The Dogs Reveal Pitch For NSFW Original AEW Team Name

David Finlay And Clark Connors Reveal Pitch For NSFW Original AEW Team Name

David Finlay and Clark Connors almost arrived in All Elite Wrestling under a very different tag team moniker before ultimately settling on “The Dogs.”

Speaking on the What Happened When podcast alongside AEW announcer Tony Schiavone, the former Bullet Club War Dogs members reflected on their transition from New Japan Pro-Wrestling to AEW. Looking back on his time leading NJPW’s top villainous faction, Finlay joked about taking over as the fifth leader in Bullet Club history:

War Dogs. We were War Dogs. War Dogs… Yeah. Too many. Too many. I was the, like, the fifth leader, which is like four too many. So, you know, but the merch was good. So, we were like, ‘Yeah, let’s run with it.’

Finlay described their strategy as maximizing the established brand before making a clean break:

You know, we kind of did a hostile takeover. Cashed out.

Upon making their official move to AEW, Finlay and Connors revealed that “The Dogs” was actually a backup choice after their initial pitch ran into an obvious corporate hurdle:

Well, when we came over here, we just became The Dogs, but we really wanted to pitch the name Raw Dogs. But I think there’s an issue with that whole Monday Night thing.

The obvious conflict was WWE’s flagship broadcast, Monday Night Raw. While trademark and branding concerns prevented the name from reaching AEW television, Finlay admitted they were fond of the original concept:

But it sounds cool because we’re raw f***** dogs, you know?*

Despite having to pivot, both wrestlers embraced “The Dogs” as a clean, impactful alternative that hasn’t been overused in professional wrestling:

But The Dogs also is a sick name. It’s just no one’s ever done it before. No one’s been The Dogs.

Schiavone supported the moniker, noting that regular exposure on AEW programming will solidify the group’s identity with fans over time:

Yeah. You know, I mean, the more you say it, the more you use it, the more everybody gets used to it, and the more it becomes part of the vernacular of AEW.

Connors agreed with the veteran broadcaster’s sentiment as the duo continues to establish themselves across the AEW roster.