David Finlay has again addressed his decision to sign with AEW instead of going to WWE NXT, revealing new details about the reasons behind it.
He had previously said finances were a big factor. In March, he called the move to AEW a business decision, citing how much money he had made working alongside Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors.
On Friday’s episode of Talk Is Jericho, Finlay pointed to the schedule, his freedom, and the chance to stay with his friends as other deciding factors.
“Just overall package of, obviously pay and schedule, but just like, alright, all my friends are in AEW. My brother and dad are in NXT… it would have been cool, but it’s like, ‘No, I want to go keep doing what I’m doing, have the freedom to do what I want to do. If I can be with my friends, that’s a great bonus.’
I think I would have struggled with re-humbling myself to the level that they [NXT] would have wanted me to humble myself to. It’s like, ‘I’ve already been here. I’ve already proven myself.’”
Uriah Connors, Finlay’s brother, is currently part of Birth Right. Fit Finlay was also involved in the group’s storyline alongside William Regal on an episode of NXT in March.
Finlay closed out a roughly 11-year run with NJPW before arriving in AEW. He made his debut as an official member of The Dogs on the March 4 episode of Dynamite, reuniting with Kidd and Connors.