wwe becky lynch and Finn Balor are two of the biggest success stories of wrestlers from Ireland making it big in the United States. Most of the foreign wrestlers hope to move to the United States as the biggest promotion, WWE, is based there along with other great opportunities. Balor and Lynch crossed paths early in their careers with a mentor lineup in Ireland.
Both wrestlers worked across the country as world travelers before becoming big names. WWE ended up becoming Becky and Finn’s home, and each returned to working closely together. The friendship between the two was shown in various WWE documentaries and has been mentioned in interviews. Lynch and Balor’s relationship is worth a look at what led them to become friends.
Finn Balor trained Becky Lynch in Ireland
The wrestling scene in Ireland was pretty mediocre when Finn Balor started training. Balor had a few years of minimal experience when he helped run one of the rare local schools. 2003 was a strange time for wrestling, with WWE the only major international brand after WCW went out of business. Japan, Mexico, and the United States had strong markets, but most other places had almost no presence.
Becky Lynch’s desire to train in Ireland to learn the trade before having to relocate made her a perfect fit to join the Fight Factory run by Balor and Paul Tracey. The NWA brand worked with the school when she was trying to own properties in NWA UK and NWA Ireland. Balor was Lynch’s main trainer to help her learn the fundamentals of her before attempting to start her career. Both were unknown talents to most fans, but they were exchanging knowledge and experiences that still impact the industry today.
In future interviews, Lynch expressed how helpful Balor was when she was green, and how he continued to help her throughout her career. Becky began wrestling shortly after being properly trained by Balor and Tracey. Having so few opportunities, Ireland saw them both wrestle all over the world in hopes of getting on WWE’s radar.
Finn Balor and Becky Lynch were big stars in NXT
The ultimate success of Becky Lynch and Finn Balor’s backstory is that they have both been tremendous assets on the biggest stage. Balor broke out in New Japan, becoming an all-time great junior heavyweight and eventually leading the Bullet Club. WWE finally called when Finn hit free agency, as they were trying to improve the NXT roster. Balor was considered a great free agent signing for WWE’s third brand before becoming the face of that product.
Becky didn’t have the same success as Finn in the years before WWE reached out. In fact, Lynch’s wrestling career was so difficult that he briefly retired to pursue other work. Lynch finally got the wrestling bug back and benefited from the perfect timing. WWE trying to build a credible women’s division in NXT led to some of the most promising independent names like Becky getting a chance.
NXT was the first WWE arena in which both Balor and Lynch topped the new landscape. Finn was the biggest star and NXT Champion during his most important growth. Becky never won the NXT Women’s Championship, but she helped spark the women’s division as one of the Four Horsemen.
Becky Lynch and Finn Balor haven’t really crossed paths in WWE
WWE currently uses both Becky Lynch and Finn Balor in major roles on the main roster after years of ups and downs to get to a great place. Lynch is one of WWE’s most important wrestlers and a face of the company. Balor has been used in a major role with The Judgment Day ever since Triple H took over. Today’s big races have seen Becky express her appreciation for the things she learned training with Finn:
“They (Finn and Tracey) taught me to always hold myself to the highest level, no matter what the circumstances.”
Lynch had to practice this when WWE wasn’t putting pressure on her before finally becoming The Man. WWE has yet to get the two together on any storyline as partners or rivals beyond Finn talking to Lynch in a backstage segment. Rhea Ripley, becoming the latest rising star in the women’s division, is bound to catch a show with Becky sooner rather than later.
Time will tell if Balor is involved in any way when that finally happens. Regardless, two of Ireland’s greatest wrestlers impacting each other’s careers and working together in WWE today is a tremendous story of perseverance.