12 Best Runs By WWE Stars In OTHER Companies
3. Finn Bálor - NJPW
Finn Bálor's WWE run has been equal parts success and disappointment. Bálor was presented as a top star from the get-go in NXT, dominating the developmental brand during its most critically-lauded period before riding that momentum onto the main roster. A top pick in the 2016 WWE Draft, Bálor beat Roman Reigns on his first night before becoming the very first WWE Universal Champion. Throw in a couple of Intercontinental Championships and you've got yourself a half-decent tenure.
Despite the success, there is a sense that Bálor's time in WWE hasn't quite been as good as it could, maybe should have been. It still pales in comparison to those magnificent final few years in NJPW, where the then-Prince Devitt established the Bullet Club and changed the entire wrestling world in the process. A three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Devitt moved to the heavyweight division in 2013, competing in both the Best of the Super Juniors and the G1 Climax in the same year.
Devitt was one of the top performers on the planet at the time, giving promos every bit as good as his matches, a high bar on both ends. Bullet Club became a merchandise-shifting phenomenon in the process, a faction that continues to this day and can largely be credited for the eventual establishment of AEW. If Devitt hadn't turned on Ryusuke Taguchi, what would the wrestling landscape look like?
Finn Bálor has been more than fine, but he will always bow down to the Prince.