Finn Balor on SummerSlam: ‘It’s the beginning of a new chapter’

Finn Balor discusses wrestling Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, the decision to lead Judgment Day, and the group’s Abbey Road photo shoot

Last month, when WWE traveled to London for Money in the Bank, Finn Balor made it a point to visit Abbey Road.

Balor did not travel alone. He went with his partners in Judgment Day–Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio–and the four recreated the Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road album cover.

“I’m a big fan of the Beatles,” says Balor, who is Ireland native Fergal Devitt. “Surprisingly, to me, the group is too.”

The photo shoot took place in the morning on July 1, which was the day of Money in the Bank. An emphasis was placed on attention to detail in Judgment Day’s recreation of the moment, and even the order of the group–with Balor as Paul McCartney, Mysterio as Ringo Starr, Ripley as John Lennon, and Priest as the incredibly underrated George Harrison–was brilliant.

Courtesy WWE

Just like McCartney did 54 years prior, Balor crossed Abbey Road barefoot. The Beatles were walking away from Abbey Road studios in the photo, and Lennon, who was the first member to permanently quit the Beatles, led the way, perhaps a harbinger of Ripley’s success as a singles wrestler. Judgment Day also put their own touch on the moment, particularly Ripley, whose black outfit juxtaposed Lennon’s snow-white ensemble.

Balor put thought into the parallels between the Beatles and their Judgment Day counterparts.

“Paul was not only a brilliant musician, but maybe the voice of reason and the glue of the group,” says Balor. “Rhea, perfect for John. Filled with natural charisma and a very caring person behind her intimidating look. Dom and Ringo is pretty self-explanatory. He may not have been the fan favorite, but like Ringo, Dom is the group’s favorite and brings a lot of humor to everything. Damian being George, George certainly was underrated but when given a chance he shined, just like Damian with Bad Bunny or at Money in the Bank, he always proves his value.”

Seven years after wrestling Seth Rollins for a new title at SummerSlam, history repeats itself this Saturday. Unlike in 2016, when Balor and Rollins fought to become the first-ever Universal champion, this time it will be Balor challenging Rollins for the new world heavyweight championship.

Balor was victorious and won the Universal belt, but he had to relinquish it the very next night on Raw due to a shoulder labrum tear suffered during the match. Though he was out of action until the following February, that match proved to be a defining moment in Balor’s career.

Courtesy WWE

Despite concerns over whether he was injury-prone, Balor persevered. Since then, he has repeatedly displayed his worth to the company, becoming one of the most popular wrestlers in the world.

“I think that SummerSlam in 2016 is a microcosm of my whole career,” says Balor. “I was a kid from a country that had no pro wrestling at all. My whole life I was told, over and over, that I couldn’t even be in the business. Then when I broke in, I was told every reason as to why I couldn’t be successful. Everyone was always putting obstacles in my way. I feel the injury at SummerSlam, which occurred moments into the [19-minute] match, was just another obstacle I needed to overcome. And that’s how I approached it. Adapt, overcome, and move forward.”

The possibility exists that Balor once again defeats Rollins at SummerSlam and takes the belt away from him. Yet the wrinkle here is that Priest is in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase, which he is likely to cash-in at SummerSlam. That means Balor could win the title, only to lose it moments later to Priest.

If there is a scenario where Priest becomes world champ, which could also include cashing in on Rollins, then Balor would be thrilled. Working with Priest is one of the determining factors that motivated Balor to join Judgment Day. Initially, he did not plan to lead another faction, especially considering so much of his work is compared to his cutting-edge run as the leader of Bullet Club in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but he viewed Judgment Day as a necessity for his career.

“Having had success with Bullet Club, I knew there was going to be comparisons made had I been involved in another group, so I was always reluctant to go that direction,” says Balor. “However, when the chance to work with Damian was presented, I didn’t hesitate for a second. Damian and I have always had a very good relationship since we met at NXT, and I felt that this group could be something completely different.

“For me personally, I was at a point in my career where I knew that something had to change. So the timing of this was perfect, and very similar to my NJPW turn. Finally, I could channel my real frustrations I was feeling into the character, and I had no doubt that this was the right move.”

Plenty of optimism filled the air when Balor joined Judgment Day, replacing Edge in June of 2022, but the current ensemble has exceeded all expectations working together. It has also served them particularly well. Balor worked an outstanding program with Edge and he is now back in a title program, while Priest is on the cusp of a breakout moment as a first-time world champ. Ripley, who is the current women’s world champion, continues to reach new heights, somehow constantly being better every time she appears on-screen than she was the week prior. And Mysterio, who is now NXT North American champ, is a joy to watch, eliciting genuine passion from the crowd as soon as he smiles or speaks.

Courtesy WWE

There are levels to success in pro wrestling, and Balor operates on the highest level possible. He has been inspired to see the work and creativity of his Judgment Day partners over the past 14 months.

“I feel the group are all very unique individuals with not only different strengths and weaknesses, but different ideas, styles, and opinions,” says Balor. “So when we start spitballing ideas for the group, it’s a real think tank. We never know where we are going to land. Also, having the trust in each other to always do what is best for the collective is something that is very rare.

“With regards to the ring, I feel I have always adapted my style to suit the environment I was in whether it was Europe, Japan, Mexico, or WWE. But this version of Finn is truly me, and allows me to be 100 percent comfortable in the ring.”

A SummerSlam title rematch against Rollins does not make Balor feel nostalgic. His focus is the present and future, preferring to leave the past as a memory. And this bout against Rollins serves as a chance for Balor–and Judgment Day–to again showcase their immense value to WWE.

“Seven years later, SummerSlam 2023 is not the end of the story,” says Balor. “It’s the beginning of a new chapter.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.