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Transcript
00:00🎵
00:27And his opponent from New York City, weighing in at 249 pounds, Damian Preece!
00:40Damian Preece, the former World Heavyweight Champion,
00:44cast in at Money in the Bank to win the title, held it all the way to SummerSlam.
00:48Where on that night when he took on Gunther Finn Balor,
00:52his buddy from the Judgment Day betrayed him,
00:55and stabbed him in the back, costing the title.
00:58In this business, as in life, vengeance can be a great motivator.
01:02Damian Preece just needs to control his rage in this one,
01:06focus all of it on the head of Finn Balor.
01:08The stars are out. I am so excited.
01:10Some of my favorite stars are here, including that man,
01:13Quavo, the multi-platinum Atlanta rapper, songwriter, and frontman of Migos.
01:18Also here tonight, as Damian Preece gets set to take on Finn Balor,
01:23come a little baby, Diamond Certified Grammy Award winning rapper
01:27from Atlanta, Georgia is here.
01:30Somewhere.
01:31What did you do, just invite your playlist, Cole?
01:33I did. There he is. Little Baby's here.
01:36My guy. And that's not it.
01:39You two finally made it in after staking out for months outside of Atlanta with Cody Graves.
01:44Well, I'm Cody Graves. I'm Corey Graves. You mean Cody Rose.
01:47I don't know who you're talking about, though.
01:49I'm so excited, because I got to meet Metro Boomin earlier today.
01:52The three-time Grammy nominated record producer and songwriter,
01:55based right here in Atlanta, Georgia.
01:57Pictures, autographs, even a signed little CD.
02:00A CD?
02:01Yes, old school, baby.
02:03Cole, I have never known you to be so excited at ringside.
02:06You're just throwing your professionalism out the window for the hip-hop game.
02:09Well, let's get back to being pros as we get Balor and Preece one-on-one.
02:14This is going to be excellent.
02:15This is going to be a showdown between two superstars who are extremely familiar with one another.
02:20And Damian Preece absolutely detests everything about Finn Balor.
02:27Finn Balor told Preece, the more I helped you, the more you brought me down.
02:33Listen, this is an opportunity for Finn Balor to use everything he knows about Damian Preece against Damian Preece.
02:44Balor turned a little disrespect off at the opening bell.
02:47Oh, my goodness!
02:50Preece answering disrespect with thunder.
02:53My God, what a right.
02:57And this right now looks like exactly what Damian Preece had hoped for.
03:02An opportunity to release all of his vitriol on Finn Balor, a man who betrayed him.
03:12Damian Preece just looking to dominate Finn Balor.
03:16One half of the Terror Twins.
03:18Oh, face first goes Balor Ripley.
03:21Action coming up next against Liv Morgan.
03:23This could be the beginning of an extremely successful night for both Terror Twins.
03:30Triple H, who we will see in a matter of moments.
03:32A historic announcement planned tonight.
03:34Tweeted out just a few moments ago that the tone for the night has been set more than classic, sir.
03:41I cannot wait, but it has been a hell of a night so far.
03:44Preece just launched Balor's spine first into the turnbuckle.
03:47And look how methodical Damian Preece is being right now.
03:49This is smart.
03:50Preece doesn't want to get ahead of himself because Balor does have the speed advantage.
03:54And look at these precise Kiwata-style kicks from Finn Balor.
04:02And now just wrenching Preece head and neck across the top rope.
04:07Underhanded tactics, sure, but extremely effective from Balor.
04:11Extremely effective from Balor.
04:13Oh my goodness.
04:19And Finn Balor is going to need to figure out quickly a way to mitigate the power of Damian Preece.
04:27Angered, Preece tossed him his first world championship.
04:30And now Balor though.
04:31Sling blade.
04:32Right in front of the table.
04:34And just like that, Balor, the first ever universal champion, has turned things around.
04:40Balor now taking a moment to compose himself, rolling back inside of the ring.
04:45At this point, a win for Finn Balor tonight would be bragging rights.
04:48And we may never hear the end of it.
04:51The usurper of the Judgment Day, standing tall at the end of the night.
04:55And that would eat at Damian Preece.
04:57It would tear Preece apart from the inside out.
05:06And Balor now.
05:08This is what I was talking about when it comes to the precision possessed by Finn Balor.
05:14A world-traveled superstar, a student of the game.
05:17Over and over and over, relentless stomps from Finn Balor.
05:27They used the word cathartic earlier tonight, I believe, in the Hell in a Cell match, Corey.
05:30And that's got to be what this would feel like for Balor to finally beat Preece here tonight.
05:35No doubt.
05:36Preece now overpowering Balor, who is escaping out the back.
05:39And now Sleeper, locked in by Finn, on Preece.
05:43Slips the...
05:44Only momentarily.
05:45Oh, went to the eyes.
05:47Right to the eyes.
05:48Great job of not allowing the official to see it now.
05:52Pounding away with the elbow is Balor.
05:55Those are the tricks of the trade you learn while traveling the globe.
05:58Finn Balor picked up things in Japan, picked up things in Europe.
06:02You obscure the referee's vision with your own body.
06:05You bend the rules.
06:06You know, Corey, this was similar, the situation between Balor and Preece.
06:11It felt like for months and months.
06:13Because, remember, there were moments when Balor believed he was going to close in on a world championship.
06:19And Preece came out looking like he was going to cash in.
06:21And a number of times it may have cost Balor the title.
06:24And Balor never forgot those moments.
06:26Listen, in my opinion, Finn Balor has never been the same superstar since becoming the first universal champion and having to relinquish it due to injury.
06:34Finn Balor has never mentally been the same human.
06:37And now Balor.
06:38Oh, my God!
06:39Holy cow!
06:40He may have broken his jaw.
06:42I think Preece might have broken his hand.
06:45God dang!
06:47Preece!
06:48I thought I saw teeth flying.
06:49I think you're right.
06:52That was incredible!
06:55A great counter by Finn Balor into the side Russian leg sweep.
06:58Now goes Preece.
06:59Yeah, folks, under the cover now.
07:00Hook of the leg and a kick out by Preece.
07:02How the hell is balance still functioning?
07:07Oh, my goodness!
07:09Sounded like the pyro that goes out during entrances.
07:11My goodness!
07:13What a right by Preece.
07:16Balor able to weather the storm and power through.
07:24An incredible night already in Atlanta tonight.
07:26We're sold out.
07:27Nearly 17,000 at the State Farm Arena.
07:32Preece and Balor doing battle.
07:34Abdominal stretch now by Finn Balor to Preece.
07:37And I think we've reached the point in the matchup where Finn Balor could sort of sink into his game plan.
07:41We've noticed the last few attacks have been focused on the ribs, on the core of Damian Preece.
07:45Now the abdominal stretch with the elbows added.
07:48This is gonna mitigate a lot of the power possessed by Damian Preece.
07:51Indeed.
07:52His whole game is based around power for Preece.
07:54Balor knows that.
07:56Balor's just such a tactician.
07:59He is a tactician.
08:00And a technical mastermind.
08:02If I'm Finn Balor, I'm actually a little surprised that Balor hasn't gone to the legs of Preece just yet.
08:06Because that seems like the obvious answer.
08:08But perhaps Balor's thinking chest, not checkers.
08:11Well, Preece trying to fire up now.
08:13Balor back to his feet.
08:14Block now.
08:15And Damian Preece unloaded.
08:17Balor using the ropes for momentum.
08:19Doesn't matter.
08:21Knife edge chop from Finn.
08:24Another right!
08:25And another one!
08:28It's like a heavyweight boxing match here tonight.
08:31Bang!
08:32Right on the nose!
08:33Down goes Balor!
08:43Out of the corner.
08:45And now it's Preece just having his way.
08:49You can never count Balor out.
08:51Superstar so sudden, so capable.
08:55Uh-oh.
08:56Preece able to turn it around!
08:58Into a broken arrow!
08:59Preece now!
09:00Cover for the win!
09:01Can he put Balor away?
09:03And a kick out!
09:07Take another look at this fantastic reversal from Damian Preece into the broken arrow.
09:12Balor landing in rough manner on the side of his hip.
09:17But still not enough to finish this one for Preece.
09:27Fans looking to rally Preece.
09:29Balor now, off the ropes.
09:31Oh, and a sling blade in the middle of the ring!
09:35And now lining up Preece.
09:40Oh!
09:42And again!
09:43The martial arts expert, the kickboxer, Damian Preece.
09:46But a clothesline takes down Balor.
09:49Hooks the leg.
09:51And it's time Balor to go.
09:53Hooks the leg.
09:55And it's time Balor able to kick out.
09:58Has this been as physical as you expected?
10:00Yes, it sure has.
10:02Mostly on the part of Damian Preece as we look again at that epic lariat delivered right across the chest and collarbones of Finn Balor.
10:10Preece has brought the physicality I expected.
10:14Again, Finn Balor I expected to see a different strategy, but Finn has had his moments in this one.
10:19These men first met back at NXT TakeOver In Your House in 2020.
10:26Balor also beat Damian Preece for the United States Championship a couple of years ago, boxing the ears of Balor.
10:35Well-educated feet of Preece, colliding with the chest of Balor.
10:39And Balor caught him with a kick to the face!
10:43An overhead kick by Finn Balor takes down Preece, both men down center of the ring.
10:50Preece missed wildly with a kick, and Balor answered with the overhead soccer-style kick.
11:03The intensity etched on the face of the veteran, Finn Balor.
11:10Incredible night tonight. This is the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
11:14So many great WWE events here over the years.
11:18Double leg by Finn! Bang! Stomped right to the chest.
11:24And again!
11:26And now Balor has taken over.
11:28This is a little bit more along the lines of what I expected from Finn, trying to chop Damian down.
11:33But Preece again puts the brakes on, hoisting Balor way up high!
11:37And a gut wrench by Preece into a Razor's Edge!
11:40Panama's to his hero, Razor Ramon, hook to the leg!
11:45Kick out!
11:48Talk about a man who made a name here in Atlanta.
11:55Preece now taking a moment to survey the situation.
11:58This is the type of education you really only get when you're in a world title picture.
12:03That is invaluable experience, even if you don't hold the championship.
12:06Preece was at the top of the mountain long enough to know what it takes to win.
12:10What it takes to survive in the deep waters.
12:13What we're seeing right now is the education of Damian Preece playing a factor.
12:16Well, the veteran Finn Balor also rolling out of the ring and getting out of harm's way at least momentarily.
12:22And now Balor!
12:24And there goes Finn Balor! Right into us in ringside!
12:27Preece sends Balor flying!
12:29And now Damian Preece tearing apart the announce tape!
12:33Right over there, Cole.
12:40Preece just launched Balor.
12:42Oh, no. Oh, no!
12:43Oh, look out now!
12:46See Preece trying to make a decision.
12:49Right out of the apron goes Balor!
12:55That was smart by Preece.
12:56He had the option of our table or the ring apron.
12:59And Damian Preece realized, I could get myself disqualified.
13:02If the official doesn't feel like showing me leniency, this could cost me the match and a lot of money.
13:06And that was quick as a cat.
13:09Well, you're undefeated at Mania, Cole.
13:11In this town. Atlanta. Georgia Dome.
13:13Damian Preece now.
13:14Oh, look who's here!
13:16You wondered when this was gonna happen!
13:18Carlito and the Judgment Day!
13:21And there's JD McDonough, Balor's tag team partner!
13:25Into the corner goes Preece!
13:27And Balor's gonna steal the damn match because of McDonough!
13:30And Carlito!
13:33Coup de Grace by Balor!
13:36Cover by Finn on Preece!
13:39Preece got the shoulder up!
13:43You can see almost confusion in the eyes of Finn Balor.
13:46That was a surefire victory as it gets.
13:50The assist from McDonough on the outside.
13:53Balor delivers the Coup de Grace.
13:55And somehow, someway, driven by rage, driven by fear,
14:00driven by rage, driven by fury,
14:02Damian Preece will not relent.
14:04Now Balor giving directions to McDonough.
14:07Remember, they are the current tag team champions on Monday Night Raw,
14:10the world tag team champs.
14:12Now Carlito again, with the distraction.
14:14Balor! Steal chair from McDonough!
14:16Preece with a kick to the chair off the face!
14:19Carlito goes down!
14:22McDonough goes flying!
14:26Finn Balor going for a ride!
14:29Oh, Balor turns it around!
14:32And a kick out by Damian Preece.
14:34Up goes Balor!
14:37Balor! Oh my goodness!
14:39Preece in trouble! Great counter by Finn!
14:42Balor scrambling to the top turnbuckle yet again!
14:46Oh, right to the back of Preece!
14:52Balor going up again!
14:54Finn wants insurance.
14:57Again to Preece!
14:59Preece could barely stand.
15:01I actually don't know if Balor got maximum effect on this thought,
15:04because Preece legs gave out, his legs buckled.
15:07Balor up to the top rope again.
15:09Preece caught him! Preece caught him!
15:11Shot in the head!
15:14Can Preece capitalize?
15:16Rolls into the cover!
15:18Damian Preece with the win!