Finn Balor says he is a better fit for a world title now than he was the last time he held one.
Balor spoke with Marco Ercole of Corriere dello Sport ahead of SummerSlam, where he meets Sami Zayn in a No. 1 Contender’s match for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
I think in 2016, I was very wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, excited about the future, but very inexperienced, and perhaps not as confident as I am today.
The decade since is what he keeps circling back to.
I feel like over the last 10 years I’ve gotten to grow, not only as a performer inside the ring, but also outside the ring. I feel like I have more self-belief in myself, I have more discipline, and I have 10 years of experience of ups and downs and having to learn many, many different lessons, facing the top performers all over the world over the past 10 years.
If anything, I feel better physically, I feel better mentally, I feel more focused and I feel more prepared to be world champion.
The 2016 reference carries weight. Balor beat Seth Rollins at SummerSlam that August to become the first Universal Champion, then gave up the title the next night on Raw after suffering a shoulder injury in the match. It remains his only world title reign on the main roster.
Chances have come since. Rollins turned him back at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam in 2023, and CM Punk beat him for the World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber in Chicago in February.
Balor earned his SummerSlam spot by winning a fatal four-way on the July 24 SmackDown over Damian Priest, Trick Williams and Royce Keys, finishing Priest with the Coup de Grace.
Balor and Zayn go Sunday on Night 2 of SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
