David Finlay, former NJPW Bullet Club leader, has signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling after turning down a WWE NXT contract offer. He debuted on the March 4, 2026 episode of Dynamite, joining ex-stablemates Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors—rebranded as The Dogs—in attacking Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy. AEW President Tony Khan confirmed all three signings on social media.
David Finlay, a fourth-generation wrestler who joined NJPW in 2015, left the promotion when his contract expired at the end of February 2026 (reported free agency around Feb 16). A two-time IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, he also held the IWGP Tag Team Titles with Juice Robinson, NEVER Openweight Title, and NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles with Satoshi Kojima and Ricochet. Finlay had previously competed in TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and made a one-off AEW appearance in 2022 against 'Hangman' Adam Page.
Speculation swirled about WWE due to family ties—father Fit Finlay is a WWE producer, brother Brogan Finlay performs as Uriah Connors in NXT—but WWE's offer was for a lower-level NXT developmental deal without main roster guarantees. Finlay instead agreed to a multi-year AEW contract within the past week, per Fightful Select and BodySlam.net, to reunite with former Bullet Club War Dogs allies Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors, now operating as The Dogs in AEW.
On the March 4, 2026 episode of AEW Dynamite, Kidd and Connors lost to Allin and Cassidy. Post-match, Finlay debuted wielding his signature shillelagh to join the attack. AEW tweeted: "THAT’S @THEDAVIDFINLAY WITH THE SHILLELAGH!" Tony Khan confirmed on social media: "They made their presence known on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite tonight, and now it’s official: The Dogs @GabeKidd0115 @ClarkConnors @THEdavidfinlay are All Elite!" The trio brings immediate impact amid AEW-NJPW ties, though Finlay focuses on his U.S. chapter.
