Hiroshi Tanahashi praises Finn Balor.
Tanahashi was on the receiving end of a famous beatdown when Balor (then known as Prince Devitt) formed Bullet Club with Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, and Tama Tonga, and the group left him lying with an unforgettable attack. Bullet Club subsequently became one of the top factions in wrestling, and it turned Devitt into a major star, leading to his departure to sign with WWE.
In an interview with NJPW’s website, Tanahashi reflected on the formation of Bullet Club and Balor’s vital part in it. He complimented Balor’s evolution and described how he gained breadth and depth as a wrestler. Tanahashi also stated that this chapter of Balor’s career made him the superstar he is now.
“Devitt was incredible in that spot. He was just sop driven with that idea, that if he was going to do it, he was going all in,” Tanahashi said. “He completely changed his approach, changed his style. Turned on a dime, started building his matches around punches and kicks. That was all out of a desire to embrace that heel persona and do it properly. I think he took risks that really gave him breadth and depth as a wrestler. This phase of his career made him the superstar he is now.
“He was a little softer when he first came to Japan, but the fans saw the effort he put in to get shredded like that. Visually he was a guy you wanted to get behind; I would if I was a fan. And he was developing and becoming more stable as a wrestler as well; he got hurt a lot at first in Japan, but those injuries became much less of a factor. As he adapted to the Japanese style, he took a lot of ideas on board, made them his own, and got to be a hell of a talent.”
Bullet Club has changed a lot over the years, but it is still a prominent stable; Jay White is the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, while Balor and Anderson are featured in WWE. Anderson holds the NEVER Openweight Championship, and he will defend the gold at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.
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