Finn Bálor
Running Time: 360 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 25 2019
(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)
In recent weeks, Finn Bálor has added a new chapter to his career by revisiting an old stomping ground, that being NXT where his heel turn has made him someone to keep an eye on. That also describes his activities since joining WWE five years ago, with some fascinating moments and plenty of great matches, many of which are included in his latest DVD.
The two-disc set begins in his original NXT stint, courtesy of a strong outing against Hideo Itami and an even better match – one of NXT’s best ever, in my opinion – against Neville in early 2015. Bálor went on to face and dethrone Kevin Owens for the NXT Title in a very good match at Beast In The East, before he and Samoa Joe formed an unlikely alliance en route to winning the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which included a bout featured here against The Revival. This led to a long feud between Bálor and Joe which included three TakeOver clashes, though their sole bout featured on this DVD comes from the house show where the Samoan shockingly ended Finn’s lengthy title run.
Not too long afterwards, Finn came to the main roster on Raw, and arrived with a bang: as this DVD shows, he beat Roman Reigns in a major upset to earn a title opportunity, and his bout against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam sees him become the first Universal Champion; however, disaster struck that night as he suffered a serious muscle injury which sidelined him for ages and cut the legs off his big push.
Upon his return, he found himself drifting for a stretch until a never-ending feud with Bray Wyatt. This didn’t receive the desired pay-off because Wyatt suffered an illness, but his replacement – AJ Styles – went on to have a great match with Finn at TLC, shown here. The DVD also includes the brief Bálor Club stable against Rollins, Roman and Jason Jordan, as well as a thrilling IC Title shot against Seth in one of the best WWE matches of 2018. Another bout with Reigns for the Universal crown is also very rewarding.
This past January was a busy time for Bálor, which included an NXT UK bout against Jordan Devlin; a four-way win over John Cena, Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre; and a forgotten gem of a Universal Championship shot against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble, all of which are on this collection. Closing things out are Bálor’s successful Intercontinental Championship shot against Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 35, and a Finn vs. Ali match from SmackDown shortly thereafter.
Although there are a couple of notable omissions (such as Finn against Seth and The Miz at WM 34), this DVD has plenty of exciting matches, and nothing is any worse than being respectable. Finn Bálor fans will definitely want to own this set, as would wrestling fans who simply enjoy seeing a bunch of top-drawer bouts. In that respect, Finn Bálor’s new DVD really is For Everyone.
Overall Rating: 8/10 – Very Good
