Finn Bálor, the impossibly fit Irish wrestler whose body houses an ancient demon, is still recovering from shoulder surgery and has set a “hard target” of April’s WrestleMania 33 for his return. Incidentally, until I looked it up on Wikipedia, I had no memory of Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Woo’s Hard Target being about a guy who hunted homeless men for sport. But I suppose that’s neither here nor there.
Anyway, although Bálor has made it public that he’s on pace to be back in April, he’s not doing anything to dissuade Royal Rumble rumors. During an interview with ESPN focusing on the UK Champion Tournament, Bálor again reiterated that he’s on track for WrestleMania as his return date … but wouldn’t it be interesting if he popped up at the Rumble? Wouldn’t it just.
“You know, that’s obviously a huge rumor, and I would never be one to fuel the rumor mills,” he said with a smile. “But to be a surprise entrant in the Rumble would be a huge moment for me. I’m sure it would create quite a buzz.”
Bálor, you scamp.
“But right now, with the condition my shoulder is in, I’m not willing to risk sustaining any more long-term injury, just for the sake of two or three weeks. Since I got hurt, it was six months [out]. The target was to be back for WrestleMania. Everything’s on plan, everything’s on schedule.”
He jokingly said there may be one way for WWE to tempt him back for the 30-man over-the-top rope elimination match, which traditionally provides its winner with a title shot at WrestleMania. “If the day of the Royal Rumble Vince McMahon says, ‘You got your gear with you?’ then I’m sure I’ll be around,” he said with a smile. But pointing to his injured shoulder, he added, “It’s not something I want to risk unless I’m 100 percent confident that this is 100 percent.”
Over the past couple of years, Bálor has elevated “make people believe Finn Bálor might show up” fake-outs to a true trolling art form, so you should take his elfin tease with an entire bucket of salt. But still … that might be a WWE comeback on par with John Cena’s return in 2008. I mean not really, but I would certainly enjoy the hell out of it.
