David Finlay Reveals Why Choosing AEW Over WWE Family Reunion Was “Easy”

Posted by admin on March 12th, 2026

David Finlay has officially broken his silence regarding his high-profile move to All Elite Wrestling. Following his violent debut on the March 4 episode of Dynamite, Finlay sat down with Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone to explain why he chose Tony Khan’s promotion over a potential landing spot in WWE alongside his father and brother.

Finlay, who spent 11 years as a cornerstone of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, admitted that the physical toll of international travel played a major role in his departure from Japan. However, when it came down to choosing between the two biggest American promotions, the decision was driven by loyalty and professional success.

“Let’s see, I was in New Japan for 11 years, and every single year there were rumblings that I was going to leave,” Finlay said. “Finally, I got over doing a 14-hour flight four times a month and decided I wanted to leave Japan behind. Obviously, I’ve got family ties in another company, and I sat and thought about it. I was like, well, you know, I’ve never made a dime with my brother. I’ve never made a dime with my father. And I’ve made fat stacks of cash with these boys here. So the choice was easy.”

Reuniting The Dogs in AEW

By signing with AEW, Finlay has reunited with Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd. Now known collectively as The Dogs, the trio wasted no time making their presence felt by targeting AEW mainstays Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin. This past week in San Jose, Finlay made his Dynamite in-ring debut, teaming with Kidd in a physical tag team encounter against Cassidy and Allin.

The choice to join AEW is particularly notable given the current landscape in WWE’s developmental brand. Reports had previously suggested that WWE creative wanted Finlay to lead a new faction in NXT.

Bypassing the “Birthright” Storyline

Finlay’s move to AEW means he will not be joining his father, Fit Finlay, and his brother, Brogan Finlay (known in WWE as Uriah Connors). Both are currently featured prominently on NXT as part of the Birthright stable, which also includes stars like Lexis King and Arianna Grace.

While the opportunity to work with his family was on the table, David Finlay’s priority remained with the stablemates who helped him find championship success in Japan. With The Dogs now officially “All Elite,” they appear poised to become a dominant force in the AEW tag team and trios divisions.