Throughout the early 2000s, Finn Bálor, alongside Paul Tracey, played a pivotal role in shaping the future of Irish wrestling through Fight Factory Pro Wrestling. Among the standout talents they helped mold were Becky Lynch and JD McDonagh, both of whom would go on to become major WWE stars.
Two decades later, the seeds planted in that humble Irish wrestling school blossomed in spectacular fashion as Bálor and McDonagh captured the WWE World Tag Team Championships together on an episode of WWE Raw. For McDonagh, it was more than a title win — it was a dream come true.
“If you had to put a gun to my head when I was 14 years old and said, ‘What’s your ultimate fantasy dream in wrestling?’ I would have said, ‘Win the tag titles with Finn,’ honestly,” McDonagh reflected. “I looked up to him a lot because obviously, the age difference — he’s nine to ten years older than me. He’s lit the way for me in a lot of ways, showing me that it is possible.”
McDonagh spent much of his early career chasing the path Bálor carved before him — traveling the globe, from Japan to the U.S., before ultimately signing with WWE. That parallel journey eventually converged when the two became partners, culminating in a 175-day reign as WWE World Tag Team Champions.
Their title run included hard-fought defenses against formidable opponents such as The New Day and The War Raiders, solidifying their place as one of the most respected tag teams in WWE’s recent history.
“For it all to culminate with being his partner and lifting the tag team titles together, it was super hard for me,” McDonagh said. “If I talk about it for too long, I’ll get emotional. It was so, so fulfilling and such a full-circle moment.”
Unfortunately, McDonagh is currently sidelined due to broken ribs and a punctured lung, injuries sustained during a match earlier this year. Despite the setback, his focus remains on recovery and a return to the ring alongside his mentor-turned-partner.
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