Finn Bálor has experienced a remarkable career resurgence since joining Judgment Day in 2022. That includes re-establishing himself as a world title contender, signing a five-year extension with WWE in April, and capturing three tag team titles, with his latest win coming alongside JD McDonagh in June.
Ironically, it took a trip to the dark side for Bálor to enter into the light.
On the What’s the Story podcast, the man once known as Prince Devitt expressed dissatisfaction with his career’s path before turning rogue and joining the gothic stable.
“I haven’t said this publicly ever, but the two months before I turned heel was probably the lowest I’d been in my career with respect to investment, personal investment,” said Bálor.
Stuck in a rut, Bálor said he showed up to work wondering who the company would want him to put over. He went further, saying, “It was just kind of the same shit that had been done over and over again. I was doing the same act for so long, and I just felt like I had so much more to give.”
Bálor attributed his situation in WWE to various factors, including issues with his green card that forced him to return home to Ireland before WrestleMania 36. By the time he came back, it was too late to build toward a match for the show.
Then, because of the pandemic in 2020, Bálor said he missed out on a match with Edge that April in Ireland at NXT UK TakeOver: Dublin after WWE canceled the event. However, two years later, Bálor joined Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest in kicking Edge out of Judgment Day, the faction the Rated-R Superstar created. That began a rivalry between Bálor and Edge, culminating in a Hell in Cell match at WrestleMania 39.
That night, Bálor revived his iconic “Demon” persona, though he believes the character hadn’t been well executed in recent years. He stated he’d prefer not to do it at all than do it in a way that didn’t meet his standards. Bálor also emphasized the need for a clear distinction between The Demon as a hero and Finn Bálor as a villain.
“Look, in six years’ time, they can wheel me out there in Demon paint, and I’ll do the entrance. But now, Finn’s having too much fun, man, and I feel like I can give a lot more layers as a heel Finn.”