At SummerSlam 2026, former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor will be in action. He is slated to face Sami Zayn to determine the #1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
In a recent interview with Marco Ercole, Balor shared his thoughts on the match against Zayn at SummerSlam. The former Judgment Day member said,
“At this stage of my career, this opportunity means absolutely everything. SummerSlam, it’s the biggest weekend of the Summer. Huge event. I don’t feel it needs anymore hype from me with regards to the size of the event. But with regards to the size of this match, in terms of what it means to me, it means everything.”
“10 years ago at SummerSlam 2016, I think everyone knows the story. I won the Universal Championship, 22 hours later, I had to relinquish the championship due to injury.”
“So, recently Sami Zayn has been talking about ‘Justice for Sami,’ having held the title for nine days and then lost it. He lost the title. Whereas I had to relinquish the title after 22 hours, so, if anyone deserves justice it’s Finn. But I’m not asking for justice, I’m gonna take justice, because I know exactly the momentum, the magnitude of this event.”
“I know for the last 10 years I’ve been climbing, scratching, clawing to get all the way back to the top. And I’m right here and I’m so close to getting back that world championship. So, I’m very, very excited about the weekend and I’m looking forward to when the bell rings.”
Balor Feels More Prepared To Be WWE World Champion
During the same interview, Balor reflected on the difference between his 2016 and current pursuit for a world championship. The WWE SmackDown star said,
“In 2016, I was very wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, excited about the future, but very inexperienced, and perhaps not as confident as I am today.”
“I feel like over the last 10 years I’ve gotten to grow, not only as a performer inside the ring, but also outside the ring. I feel like I have more self-belief in myself, I have more discipline, and I have 10 years of experience of ups and downs and having to learn many, many different lessons, facing the top performers all over the world over the past 10 years.
“If anything, I feel better physically, I feel better mentally, I feel more focused and I feel more prepared to be world champion.”
