Given how they now both work for the same company, it’s easy to forget that it was Finn Balor who helped to train Becky Lynch when she was first getting started in pro wrestling.

That was in 2002. Before Bullet Club, before ‘The Demon,’ and before Becky Lynch became ‘The Man’ in WWE.

Speaking with Sam Roberts on his podcast, Notsam Wrestling Podcast, Finn Balor recalls training a young Lynch as well as a number of other topics, including his forthcoming match against Drew McIntyre at WWE’s TLC event, his time at NXT, and the potential of moving to SmackDown.

A key takeaway from their conversation revolved around Becky’s belief in herself and her abilities. Reflecting on her recent rise to superstardom, Balor commented that everybody believed in her when she first started out. Everyone except herself.

“Can I believe that this is happening? Yes,” Balor said with resolute confidence. “I’ve always believed that Becky had that in her, I just don’t know that she believed it. Maybe in the last couple months, she’s started to get that self-confidence. I think everybody believed in her except herself. Finally, she got that self-confidence, and she’s been rockin’, man. It’s unbelievable to watch, and I think it’s only going to get bigger.”

“She is on fire right now,” he continued, “and she’s been around almost as long as me. She’s been around 15-16 years or something, so she knows exactly what she’s doing in the ring. She’s comfortable, her promos are on fire, and she’s killing. Long may it continue.”