David Finlay, the former New Japan star and leader of BC War Dogs, surprised fans by debuting in AEW on the March 4, 2026, Dynamite episode, and reuniting with Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd. This was especially unexpected, as it was thought that the son of wrestling legend Fit Finlay would be joining WWE. However, Bodyslam has now reported that Finlay rejected WWE’s offer because he was only offered a “lower level” NXT deal rather than a main roster contract, which opened the door for AEW to sign him.
“David Finlay was offered a contract with WWE to start with #WWENXT. It was a lower level contract and not a main roster level contract. As a result, he agreed to a deal with AEW within the last week.” – Bodyslam.net’s Cory Hays
32-year-old Finlay debuted in late 2012 and, after working on the indies, joined New Japan in 2015, where he rose to prominence. As part of Japan’s premier promotion, he captured titles including the NEVER Openweight Championship, IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, and the IWGP Tag Team Championship. In 2023, he took over as the fifth and final leader of the BC, heading the War Dogs subgroup until departing NJPW in early 2026.
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