XWL.com Exclusive: A Sitdown With The PrinXe

Editors Note: This sitdown interview between Charly Caruso and Finn Balor was recorded for XWL.com the week of High Octane, meaning Finn Balor had not faced Roman Reigns yet, nor had an IC Champ been crowned at this point in time.

(Charly Caruso)
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this XWL.com exclusive sit down interview, my name is Charly Caruso and I'll be your host this evening. My guest who sits before me is a former XWL World Heavyweight Champion amongst many other accolades achieved here in XWL and around the world of pro wrestling...please welcome...Finn Balor!

(Finn Balor)
Nice to see you again Charly, thanks for having me.

(Charly Caruso)
Your very welcome sir, and I think I speak for all of the XWL universe when I say, welcome back!

(Finn Balor)
Thank Charly, I appreciate that. It feels great to be back in XWL, but more importantly, it feels great to feel like ME again.

(Charly Caruso)
Well it's great you mention feeling like yourself again because that leads into what I wanted to ask you first, when did you start to feel like you weren't Finn Balor anymore? that you were "lost" per say?

(Finn Balor)
Oh geez, It's hard to pinpoint an exact time of when I started to feel that way and whatnot, definitely somewhere near the end of my last run here in the company though. I was worn out and I was burnt out to be quite honest, I had lost my edge and my will to remain in this business, it just kept building up within me until I reached a climax of sorts and realized that if I didn't walk out the door that day? I'd hang up my wrestling boots for good, and that was a decision I wans't ready to make peace with within myself, so I left, I embarked on a journey to find myself, to rediscover who I am and to attempt to rekindle my love for professional wrestling. For me? there was only one place that I could make that journey too...

(Finn Balor)
Japan...

(Charly Caruso)
And for our viewers around the world who may not be as familiar with your backstory as we are, could you explain to them why Japan was your choice of destination to embark on this journey?

(Finn Balor)
Certainly, Japan isn't just a place to me, it's a second home. Only the land of the rising sun could provide the ilumination I required on this journey, in my world of darkness when I left, I needed the light, I needed the rising sun to brighten my pathway and help guide me on this journey. I cut my teeth in Japan, I became a man there, Fergall Devitt went from commoner to royalty as I evolved into Prince Devitt. Japan helped me discover who I truly am as a person at a time when I was unsure, now I needed it to help me do just that once again.

(Charly Caruso)
So tell me, with that journey behind you now, as you sit here before me, what would you say your goals are here in XWL? It's no secret that some of the most successful spells of your career have come with the Bullet Club by your side, would you say it's time for Finn to get the gang back together? perhaps make some friends around here?

(Finn Balor)
Now look Charly, you're a beautiful girl and all, and I understand you're just trying to do your job, but the contents of that last question and the tone of which you delivered it, it struck me the wrong way, so now, I'm tearing up the script of this interview and the question/answer format that comes with it, time to do what I do best and "shoot from the hip".

Charly seems a little taken aback by Finn's comments and simply tosses her notebook to her side whilst giving a sassy and snarky "well go ahead then" style hand motion

(Finn Balor)
I didn't come back to this company to make friends, I came back to make ENEMIES. I wanna be that guy with the giant target on his back and the whole roster gunning for him, I LIVE for it, I THRIVE on it, that pressure keeps me on my toes and that stress of having to keep my head on a swivel? it keeps me aware and alert of my surroundings, the thrill of the hunt keeps me at my best.

Balor's tone gets slightly more intense with each passing word

(Finn Balor)
What these people don't realize however, is that in the end? they'll all fail...and they'll only have themselves and their shortsightedness in particular to blame for it. They THINK they're hunting me, they're the predator and I'm the prey, when it's exactly the opposite. I allow them to operate under this illusion because it makes them vulnerable to the true reality of the situation at hand, and the situation at hand is that THEY are in fact the ones being hunted BY ME!

(Finn Balor)
I've made a career out of gunning for people as I'm sure you're all aware of, and I ain't about to stop now, but the truth of the matter is, I let myself go somewhere along the way. I got weak and I lost the plot for a long time. I'd have short spurts of great success around here, even became World Heavyweight Champion once upon a time, but those successes never lasted, and that's because I lost control.

Balor pauses for a moment as he makes that seemingly tough admission to the world that he lost control, but what did he lose control of?

(Finn Balor)
I lost control of the demon, and as a result I lost my way. When I left this company, I went back to Japan, the place that turned Fergal Devitt into a crown Prince, and in turn led me to where I stand today as Finn Balor. I went back there, not to wrestle, not to headline the Tokyo Dome or Ryogoku Sumo Hall, I went back there to find myself. And it didn't happen overnight, I had to come to grips with alot of harsh realities and harsh truths on my journey, but eventually, I was able to get in touch with my inner self and experience what I can only describe as a re-awakening.

(Finn Balor)
To be re-awoken, I had to let go of something meaningful, therefore I chose to let go of one of those harsh truths I came to realize on this journey, the notion of controlling the demon within myself. The truth is? the demon can't be controlled, it represents fire, fury, and pure demonic destruction. Where I went wrong for so long, was trying to control all of that within myself, and on my journey back to Japan, I realized that it simply can't be, I have to let it "consume" me once he makes his presence felt.

(Finn Balor)
The part I can control however, is "when" the demon emerges from within myself, controlling when he emerges and controlling the emergence itself are two very different things, and not being able to differentiate between those two for a long time is what really got me away from who I am and sent me down the wrong path. I believe my journey to Japan was a success and I believe my reawakening is complete. I feel as though I am once again aligned on my proper path and in control of my own destiny once more.

Balor pauses once more to unscrew the cap on his bottled water, he takes a drink from the bottle before screwing the cap back on and continuing

(Finn Balor)
I am gonna make my destiny a REALITY and my destiny is to become the Intercontinental Champion. Right now? The throne is vacant, after this week either Hangman Page or PAC will sit on that throne as the Intercontinental Champion. And you know what? that's fine, I hope whoever wins enjoys it whilst it lasts because rest assured, it is NOT GOING TO LAST VERY LONG.

Balor's put PAC and Hangman on notice, neither of them will get in his way of his new destiny, which is to capture the Intercontinental Championship

(Finn Balor)
The Mach 6 for me? Is about my ascendance back to the top of this company. Right now? I'm at the bottom, I gotta climb that ladder rung by rung, match by match, and I can't stop, I WON'T STOP until I've reached the pinnacle of this company, which for me right now? IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

(Finn Balor)
The Intercontinental Title has always been known as the "workhorse" title, and I am DAMN certain that I can outwork each and every single one of the five competitors in this tournament. I will use each and every single one of them as a stepping stone on my ascendance not just to the Intercontinental Championship, but on my ascendance BACK TO WHAT'S RIGHTFULLY MINE...

(Finn Balor)
THE PRINCE'S THRONE!!!!

(Finn Balor)
So let's get two things straight right now.....

Balor sits forward and looks straight into the camera with a death stare of sorts

(Finn Balor)
THE DEMON IS DORMANT.....

(Finn Balor)
LONG LIVE THE PRINXE!!!!!

The camera focuses in on Balor's face which reveals that old school Finn Balor smile from Japan with that hint of super serious intent. the look of "I'm smiling because I know I'm gonna fuck everyone up one at a time" could be deciphered from his facial expressions. In this moment it was clear, Finn Balor was back, and he brought The PrinXe with him. Will it lead him to Intercontinental Glory down the road as he proclaims? Only time will tell, the camera fades to black bringing this interview to a close.