David Finlay has opened up about choosing AEW over WWE, revealing that the opportunity to continue on his own terms helped outweigh his family connections.

Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Finlay explained that WWE showed interest but wanted him to begin in NXT. After spending more than a decade establishing himself in NJPW, he felt that move would mean taking a step back.

AEW offered an appealing combination of pay, schedule, creative freedom and familiar faces. Finlay arrived on the March 4, 2026, episode of Dynamite alongside longtime NJPW stablemates Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd.

Although joining WWE would have brought him closer to his father, Fit Finlay, and his brother in NXT, the former Bullet Club War Dogs leader wanted to keep building on the work he had already done.

“Just overall package of, obviously, pay and schedule, but just like, all my friends are in AEW. My brother and dad are in NXT, cool… it would have been cool, but it’s like, ‘No, I want to go keep doing what I’m doing, have the freedom to do what I want to do. If I can be with my friends, that’s a great bonus,'” Finlay said.

Finlay also spoke candidly about how difficult he would have found adjusting to WWE’s expectations at this stage of his career.

“I think I would have struggled with re-humbling myself to the level that they would have wanted me to humble myself to. It’s like, ‘I’ve already been here. I’ve already proven myself,’” he added.

His father has spent years working for WWE as a trainer and producer, giving Finlay a strong connection to the company. Ultimately, though, the chance to maintain his freedom and work alongside friends made AEW the more attractive option.

Do you think David Finlay made the right decision by choosing AEW? Share your thoughts in the comments.