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Backstage Details on David Finlay's Decision to Sign With AEW Over WWE

Why did David Finlay choose to sign with AEW over WWE? Multiple outlets are reporting what they've heard on the situation.
Rick Ucchino|
The Dogs are All Elite
The Dogs are All Elite | AEW

All Elite President Tony Khan is continuing his hiring streak.

Former New Japan Pro Wrestling star David Finlay, the son of current WWE producer and former wrestler Fit Finlay, made his official AEW debut Wednesday night on Dynamite. After Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin defeated Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors in tag team action, Finlay emerged to attack both men with a shillelagh.

The two-time IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion had been one of the top names on the free agent market for the past several weeks. Multiple outlets had reported that Finlay was in contact recently with WWE, with BodySlam going as far to say that he had been brought up during creative department meetings.

Those conversations with WWE clearly did not end with Finlay signing a contract, this despite both his father and brother currently being employed by the company.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select is reporting that the deal David Finlay did sign with All Elite Wrestling just got across the finish line very recently.

"We're told that the David Finlay deal came together in the last week," Ross Sapp said in his report. "Finlay was looking to move on from New Japan Pro Wrestling and wanted to work in the United States."

Why did David Finlay choose to sign with AEW over WWE?

Following Finlay's debut, Tony Khan took to social media to announce that all three members of The Dogs (Finlay, Kidd and Connors) have officially signed with AEW. Sean Ross Sapp reported early last month that Clark Connors was closing in on an agreement.

As for why David Finlay decided not to sign with WWE, the folks over at BodySlam are reporting that it came down to the deal that he was being offered.

"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."

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. David Finlay in G1 Climax 35
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. David Finlay in G1 Climax 35 | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

David Finlay, who was trained in part by his father, spent over a decade in NJPW. He also had stops in TNA Wrestling and ROH, as well as a one off AEW appearance when he wrestled against "Hangman" Adam Page on the June 8, 2022 edition of Dynamite.

His brother, Brogan Finlay, wrestles as Uriah Connors in NXT. He's currently a member of Lexis King's legacy stable "Birthright", alongside Arianna Grace, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and Charlie Dempsey.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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