While you might know him as Prince Devitt, “The Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla” or “The Real Shooter”, one thing’s for sure: Finn Bálor will offer the WWE Universe something they’ve never seen before. Born and raised in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland; Finn is not your average WWE superstar as he brings the wrestling experience of a man who competed in places like Mexico, the UK and Japan. He might not be the “Prince” anymore, but that won’t stop Finn Bálor from claiming his throne in the WWE as the resident Demon King on the Raw brand.
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The rumors of Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson coming to WWE have the entire sports-entertainment world waiting with bated breath, no one more so than NXT Champion Finn Bálor. Not only did Bálor cross paths with Nakamura on several occasions, he also created and ran the Bullet Club faction that Styles, Gallows and Anderson were most recently members of in New Japan.
Although the offices of WWE COO Triple H offered no comment on the alleged signings, Bálor sent out a barrage of tweets and Instagram posts teasing, poking and prodding at the scuttlebutt, including an instantly-iconic image of himself waiting for his buddies outside the WWE Performance Center. While the whispers swirl, WWE.com got in touch with the reigning NXT Champion to get his thoughts on WWE’s biggest (alleged) acquisition since the Monday Night War.
WWE.COM: The rumors of WWE signing AJ Styles, Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson of The Bullet Club and Shinsuke Nakamura have been all over the Internet this week. Can you provide any insight as to whether or not they’re true?
FINN BÁLOR: I think I was more excited than anyone to read the news about what’s been going on. I have had the guys at Bullet Club, especially Karl Anderson, who’s my best friend outside the ring, give me a couple nuggets of information that leads me to be very confident about the future at NXT and WWE. For me, I think having some friends around would definitely be better for me. But whether I can say for 100% certainty that it’s going to happen …
WWE.COM: Can you tell us about your relationship with The Bullet Club?
BÁLOR: The Bullet Club was essentially in existence long before it was ever onscreen. Myself and Karl Anderson were best friends in and out of the ring. Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale were the other foreign wrestlers in New Japan. Essentially we lived together, traveled together, ate together, drank together and spent four years being in each other’s company. We were closer to each other than we were to our own families, due to the fact that we were in a foreign country and all going through the same issues of living in a non-English speaking country. That’s an incredible cultural contrast to where we came from. We were literally best friends. The opportunity arose for me to create a faction in New Japan, and the office said, “Would you be willing to start a faction with your buddies?” I said, “Absolutely. 100%. I would love to.” They said, “Come up with a name next week.” I came up with a name, and it kind of all happened from there.
WWE.COM: Nakamura was never in The Bullet Club, but you two have battled. What’s your relationship with him like?
BÁLOR: We didn’t clash so much in the ring. But outside of the ring, I can honestly say he was one of my one, true Japanese friends I made in the eight years I was in Japan. I spent a lot of time with him outside of the ring just living life. He’s a very cultured guy, and he thinks outside the box. I think we hit it off with our appreciation for just trying to be different.
WWE.COM: What does this mean for WWE to be potentially receiving this influx of talent?
BÁLOR: A year and a half ago, myself, Kevin Owens and Hideo Itami all came in together. And there was kind of a buzz that helped create a special time in NXT. I think, potentially, what is going to happen over the next couple of months if these four names come in is going to be even bigger. I think the growth of NXT in the last year and a half and the growth Bullet Club has made in the last year and a half since I left means this would be a huge coup for WWE. Nakamura, being one of the most charismatic wrestlers on the planet, is an absolute game-changer unlike anyone that is out there right now. Gallows & Machine Gun [Anderson] are one of the world’s most established tag teams. Machine Gun, in my opinion, is the most underrated wrestler on the planet. For years. The fact that he’s getting so much media attention right now makes me happy, but I’m slightly disappointed it’s only happening now and didn’t happen 10 years ago when I first met him. AJ Styles’ reputation speaks for itself. He’s one of the best in-ring performers on the planet, ever. To say this would be a coup is an understatement. I think the next couple of months could change the way pro wrestling is viewed for the next 10 years.
WWE.COM: You’ve gone on record as saying you’re happy to help mold the future of NXT instead of rushing your way to the main roster, but if The Bullet Club shows up on Raw are you going to be with them?
BÁLOR: Well, I am happy in NXT. And I am proud to be the champion and proud to be the standard-bearer at the Performance Center and proud of the growth that NXT has experienced in the last year. But make no mistake about it: I am very ambitious. And I want to be in the place that is causing the most controversy and getting the most media attention and getting the most focus put on it. I did that in New Japan, I did that in NXT. And perhaps, in the future, if Bullet Club were to arrive on Monday Night Raw, there would be no better way for Finn Bálor to make his debut than with his best friends by his side.
Muscle & Fitness caught up with the Irish born, NXT World Champion in Orlando recently and got the low down on his training, nutrition, and thoughts on WWE’s fast rising NXT division.
M&F: You are known for having a high risk style of offense. That must require a lot of flexibility?
Finn: I’ve been in the ring for many years, so it’s something you build up. Over time your muscle memory allows you to stretch yourself further. Our bodies have to be highly conditioned and finely tuned to do what we do.
M&F: WWE has the Performance Center here in Orlando. What kind of advice and support do you get?
Finn: Loads. We have a world-class strength and conditioning coach in Matt Wichlinski. He’s been a great help to me with training and providing alternative workouts for specific goals.
M&F: How often do you work out?
Finn: Sometimes it’s twice a day. Sometimes I have a rest day. I aim for seven workouts per week but it varies and depends on the schedule. We can be in the ring four times per week, as well. I vary the workouts. Ill jump on the bike or I do a lot of work in the swimming pool with resistance training, which is great for the joints.
M&F: How do you approach nutrition when you are on the road?
Finn: At home I prepare my own food but on tour I have to shop around. I try to eat simple food and as much organic food as I can. I don’t eat processed foods and I eat low carb so that means a lot of vegetables, nuts, meat, and fish.
M&F: What challenges have you faced since moving to Orlando?
Finn: Adjusting to the Florida climate took me a little time. I lost weight in the first couple of months but it was only temporary.
M&F: So what would be your favorite ‘cheat’ meal?
Finn: Pizza by a mile! Any topping. But it’s a very rare occasion.
M&F: As an Irish competitor that started his career in the UK, how excited were you to go back in December with the WWE NXT Division?
Finn: To go back with NXT made me feel like a returning warrior. We brought something new to the UK and I feel like I have played a big part in the growth of the division. The UK is where it all started for me, so it’s pretty cool to go back.
M&F: NXT toured similar size venues to WWE, with a rich stable of talent, featuring established stars that have performed all over the world. It seems like NXT is no longer a developmental group?
Finn: Absolutely. NXT has grown so fast that nobody really understands just how big it can get. We are expanding into Europe. It’s not just a flash in the pan. We’ve been consistently delivering night in and night out. NXT has definitely created its own brand and is its own entity.
M&F: What does being the NXT Champion mean to Finn Bálor?
Finn: I pride myself on being at the cutting edge. I try to be on the cusp of what’s cool… and NXT is definitely cool. I want to be known as someone who helped establish the NXT World Championship and took it to the next level.
Sam Roberts and Katie Linendoll talk to Finn Balor on Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, about his TNA Crotch Chop, breaking the ceiling, not going to the main roster, Young Bucks, and more.
– Karl Anderson spoke with Sean Ross Sapp of WrestlingInc promoting Wrestle Kingdom 10 and more. Check out the highlights:
On Finn Balor’s success: “It’s great. Ferg is one of my best buddies in the world. It’s awesome. WWE is WWE. It’s cool, it’s huge, it’s great, I have a lot of friends there. I loved it, I’m glad they made Balor Club. You never know, one day it might be cool to join Balor Club.”
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!”