Finn Balor On Which WWE And NXT Stars He Would Want In A New Faction, Wrestling AJ Styles At TLC
AJ Styles and Finn Balor put on the best match of last month's TLC pay-per-view that still has the fans and the media buzzing. Balor recently spoke to Ringside Collectibles at Ringside Fest 2017 about the long-anticipated match and more.
For years, Styles vs. Balor has been a match that wrestling fans have clamored for, dating back to their careers in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Styles replaced Bray Wyatt against Balor on just two days' notice after Wyatt was removed from TLC due to a viral infection. From the moment the fans chanted "This is awesome" before the match even started, Balor knew he was part of something special.
"That was cool. Me and AJ had kind of like, avoided each other our whole careers. AJ is someone that I've always looked up to and I've admired his work for a long time, but for many reasons we were always kind of in the wrong place at the right time. This was the first time we've ever had the chance to properly lock up and have a match, it was a cool experience for me," Balor said. "Just feeling the energy in the building that night was probably the coolest thing like when we both stood in the ring together for the first time, that was a real cool moment to be a part of. AJ is 'The Phenomenal One,' I found out firsthand and hopefully we can do it again."
When asked if he'd like to face Styles again, Balor said, "I hope so, I certainly hope so."
Balor was also asked about who he would like to form a tag team with if he were ever to pursue the tag team titles. Balor didn't like that question, so instead the former leader of The Bullet Club decided to discuss who he'd form a new faction with. He unsurprisingly named former Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, but he also added a couple superstars who might shock you.
"Actually, I've been thinking about this for a long time. Obviously, someone who's been my right-hand for my entire career, at least recent career since he came to America the first time, is Karl Anderson, who I don't go anywhere without. So I'd definitely have Karl Anderson. Luke Gallows, probably the most underrated big man in the game, he said. "Here's the kicker: I would add in The Authors Of Pain. Who's gonna mess with me then? I could just stand in the front and I can have Karl Anderson here, Gallows here, The Authors Of Pain on each side. Kane's not gonna mess with me then (laughs)."
You can check out the full interview in the video above. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Ringside Collectibles with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.