Face to face with WWE's 1st Universal Champion Finn Balor in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Despite being one of the relatively younger stars on the WWE main roster, 35-year-old Finn Balor has already assured himself of a place in the history books by becoming the first ever Universal Champion at Summerslam 2016.

Though he had to relinquish the title a day later due to a shoulder injury, Balor has now fully recovered and is focused on reclaiming the Universal Championship, which he says he never lost in the first place.

During his tenure at NXT, WWE's development territory, Balor also made history by becoming the longest-reigning NXT champion at 292 days. He also won the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament (with Samoa Joe).

And though he is clearly one of WWE's brightest stars and has championship material written all over him, Balor remains humble, a trait evident when he faced media in Singapore recently ahead of WWE's only show in Southeast Asia.

Watch the video below for some highlights, where he talks about his dream match, his love for Lego, his "Demon King" persona, and what fans can expect in his match against Karl Anderson (with Luke Gallows) on June 28 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

It was only my second time here in Singapore," said Balor. "But I was able experience more than when I first came for the live event in 2015. Everything I experienced this time was just amazing, from the Singaporean culture and food, to the people and the places like the Gardens by the Bay. I can’t wait to come back in a couple of weeks with the rest of the Superstars and help them enjoy some of what Singapore has to offer, before putting on an amazing show for the fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium that they will never forget.

Finn Balor’s two-day tour included:

• Meeting hundreds of fans in exclusive signings at the Phantaci store, the boutique fashion brand of Taiwanese entertainment entrepreneur Jay Chou, and a Starhub meet and greet at the Tampines Mall where fans dressed as Balor’s alter-ego, The Demon, in a competition chaired by their idol.
• A Gardens By The Bay tour, with a walk along the Skyway, which also combined Finn Balor’s personal pleasure of Lego.

• Playing football with the Special Olympics Singapore ‘Play Unified’ team at Bendeemer Secondary School, who got to spend time training with Finn and talked about his passion for soccer and support for Premier League runners-up, Tottenham Hotspur.
• Meeting with SportCares youths, who discussed how SportCares programmes use sport as a way of bridging communities through sport, developing good values and a sense of purpose amongst youth in Singapore.
• Admiring the Singapore Skyline from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park.

Finn Balor returns on 28 June for WWE Live Singapore with Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho, Sasha Banks and many more. You can also catch Finn Balor on "Raw" live every Tuesday on Hub Sports 2 (StarHub TV Channel 202).

Tickets for WWE Live Singapore are available at the Sports Hub Tix Box Office, Sports Hub Tix Outlets at all SingPost locations, online at www.sportshubtix.sg and by calling Sports Hub Tix Hotline on +65 3158 7888. - By Dexter R. Matilla