FERGAL HANDS BACK WWE BELT
BRAY’S WWE STAR RELINQUISHES HIS BELT JUST 24 HOURS AFTER WIN
BRAY native Fergal Devitt, aka Finn Bálor, returned his belt a day after becoming the inaugural WWE Universal Champion.
The wrestler, pictured right, needs surgery after dislocating his shoulder in the ring and may not be fit for up to six months. WWE general manager raised Bálor’s hand in triumph as the Bray man made the shock announcement to a crowded stadium in New York on Monday.
WRESTLING champion Finn Bálor was forced to relinquish his WWE Universal title due to injury less than 24 hours after taking it at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins.
Charnwood native Finn Bálor, otherwise known as Fergal Devitt, became the inaugural WWE Universal Champion on Sunday night in New York. Now he faces surgery and a recovery time of up to six months.
The Bray man sustained the injury to his right shoulder when he absorbed a running powerbomb to the barricade at the hands of his opponent. ‘He hit the wall during the match, dislocated his shoulder and was able to put it back in himself in a split second,’ said ringside physician Dr Chris Robinson.
A true champion and made of tough stuff, Bálor went on to finish the match. A subsequent MRI yielded results showing a ‘possible labrum tear’.
The wrestler appeared with his belt on Monday night Raw to relinquish the title and hand it over, his arm in a sling. ‘Rest assured that when I am healthy and when I am well and when I am fit, I will be back. And this title is the first thing that I’m coming for,’ he told the crowd during the announcement.
Prior to the show, Raw General Manager Mick Foley tweeted that he and Commissioner Stephanie McMahon would accept the forfeiture.
Fans have been calling for the move which caused the injury to be made illegal in wrestling.
This setback followed a stunning performance by Bálor in taking the title, painted up as the ‘Demon King’ and with his family to witness the great victory. He was the first man in WWE history to win a world title in his first pay per view event, just a month into his promotion to the main roster.
Just five years ago, Fergal Devitt performed to a full house in Wolfe Tone Youth Club alongside a host of other Irish wrestlers.
Even then he was a superstar, both in Japan and in wrestling circles on home soil.