David Finlay has officially joined All Elite Wrestling following a competitive bidding battle between the two biggest promotions in the industry. According to reports, many within wrestling circles believed Finlay was on his way to WWE, but AEW ultimately secured the 32 year old star by presenting the most lucrative offer.

Finlay wasted little time making an impact after arriving. During this week’s programming he appeared alongside Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors, with the trio launching a surprise attack on Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin. The moment served as a clear statement that Finlay and his allies had arrived and were ready to shake up the AEW landscape.

The move to the United States also came with personal motivations. Finlay recently welcomed a child and wanted to step away from the demanding international travel schedule associated with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Competing primarily in the United States provides a far more manageable calendar, allowing the second generation wrestler to spend more time at home with his growing family while still performing on a major stage.

Before making the decision to sign with AEW, WWE had reportedly explored bringing Finlay into its system with a significant role waiting for him in NXT. The idea pitched internally would have positioned Finlay as the leader of a new faction centered around second generation talents.

The proposed group would have included Lexis King, Stacks Lorenzo, Arianna Grace and Uriah Connors, who is actually Finlay’s younger brother Brogan Finlay. The faction was expected to be called “The Dogs,” inspired by Finlay’s NJPW stable, the War Dogs. While the opportunity to work alongside his brother and several legacy names was discussed, AEW’s financial offer ultimately proved too strong to decline.

Finlay had already begun wrapping up his time in Japan prior to the deal becoming official. After losing to Callum Newman at The New Beginning in Osaka, he addressed the crowd with a farewell message in the ring. He later completed his final independent appearance on February 27 in Trenton, New Jersey before making the jump to AEW.

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