David Finlay, mantan pemimpin Bullet Club NJPW, telah menandatangani kesepakatan multi-tahun dengan All Elite Wrestling setelah menolak tawaran kontrak WWE NXT. Ia debut pada episode Dynamite 4 Maret 2026, bergabung dengan mantan rekan stable Gabe Kidd dan Clark Connors—yang kini berganti nama menjadi The Dogs—dalam menyerang Darby Allin dan Orange Cassidy. Presiden AEW Tony Khan mengonfirmasi ketiga penandatanganan tersebut di media sosial.
David Finlay, pegulat generasi keempat yang bergabung dengan NJPW pada 2015, meninggalkan promosi tersebut ketika kontraknya berakhir pada akhir Februari 2026 (dilaporkan menjadi agen bebas sekitar 16 Februari). Juara IWGP Global Heavyweight dua kali, ia juga memegang Gelar Tag Team IWGP bersama Juice Robinson, NEVER Openweight Title, dan NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles bersama Satoshi Kojima dan Ricochet. Finlay sebelumnya berkompetisi di TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor, dan tampil sekali di AEW pada 2022 melawan 'Hangman' Adam Page. “nSpeculation 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 dan Clark Connors, now operating as The Dogs in AEW. “nOn 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.
