Real Reason Finn Balor Missed WWE Royal Rumble 2022

"I didn't want to take any time off. I wasn't injured."

by Andrew Pollard
Finn Balor
WWE.com

With several major names absent from this year's Royal Rumble premium live event, one of the most notable absences was that of Finn Balor.

After the Prince wasn't featured on WWE's annual January spectacle, some speculated whether Balor was injured, whether WWE bafflingly had no use for him, whether it was some creative decision, whether the star himself was unhappy, or any one of a bunch of wild theories to explain the two-time NXT Champion's absence.

In reality, Finn missed the Royal Rumble due to having to return to Ireland and renew his work visa.

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Speaking to BT Sport, the current United States Champion detailed how his visa renewal had been pushed back and back due to COVID-19-driven travel issues, and that it was simply a case of him needing to head to Ireland and the US Embassy to fill out the necessary renewal paperwork.

The former Prince Devitt did add that this renewal means he won't have to worry about any further visa issues for another ten years, so that means he'll be free to stay in the US and crack skulls until 2032 if he so chooses.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.