Changes: David Finlay

Revision as of 04:13, 23 July 2020

David Stephen Finlay III (16 May 1993) is a German professional wrestler known simply as David Finlay. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). David is the son of former WCW/WWE superstar Fit Finlay. Finlay is a former one-time co-holder of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima.

Early life

Finlay participated in wrestling, judo, football, and table tennis.

Professional wrestling career

Early years (2012–2014)

Finlay trained under the direction of his father Fit Finlay. He debuted on 22 December 2012 in European Wrestling Promotion where he and his father won a Tag Team Irish Street Fight against Dan Collins & Robbie Brookside at EWP Christmas Wrestling 2012. Finlay wrestled his first singles match at this same event, defeating Big Van Walter by disqualification. The following year on 5 December 2013, Finlay traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where he wrestled in the Africa Wrestling Alliance in a Four Way Elimination match for the AWA Cruiserweight Championship successfully retained by Vinnie Vegas.

During the course of 2014, Finlay wrestled throughout numerous promotions across the world, in the states and in Europe. On 10 October, Finlay won his first championship when he debuted in Power Of Wrestling during the first night of its POW Catch Weltcup Tour. During the opening night, Finlay defeated Scotty Saxon and Veit Müller to win the vacant POW Junior Championship. On the second night held on 11 October, Finlay defeated Scotty Saxon in a non-title singles match. Finlay vacated the title on 20 August 2015. During 2014, Finlay wrestled matches in Universal Independent Wrestling, Southern Fried Championship Wrestling, Superstars Of Wrestling, Fighting Spirit Wrestling and Sports Entertainment Wrestling.

During January and February 2015, Finlay wrestled in New York in matches for Fighting Spirit Wrestling and the New York Wrestling Connection.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2015–present)

Finlay made his NJPW debut on 22 May 2015, during the first night of the Best Of The Super Junior XXII Tournament. He lost to former TNA star Alex Shelley. He continued his first year in NJPW, wrestling numerous tag team matches throughout the course of the year. The following year in 2016, Finlay won his second championship in his career on 25 September. He won the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship with teammates Ricochet & Satoshi Kojima by defeating BULLET CLUB members Adam Cole, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson. On 12 November at the NJPW Charity Pro-Wrestling On The Mat event, Finlay had the rare opportunity to challenge reigning champion Bobby Fish for the ROH World Television title, but did not succeed in winning the championship. During the course of 2017, Finlay wrestled extensively in tag matches against team War Machine and members of team-stables Los Ingobernables de Japon and the BULLET CLUB.

The following year in 2018, Finlay continued wrestling in tag team matches, and challenged for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship at least once. With Juice Robinson, he also competed in the 2018 World Tag League. They also competed in numerous matches against teams Killer Elite Squad, Suzuki-gun, Los Ingobernables de Japon and BULLET CLUB.

On 4 January 2019, Finlay returned for Wrestle Kingdom 13, where he teamed with Jeff Cobb & Yuji Nagata in a Tag Team Gauntlet match for the No. 1 Contendership to the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles, but did not succeed in becoming the new No. 1 Contenders. The following night on 5 January at New Year Dash !!, Finlay & Juice Robinson defeated team Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T). Much later in the month on 30 January at The New Beginning in USA, Finlay won his first singles match of the year, defeating Chuckie T in a No Disqualification Match. During the second night on 1 February, Finlay and Tracy Williams represented team Lifeblood in defeating CHAOS (Chuckie T & Rocky Romero) in a tag match.

Ring Of Honor (2016–present)

On 20 February, Finlay made his ROH debut during the second night of ROH/NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2016 in a singles match won by Jay White. The following year, Finlay returned for the first night of the 2017 ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan event, teaming with Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA in a tag match, defeating the World Class Tag Team (Gedo & Jado) and Silas Young. On the second night, Finlay and KUSHIDA lost a tag match to Jado and Silas Young. The following year, Finlay returned on 23 February for the first night of the 2018 ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan event, during which he and Juice Robinson in a tag match lost to Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson). On the second night, Finlay teamed with Jay Lethal & Juice Robinson in defeating members of the BULLET CLUB, Chase Owens, Hikuleo & Yujiro Takahashi.

Finlay returned the following year during the 12 January 2019 ROH TV-Tapings, during which he wrestled his first ROH singles match, losing to Tracy Williams.

Team Lifeblood (2019–present)

The following night on 13 January at the 2019 Honor Reigns Supreme event Finlay joined Juice Robinson's newly-formed team known as Lifeblood. They represented their team winning a tag match defeating team Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T). They returned on 24 January during the first day of the 2019 Road To G1 Supercard. There, Finlay and Robinson competed in the opening rounds of the 2019 Tag Wars, advancing after eliminating Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks. During the second day, team Lifeblood was presented in full-force, introducing additional members Bandido, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams. Together, they defeated Bully Ray, Shane Taylor, Silas Young & The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) in a massive ten-man tag match. During the third day of the Supercard Tour, Finlay and Juice Robinson as team Lifeblood advanced in the Tag Wars after winning a three-way semifinal match, eliminating teams Coast 2 Coast (LSG & Shaheem Ali) and Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham. At the Tag Wars finals, team Lifeblood was defeated by team Villain Enterprises (Brody King & PCO).

Personal life

Finlay is a fourth-generation professional wrestler. He is the son of David Edward Finlay, Jr. who wrestled under the ring names Fit Finlay and simply Finlay. Finlay is the grandson of David Finlay Sr. and the nephew of William Finlay and Wendy Finlay.

In wrestling

Finishers
- Prima Nocta (Jumping stunner) - 2017-present
- Corner springboard stunner - 2019-present
- Trash Panda (Suplex shoulderbreaker) - 2018-present

Signature moves
- Air Raid Crash
- Diving European Uppercut
- Scarf Hold
- Granby Roll
- Kamikaze
- German Suplex Hold
- Lumbar check (Back suplex lift backstabber)
- STO Backbreaker

Nicknames
- "Celtic Prince"

Tag Teams and Stables
- FinJuice with Juice Robinson
- Lifeblood

Entrance themes
- ”SAMURAI ROCK” by Yonosuke Kitamura

Championships and accomplishments

New Japan Pro Wrestling
- NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ricochet & Satoshi Kojima
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Juice Robinson

Power Of Wrestling
- POW Junior Championship (1 time)

External links

NJPW Roster

Alex Coughlin • Bad Luck Fale • BUSHI • Chase Owens • Clark Connors • David Finlay • El Desperado • El Phantasmo • EVIL • Fred Rosser • Gedo • HIKULEO • Hirai Kawato • Hiromu Takahashi • Hirooki Goto • Hiroshi Tanahashi • Hiroyoshi Tenzan • Jado • Juice Robinson • KUSHIDA • Minoru Suzuki • Ren Narita • Robbie Eagles • Rocky Romero • Ryu Lee • Ryusuke Taguchi • SANADA • Satoshi Kojima • Shingo Takagi • SHO • Shota Umino • Taichi • Taiji Ishimori • TAKA Michinoku • Tanga Loa • Tetsuya Naitō • Tiger Mask • Toa Henare • Togi Makabe • Tomohiro Ishii • Tomoyuki Oka • Toru Yano • YOH • YOSHI-HASHI • Yoshinobu Kanemaru • Yota Tsuji • Yuji Nagata • Yujiro Takahashi • Yuya Uemura • Zack Sabre Jr.

Ring of Honor
Superstars

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |maxwidth=20
 |tab1=General
-|tab2=Event history
+|tab2=Image gallery
-|tab3=Image gallery
 }}
 {{Infobox Wrestler
+| name = David Finlay
-| name = {{PAGENAME}}<br>[[File:NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Title.jpg|130px]]<br>Current [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship|NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion]]
-| image = David Finlay, Jr.jpg
+| image = David Finlay- Roh stat photo.png
-| names = '''{{PAGENAME}}''' <br> David Finlay Jr.
+| names = '''David Finlay''' <br> David Finlay Jr.
-| height = 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
+| height = 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
 | weight =  200 lbs (91 kg)
-| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|5|16}}
+| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1993|5|16}}
 | birth_place = [[Achim]], [[Germany]]
 | death_date =
@@ Line 23: / Line 22: @@
 | billed =
 | trainer = [[Dave Finlay|Fit Finlay]]
-| debut = December 22, [[2012]]
+| debut = 22 December [[2012]]
 | retired =
 }}
-'''David Stephen Finlay III''' (May 16, [[1993]]) is a [[Dutch]] [[professional wrestler]] known simply as '''David Finlay'''. He is currently signed to [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]]. David is the son of former [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]]/[[WWE]] wrestler [[Dave Finlay|Fit Finlay]]. Finlay is the current holder of [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship]] in his first title reign with [[Ricochet]] and [[Satoshi Kojima]].
+'''David Stephen Finlay III''' (16 May [[1993]]) is a [[German]] [[professional wrestler]] known simply as '''David Finlay'''. He is currently signed to [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]] (NJPW). David is the son of former [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]]/[[WWE]] superstar [[Dave Finlay|Fit Finlay]]. Finlay is a former one-time co-holder of the [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship|NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] with [[Ricochet]] and [[Satoshi Kojima]].
 ==Early life==
-Finlay III has participated in wrestling, judo, football and table tennis.
+Finlay participated in wrestling, judo, football, and table tennis.
 ==Professional wrestling career==
-===Early years (2012-2014)===
+===Early years (2012&ndash;2014)===
-Finlay trained under the direction of his father [[Dave Finlay|Fit Finlay]]. He debuted on December 22, 2012 in [[European Wrestling Promotion]] where he and his father won a Tag Team Irish Street Fight against [[Dan Collins]] & [[Robbie Brookside]] at [[EWP Christmas Wrestling 2012]]. Finlay wrestled his first singles match at this same event, defeating [[Big Van Walter]] by disqualification. The following year on December 5, 2013, Finlay traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where he wrestled in the [[Africa Wrestling Alliance]] in a Four Way Elimination match for the [[AWA Cruiserweight Championship]] successfully retained by [[Vinnie Vegas]].
+Finlay trained under the direction of his father [[Dave Finlay|Fit Finlay]]. He debuted on 22 December 2012 in [[European Wrestling Promotion]] where he and his father won a Tag Team Irish Street Fight against [[Dan Collins]] & [[Robbie Brookside]] at [[EWP Christmas Wrestling 2012]]. Finlay wrestled his first singles match at this same event, defeating [[Big Van Walter]] by disqualification. The following year on 5 December 2013, Finlay traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where he wrestled in the [[Africa Wrestling Alliance]] in a Four Way Elimination match for the [[AWA Cruiserweight Championship]] successfully retained by [[Vinnie Vegas]].
-During the course of 2014, Finlay wrestled throughout numerous promotions across the world, in the states and in Europe. On [[October 10]], Finlay won his first championship when he debuted in [[Power Of Wrestling]] during Night #1 of its [[POW Catch Weltcup 2014|POW Catch Weltcup]] Tour. During Night 1, Finaly defeated [[Scotty Saxon]] and [[Veit Müller]] to win the vacant [[POW Junior Championship]]. On Night 2, held on October 11, Finlay defeated Scotty Saxon in a non-title singles match. Finlay vacated the title on August 20, 2015. During 2014, Finlay wrestled matches in [[Universal Independent Wrestling]], [[Southern Fried Championship Wrestling]], [[Superstars Of Wrestling]], [[Fighting Spirit Wrestling]] and [[Sports Entertainment Wrestling]].
+During the course of 2014, Finlay wrestled throughout numerous promotions across the world, in the states and in Europe. On [[October 10|10 October]], Finlay won his first championship when he debuted in [[Power Of Wrestling]] during the first night of its [[POW Catch Weltcup 2014|POW Catch Weltcup]] Tour. During the opening night, Finlay defeated [[Scotty Saxon]] and [[Veit Müller]] to win the vacant [[POW Junior Championship]]. On the second night held on [[October 11|11 October]], Finlay defeated Scotty Saxon in a non-title singles match. Finlay vacated the title on 20 August 2015. During 2014, Finlay wrestled matches in [[Universal Independent Wrestling]], [[Southern Fried Championship Wrestling]], [[Superstars Of Wrestling]], [[Fighting Spirit Wrestling]] and [[Sports Entertainment Wrestling]].
 During January and February 2015, Finlay wrestled in New York in matches for [[Fighting Spirit Wrestling]] and the [[New York Wrestling Connection]].
 ===New Japan Pro Wrestling (2015&ndash;present)===
-Finlay made his NJPW debut on May 22, 2015, during Night 1 of the Best Of The Super Junior XXII Tournament. He lost to former TNA star [[Alex Shelley]]. He continued his first year in NJPW, wrestling numerous tag team matches throughout the course of the year. The following year in 2016, Finlay won his second championship in his career on September 25. He won the [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship]] with teammates [[Ricochet]] & [[Satoshi Kojima]] in defeating [[BULLET CLUB]] members [[Adam Cole]], [[Matt Jackson]] & [[Nick Jackson]].
+Finlay made his NJPW debut on 22 May 2015, during the first night of the Best Of The Super Junior XXII Tournament. He lost to former TNA star [[Alex Shelley]]. He continued his first year in NJPW, wrestling numerous tag team matches throughout the course of the year. The following year in 2016, Finlay won his second championship in his career on 25 September. He won the [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship|NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] with teammates [[Ricochet]] & [[Satoshi Kojima]] by defeating [[BULLET CLUB]] members [[Adam Cole]], [[Matt Jackson]] & [[Nick Jackson]]. On 12 November at the [[NJPW Charity Pro-Wrestling On The Mat]] event, Finlay had the rare opportunity to challenge reigning champion [[Bobby Fish]] for the [[ROH World Television Championship|ROH World Television title]], but did not succeed in winning the championship. During the course of 2017, Finlay wrestled extensively in tag matches against team [[The Viking Raiders|War Machine]] and members of team-stables [[Los Ingobernables de Japon]] and the [[BULLET CLUB]].
+The following year in 2018, Finlay continued wrestling in tag team matches, and challenged for the [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship|NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] at least once. With Juice Robinson, he also competed in the 2018 World Tag League. They also competed in numerous matches against teams [[Killer Elite Squad]], [[Suzuki-gun]], [[Los Ingobernables de Japon]] and [[BULLET CLUB]].
-===Ring Of Honor (2016)===
-On February 20, Finlay made his ROH debut during Night 2 of [[ROH/NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2016 - Night 2|ROH/NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2016]] in a singles match won by [[Jay White]].
+On 4 January 2019, Finlay returned for [[Wrestle Kingdom 13]], where he teamed with [[Jeff Cobb]] & [[Yuji Nagata]] in a Tag Team Gauntlet match for the No. 1 Contendership to the [[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship|NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles]], but did not succeed in becoming the new No. 1 Contenders. The following night on 5 January at [[NJPW New Year Dash !! 2019|New Year Dash !!]], Finlay & [[Juice Robinson]] defeated team [[Best Friends]] ([[Trent Baretta|Beretta]] & [[Chuckie T]]). Much later in the month on 30 January at [[NJPW The New Beginning in USA 2019 - Night 1|The New Beginning in USA]], Finlay won his first singles match of the year, defeating [[Chuckie T]] in a No Disqualification Match. During the second night on 1 February, Finlay and [[Tracy Williams]] represented team [[Lifeblood]] in defeating [[CHAOS]] ([[Chuckie T]] & [[Rocky Romero]]) in a tag match.
+===Ring Of Honor (2016&ndash;present)===
+On 20 February, Finlay made his ROH debut during the second night of [[ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan 2016 - Night 2|ROH/NJPW Honor Rising: Japan 2016]] in a singles match won by [[Jay White]]. The following year, Finlay returned for the [[ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan 2017 - Night 1|first night]] of the 2017 ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan event, teaming with [[Juice Robinson]] & [[KUSHIDA]] in a tag match, defeating the [[World Class Tag Team]] ([[Gedo]] & [[Jado]]) and [[Silas Young]]. On the [[ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan 2017 - Night 2|second night]], Finlay and KUSHIDA lost a tag match to Jado and Silas Young. The following year, Finlay returned on 23 February for the [[ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan 2018 - Night 1|first night]] of the 2018 ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan event, during which he and [[Juice Robinson]] in a tag match lost to [[Young Bucks]] ([[Matt Jackson]] & [[Nick Jackson]]). On the [[ROH-NJPW Honor Rising Japan 2018 - Night 2|second night]], Finlay teamed with [[Jay Lethal]] & [[Juice Robinson]] in defeating members of the [[BULLET CLUB]], [[Chase Owens]], [[Hikuleo]] & [[Yujiro Takahashi]].
+Finlay returned the following year during the 12 January 2019 ROH TV-Tapings, during which he wrestled his first ROH singles match, losing to [[Tracy Williams]].
+====Team Lifeblood (2019&ndash;present)====
+The following night on 13 January at the [[ROH Honor Reigns Supreme 2019|2019 Honor Reigns Supreme]] event Finlay joined [[Juice Robinson]]'s newly-formed team known as [[Lifeblood]]. They represented their team winning a tag match defeating team [[Best Friends]] ([[Trent Baretta|Beretta]] & [[Chuckie T]]). They returned on 24 January during the [[ROH Road To G1 Supercard 2019 - Night 1|first day]] of the 2019 Road To G1 Supercard. There, Finlay and Robinson competed in the opening rounds of the 2019 Tag Wars, advancing after eliminating [[Alex Coughlin]] & [[Karl Fredericks]]. During the [[ROH Road To G1 Supercard 2019 - Night 2|second day]], team Lifeblood was presented in full-force, introducing additional members [[Bandido]], [[Mark Haskins]] and [[Tracy Williams]]. Together, they defeated [[Bully Ray]], [[Shane Taylor]], [[Silas Young]] & [[The Briscoes]] ([[Jay Briscoe]] & [[Mark Briscoe]]) in a massive ten-man tag match. During the [[ROH Road To G1 Supercard 2019 - Night 3|third day]] of the Supercard Tour, Finlay and Juice Robinson as team Lifeblood advanced in the Tag Wars after winning a three-way semifinal match, eliminating teams [[Coast 2 Coast]] ([[LSG]] & [[Shaheem Ali]]) and [[Jay Lethal]] & [[Jonathan Gresham]]. At the Tag Wars finals, team Lifeblood was defeated by team [[Villain Enterprises]] ([[Brody King]] & [[PCO]]).
 ==Personal life==
-Finlay III is a third-generation professional wrestler. He is the son of [[Dave Finlay|David Edward Finlay, Jr.]] who wrestled as Fit Finlay and simply Finlay. Finlay III is the grandson of David Finlay Sr. and the nephew of William Finlay and Wendy Finlay.
+Finlay is a fourth-generation professional wrestler. He is the son of [[Dave Finlay|David Edward Finlay, Jr.]] who wrestled under the ring names Fit Finlay and simply Finlay. Finlay is the grandson of David Finlay Sr. and the nephew of William Finlay and Wendy Finlay.
 ==In wrestling==
-*'''Finishers and Signature Moves'''
+* '''Finishers'''
+**''Prima Nocta'' (Jumping [[stunner]]) - 2017-present
-:*Air Raid Crash
+**Corner [[Springboard Stunner|springboard stunner]] - 2019-present
-:*European Uppercut
+**''Trash Panda ''(Suplex shoulderbreaker) - 2018-present
-:*''Prima Nocta''
-:*Scarf Hold
+* '''Signature moves'''
-:*Granby Roll
+**[[Kryptonite Krunch|Air Raid Crash]]
-:*Kamikaze
+**Diving European Uppercut
-:*German Suplex Hold
+**Scarf Hold
+**Granby Roll
+**Kamikaze
+**German Suplex Hold
+**Lumbar check (Back suplex lift backstabber)
+**STO Backbreaker
 *'''Nicknames'''
-:*''"Celtic Prince"''
+**''"Celtic Prince"''
 *'''Tag Teams and Stables'''
+**[[FinJuice]] with [[Juice Robinson]]
+**[[Lifeblood]]
 *'''Entrance themes'''
+**'''”SAMURAI ROCK” by Yonosuke Kitamura'''
 ==Championships and accomplishments==
 *'''[[New Japan Pro Wrestling]]'''
-:*[[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship]] (1-time, '''Current''') &ndash; with [[Ricochet]] & [[Satoshi Kojima]]
+**[[NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship]] (1 time) &ndash; with [[Ricochet]] & [[Satoshi Kojima]]
+**[[IWGP Tag Team Championship]] ([[IWGP Tag Team Championship/Champion history|1 time]]) - with [[Juice Robinson]]
 *'''[[Power Of Wrestling]]'''
-:*[[POW Junior Championship]] (1-time)
+**[[POW Junior Championship]] (1 time)
-==See also==
-*[[/Event history|Event history]]
 ==External links==
@@ Line 81: / Line 96: @@
 {{NJPW wrestlers}}
+{{RoH Roster}}
 [[Category:1993 births]]
 [[Category:2012 debuts]]
@@ Line 97: / Line 113: @@
 [[Category:Sports Entertainment Wrestling alumni]]
 [[Category:New York Wrestling Connection alumni]]
-[[Category:Ring of Honor alumni]]
+[[Category:Ring of Honor current roster]]
+[[Category:NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:Bullet Proof Wrestling alumni]]
+[[Category:IWGP Tag Team Champions]]
+[[Category:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre alumni]]