While Finn Balor, WWE NXT superstar, is getting ready for Kevin Owens on July 4 for the NXT championship, he took the time to sit down with the Inquisitr about WWE NXT being the third brand of WWE, his journey from Japan to Orlando and much more.
Inquisitr : Talk about your first day at the WWE Performance Center.
Finn Balor : “It was an emotional day. My first day at the Performance Center was actually the day following my last match in Japan, so I flew straight from Tokyo to Orlando (Fla.). Of course, I knew for a couple of months that I’d be going there. It was so hectic, that I didn’t have time to think about what I was going to do or who was going to be at the Performance Center.”
“I was still a bit emotional after leaving behind eight incredible years in Japan. I literally walked in the front door of the Performance Center and from day one I was greeted with open arms. The staff there was incredibly welcoming.”
“To go from a small wrestling dojo to the Performance Center was just mind-blowing. The sheer scale, I didn’t anything like that could possibly exist.”
Inquisitr : One big topic to this day is your NXT debut, can you describe that moment for me?
Finn Balor : “That moment was actually one of my most memorable moments of my career. I remember standing behind the curtain waiting to go out. You’re never quite sure how the people are going to react to you. Of course, wrestling’s a funny thing.”
“I stood behind the curtain as they flashed Prince Devitt on the screen, which gave me goosebumps. It was a really welcoming reaction. It was something I wasn’t expecting at all. As far as I was concerned, I was the new guy coming into a new territory.”
“For the fans to react the way they did when the name popped up on the screen. The name kind of literally faded as I walked onto the stage. It had Finn Balor there. It was the end of something, but it was the beginning of a whole-new journey. That was a really memorable moment.
Inquisitr : It’s been said before, but your entrance is arguably the most captivating in the WWE right now. The NXT crowd even does it with you. Where did you come up with that?
Finn Balor : “It wasn’t until later in my career that I really focused on the importance on making an entrance. I got to give credit to everyone that helped me with the entrance because it wasn’t just my ideas. We had a huge team in coming up with the entrance.”
“I had a lot of help from Road Dogg and a lot of help from Triple H. I spoke with the legendary Undertaker as well. If you’re going to learn about entrances from anyone, you might learn from the Undertaker.”
“It’s a whole team effort, and not just me coming up with it by myself.”
Inquisitr : Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus are coming up for NXT, I’ll be at the Pittsburgh show Thursday. Are you looking forward to anything in particular for those shows?
Finn Balor : “Obviously, just getting out on the road with NXT. We’re kind of a like a dog on a leash, we’re just chomping at the bit and trying to get out there. We’re trying to take NXT around the country and it’s always great to perform in front of crowd we haven’t been to.”
“It’s our first time in Pittsburgh and returning to Columbus and Cleveland, they were both successes and it’ll be great returning to them. I think we’re all looking forward to Pittsburgh.”
Inquisitr : Speaking of popularity, NXT is touring and doing a great job at that. Can NXT be described as the new third brand of WWE?
Finn Balor : “Without a doubt, as I think there was a lot of confusion at the beginning as to what NXT was. Not only from the fans, but ourselves. We weren’t sure whether we were developmental or a brand. The recent success of taking NXT on the road and the NXT TV show on the WWE Network, it’s really established itself as a brand.”
“It’s partly due to the talent, partly due to the WWE Network, but it’s mostly down to the reactions of the fans.”
Inquisitr : Where do you see NXT one year from now?
Finn Balor : “I wasn’t here in NXT a year ago, but I’m sure if people tried to foresee the growth of NXT over the last year, I don’t think they would either. You know, that we would’ve been in San Jose or Philadelphia, or even going to Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh.”
“Maybe in a year I foresee NXT traveling internationally to Europe and maybe even Japan.”
Inquisitr : On July 4, you have a huge match coming up with Kevin Owens in Japan, where you arguably became famous. This has to mean a lot to you.
Finn Balor : “It’s a huge match. Just even the significance on the building its in, the Sumo Arena. It’s the arena I had my last match in. It’s really only 14 months later and I’m returning with WWE on the main roster to challenge Kevin Owens for the NXT championship.”
“Kevin Owens has been causing a stir around the wrestling world. That’s a huge match, not only for what’s at stake, but personally for me, returning to Japan, that’s a country that took me in and was a second home. Japan took me in as one of their own and treated me like one of their own.”
Inquisitr : I’ve heard many WWE superstars say that getting to the WWE is not easy. What advice do you have for aspiring wrestlers?
Finn Balor : “My advice, contrary to what you have said about it not being is easy; for me it takes absolutely everything you have and everything that it takes to get there.”
Inquisitr : Let’s get into your time in NXT already, do you have a favorite match thus far?
Finn Balor : “Me personally, my match with Neville at NXT Takeover was probably my favorite match so far, because Neville and I have a long history. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
Inquisitr : How special are the NXT Takeover specials?
Finn Balor : “They really are and before I actually came down, I really liked the momentum NXT was starting to gather. I was still in Japan when the first NXT special was on. The reaction it was getting all over the world and on the Internet and social media.”
“Just to be part of the team and to be able to be apart of the NXT specials is really something else. It’s not a big building, but just the energy that’s created in there on the nights of the special is something that feels like you can’t quite figure out. But it’s almost like magic.”
Inquisitr : Triple H has done a wonderful job with NXT. What has he done for you specifically in your growth as a WWE superstar?
Finn Balor : “For someone who is running the company, he’s really hands-on with everyone at NXT. He’s never an unreachable figurehead. He’s at TV tapings, the live specials, and even the events on the road. Despite the character he portrays on TV, he’s really an approachable man.”
“He kind of sees things differently than anybody else. If you ever have a question or a problem, if you approach Triple H, he might say the most-obvious thing, but it was the last thing you were thinking.”
“As soon as he says it, you’re thinking, ‘Oh my, why didn’t I think of that?’ He’s very smart and we’re very lucky to have him at our disposal in NXT.”
Inquisitr : Talk about the NXT Women’s division and the four Horsewomen.
Finn Balor : “It’s not just a catchphrase. The NXT women are changing the way women’s wrestling is viewed. It’s an inspiration to be able to watch. For the guys especially, when women’s’ wrestling is the main event of our shows, it’s incredible for them and incredible for us.”
Inquisitr : If you could describe your time in NXT in one word, what would it be?
Finn Balor : “Growth.”
Inquisitr : What is your dream match inside the WWE?
Finn Balor : “It would be versus Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania.”
[Images via whatwrestling.com, wrestlingsmash.com and sportingnews.com]