WWE News: Former Champion Criticizes ‘NXT’ Stars
Finn Balor turned heel on a recent episode of NXT by attacking Johnny Gargano, but he appears to have some issues with the black-and-gold brand’s entire roster. The longest-reigning NXT Champion in history recently shared his feelings about his colleagues, revealing how he thinks they have it easy.
As quoted by 411Mania, Balor recently appeared on the State of Combat podcast and compared the wrestling environment of today to when he was trying to make a name for himself. According to Balor, he had to make sacrifices for years before he started reaping the rewards, and he believes that developmental stars don’t have to pay their dues in the same way.
“It’s a joke how easy they have it. They get paid to train? You kidding me? I slept in a sleeping bag for four months. Got my a** beat in gyms in England for six years. I went to Japan and got my a** beat in the dojo for three years before I even got in any way a relevant match on TV in Japan. I didn’t make any money for the first seven years of my career. Do you think I was getting paid to train? Getting physiotherapists, chiropractors, masseuses? These guys are pampered, man.”
Balor was also critical of superstars who miss shows and training sessions due to illnesses and upcoming shows. As a former member of New Japan Pro Wrestling, “The Demon” was subjected to some of the most disciplined wrestling training in the world. The company is known for making rising stars clean toilets and serve the locker room before giving them a chance to compete.
"I don't watch this business. This business watches me."@FinnBalor #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ng1cd3enuL
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) October 31, 2019
NXT superstars train at WWE‘s Performance Center, which is a state-of-the-art facility that helps performers develop their skills as sports entertainers. However, like Balor, many NXT competitors made a name for themselves on the independent circuit and abroad prior to joining WWE.
Balor recently returned to NXT after spending recent years as a member of the Monday Night Raw and SmackDown brands. As The Inquisitr previously reported, he’s one of several main roster stars who may have been sent to NXT to increase its star power, now that the show airs on the USA Network.
On the latest episode of the show, Balor also teased reforming a stable with AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. All four superstars have a history together, having teamed in Japan as members of the Bullet Club.
