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Professional wrestling, particularly during the fervent build-up to WrestleMania, often emphasizes singular, career-defining achievements. Superstars frequently speak of securing their "WrestleMania moment" or striving to "finish the story." However, for Fergal Devitt, widely known as Finn Balor in WWE, this perspective diverges significantly. Balor views every accomplishment, every match, and every segment as an integral thread woven into a much broader tapestry, forming a comprehensive body of work that defines his extensive career.
This year marks a significant personal and professional milestone for Balor, commemorating 25 years since his initial foray into the demanding world of professional wrestling. Despite his enduring physical condition and continued high-level performance, the veteran competitor acknowledges the substantial duration of his career. This quarter-century benchmark gained a sharper focus following the recent reflections concerning his long-time friend and esteemed colleague, AJ Styles. Balor referenced Styles’ retirement, reportedly preceding a WWE Hall of Fame induction, as a catalyst for deeper personal introspection.
"Seeing AJ retire got me thinking about a lot of things," Balor conveyed to CBS Sports in an interview conducted prior to Saturday’s WWE Elimination Chamber event. Balor continued, emphasizing Styles’ profound influence, "I’ve always looked up to AJ. I’ve always chased his coattails, so to speak. He’s always been the benchmark for what we all strive to be. Seeing him retire brought it home to me that my days are numbered. AJ has been an ever-present for me for the last 25 years." The sentiment underscores the profound impact of Styles’ career trajectory on Balor’s own perception of longevity and legacy within the industry.
The upcoming Elimination Chamber match presents Balor with a pivotal opportunity. He is scheduled to challenge the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, inside the formidable steel structure. The stakes extend beyond merely capturing the championship; the victor of this highly anticipated bout will earn the right to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, in the main event of WrestleMania 42. For Balor, this scenario represents more than just a title shot; it is a potential avenue to rectify a longstanding professional grievance and secure what many observers consider the most significant match of his illustrious career.
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"I have this massive stain on my career from 10 years ago when I got hurt and had to relinquish the universal championship," Balor stated, referring to an incident that has persistently shadowed his main roster tenure. "I’ve been asked about that in every interview for 10 years. This whole ‘what if.’" The "what if" scenario refers to Balor’s unprecedented main roster debut in 2016, which began with extraordinary momentum. He achieved a remarkable feat by defeating Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and two other competitors on the same night to earn a Universal Championship match. Subsequently, at SummerSlam, he made history by becoming the inaugural Universal Champion and the first competitor to win a WWE world title in his debut pay-per-view match, defeating Seth Rollins. However, this triumph was immediately marred by a torn labrum sustained during the match, forcing him to relinquish the championship merely 22 hours later. This abrupt end to his first and only WWE world title reign has remained a pervasive talking point in his career narrative.
For the ensuing decade, the specter of that moment has resurfaced in nearly every interview Balor has conducted. The professional wrestling community and fans alike have remained fixated on the unfulfilled potential of that initial championship run. Despite this persistent focus on a past injury, Balor has accumulated a substantial list of achievements since vacating the Universal Championship. His post-2016 accolades include multiple reigns as Intercontinental Champion, several Tag Team Championship victories, a return to NXT where he reclaimed the NXT Championship, and a reign as United States Champion. These accomplishments, while significant, have paradoxically not entirely dispelled the narrative surrounding the truncated world title run.
"It’s not like I haven’t been trying, but for some reason, people can’t get these ‘what ifs’ out of their heads," Balor explained. "The only way to fix that is by becoming world champion again." This statement underscores his professional determination to reclaim a top-tier championship, not merely for the accolade itself, but to decisively address a narrative that has defined a decade of his career.
While Balor may not consistently headline every major event, his presence on WWE television has been remarkably consistent. This sustained visibility is not indicative of complacency; rather, it is the direct outcome of an unwavering drive that has propelled his career for a quarter-century, irrespective of his position on the card. Headlining the Elimination Chamber, and potentially WrestleMania 42, holds considerable significance. However, Balor asserts that these opportunities do not represent a new source of motivation, but rather a continuation of an inherent, long-standing passion.
"You can’t define your legacy over one match in Belfast, or one moment in Barclays Center, where I got hurt. It’s based on a 25-year career," Balor elaborated, emphasizing the holistic view of his professional journey. "It’s a body of work that I’m trying to present. If you look at my body of work, I think it’s pretty accomplished. Sure, I haven’t won the world title in 10 years. How many people have won the Best of the Super Juniors? How many have dominated in Japan, been successful in Mexico, Europe, and WWE for 10 years?"
Balor’s international career before WWE includes a highly successful tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as Prince Devitt, where he was a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. He is also credited as a founding member of the influential Bullet Club stable. His reference to "Best of the Super Juniors" highlights his two victories in NJPW’s prestigious tournament in 2010 and 2013, solidifying his reputation as an elite junior heavyweight performer. His journey also encompassed significant periods wrestling across various promotions in Mexico and Europe, demonstrating a diverse skill set and adaptability across different wrestling cultures.
"I try not to worry too much about feelings in the moment. I try to zoom out and look at the 25 years. Am I happy with the 25 years? Yes. Has being in the main event reignited a spark that may have extinguished? No, because the spark never extinguished. I’ve always had this burning desire to perform. If that’s in the first match or the last match, once I’m performing, that’s what’s important," Balor articulated, reaffirming his enduring commitment to his craft.
For Balor, the Elimination Chamber match is not solely about retribution for past events. Instead, it represents another significant entry into the extensive and rich codex of his career. His perspective on achievement remains grounded in the foundational aspirations that initiated his journey.
"Am I happy with my career?" Balor queried. "I would have been happy having one match. My goal when I started training was to have one match. Everything after that was a bonus. Coming to WWE was the most far-fetched idea for a small kid from Ireland. There were no wrestling schools. There was no industry. Nothing." This reflection underscores the improbable nature of his trajectory from humble beginnings in Ireland, a region with minimal professional wrestling infrastructure, to becoming a consistent, high-profile performer on a global stage. His journey, marked by sustained effort and a profound dedication to performance, stands as a testament to his unique contribution to the sport over two and a half decades.
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