Finn Balor is a great admirer of Edge.
The Demon Prince spoke about Edge during a recent interview on the After The Bell podcast, where he discussed how gracefully the R-Rated Superstar exited in the industry when he was forced to retire back in 2011 due to neck issues. Balor says he always wished he could clash with the Hall of Famer, a dream that eventually became a reality.
I’ve been a huge admirer of Edge, not only as a performer but as a person for his whole career. We became close many, many years ago. When he retired, I was personally disappointed for the fact that I’d thought I’d missed out on that opportunity to possibly someday share a ring with him. I always admired how he transitioned out of pro wrestling so gracefully, and I thought ‘If someday I’m gonna retire from this business, I wanna do it the same way Edge has done it.’ A lot of people don’t transition out of the business as gracefully or with as much dignity as he returned the first time, and for that, I respect and admire him. On top of that, for him to have the opportunity to come back, that spark that had been extinguished was reignited on the thought, ‘Oh, maybe this match will happen, maybe there is a possibility that I’ll get to share the ring with him.
Balor then discusses the feud he got to have with Edge that culminated in a Hell in a Cell match at this year’s WrestleMania 39. He adds that he’ll always be grateful to Edge for starting the Judgment Day faction.
Fast foward three years, and all of the sudden, I’m almost in an eight-month program with someone I’ve looked up to for many many years, in and outside of the ring. Despite the rivalry or the disagreements or the fourteen staples, there’s still a mutual respect, certainly from my end, I hope from Edge’s end. He started something in the Judgment Day that has certainly had a profound impact on my career, Damian’s career, Rhea’s career, and Dominik’s career. If not just for him starting the Judgment Day, there’s a lot to be grateful to Edge for.
Elsewhere in the interview, Balor spoke about relying too much on the “Demon” gimmick and how he’s trying to slowly transition away from it. You can read about that here.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)