The Jan. 29, 2026, edition of Monday Night RAW in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was extremely emotional for WWE Superstar Finn Bálor, who was born in Bray, Ireland.
Despite being a heel, Bálor addressed the crowd following his loss to World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, loudly chanting for him.
Eventually, he was able to speak. “You know what, it's true what they say — there is no place like home. Thank you very much, Belfast!”
There’s no place like home 🇮🇪 🫶@FinnBalor pic.twitter.com/El5s75u8gU
— WWE (@WWE) January 19, 2026
He then ran to one of the turnbuckles, jumping up and soaking in the crowd. This was the most well-received he has been by a crowd in a long time, and he was sure to take it in.
Finn Bálor's emotional homecoming during Belfast WWE RAW
The Jan. 19, 2026, edition of RAW emanated from SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This is only a couple of hours' drive from Bray.
So, the crowd was very pro-Bálor, even booing Punk, a beloved babyface. They were the main event of the show, with Bálor challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Despite a back-and-forth affair, Bálor was unable to beat Punk. It was close, as Bálor nearly put Punk away several times. Ultimately, the gritty Punk was able to hit a final GTS (Go To Sleep) on Bálor, pinning him for the three count.
Bálor has been on a quest for a world championship for nearly a decade. He became the inaugural Universal Champion after beating Seth Rollins at the 2016 SummerSlam event. However, an injury caused him to vacate the title the following night.
Since then, he has won tag team gold (several times with Damian Priest and JD McDonagh), but not a world championship. He has won the Intercontinental Championship twice and the United States Championship once. While in NXT, he was a two-time NXT Champion.
