David Finlay has officially arrived in AEW, making a violent statement on the March 4 episode of Dynamite. Following a tag team match where Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin defeated Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd, Finlay appeared and leveled the winners with his signature shillelagh. Connors and Kidd joined in on the attack, solidifying the trio as a new dominant force in the company.
Shortly after the segment, AEW President Tony Khan confirmed on social media that Finlay, Connors, and Kidd have all officially signed with the promotion. The group will be known as “The Dogs,” a name previously established by Connors and Kidd in AEW as a nod to their history in the Bullet Club War Dogs.
According to Fightful Select, the deal for the former IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion came together very quickly. “David Finlay’s AEW deal came together in the last week,” the report stated, noting that Finlay was determined to move on from New Japan Pro-Wrestling to work full-time in the United States.
While Finlay is now “All Elite,” he reportedly had options elsewhere. Bodyslam also reports that WWE made a strong play for the fourth-generation wrestler after his NJPW contract expired in February. However, the two sides could not agree on where he would start his tenure.
“WWE sources indicated to Bodyslam that Finlay was offered a deal to begin in NXT and they wouldn’t budge on their offer. As a result, Finlay ended up picking AEW and going with Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors,” the outlet revealed.
Despite having deep family ties to WWE—his father, Fit Finlay, and his brother, Brogan Finlay, are both currently with the company—David chose the path that allowed him to remain alongside his longtime stablemates on the main roster. With The Dogs now officially signed and united, the AEW locker room has a dangerous new problem to solve.
David Finlay Makes AEW Debut
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