Finn Bálor Makes Big WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Announcement
'The Demon' will not face 'The Beast' this Sunday.
Speaking with ESPN's Tim Fiorvanti ahead of challenging for Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship at this sunday's Royal Rumble, Finn Bálor made a huge revelation.
We won't be seeing 'The Demon'.
Admitting that he had "leaned too much on the demon as a crutch", the Irishman vowed that he could - and would - beat Brock as simply Finn Bálor the man.
Besides trying to prove a point, Finn also posited a more pragmatic reason for his lack of paint in Phoenix:
"Honestly, this match just kind of came about so fast that I haven't had much time to think about it. I don't have any new gear, I don't have any new looks, I don't have any new ideas right now, but you know, we're still six days away, so I'm sure I'll come up with something."
In storyline terms, Bálor binning the bodywork is a little unusual, considering he's undefeated every time 'The Demon' has appeared on the main roster (though his bedevilled incarnation did succumb to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: The End in June 2016). His latest success under the guise came in double-quick time against Baron Corbin at last year's SummerSlam.
Could this all be an elaborate ruse that sees Bálor lose his Universal Title tilt earlier in the evening, only to later emerge fully demonised as he rides to a famous Rumble victory? We'll see.