Finn Balor Expresses Continued Frustration with WWE’s Handling of “The Demon” Gimmick
Finn Balor recently discussed his complicated relationship with his popular “Demon” persona during an appearance on the “What Do You Wanna Talk About? With Cody Rhodes” podcast, reiterating his dissatisfaction with how WWE utilized the character.
Balor explained that he initially envisioned the Demon as an extension of his in-ring persona, akin to a warrior preparing for battle. “In my mind, it was always just a cool entrance… you no, Braveheart puts on the battle paint and he goes to war, and that’s the way it was for me,” he stated. Though, he felt WWE pushed for a narrative where the Demon was a separate, superior entity to Finn Balor.
“So, then it became the point where Finn wasn’t good enough, onyl the Demon could win. So then, like, Finn was lesser than the Demon, when they’re suppose to be the same, right?” Balor explained, expressing his belief that this diminished his character.
He also voiced his displeasure with the predictability of the Demon’s appearances. Balor preferred the element of surprise, stating, “I like it to be a surprise, like: ‘oh, st! The Demon’s hear!’ … And it just comes out and kicks ass.” He contrasted this with WWE’s tendency to advertise Demon appearances in advance.
Despite these frustrations, Balor highlighted his NXT TakeOver: UK appearance, where he successfully defended the WWE NXT Championship against Samoa Joe in a Jack ‘The Ripper’ themed entrance, as a notably memorable moment.
While acknowledging the Demon hasn’t reached its full potential during his time in WWE, Balor expressed a willingness to revisit the gimmick, but only with greater creative control.
Source:** https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2073606/wwe-finn-balor-demon-gimmick-touchy-subject/
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