Finn "Prince Devitt" Bálor Thread (Raw Spoilers ahoy!)

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rovert wrote: »

Don't want to get anyone in trouble. :P

Pm? I won't post it or make any statement on any boards or social media?

rovert

MrMac84 wrote: »

Pm? I won't post it or make any statement on any boards or social media?

It doesn't matter that much mate.

Diabhal Beag

You've gone full Melty here rovert.

rovert

http://www.wwe.com/inside/wwe-signs-fergal-devitt-26515616

The greatest news.

Hashtag_HEEL

I'm absolutely ecstatic! He deserves to be showcased on such a large stage. I'm foaming at the mouth with the thoughts of NXT going forward. Zayn,Kenta,Steen,Devitt, Lynch all on the one roster. It's heaven.

Obviously as with Kenta there's the worry that they'll try to change him and his style but it mightn't be the case.

After meeting him at the FFPW show and realising he really is a true gent and a fan I hope he continues to do the Irish fans proud.

rovert

Even the man himself has stopped the Twitter messing:

Moneymaker

Worst kept secret in wrestling, but awesome news to see it in black and white.

Delighted for him.

Machismo Fan

Any chance them announcing it like this means he'll be keeping his name?

Hashtag_HEEL

Machismo Fan wrote: »

Any chance them announcing it like this means he'll be keeping his name?

It's a funny one. When Sin Cara was signed they'd announced he was going from mistico to Cara. Kenta and Devitt have been announced under their current names.
It could be a case of just creating a buzz around them only to later choose a character in NXT. Until either debut we'll have to just speculate.

gnfnrhead

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

Moneymaker

Mr.Kuji and Padraig.

Calling it now :pac:

Mr.Saturn

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

How so?

rovert

Machismo Fan wrote: »

Any chance them announcing it like this means he'll be keeping his name?

Early days long story short.

Fergal said he disliked his ring name in a recent interview (Powerslam?) and it was kind of a professional regret not changing it. Initially it was going to be King Devitt - a play off King David. Then New Japan decision makers thought at the time Devitt was too young to be a King so they busted him down to being a Prince.

Devitt is now a 33 year old man - too old to be a Prince or be introduced to a new announce as one. Also you may have thick Americans/Wrestling fans wondering where's his Crown and robe. Also if you are talking about headlining a Wrestlemania Prince Devitt is a young, inexperienced man's name while ROMAN REIGNS is a strong, grown man's name.

gnfnrhead

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

Have you ever agreed with a majority opinion?

rovert

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

State

Moneymaker

Deleted User wrote: »

Have you ever agreed with a majority opinion?

He wouldn't be gnfnrhead if he did :pac::pac:

slicus ricus

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

Only time will tell - let's see how the land lies in a year or so!

I personally disagree and think he will excel in WWE. They were clearly very interested in signing him and have high hopes for him, which is obvious given the tone of the announcement.

duuuaaaane

WWE have confirmed the signing.
http://www.wwe.com/inside/wwe-signs-fergal-devitt-26515616

WWE signs Fergal Devitt to NXT

WWE has signed international Superstar Fergal Devitt to its NXT division. He will report to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, today, WWE.com has confirmed.

“This is something I’ve been looking forward to since I was maybe four or five years old,” Devitt told WWE.com last week, while preparing for the trip in his home country of Ireland. “I grew up watching wrestling my whole life, so to get the chance to step in the ring that I’ve watched on TV so many times is a dream come true.”

Prior to signing with WWE, Devitt was widely considered one of the most highly touted free agents in sports-entertainment. Hailing from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, his path to NXT and WWE has been circuitous: Initially trained in England, Devitt honed his craft in the U.K. and U.S. independent scenes before entering the notoriously disciplined dojos of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He also competed in Mexico, though it was in New Japan that he rose to greatest prominence, under the name Prince Devitt.

During his eight-year tenure there, Devitt captured the group’s prestigious IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship three times, and he won New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament — the same tournament won by the likes of WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero — twice, in 2010 and 2013. Devitt went undefeated in last year’s edition of the round-robin tournament.

Now, he’s excited to move on to the next stage of his career, in WWE. A self-described “chameleon in the ring,” Devitt prides himself on adapting to his surroundings wherever he goes. Despite the anticipation that’s surrounded his signing, he’s quick to note it’ll be “back to square one” when he gets to the WWE Performance Center.

“I don’t consider myself anywhere close to the finished product, so I’m looking forward to this challenge and learning a new style,” he said.

This won’t be Devitt’s first time at the Performance Center. He visited the facility months ago, during which time he met the coaching staff. The Center, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, exceeded Devitt’s already-high expectations.

“I’ve seen a lot of different training schools and dojos, and the sheer level of professionalism at the Performance Center and the state-of-the-art facility just knocked me for a six. It really blew me away,” he said.

Though perhaps an unknown quantity to many WWE fans, Devitt is a familiar face to several members of the NXT locker room, most notably NXT Champion Adrian Neville, whom Devitt wrestled in Japan, and newcomer Becky Lynch, whom he helped train. He’s anxious to have the chance to get in the ring again with Neville, as well as Sami Zayn, who he said “stands out.”

“We kinda missed each other, played crisscross, but never had a chance to lock up on the independent circuit, so that’d be something I’d really look forward to,” Devitt said of Zayn.

On the main roster, Devitt said there’s one absolute goal: “The target would be John Cena, because if you’re wrestling John Cena, you’re in the main event.” Still, he’d also like to tie up or team up with fellow Irishman Sheamus. Devitt and Sheamus started their careers in Ireland around the same time, but because they worked for competing organizations, they never battled, only knew each other by reputation.

Devitt’s signing, meanwhile, represents WWE's second major acquisition of an international talent in recent weeks. During WWE’s tour of Japan earlier this month, Hulk Hogan presided over the ceremonial contract signing of Japanese competitor Kenta.

“I think it’s definitely a good thing and the company’s obviously looking forward,” Devitt said of WWE’s current talent recruitment. “It’s bringing in some well-traveled performers, so I think for NXT, it’s a good thing.”

It’s just that worldly experience that Devitt credited with readying him for the demanding rigor of WWE’s proving ground.

“It’s helped me and my confidence, both in and out of the ring,” Devitt said of his travels. “I never feel out of my depth of experience. I’ve been put into a lot of situations that could be stressful. That’s really helped me mature, both as a performer and as a man.”

Whether the WWE Universe will ever see Devitt sporting some of the flashier elements that made him stand out in Japan — the Chris Jericho-esque light-up ring jacket or sprawling, comic book-inspired body-paint designs — remains to be seen.

“I’ve always got a couple of tricks up my sleeve, so I’m going to come up with something new before then,” he said. “But yeah, look out for the light-up jacket, look out for the body paint. Look out for a new Devitt.”

mrkiscool2

gnfnrhead wrote: »

I know others won't agree and will simply circle jerk but it's the biggest mistake of his career in my mind.

I don't think you can call it a mistake to be honest. We will have to see how WWE can use him but he will be very well paid for the last 5-8 years of his career (assuming he isn't let go). A chance for him to get some good money, build up a nice nest egg and hopefully leave an impact on the biggest wrestling company in the world. Fair play to him!

rovert

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

I don't think you can call it a mistake to be honest. We will have to see how WWE can use him but he will be very well paid for the last 5-8 years of his career (assuming he isn't let go). A chance for him to get some good money, build up a nice nest egg and hopefully leave an impact on the biggest wrestling company in the world. Fair play to him!

gnfnrhead is talking nonsense. TNA is has been rolling down hill for some time. Devitt peaked in New Japan and will likely have a spot there if all else fails.

KENTA and Prince Devitt will likely keep their names and be pushed fairly well as WWE sees real growth potential in the Japanese market for the WWE Network.

Agent Coulson

I can see thew WWE coming up with some sort of Stable called team Shamrock or something corny along those lines.

Sheamus, Becky Lynch & Paddy Power(Devitt)

With logo on the TitanTron like this.

mrkiscool2

rovert wrote: »

gnfnrhead is talking nonsense. TNA is has been rolling down hill for some time. Devitt peaked in New Japan and will likely have a spot there if all else fails.

KENTA and Prince Devitt will likely keep their names and be pushed fairly well as WWE sees real growth potential in the Japanese market for the WWE Network.

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you. He'll definitely get a push and it seems like he will be keeping his jacket and having some of the body paint every now and again (which means WWE must be splashing out a bit of money on his entrance alone as well as paying for rights for him to get the paint done). He'll get a push and I'm sure he will take it.

But this isn't NJPW where (usually) the cream of the talent gets the accolades and a run either at or near the top. This is WWE where if you aren't careful in how you present yourself and get on backstage as well just how creative are feeling on the day can have adverse affects on your career. Devitt will never be a jobber, I see him as being at his lowest a mid-carder. He has the look, he has the talent. Hard to see how he won't excel to be honest!

rovert

The jacket isn't his it is New Japan's.

I'd rather see the back of the body paint too.

gnfnrhead

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

I don't think you can call it a mistake to be honest. We will have to see how WWE can use him but he will be very well paid for the last 5-8 years of his career (assuming he isn't let go). A chance for him to get some good money, build up a nice nest egg and hopefully leave an impact on the biggest wrestling company in the world. Fair play to him!

I hope it works out for him but don't think it will. I fully expect him to waste his peak in NXT then be released. Had he re-signed with NJPW, he would very likely be in AJ Styles position right now.

rovert wrote: »

gnfnrhead is talking nonsense. TNA is has been rolling down hill for some time. Devitt peaked in New Japan and will likely have a spot there if all else fails.

KENTA and Prince Devitt will likely keep their names and be pushed fairly well as WWE sees real growth potential in the Japanese market for the WWE Network.

Not sure what TNA have to do with anything but I guess it wouldn't be a rovert post if it wasn't full of unrelated crap.

gimmick

Closing this one for now as there is no point having 2 threads. Will reopen this as a sort of "official" type thread in a week or so.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=91470341#post91470341

rovert

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Had he re-signed with NJPW, he would very likely be in AJ Styles position right now.

Likely based on what? There's nothing or no one who has said that.

Devitt was already being cycled down the card.

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Not sure what TNA have to do with anything but I guess it wouldn't be a rovert post if it wasn't full of unrelated crap.

Weird personal attack there.

What did I say that was unrelated? I gave his viable career options. TNA DID make a play for him and were actually confident they would sign him at stage. How is that unrelated?

gnfnrhead

rovert wrote: »

Likely based on what? There's nothing or no one who has said that.

Devitt was already being cycled down the card.



Weird personal attack there.

What did I say that was unrelated? I gave his viable career options.

Devitt was pushed into a IWGP title feud until it became obvious he was leaving. Like what WWE are currently doing with Del Rio, why push him if he is on his way out the door? If NJPW had no interest in pushing him towards something bigger, they wouldn't have. They pushed him up the card, he told them he wasn't staying, they stopped. Had he re-signed, they would have continued that push and he have won the IWGP title at some point.

Where was TNA mentioned? Or is it just you usual habit of taking shots at them every chance you get?

rovert

I've very little interest in replying to you gnfnrhead if you are spoiling for fights.

Again I simply ran down his career alternatives. ZERO clue how this is a pot shot. None.

There's nothing to suggest New Japan had any plans for Devitt winning the belt. They put the title on AJ Styles for completely different reasons than they would have ever put it on Prince Devitt - a jumped up Junior Heavyweight who was paired with Big Luck Fale so his wins over Heavyweights would look credible.

gimmick

Lads, calm it. If you cannot discuss the issue civilly, don't bother discussing it.

Agent Coulson

Let's look at it from a 10 year old Fergal's point of view.

His dream was to become a wrestler and wrestle in the WWE/F.

Now for years that didn't look like it was ever going to happen, But he did make it as a wrestler and became one of the the most respected wrestlers in the world for that matter.

Coming to his mid 30's and getting a chance to live his childhood dream is a no brainer for anyone. If it works out he has the world at his feet.

If it doesn't work out so be it he got to live out his childhood dream to be a WWE/F wrestler.

If in 2/3 years he is future endeavored he can return to Japan still younger than AJ Styles is now with a WWE run behind him and a huge fan base in Japan wanting to see the Prince.

No one should hold anything against him for wanting to live his dream.