Finn Balor recently sat down with Sports Illustrated to discuss his rival Roman Reigns, and Balor actually paid a fair bit of respect to The Head of the Table.

“The world was talking s**t about Roman and his abilities and his performances. From the first moment we locked up, I knew he was something special. He was operating on a different level that people didn’t quite fully understand. Now people are learning he is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Roman’s proven that over and again, and the masses have accepted and acknowledged that ability and growth. His presence is just unimaginable right now.”

“I wasn’t born into this business. I’m not from a wrestling family, I’m from a family of railroad workers. I had to work for everything, not only in this business, but in life.”

“I’m 5′ 11″ in a big man’s industry. Before I got to WWE, you wouldn’t believe how often I got told, ‘You’re not what they’re looking for.’ I’m proving those people wrong. Everything that’s been said about me, I’ve heard it. ‘He’s too small.’ ‘He can’t cut a promo.’ ‘He always gets hurt.’ Yet, 21 years later, I’m still here. I’m still in the main event; I’m still in the title picture. And I still have something to prove.”