Finn Bálor recently shared a previously untold detail from his WWE SummerSlam 2016 Universal Championship match against Seth Rollins, revealing that despite suffering a significant shoulder injury mid-bout, Rollins was adamant about sticking to their pre-determined finish.

The SummerSlam 2016 encounter saw Bálor defeat Rollins to become the inaugural Universal Champion. However, Bálor was forced to relinquish the title the following night on Monday Night Raw due to the severe shoulder injury sustained during the match.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Bálor recalled the moment he realized the severity of his injury and communicated it to Rollins.

“No pain, but I knew there was a big issue, and it actually came out like three more times in the match, because any time I lifted my arm to hit the ropes, it came out,” Bálor said about his shoulder injury at SummerSlam 2016. “I remember I got whipped to the buckle one time, it came out. So I don’t know if I’ve ever told this story, and I’m not sure if I should, but I remember at one point in the match, so me and Seth (Rollins). I was very lucky to be in there with Seth when it happened, because Seth is an absolute pro, and we were able to communicate and I was able to tell him, ‘Hey, I’m hurt.’ So we were kind of calling the match on the fly and editing spots and changing spots and talking the whole time, so the match that we’d done wasn’t actually the match that we’d laid out.

Bálor further detailed his direct offer to Rollins to change the match's conclusion once he understood the extent of his injury.

I must give Seth credit, because there was a point, we were outside the ring and I was rolling him back into the ring, and I said, ‘Dude, I’m hurt. I don’t think I’m gonna be wrestling for a while. Do you want to switch to finish?’ And he said, ‘No, stick to the plan.’ I just rolled him back in, and we stuck to the plan. I often wonder what that would have done for my career if we had switched the finish.”

Rollins, a consummate professional, insisted on executing the agreed-upon plan, leading to Bálor's victory and subsequent title relinquishment. Bálor noted his respect for Rollins' professionalism in navigating the unexpected circumstances.

Seth Rollins will have another opportunity to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion when he challenges Roman Reigns at an upcoming SummerSlam event.