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6. The Past Informs The Future
Finn Bálor's grasp of past and future may have seemed all over the shop during his (re)introductory promos on NXT in late-2019, but those monologues did more than just wrongfoot black-and-gold loyalists ahead of his shocking heel turn on Johnny Gargano.
After four up-and-down years on the main roster, Bálor returned to NXT claiming to be downright f*cking livid with the way the place had changed since he left. Was he being truthful in his assessment, or was he really shielding his insecurity?
From an in-ring perspective, NXT grew beyond even lofty expectations through the second half of the decade, whilst Bálor's own aura plummeted amidst shonky booking and creative abuse to The Demon character he'd made so meaningful at Full Sail and during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
He wants to win its title not because he's saving or cleansing it, but because it has become greater than he ever could have imagined. Even the physical belt has changed, but Finn needs it nonetheless - not to cleanse it and by proxy the NXT locker room, but to feel like a somebody again for the first time since the last time he held it.