Report: Why David Finlay Chose AEW Over WWE

The March 4 edition of AEW Dynamite saw David Finlay arrive in the company, aligning with old War Dogs allies Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors.

All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan later revealed that all three men - now collectively known as just ‘The Dogs’ - are officially ‘all elite’, with many previously assuming that Finlay to WWE was something of a certainty.

Reports in late February stated that whilst Finlay’s name had been brought up in WWE there were apparently no creative plans for him, and a new report from Cory Hays of bodyslam.net states that Finlay was offered a ‘lower level contract’ by WWE, which Finlay refused.

The report notes that Finlay was only offered an NXT contract and not a WWE main roster contract, and that the deal Finlay inked with AEW was finalised within the last week.

Finlay’s father Fit Finlay is a long-time trainer in WWE, whilst his brother Uriah Connors is currently part of NXT.

David Finlay departed New Japan Pro-Wrestling in February 2026 after more than a decade with the legendary promotion. In NJPW, Finlay enjoyed two reigns as IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, one reign with the NEVER Openweight Title, and was the 2025 New Japan Cup winner.