Jordan Devlin, better known as JD McDonagh by his fans, is a professional wrestler by profession. Born on March 15, 1990, in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, he adds to the long list of WWE stars who have their roots in the same country.
JD McDonagh took his first step forward in the pro wrestling industry at a very young age. The 33-year-old star is a product of Paul Tracey and former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor. These two trained a young McDonagh and turned him into a star capable of stepping up in a wrestling promotion.
JD McDonagh’s career took off when he won the Zero1 International Lightweight Tag Team Championship at the age of 21. Over the next few years, he worked in various promotions, including Over the Top Wrestling and TNT Extreme Wrestling, and won multiple championships. A major milestone came his way in 2016 and he got an opportunity to perform for NXT UK.
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Over the next seven years, he continued to work for NXT, feuding with stars such as Ilja Dragunov and Santos Escobar. In 2023, he was brought to WWE’s main roster, where he aligned himself with his mentor Finn Balor and thus The Judgment Day.
How are Finn Balor and JD McDonagh related?
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh have known each other for over 20 years. The two first got acquainted during JD’s early years. Balor became one of the first trainers under whom McDonagh learned the basics of wrestling.
The two stars also hail from Ireland. This makes many fans wonder if the two fall into the same family. While there is a possibility of the two being blood related, no such claim has been made to date by either of them. While Balor has a soft corner for his student, the other members of The Judgment Day do not seem to like him.
Does JD McDonagh have a bright future in WWE?
In his professional career until now, JD McDonagh has gathered a lot of praise from fans and his co-stars. He has proven himself over the years by winning multiple championships. JD also holds the record for the longest reigning WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
WWE legends such as Booker T and Shawn Michaels have praised McDonagh for his performance. “I always thought this dude’s next-level. He’s a star, he really is,” said Booker T on the Hall Of Fame podcast. For sure, JD McDonagh still has a long way to go in WWE.