Why Finn Balor is already the WWE's next big thing

Finn's entrance at NXT Takeover

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good! As NXT month here on my blog really gets going in the first week, today I have a blog post for you I have been trying to write for about seven to eight months. Today everything is all about Finn Balor as I tell you why I think he is already the next big thing in the WWE. I plan on doing a whole entire get to know post on Balor and so if that's something you would like to see then let me know in the comments bellow and I will try and get that done for you as soon as possible. In today's blog post I'm going to be telling you a little about the history of Finn Balor, what I think the future hold for him and why I think he has already become the next big thing in the WWE. I know you guys are loving NXT month, I'm really enjoying writing the blog posts and so far the season has been going down really so I hope you guys really enjoy today's blog post, it's big one so prepare for it! Before we get started I just wanted to remind you that the links to any recent blog post in the series and any recent review and reactions post so you can check them out and stay all up to date. Finally, you can let me know what you thought of today's blog post, letting me know if you agree or disagree with what I have had to say by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.

NXT is all about creating the future of the WWE. It's about getting the stars of the future ready for the big time but what about those stars who are down in NXT that are proving to be ready right now. Who have managed to cement themselves as the superstars of the now and the future? In today's blog post I'm talking about one of the greatest talents in WWE today, Finn Balor, and why I think he has already proven to be the WWE's next big thing. Balor has only be signed with World Wrestling Entertainment for a year but in that year he has been on of the most hyped, talked about, and successful men in NXT history. But what makes him a star? Why are the WWE putting so much faith in him? And what makes Finn Balor different to previous big stars in the WWE? Well I'm going to be answering all those questions and more in today's blog post so let's get right into it.

Prince Devitt
Before coming to the WWE Balor was known for wrestling under the ring name Prince Devitt. It's how I knew of him and the name he wrestled under when I first started watching him compete. Before I get into facts and everything, if you haven't seen any of he's work before the WWE then seriously go and check some of it about because you will be unbelievably amazed. Devitt's most popular work has to be with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) where he was a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champion. He was also a two-time winner of the Best of the Juniors tournament winning it in two thousand and ten and two thousand and thirteen. This was the same tournament won by WWE hall of famer Eddie Guerrero. He has also wrestled for several other wrestling promotions including NWA UK, NWA Pro, New England Championship Wrestling (NECW), PWG and ICW. He also founded NWA Ireland with Paul Tracey,witch as we learnt, Becky Lynch first trained at. I think its just amazing that he did this. It shows just how passionate he is about the business and the future of pro wrestling.  He's a former British Cruiserweight champion and two time NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight champion. Devitt made he's debut back in two thousand when he was eighteen and has been wrestling since. In he's career he has managed to develop a very unique image when he combined he's love of art with wrestling. The body art and unique costumes allowed him to stand out in a way that no one else did. He was brining something new to the table and it allowed him to create this massive following that have stood by him right up until now.

Signing with WWE and what it meant for NXT
I personally always wanted to see Devitt eventually make he's way to World Wrestling Entertainment and when NXT really kicked off it seemed like the perfect place for him. Taking on top stars like Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, and Adrian Neville would mean even greater matches in NXT and would boost the careers of both Devitt and the superstars he faced. The rumours of Devitt actually signing with WWE were around for a while. Everyone wanted to know and when and if he would actually sign a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment and whether or not he would be working with/joining the NXT roster. We all knew he would be an amazing addition. He would bring a lot to the product and for the fans. There were superstars on the NXT roster that Devitt had wrestled before and would put on great matches with in NXT. When we did finally learn that he has signed with WWE NXT twitter basically went insane. Everyone was over the moon including myself,
honestly, I could of thrown a god damn party with how happy I was. In he's first interview with WWE he said the following "This is something I have been looking forward too since I was about four or five years old, I grew up watching wrestling my whole life, so to get the chance to step in the ring that I have watched on TV so many times is a dream come true". Before Devitt was even signed NXT was already such a diverse, competitive place full of such amazing athletes so signing him just increased that and took it up to a whole new level. The hype around NXT increased massively when Balor signed. There was even more interest, even more talk, and NXT became an even bigger brand. What he was brining was a great deal of experience. Debuting at eighteen and now being thirty three Devitt has fifteen years experience so while a lot of talent who come to NXT look to better themselves and gain experience, Devitt had all of that and more. He knew who he was as a character. He has spent over fifteen years creating a character, creating the perfect performed. He had found what suits him and sets him apart and  so coming to WWE he was a ready made star. After wrestling guys already on the NXT and main roster like Adrian Neville and Daniel Bryan he knew what it took to put on a great match and how to fair against these types of top top stars. Devitt was also brining a fan base. After working with so many promotions and spending so much time in Japan he had built a huge, loyal fan base who would easily follow him to NXT and they did just that. Prince Devitt, now Finn Balor, was brining something completely new and big to what was once just a developmental territory. He was a huge part of turning NXT into it's own brand. I also think the signing of Devitt was a huge statement by WWE. It showcased a change in the company and what NXT was all about. It was no longer just a place for new guys to come and learn and get ready for the main roster, NXT was a place to showcase the best of the best around the word. NXT became it's own brand.

Why Finn Balor is the next big thing in WWE...
So we know that Balor signed with WWE on the fifteenth of May so just over a year ago and it took him just six months to make he's debut. Six months! I think that alone just shows how eager the WWE were to get him on TV. They didn't waste any time what so ever getting him in the ring. They knew he was well experienced. They knew he had a lot to offer and they knew he didn't need a lot of work. Like I have already said, he came to NXT an already made star. He knew he's image, he knew

Finn Balor VS Tye Dillinger on NXT

he's character, and he knew he's style. They had him work live shows very quickly into he's signing and we got a video of him talking about he's early days with the company only a month or two after he's signing was made public. He debuted on NXT on October twenty third when he was announced as Hideo Itami's tag team partner to take on the Ascension. I remember waiting days, weeks, and months for Balor to debut. I would check the spoilers for the taping's every single day hopeing that I would see the sentence "Finn Balor debuts" or something along those lines. Eventually I stopped looking and let myself be surprised. So when he did debut I had no idea on the night. Don't get me wrong I had a gut feeling but after waiting so long I wasn't one hundred per cent sure on anything. The reaction he got from the crowd was mental! It was the first time I had heard a debut get that reaction and I remember sitting on my floor watching and jumping up waking everyone in my house. I was honestly like a six year old kid on Christmas morning. The reactions got even bigger at NXT Takeover.

NXT Takeover R Evolution was the night that Finn Balor really did arrive in NXT. The show was set to be amazing anyway but when Balor's music there was a whole other feel to the show. Since we all found it Prince Devitt had signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment there was one thing we all wanted to know. One big question that long time fans of he's wanted and needed to know; Was the WWE going to let him continue using he's body paint? The body paint and the crazy, out their, unique outfits and ring gear from Devitt is what made him different, it was what separated him from everyone else. Combining he's love of comic books, horror, and art with wrestling was what made him like no one else. What we all wanted to know is if he would be able to do that and show that other side to him. Before NXT Takeover we hadn't seen any of that. He had a killer entrance theme but we hadn't seen any of the stuff from him we were used to seeing from him when it came to image. However, at R Evolution that all changed. With even more effort and big adaptations to he's entrance Balor came out in full on body art and the crowd and everyone at home went absolutely mental. I honestly, to this day, don't think I have marked out that much ever. It was so unexpected and done so so well. The timing was just perfect. It straight away received "this is awesome", "holly shit" and "marking out" chants. I don't think I have ever seen an entrance get that type of reaction. I was sitting at home and I was their chanting along at my TV like I was actually at Full Sail. The effort that the WWE had put into the entrance and showing this darker side to Balor was perfect and was such a great idea. The entrance was dark, haunting, entertaining and so interesting, it was something we hand't seen in NXT before. Once again he was brining something different and exciting. I think this alone is a huge indication as to just how high the WWE have been on him from the start. The time, money, and effort put into making this an epic entrance was amazing and we hadn't seen that in NXT before. I really did like the idea of only seeing Balor and the special entrance and image at live shows. It kept that excitement and unpredictability. I think if it was something that he had all the time we would eventually get bored of it as crazy as that sounds. This way it's something that we can look forward too. I mean come on, can you imagine how insane this is going to be at Wrestlemania! The reaction he got from the NXT crowd/fans means that the WWE wanted to put that effort into him and make him a top top star. this was a huge message being sent out that Finn Balor is the next big thing.

Since signing he has put right in the spotlight but he also been given a slow build up witch I have loved. They didn't rush him straight into becoming champion. Instead what we got was a slow build up but he was still put in the spotlight. I think this is a huge representation of the future of the WWE. It's no longer going to be about one guy being at the top and everyone following. The WWE will become a place were we have multiple top stars who all get the same treatment and same attention. We have seen Balor compete in some of the best matches in NXT history. He's debut feud with the Ascension when he teamed with Hideo was such a great way to get him and Hideo started. It made the the centre of attention and it let everyone know that they were here to stay. After all, they did take out the longest reigning NXT tag team champions and one of the most dominate tag teams in NXT history. I do feel like Balor did take a lot of the spotlight off of Hideo at the star but they had such a great debut and pairing them together was yet another huge message from the WWE. These were two of the biggest signings ever in NXT/WWE and putting them together was magic and music to wrestling fans ears. After the dominate first feud, Balor went on to have some great matches against the liked of Tyler Breeze, Tyson Kidd, and Adrian Neville. All of witch have either made it into my top twenty matches of the month or match of the year. The thing with Balor is he showcases himself perfectly but he also brings out the best in the people he steps in the ring with. There was also a lot of tough competition for Finn. NXT was full of top top stars and competing at their level was never going to be easy but he lived up to the hype and started working at their level very very early on.

The other thing with Finn is that he doesn't fit the typical stereotype of a WWE Superstar. At only five foot elven and one hundred and ninety pounds. Let's be honest, the WWE do prefer guys around the six foot and above mark and reaching nearly three hundred pounds. Guys like John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Brock Lesnar who have all had great success throughout their careers have had that similar image.We have already seen superstars like Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt who fit that mould more pushed to reach the top. However, it's no secret that there is a change coming to the WWE. If we look at the type of stars who have been performing on top recently and looking at the stars of the future. Guys like Daniel Bryan, Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville and recently signed Uhaa Nation are all showing that the future of the WWE is all about diversity and the smaller guys/cruiser weights of the company are just as capable of achieving big things in the WWE and taking centre stage, Finn is just another superstar to add to that list. It mean that the chances of the next big thing being a smaller superstar is very likely. What you need is to have an interesting, gripping character, amazing wrestling ability and a huge supporting. The stars that we have seen the WWE push as the "Next big things" have so far struggled a great day. Bray Wyatt had a great debut year but throughout two thousand and fifteen he has really struggled. He didn't come up on top with he's feud with the Undertaker and the match could of been better and he's booking has becoming, boring, weak, and repetitive. Roman Reigns has had a tough journey also. He's struggled to connect with the fans, he's proven to be far from ready to main event and hold the WWE World Heavyweight championship. Balor however has been a huge success.He's a massive hit with the fans, generating a lot of attention and a great reaction from the crowd, he has been performing to a high level and competing in some of the best matches we have seen from a WWE product in years. He knows how to captivate an audience, he brings something different and unique to the product and most importantly the fans believe in him. He stands out in the same way that guys like Sting, Jeff Hardy and the boggy man do in the sense that they bring that darker feel with their darker side.

The best in the east show was a huge showing of how much faith the WWE have in Balor. It showed how much they are wanting to push him as a top star and was a huge eye opener as to who really is the future of the WWE. With Balor as NXT champion it has shown he's growth to the top. He has had a slow build up but holding it means that the momentum of NXT stays high. We  have an unpredictable future and I love it. Here is what I wrote in my top twenty matches of July blog post about this match.

And finally, we are going all the way back to the fourth of July when the Beast in the East show live from Tokyo Japan took place and Kevin Owens took on Finn Balor one on one for the NXT championship. The build up to this match was great. The WWE had put a lot of effort into making this an all star match up and that is exactly what it was. The hype was lived up to, the expectations were exceeded, and this was by far not only the match of the month but one of the best matches of the entire year. After weeks, months even, of a great build up these two finally stepped in the ring together, one on one for the NXT Championship. Before we get into the actual match I want to talk about that build up. For weeks, since he became number one contender at NXT Takeover Unstoppable, Finn Balor was on a momentum high. He managed to pick up huge, clean victories over the likes of Tyler Breeze, Tye Dillinger, Rhyno and even the champ, Kevin Owens. He was made centre of attention on the NXT roster and when he wasn't in the ring competing everyone was still talking about him. We were treated to a three part mini documentary that told the story of Finn Balor generating even more attention. I thought it was an amazing idea and great Documentary, if you haven't seen it I really advise that you check it out. It was such a key part in the build up. It allowed the NXT universe to connect with Balor on a much more personal level and to be fair it was a big clue to how the championship match was going to end. There was then the little video that they did with Balor promoting the show and he's "demon" side coming out witch I loved as well. All of this tied together amazingly well and made the match something it wouldn't of been without it. The entire build up gave this match I haven't seen any other match have. There was a massive story in it and that's what I loved. It was as if we had bee invited into Finn's life and we were all in the big journey with him. Coming back to Japan, the place that truly made him a star was the story of this match. It was about Balor picking up the big one in the place that made him. It was such an important big chapter of he's life and career and we all felt apart of it. I haven't ever watched a match and it had had that feel to it. The energy from the moment Balor entered the arena to the moment he left was insane. It felt as though I was right there, in Japan watching the action from ringside. I don't think I have been that into a match all year round. I was cheering, clapping, banging the table, and screaming at my lap top like a mad person. The actual wrestling was mental! The diversity, the skill, the technique,it was all just amazing. These guys pushed each other to the limits and brought out the very very best in each other. Owens brought so much character. Throwing the flowers before the match started, the blatant disrespect shown it all just made the match a whole lot better. Throughout the match you Owens just kept reminding us why we should hate him but then he would just put on such a great performance that you have to admire him as a wrestler. He had a dominate performance but it

Finn at the Best in the east show

was Balor who picked up the big win in the end. I was honestly expecting Owens to retain just because I was convinced he was dropping the title to someone else so that was a great surprise. I remember jumping up and down, cheering and clapping like I was there. I may even of had a little tear or two. It all just tied together so well. Balor brought so much heart and passion that I loved every moment of this match. I knew from the moment it finished that this was going to be the match of the month. It had a phenomenal story, outstanding wrestling, and it all just came together perfectly. There is no other match that could of topped this and so it deserves to be my match of July.

So that concludes today's blog post. There is every reason to believe that Finn Balor is not only the future of the WWE but he already is the next big thing. He has everything it takes to be a future WWE World Heavyweight champion and have one amazing career. Let me know what you think and weather or not you believe Finn Balor is the future of the WWE let me know by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.

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