10 Things We Learned From WWE 24: Finn Bálor
WWE Network goes behind the scenes with 'The Demon King'
The WWE Network has completely changed the way fans experience professional wrestling, and allowed the company to serve their audience in ways that weren't possible before. Aside from providing live pay-per-view delivery and the biggest tape library ever assembled, WWE have used the Network to diversify their product with swathes of additional content.
WWE 24 has been particularly popular.
The acclaimed documentary series pulls back the curtain to take an in-depth look at what goes on behind the scenes, with Daniel Bryan's retirement, WrestleMania, and the Women's Evolution featuring in the past. It was Finn Bálor's turn to take the 24 spotlight earlier this week, as the series returned with a 60-minute look at the former Universal Champion's long, gruelling recovery from injury.
Injured in August 2016, 24 covers the full breadth of his rehabilitation from the moment he got hurt, all the way through to his return on April 3rd.
As usual, the documentary strips away the pomp and pageantry to reveal the humanity behind 'The Demon King,' opening a new window into Finn Bálor's world, and showing him at his most vulnerable, but also his most resolute...
10. He's One Of The Toughest Guys In The Business
Most men would crumble if faced with the kind of injury Finn endured at SummerSlam. It happened just five minutes into their match, and Bálor knew something was wrong straight away. His shoulder was destroyed on impact with the barricade, and on his career's biggest night , the Irishman was faced with a tough choice.
Finn could have "waited for the doctors, let the match end, and forever be known as the man who bottled it on the big stage” - or toughed it out, and continued wrestling. He chose the latter, popping his dislocated shoulder back into place, and completing the match, making history as the first man to win a World title on his pay-per-view debut.
Listening to Bálor describe the torment he endured throughout the rest of the night really emphasises his toughness, particularly after the bell. As he was backing up the ramp, a cameraman called for him to lift the title over his head using his bad right arm, and while Finn didn’t want to move the limb, he did it anyway. His shoulder “crunched” as he posed for one last glory shot, and while he does a decent job masking the pain, his discomfort is all too apparent on the slow motion footage.