WWE superstar and former Universal champion Finn Balor was a guest on today’s edition of the Bump to hype up tomorrow’s Crown Jewel pay per view, where the Prince will be battling Xavier Woods in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says he’s feeling physically at 100 percent going into his finals match with Xavier Woods:
“[I’m] physically 100 percent. Obviously, [I won] two very important matches: Cesaro and Sami Zayn, two incredible competitors [who’ve] proven it [in the] ring time and time again. But for me, I’ve kind of made my career on this side of the tournament. In Japan, I was very successful in these types of knockout tournaments, and I’m hoping to continue that run here in WWE and become King of the Ring.”
How he feels about Xavier Woods being the fan-favorite going into their match:
“It doesn’t bother me at all. Of course, it’s a big deal for Woods, and it’s a big deal for me, too. It should be; it’s the King of the Ring. It’s a tournament that’s hugely prestigious in the history of WWE. It was probably one of the turning points of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career. It sent him off with incredible momentum, and that’s what I hope to do tomorrow before I switch to the Raw brand.”
Recalls beating Woods when he was NXT champion:
“Let me tell you this story. I’m the NXT Champion. I’m at Raw because we’re going on a European tour the next day. And I’m going to represent NXT. I’m sitting in the locker room, in my biz-cas (business casual attire), and it’s 7:20, and they need a dark match to go on at 7:40. Somebody comes into the locker room and says, ‘Hey, Finn, you’re up at 7:40. You’ve got a dark match.’ I think it’s a joke, so I throw my gear on. I don’t even tie my laces. I say I’m going to play along with this little rib that they’re playing on me. When I got to Gorilla, my music started playing, and Woods was there. They were like, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re wrestling Woods.’ Who won in three minutes? Finn Balor.”
(H/T and transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)
