the cusp of something very special. There’s a feeling in the locker room that we’re really starting,” he said.
“There’s that history and that respect and that passion that we all have coming from the indies, willing to be the best – that drive.”
He continued: “It’s a very special time down there. They say, ‘When are you going to get the call-up to the main roster?’ and all that stuff, but for a lot of us at NXT, we do consider NXT now the main roster.”
“I’m glad to be a part of it and I’m not in any hurry to move anywhere. I want NXT to grow and I want to be one of the people that’s helping it grow.”
Of whether NXT was in competition with Monday Night Raw, Bálor said: “There’s definitely a certain amount of connection the fans feel with NXT, like it’s their brand.”
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March 26th, 2015
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We return from break to hear Finn Balor responding to Kevin Owens, saying that he does all his talking in the ring. Then, in the same vain as Owens, we see a video package conveying the huge accomplishments of Finn Balor in his short time at NXT.
NXT Championship Match – Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens (c)
The bell rings and Owens takes a walk, playing some mind games. The champ takes control with shoulder blocks and rest holds and yells “where’s the demon now?”, so Balor dropkicks him in the face.
After an ad break, Balor rolls through a sunset flip with a dropkick. Kevin fights back with knife-edge chops and they fight on the apron, with Balor getting dropped over the top rope. The assault continues with right hands, kicks and an elbow drop. He throws on a rest hold and after a few minutes we cut to another commercial.
We come back with Owens stomping away at the challenger. Another chin lock until the crowd tries to build momentum, and Owens throws him to the floor and continues the beatdown. He sets up for the apron powerbomb but gets flipped on his back. Balor throws right hands but is caught with a crucifix sideslam, followed by a senton splash for two.
The next segment is yet again all Kevin Owens. Lots of rest holds. At one point Owens does an Irish whip into the corner so hard you hear something in the ring shift.
After a third break, Balor begins to fight back. He breaks out of a headlock and hits a dropkick. The Slingblade connects followed by a double under-hook slam for two. The champ bails from the ring and wraps Balor’s knee around the ring post before going to work on it. They roll back into the ring and Owens locks in a half grab after beating down on the knee. Finn barely makes it to the bottom rope. He counters a powerbomb with a double foot stomp; both men down.
Challenger is up first but he gets his legs kicked out. They fight to the top turnbuckle and Balor hits an enzuigiri. He tries for a big superplex, but Owens hooks the leg and drops him with a top rope Fishermen’s buster! Holy **** chant. The champ hits a cannonball splash in the corner and continues to work over the now-obviously-injured knee. He wraps the knee around the bottom rope and does another cannonball. Owens comes up empty on a third attempt and Balor follows with a running dropkick. He heads up for the double foot stomp, connecting, but his knee is too messed up to make the cover. When he finally gets up, Owens hits him with a pop-up powerbomb for the 1-2-3.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Related Links, Photos & More:
» FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > NXT > 2015 > March 25th
» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > NXT > 2015 > March 25th
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March 20th, 2015
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An NXT tournament will be held this Thursday at WrestleMania Axxess, with the winner earning the right to compete in the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal days later at WrestleMania.
Tournament participants will include former NXT Champion Adrian Neville, Finn Bálor, Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami, WWE.com has confirmed. WrestleMania Axxess, which is the year’s biggest gathering of WWE fans, takes place at the San Jose Convention Center Thursday, March 26, through Sunday, March 29.
Find out which NXT Superstar will outlast the competition and make his debut on The Grandest Stage of Them All when the action goes down this Thursday at Axxess!
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