​Finn Balor has discussed one of the WWE dream matches that never materialized — The Demon versus Bray Wyatt’s Fiend — explaining that illness was the reason the planned 2017 clash fell through and describing it as one of the few wishes on his list that he never got to fulfill. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on the Insight Podcast, Balor recounted how close the match came to happening, noting that WWE had been lining up a Sister Abigail versus Demon bout for TLC 2017 before Wyatt was pulled from the card just days before the event.
Balor reflected on the near-miss, saying, “Yeah, I think that was certainly in the works, and something that I always think about and look back on and say, I’ve been very lucky to have had almost every match that I’ve ever wanted to have. But that’s one that I didn’t get to have, and we almost got Sister Abigail versus the Demon, and Wyndham had gotten sick a couple of days before we had to switch that match out at short notice.” With Wyatt unable to participate, WWE brought in AJ Styles from SmackDown to face Balor at TLC 2017, marking their first-ever matchup.
Balor spoke warmly about Styles and the opportunity to finally compete against a performer he had long admired. “AJ is someone who I’ve looked up to my whole career, someone who I’ve admired,” Balor said. “You can kind of look up to people, but not really relate to them. I’ve always looked up to John Cena as the pinnacle of being like a WWE superstar, but I don’t really relate to him in the sense that our journeys have been slightly different, and the way we work is different. But AJ, I feel like we’re very, very similar. I was just like a couple of years behind them, so I’ve always admired and aspired to be like. So getting to go in the ring with AJ that night was absolutely amazing.”
In retrospect, The Demon and The Fiend never shared a ring in WWE. Bray Wyatt’s passing in August 2023 effectively closed the door on any potential rematch between the two characters, ending a storyline both had hoped to revisit. Balor’s remarks underscore how close that dynamic came to fruition and the sense of what might have been had circumstances allowed it.