David Finlay’s move to AEW might not have happened the way many people thought. A new backstage claim says the former NJPW star actually wanted to sign with WWE before eventually ending up in Tony Khan’s company.
The report came during Self Made Pro’s Self Made Session while the panel was talking about the current state of Judgment Day. As the conversation turned to whether WWE had missed opportunities to refresh the faction, Finlay’s name suddenly came up. That’s when Self Made Pro revealed WWE had the chance to sign Finlay—but passed.
“Those of you who have been following me for a long time know that I’ve always been a proponent of the Judgment Day. You know what’s funny? You know what would have saved them? If they signed David Finlay, but they opted not to. They literally opted not to. David Finlay was like, ‘Sign me. Please sign me. I want to come work for you.’ And they were like, ‘No.’”
He also argued that Finlay—or even Buddy Matthews—could have given Judgment Day the fresh direction it needed after losing several key members.
“If they would have been able to get, like, a refresh from a Buddy Matthews or a Finlay, that would have bought the group another year, but they didn’t get that.”
Those comments stand out because Finlay publicly described his move to AEW very differently earlier this year. Speaking with The Wrestling Classic shortly after signing with AEW, Finlay admitted choosing Tony Khan’s company was an easy call. Despite having family ties to WWE through his father Dave Finlay and brother Brogan Finlay, he said that wasn’t what ultimately mattered.
“Yeah, that was easy. Obviously I’ve got family ties in another company, but when it came down to it, I’ve never made a single dime with my brother and I’ve never made a single dime with my dad. Meanwhile, I’ve almost paid off a house working with Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors. So money talks. It was a very easy decision.”
The former Bullet Club War Dogs leader made his AEW debut on the March 4 episode of Dynamite, attacking Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy before joining Kidd and Connors in The Dogs, a faction later confirmed by AEW President Tony Khan.
If this report is accurate, Finlay’s path to AEW may have started with WWE rather than Tony Khan. By the time he publicly explained why AEW was the easy choice, WWE had already decided it wasn’t bringing him in.
What do you make of Self Made Pro’s claim that WWE turned down David Finlay before he signed with AEW? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
