"lt hurt not being involved" - Finn Balor on missing last year's Wrestlemania

Finn Balor does not want to miss Wrestlemania this year.

WWE superstar Finn Balor has spoken up missing the chance to perform at WrestleMania last year, noting that it was a painful experience.

Balor has been with WWE for over seven years at this point and has become a highly-seasoned and decorated superstar. He's won multiple championships in the promotion and has featured on several WrestleMania cards.

During a recent appearance on After The Bell, Finn Balor told host Corey Graves that despite being on the NXT roster last year, the competitor in him wished he could have performed on the Grandest Stage of Them All:

“Even though I wasn’t involved last year, I watched, and I’ll be honest, it hurt. I just had a killer match with Karrion Kross at NXT, and then the next day, I’m sitting at home on the couch watching Wrestlemania. I wasn’t part of the brand, so I shouldn’t have been on the show. But it’s still the competitor in me or the person that wants to prove something.” (H/T WrestlingNews)

All roads lead to REDEMPTION and #NXTTakeOver for #NXTChampion @FinnBalor & @WWEKarrionKross. ❌

The two collide in the co-main event of Thursday, Night 2 #NXTTakeOver: Stand & Deliver, streaming on @peacockTV in the U.S. and @WWENetwork everywhere else. #WWENXT @Lady_Scarlett13 https://t.co/l7ixNUQi6b

Finn later added that he desperately wants to be on the card for this year's WrestleMania in Dallas:

“lt hurt not being involved because if there’s a wrestling show on and there’s people at it, there’s a ring set up, and everyone’s watching on TV, I want to be on that show. I don’t care. It definitely did hurt last year not being involved. So yeah, I’m super excited. I want to be involved. I want to be on WrestleMania whether it’s the first night, second night, or Axxess. I don’t care. I want to be on there.” (H/T WrestlingNews)

Balor will obviously be motivated to secure his place on this year's Show of Shows. As the current WWE United States Champion, the Irishman's destiny is in his own hands.

Finn Balor defeated Bobby Lashley at Wrestlemania

One of Balor's biggest WrestleMania moments came in 2019, when Finn faced off against the dominant force that was Bobby Lashley.

Donning body paint as his alter ego 'The Demon', Finn was able to tap into his darker side to defeat the two-time WWE Champion with relative ease.

Oh, you thought #TheDemon @FinnBalor couldn't out-power @fightbobby? 😈 #WrestleMania https://t.co/xoSluBkeQU

Regardless of whether the paint comes out this year, Finn Balor will certainly look to create another WrestleMania moment in Dallas.