Finn Balor Body Paint: Surprised WWE Let Him Use It After Leaving Japan

Finn Bálor joins a long list of legends in the professional wrestling industry that kicked off their career in Japan. Guys such as Hulk Hogan, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho and Dean Malenko all became world wide sensations after spending some time over there. This is why it was a special moment when Bálor won the NXT Heavyweight Championship in Tokyo from the long reigning, bully champion Kevin Owens. Not only is Bálor considered an iconic wrestler in Japan, the amazing body paint he puts on before big-time NXT matches started out there. According to Bálor, he was surprised he was even allowed to wear it in the WWE.

Bálor mentioned this during an interview at Comic-Con in San Diego. The new champion said his entrance look evolved over time:

"It goes back to when I was in Japan, and I was looking for something new to do outside the box. I toyed with the idea of wearing a full bodysuit or a mask. It was originally meant to be a once-off for the Tokyo Dome. It got a great reaction, and one show led to another, and it became a whole big thing."

Once Bálor got the dream call from WWE, he admitted he was surprised they asked him about it. He was sure the paint was dead in the water.

"When I left the independents and New Japan, I thought I was leaving that part of my personality behind me. When I arrived here in WWE, I had a meeting and I laid it all on the table and they said, 'We want you to try it here sometime.'"

Now that Bálor is the new champion of NXT, how long do you think it will take before he makes it to WWE?