'Big gamble' has paid off for Finn Balor

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago this time, Finn Balor was taking part in his first few days as a member of the WWE's developmental roster, NXT.

The decision to make the jump to NXT was not easy for Balor. While he was entering the one place almost every wrestler dreams of being, he was leaving behind a very comfortable and fruitful life in Japan.

As Prince Devitt, Balor was one of the top stars for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was participating in high-profile matches, enjoying the fruits of being a national celebrity, working with all of his best friends, part of the revitalization of the promotion, and within traveling distance of his native Bray, Ireland, which allowed him to visit his family monthly.

Life was good for the 14-year veteran born Fergal Devitt.

But Balor left all of that behind for the uncertainty of a new adventure in a new country, and for a company that has different ideals from the others he had worked for previously.

"I didn't expect success," Balor said during an interview with philly.com. "It was a big gamble coming here; it was a very difficult decision.

"Obviously, I've had a lot of help from all of the coaches here at the [WWE] Performance Center," he added. "Matt Bloom has helped me tremendously. Triple H has helped me tremendously. Terry Taylor has helped me a lot. They all kind of are part of what I've become in the ring."

A year later, it is clear that the uneasy decision of leaving his life in Japan in the rearview has paid off, as he is now the NXT champion. He is being heavily promoted as one of the new playable characters in WWE 2K16 and will soon have his very own action figure. In Balor's eyes, he's on top of the world.

"In hindsight, it should have been the easiest decision of my life," he said.

Balor will ride his tidal wave of momentum into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, Aug. 22, when more than 13,000 fans will pile into the building to be a part of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.

The event's main attraction: Balor defending his NXT championship against the No. 1 contender, Kevin Owens, in a ladder match.

The event is a testament to the popularity NXT has garnered over the past year, and Balor is one of the many people responsible for getting it to this level.

"I was confident we were going to sell it out right from the moment it was announced," he said. "NXT is strong. The brand is strong. All of the boys are working hard. It's not a one-man show. It's not a one-match show. The card from top to bottom will be strong. I'm not surprised."

When Balor signed with the WWE, he figured he was leaving everything behind. Not just his lifestyle, but also his wrestling style and his elaborate body paint that he would break out for only his big matches.

Despite it being part of what made him unique, Balor was willing to do away with the paint if WWE had told him to do so.

To his surprise, however, WWE was very interested in keeping the paint and his in-ring style.

While Balor has captivated fans with his crisp and exciting matches, what also turns people's heads is his unique presentation. Instead of unveiling numerous designs as he did in the past, Balor sticks to one known as "the demon."

Balor's demon is more than just paint applied to his skin. It becomes his skin, as the naturally introverted Irishman feels more at home with the paint covering his body.

"The paint kind of helps me express myself better," he said. "I'm naturally a very shy, introverted, quiet person. I don't like to be the center of attention, which is funny being as though that I'm a wrestler.

"Once I put the paint on, it helps me kind of hide myself," he added. "I go from being Fergal to being Finn and I go from being just a guy from Bray to a wrestler. It helps me to flow creatively. I don't think about certain things and I kind of get lost in the moment. It helps me perform to the best of my abilities.

"To be honest, a lot of the designs I used in the past, I didn't really relate to on a personal level. I feel like this represents me. I feel comfortable in this skin."

One place Balor is always comfortable is in a wrestling ring. He has wrestled in numerous countries and against a plethora of opponents and styles, but stepping into the WWE was a different animal.

Wrestling for an American audience is much different from wrestling for a Japanese audience, and Balor had to learn that to succeed in the WWE.

Instead of resting on his laurels, Balor opened his mind and sat under the many learning trees afforded to him at the WWE Performance Center.

"I was wrestling 14 years before I came to NXT and you come to a point where you become kind of comfortable in the ring and comfortable with what you're doing," Balor said. "In my opinion, if you're not moving forward, you're moving backwards.

"I felt like I was at a point in my career where I was very comfortable with what I was doing and I wasn't moving forward," he added. "When I came here to NXT, all of the coaches kind of re-lit that fire in my belly and got me thinking about things differently, analyzing things differently, seeing things from different points of view, everything from the big picture to the small details.

"I would say that I've learned as much about myself in the last year than I did in the 14 years prior. The learning curve has just multiplied times 10. Every day I'm learning new things about myself personally, professionally and I'm having a great time. I feel like I'm 10 times the wrestler I was when I walked in the doors here a year ago."

Balor's improvement in the ring helped him reach the top of NXT back on July 4, when his career came full circle.

In the wee hours of the morning of our Independence Day here in the United States, Balor was back in Japan for the first time since leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling. However, he wasn't vying for another IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. On this night in Japan, he was going after the NXT championship.

In Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo — the same venue where he had his very last match for New Japan Pro Wrestling — Balor defeated Owens for the NXT championship.

In front of his friends, and in front of the fan base that watched him grow up, Balor had conquered the biggest accomplishment of his career to date.

"It was like something out of a story," he said. "It's a moment I haven't really had too much time to think about in the last six weeks since it's happened, but I'm sure that will be one of the most memorable moments of my career."

On that day, it was clear what a big difference a year indeed makes.

Bid on meeting Finn Balor for charity

Want to be painted as the demon like Finn Balor? Visit CharityBuzz.com to bid on that. The proceeds will go to the New York Police and Fire Windows' and Children's Benefit Fund. You could have your face painted by Balor, enjoy a taping of NXT, and have lunch with Balor himself.

Click HERE to learn more.