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

Moneymaker

Michael McGillicutty is a perfect name for him.

*runs

rovert

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I was just thinking this is probably a golden age from an Irish wrestling standpoint. The prospect of having Sheamus, Devitt and Becky on a show would be a fantastic feat for a small island like this. It might not get better than this for a long, long time.

The only person from the "first wave" of modern Irish Wrestlers at this stage would I think would get a look from WWE and TNA would be Dunkan Disorderly. I am not up on the local scene and newer Wrestlers as I once was so there might be a major omission but I don't see a person with Sheamus's size and marketability, Devitt's work ethic/ambition or a prodigy type like Rebecca.

Let me add Jordan Devlin and Maxer Brennan have done really well in the UK and Japan but they seem too small for WWE. Shame Joey Cabray and Rachelle St.Claire didn't work out in NXT as well.

Agent Coulson

I said it before it has to be..From the Temble Bar Dublin..



Padddddddddddyyyyyyyy Powerrrrrrrrrrrrr.

CastorTroy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I was just thinking this is probably a golden age from an Irish wrestling standpoint. The prospect of having Sheamus, Devitt and Becky on a show would be a fantastic feat for a small island like this. It might not get better than this for a long, long time.

Probably make him dye his hair red/wear a wig to make them a team. Would be like the Irish Scousers

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I said it before it has to be..From the Temble Bar Dublin..
Padddddddddddyyyyyyyy Powerrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ready for the next Scooby Doo promotion.

Diabhal Beag

He'll be repackaged as Henry Churchill, a British sympathiser.

Hangballlouie

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

He'll be repackaged as Henry Churchill, a British sympathiser.

Lord Haw-Haw

montyrebel

rovert wrote: »

The only person from the "first wave" of modern Irish Wrestlers at this stage would I think would get a look from WWE and TNA would be Dunkan Disorderly. I am not up on the local scene and newer Wrestlers as I once was so there might be a major omission but I don't see a person with Sheamus's size and marketability, Devitt's work ethic/ambition or a prodigy type like Rebecca.

Let me add Jordan Devlin and Maxer Brennan have done really well in the UK and Japan but they seem too small for WWE. Shame Joey Cabray and Rachelle St.Claire didn't work out in NXT as well.

SEAN 'maxer' Brennan?
Jordan Devlin?
Lord Paul Tracey?

just of my head

rovert

Brennan and Devlin are too small build wise.

I've all the respect in world for Tracey as an ring worker but he is 34 and isn't exactly in WWE shape these days.

lycan238

montyrebel wrote: »

SEAN 'maxer' Brennan?
Jordan Devlin?
Lord Paul Tracey?

just of my head

rovert wrote: »

Brennan and Devlin are too small build wise.

I've all the respect in world for Tracey as an ring worker but he is 34 and isn't exactly in WWE shape these days.

Have seen the above wrestlers at a local wrestling.ie show last year. Lord Paul Tracey played a very good heel whereas Maxer and Devlin teamed up and had a great match -- not their best match but a very good match.

the flananator

Add NI's Tron to the list of Irish guys who NXT sadly didn't work out for (actually, I think it was still FCW when he was there). Phil Boyd has also togged out for Zero 1 alongside Devlin and Brennan, while Mad Man Manson has been a favorite of the UK indies for many years now.

There certainly have been no shortage of opportunities for Irish wrestlers in the pro wrestling business over the last 8 years. Anyone who put the work in has gotten shifts internationally, with Sheamus and Devitt becoming huge names and several more getting developmental deals from the WWE, or touring Japan and the UK.

In terms of the generation of Irish wrestlers who came up during the original IWW/NWA Ireland days, Paddy Morrow is the only guy I can really think of still active (?) that really deserved a shot in one of the big leagues. The big bumping Dublin native was in Devitt's league in terms of ring work (at least before Devitt went to train in Japan) and was excellent at working the crowd as a baby face. Sadly he likely falls into the category of perhaps not having the right 'look' for a lot of companies.

Anyone know if IWW's Mandrake is still on the go? I never had the opportunity to see him live due to IWW going through its Soviet-era for most of the past number of years, but from photos he looked like he had the right physique to get look in with NXT potentially.

A golden era is definitely a great way of putting it. Fergal Devitt was the first Irish wrestler I ever saw live; I remember him bursting through the curtain of the CYMS hall in Kildare back in '02-'03, and thinking "Jeez, he looks ripped!". He had a fun match with a masked man called Aguila, as I recall. A couple of years later I watched Sheamus win the IWW title in a GAA hall in Naas, and he looked genuinely really chuffed with himself. Cut forward to today, Sheamus was the first European to win the WWE championship, and Devitt is bordering on legendary status in Japan and the hottest free agent in the world. Fantastic achievements.

rovert

Think highly of all the NWA Ireland crew don't get me wrong. Paddy has been a fun support part of the Prince Devitt vs Dunkan Disordley feud. He was over like Jeff Hardy on one show in particular.

Mad Man Mason is really talented too. Funny on Twitter too.

No idea if Mandrake is still active. IWW is very under the radar but he at least wrested for them last August. He got into RIDICULOUS shape a few years about but his height hurt him.

the flananator

I haven't been to a live show in quite some time; can anyone shed some light on what the current crop of young talent are like? Last show I went to was an NLW event, and Team Mega, Maxer etc. were still very much the main acts on the card, with the exception of Devlin taking on Tracey in the main event. I know IWW's training school is long gone, but are the Fight Factory or Main Stage Wrestling's schools giving much hope for the future?

A Primal Nut

gnfnrhead wrote: »

He's going to waste his prime years in development when he could have been headlining in Japan.

It's only a couple of months in developmental and most likely he'll be paid main roster money during that time. If it works out he could be an international star instead of just in Japan and increase his overall value long term. Plus he said it's his dream to fight in WWE so it's well worth the risk. It might not work out but it's definitely worth a shot.

No point spending the rest of his life wondering if he could have made it WWE. He may as well give it a go. He will earn plenty of money either way so no need to worry on that front.

Pentecost

Given how long they've been after him it's pretty likely he's signed very much on his own terms. I'd imagine the whole issue of roughly how long he has to spend in NXT and what he's paid whilst there will have been agreed before he signed.

Agent Coulson

Lets be honet who wouldn't want to spend a couple of months doing interviews with Renee Young getting up to WWE speed.

rovert

Today against Zack Sabre:



Meant to be a classic match

lycan238

the flananator wrote: »

Anyone know if IWW's Mandrake is still on the go? I never had the opportunity to see him live.

Seen him live once a few years ago. was a good match - actually been looking for another IWW show in my locality soon no luck so far. I know wrestling.ie are planned to come back later in the year.

rovert

Devitt's own pic:

Soft Falling Rain

What are the chances WWE will allow Devitt to use his artisticness to get over ie the body paint.

rovert

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

What are the chances WWE will allow Devitt to use his artisticness to get over ie the body paint.

It is kind of a new era with Triple H gaining more influence in terms of rules of thumb but Vince McMahon and WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn hated body paint for reasons such as: it dirtying up the ring mat which both are OCD about keeping clean, the paint running from body sweat being kind of uncouth so to speak for a Superstar - for instance they can't take mid match action shots for DVDs, Magazines, the front page of their website.

BohsJohnny

rovert wrote: »

Devitt's own pic:

Did he do a Low-Ki and wrestle in the suit that would be something to see.

rovert

BohsJohnny wrote: »

Did he do a Low-Ki and wrestle in the suit that would be something to see.

Hiding that upper body would be criminal:

Mick Murdock

Are his promos any good? Doesn't seem great from the limited stuff I've seen online.. Seems to be pretty funny on Twitter though.

Ape Lincoln

rovert wrote: »

Hiding that upper body would be criminal:

Sexy beast. Gotta be one of the best looking bodies at his weight level to work in WWE since I don't know how long. (Cesaro's too hairy and looks old!)

rovert

Mick Murdock wrote: »

Are his promos any good? Doesn't seem great from the limited stuff I've seen online.. Seems to be pretty funny on Twitter though.

I never seen him cut a WWE storytelling promo. So no.

*Cavets and clarifications ahoy*

He spent most of his career in Japanese his promos/interviews was speaking in a form of English and at a verbal pace Japanese could understand. On top of that Japanese Wrestling is FAR more sports based than the soap opera storylines in the US. I used to refer to them as "Match of the Day" promos to friends then lost my sh*te when Devitt used that line much later. You know post match stuff like "It was was a tough match. Koji Kanemoto was a very difficult opponent." Devitt said it even himself that grew really bored of how limiting it was.

Turning heel allowed him to show his personality but a lot of it revolved around swearing and xenophobe - cheap heat.

In this press conference he shows good basic heel instincts:

He's a maniac here:

Devitt delivers a couple of money lines in this fan hype video:

I think he has potential and is teachable but I think he did himself a disservice not having his own Youtube channel to post promos hyping his matches in UK.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Why are the bullet club throwing up the click hand jesters?

rovert

MrMac84 wrote: »

Why are the bullet club throwing up the click hand jesters?

As they are in a faction and in addition they want to impress Scott Hall. That is the legitimate answer. Devitt did it first then the other lads started doing and now they do it endlessly. It is really embarrassing and Japanese fans just don't get it either. Totally masturbatory at this stage.

Mick Murdock

rovert wrote: »

I never seen him cut a WWE storytelling promo. So

I used to refer to them as "Match of the Day" promos to friends then lost my sh*te when Devitt used that line much later. You know post match stuff like "It was was a tough match. Koji Kanemoto was a very difficult opponent." Devitt said it even himself that grew really bored of how limiting it was.


.

Thanks for the links. I see what you mean after watching those vids.. Not sure I would have understood his delivery had you not pointed it out.

Definitely looks like he has a lot of charisma and a great look.. Other the accent, there's nothing specifically Irish about him which is good. Hopefully they don't try and change him too much.

rovert

Mick Murdock wrote: »

Thanks for the links. I see what you mean after watching those vids.. Not sure I would have understood his delivery had you not pointed it out.

Definitely looks like he has a lot of charisma and a great look.. Other the accent, there's nothing specifically Irish about him which is good. Hopefully they don't try and change him too much.

I hope he is like Adrian Neville in that him being from Ireland is a secondary characteristic.

Couldn't find this earlier and it killed me. The 2 minute mark Devitt cuts a promo from 2007 for hyping up a tour of Australia it is essentially a Sheamus promo:

rovert

A tag team no one listed are getting a chance with trendy UK promotion Rev Pro:



EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW: