Tonight’s NXT is chock full of big-time matches, but the most anticipated of the night is by far the matchup between Finn Balor and Imperium’s Fabian Aichner. Balor recently issued a challenge to current NXT UK Champion Walter, and if you pick a fight with one part of Imperium you pick a fight with all of them. That’s why Aichner is out to shut Balor down before things even get started on tonight’s NXT, and ComicBook.com had the chance to talk to the Pride of Italy all about the anticipated matchup, as well what inspired him to start wrestling in the first place and what it’s like only being the second Italian born superstar in WWE since the legend Bruno Sammartino. First though we had to talk about the battle against Balor, and for those who haven’t seen as much of Aichner in NXT UK, you’re in for a show, because he’s not wasting this golden opportunity.
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“To me every time I have a match like that … obviously with Finn being amongst the biggest names I’ve ever wrestled including that match we had with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens and the Street Profits in Manchester … I always think back over when I started wrestling because the guy who trained me, Alex Wright, he always told me ‘there’s only so many opportunities you’ll get in your career and you have to take advantage of them because they might not come again.’ And I look at that match tonight as exactly that. It’s one big opportunity for me to show what I can do in that squared circle against one of the biggest superstars in WWE right now, Finn Balor, and I’m definitely not going to let that opportunity just slip through my fingers. In order to get to Walter for Finn, he’s got to go to all of us and we’re not going to make it easy for him.”
Aichner is incredibly athletic, but he’s also got brute strength on his side. That said, if there is one area that Balor has an advantage, it’s his speed.
“Well, I think Finn’s advantage of me would probably be his quickness because I think I’ve got him in the power department and I think we’re pretty even as far as the wrestling goes,” Aichner said. “I’m sure he’s going to try to make that his advantage and I’ll look over some stuff because obviously I’ve been following his career ever since he started in NXT and went to Raw. Honestly, we all know his finishers and his signature. I’m prepared for the Sling Blade and everything, but I’m sure that … you know how the saying goes, you can’t teach experience. So Finn’s obviously been in the wrestling business a little bit longer than I have, but I’ll be prepared for whatever he throws at me.”
Aichner is part of the impressive stable Imperium, and he often fights alongside his tag team partner Marcel Barthel. Before that though he wrestled quite a bit solo, so there has been a bit of adjustment going from working on his own to a tag team to a four-man group.
“I think the reason why Imperium works so well is because it’s all natural fits,” Aichner said. “We all have the passion about the business that we love the most, which is pro wrestling. That’s why we stick together so well, though it was a little bit of an adjustment going from singles wrestling because that’s what I’ve done my whole life. I’ve been on random tag things here and there but to actually really form a tag team and take on a longer run like Marcel and I have right now, it had to be natural and it felt like that right from the beginning.”
As for Imperium, it was the perfect situation at the right time. “I honestly believe everything happens for a reason,” Aichner said. “At the time Walter came in, we went against UK. It just all fit naturally. I think that’s why Imperium is rocking and rolling the way we do right now. With the addition of Wolfe, made us even stronger. You break a branch easily but if you take a bunch of branches together you don’t break them as easily anymore. So I think, all in all, it just works perfectly within the group. I think we’re off to a great start and I think the sky’s the limit to our group.”
Typically the rest of Imperium would be by his side, but with the current state of things, that isn’t really possible. That said, Aichner’s not worried.
“Well, due to the circumstances given, usually I would say, “Yeah, absolutely.” We’re all like sticking together. That’s just how we are. We’re always traveling together and hanging out together. So I’m sure with normal circumstances the group and my buddies would be at ringside, but due to what’s going on in the world right now with this pandemic, WWE has tried to keep the smallest amount of people necessary in those closed facilities. So I’m thinking it’s just going to be me, but that’s fine. It’s just me versus Finn, nobody else, so no excuses, whatever happens, happens. It will make it better if I win, but I’ll bring my A-game, that’s for sure.”
Aichner is only the second Italian born WWE superstar, with the first being the legendary Bruno Sammartino. Aichner admits that those are big shoes to fill, but he is up for the challenge.
“Yeah. Absolutely. I was very well aware when I started in wrestling. Before I started training, I’d be told constantly, “Well, there’s never been a WWE superstar since Bruno Sammartino.” I was like, “You know, Arnold’s my big idol. Always has been my big idol growing up. And he always said to himself, “It’s always impossible until somebody does it.” That just always kind of gave me motivation, you know? And it’s kind of cool to be the very first in NXT right now, and obviously I’m very proud to be able to fill Bruno Sammartino’s shoes, which like you said, obviously legend among legends, crazy Hall of Famer, sold out the Madison Square Garden almost a hundred times. So it’s big shoes to fill. If it was easy, everybody would do it, you know? So I’m proud of where I am and motivated every day to get even further. And I think it’s far from over.”
Speaking of legends, there are two that come to mind when I asked him who his dream WrestleMania match would be against. “That’s a hard one,” Aichner said. “Well, I always have a hard time picking my all-time favorite. It’s like a tie between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. So given the current situation, I’ll take Marcel and I against Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels and I think we’d have a pretty good match going.”
You can see Aichner take on Balor tonight on NXT, which airs on USA Network at 7 pm CST.
Are you excited for the match tonight? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things NXT!
