David Finlay

[7.0] "I have a weirdly high amount of stock invested in David Finlay. Over the past year or two years, he's improved dramatically as a wrestler. His technical skills pair really well with his smug & nonchalant heel persona, and that gave him far more credibility as the final Bullet Club leader as time went on. He definitely was thrust into the spotlight too early, and he never was able to live up to the sky-high standards of leading the most iconic faction of the past decade, but he flourished in 2025. Sadly, his booking in AEW sucks."

[7.0] "Finlay is alright to be honest, not the greatest but not terrible, he is not the main top wrestler for the show as he is more so than a mid card guy or a tag team guy, but regardless he did influence the last years of bullet club by becoming the leader even though he wasn't really leadership materal, he would end up forming the Bullet Club War Dogs with Alex, Gabe, Drilla, Clark and Gedo, winning the NEVER Openweight belt and won the global heavyweight belt two times, feuded and kicked the House of torture out of bullet club, with Jake Lee, Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens, SANADA, Robbie X and the Knockout Brothers (OSKAR and Yuto-Ice) joining the Bullet Club: WAR DOGS throughout its years (though Lee would end up joining the United Empire the day before Bullet Club's dissolution, SANADA defected to House of Torture before they were kicked out of bullet club and Chase Owens would join House of Torture just three months in being in War Dogs)."

[8.0] "Loads of potential. Good in the ring and he's also a very good heel. I wasn't the biggest fan of it when it first happened, but man he's been killing it as one and I hope he remains loke that for most of his career. I hope he does big things in AEW."

[10.0] "The most improved wrestler of the last year and a half. David Finlay has become a legitimate best in the world level wrestler. His 2024 G1 run is what opened my eyes to this. He understands how to build tension in a match leading to the climax. Great worker."

[8.0] "AEW just don't stop hiring, I guess that I will never stop rating their wrestlers and that is alright for me, I guess. When I saw some ratings about that guy I was kinda shocked, but it is highly understandable, that guy fucking sucked back them. Maybe even until late 2023, David Finlay was somewhere close to unwatchable. Them, I don't know what happenned, don't know the effect that triple threat on WK with Mox and Ospreay had to him, but he became a much better wrestler. Charismatic as fuck, good at ring and even judging him someone that is not really the type of wrestler I would cheer for, he is good. NJPW did a poor job with him booking wise, shame on them."

[7.0] "Solid worker, good character work. He's a despicable heel and plays it well. He's got the attitude and swagger to make him a believable threat to anyone on the roster he's working on."

"This guy has 0 charisma, his in ring work is somehow just as dull as his promos are. He will be Chris Jericho levels of awful in what has been an almost perfect start to 2026 for AEW. Such a shame."

[7.0] "David Finlay took a long time to get going as a performer. He was alright as a tag team worker but NJPW's decision to have him fill in as the top gaijin heel after Jay White left the company did not pan out as expected. It took literal years for him to finally click as a proper main event level bruiser heel and by that point the company had seemingly lost faith in him as a draw. He is canonically such a dead duck of a leader that it finally killed BULLET CLUB as a faction. He's grown into a good performer but I don't see him ever having a world title strapped around his waist, sadly."

[9.0] "The transformation of David Finlay should be studied. Guy goes from spending years doing absolutely nothing and being comfortably one of the most forgettable parts of any card, to the absolute best thing on NJPW programming from mid-2023 to 2026. Most people scratched their heads when he was given the reigns over Bullet Club, and it took him a little while to adjust, but once he did, he was practically unrecognisable. He was given an opportunity, and fully capitalised on it. Easily one of the best wrestlers on the roster, whose Global title defenses and G1 bouts were must-watch matches. Tore the house down every night. If this really is where his New Japan journey ends, it's a shame, because I could've definitely seen him with the big one in the near future."

[8.0] "Finlay over the course of the last year or so has truly won me over and turned me into a fan. I'll be honest when he first turned heel and became the leader of bullet club I wasn't to keen on it as it felt like he was trying to be too much like leaders of the past and wasn't the right fit. But he has truly come into his own and has made himself feel unique with the war dogs as a group. Not to mention improving immensely in ring adopting a bruiser powerhouse style that has worked super well.He has truly become possibly the second biggest gaijin star in the company behind ZSJ especially with the way he elevated the global title championship last year. It took some time but Finlay had truly found his groove and it is great to see."

[10.0] "David Finlay isn't perfect yeah, but some people seem to think he's the root of everything slightly shitty in the world and that's not fair at all. David Finlay is a very solid promo, a decent enough wrestler and has a great presence and personality. The only thing I can somewhat understand is the complaints about his push, especially as the leader of the BULLET CLUB, as he doesn't really compare with AJ, Devitt and White, but I'm personally completely fine with it. However, David Finlay still definitely has room for improvement, and the fact that the BC's leader could be someone like Eddie Kingston instead will always be somewhat of a downer. EDIT: Oh damn, it's 2025 and I'm shocked how long it has taken me to realise I was wrong. In my opinion David Finlay is in the conversation for the best wrestler of this year, the way that his character has improved since becoming a tweener is incredible. His rivalries and matches have been great too, as his personification of hate and violence through his bouts with Takeshita and Yota Tsuji have made him probably the most investing guy around right now. Looking back, he has more than earned his position as the leader of the BULLET CLUB, and I take back any statements of doubt that I had previous. I hope this insane momentum of him continues because I'm such a fan of this guy."

[8.0] "David Finlay has recently been one of the top stars of NJPW. He has improved greatly in the ring and is now one of the best wrestlers on the roster. He also is now showing a ton of charisma as the leader of the Bullet Club War Dogs."

[8.0] "When David stopped trying to be exactly like Jay White and became his own person, he won me over. A fantastic in ring worker and a great promo"

[9.0] "He had massive shoes to fill like Jay White before him. Like Jay White, it took a bit for Finlay to really step into his role as leader. 2024 was a killer year and while 2025 has been a mixed bag results wise, no one else in New Japan can get babyfaces cheered like Finlay. Even now, him starting 1-4 in the G1 is by far the most interesting plot thread of the tournament so far. His creed of strength trumping everything else made his famous words that, "Every gun facing out is also facing in, " that much more powerful. This G1 run is a testament to his improvement in his storytelling. Killer in ring and getting an instant upgrade in the character work when joining Bullet Club along with his presence and general vibe, he has truly become a worthy leader of the greatest faction of all time. He is not Jay or Kenny. At least not yet. He won't give you endless classic matches, but War Dogs has made a believer out of me. The only reason I still have New Japan World is to see what David Finlay and the War Dogs are doing. While not at that 10/10 yet, I can easily see him reaching that point. He is still in his early 30s and in the middle of his most engaging character arc of his career."

[8.0] "Revised Review because Jesus Christ I was so fucking wrong, it took a while but David Finlay has really come into his own as the leader of bullet club war dogs, he's shockingly powerful for his build and has the moveset of a wrestler about 6 inches taller than he is, but David Finlay uses these moves with such a violent and impressive style that it makes him far more exciting to watch, while his promos still leave something to be desired, David Finlay is much more of a star than I expected, he's truly become the star that gedo sees him as"

[9.0] "On the run of his career. His 2024 was amazing, his 2025 is looking even better. His current doesn't reflect his current work at all. He's so good at the moment. He's finding his character both in and out of the ring. He's crisp, strong and smooth. Great wrestler."

[10.0] "He's easily a top ten to even top five wrestler on the planet today. To still be in denial of his greatness and insane improvement in humongous 2025 is nothing short of pure delusion. The War Dogs brought back the spirit of Bullet Club not really felt since Kenny was the leader or maybe even AJ. Hell, I would honestly go as far as to say he's the best leader of Bullet Club ever. This man can hold his weight with the best of them and even drag talent far worse than him up to a good to even great match. My wrestler of the year so far and it's not even close."

[10.0] "I think Finlay is well on his way to become the best BC leader. his group feel the most connected and family like, he shows great respect and self sacrifice to them as well. even in the ring he's been a dynamo pulling out the best his opponents have. he brawls and bumps like a freak too."

[9.0] "Prior to 2023/2024, he was a very average midcard guy, but following his work in Bullet Club War Dogs, he has dramatically improved in terms of his performances in the ring as well as a wrestler overall, like his presentation and overall aura. He can be relied on by NJPW to help make others look good while remaining a credible upper-midcard and main event player and I am excited to see him eventually win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship."

[9.0] "Finlay has arguably been the best wrestler in the company for the past 12 months. People were just biding time for Gabe to take over and Finlay to leave the company, fast forward to today many people think he can go as far as becoming the champ. Super consistent on the mic and in the ring, with a strong main event style. Great chemistry with a lot of the new guys too like Shota and Yuya which will definitely help him too."

[8.0] "By the end of 2023 I hated this guy, but Oh my God he has improved so much throughout 2024 and into 2025! He had an amazing Global Heavyweight Championship run, putting on match of the night in almost every match he wrestled in, he had a great G1 34 run, and great New Japan Cup runs. He's had great matches over the past year with likes of YOSHI-HASHI, Taichi, Konosuke Takeshita, and of course his greatest rival, Hirooki Goto, overall David Finlay has improved so much and is easily the future of NJPW."

"[9.0] David Finlay's heel work is absolutely under appreciated the guy has been a work horse in New Japan for the last couple of years and he deserves more credit from the IWC, my favourite villain right now"

[8.0] "In the last year Finlay has become a top name. The guy has everything, it's practically a complete package, is charismatic, knows how to position himself, has a good moveset, is fucking fantastic in the ring, and when he hits you it seems like he's killing you, plus he has an excellent expressiveness and has one of the selling I like best. Currently he is one of the wrestlers that I like to watch more in New Japan, and I hope with all my heart that at Sakura Genesis he becomes champion because he deserves it. Big Up for David Finlay"

[10.0] "Soo, I started watching NJPW after the first Forbidden Door PPV, I really liked the show and I thought I had to watch the G1 Climax. He was a personal standout in that tournament, as he was a generic babyface with good in-ring qualities, he stood out and I couldn't put a finger on why but he was one of my favorite NJPW at that time, fast forward, he stab Jay White and take his whole style, tbh I wasn't really a fan of it and I lost interest in him because I really knew Gedo was trying to make David Finlay into Jay White 2.0 but it clearly wasn't working, so after a year of mid to good performances and a lot of title wins, he finally got back into hiself after winning the Global Heavyweight title. The 3-Threat and the 10-man Cage Match following were the founding moment on when I got back my love for the Savage King, he really gain credibility in those matchs and became better than he's ever been because he finally combined personnality and wrestling skills, while he, sometimes, seems a little cringy, he is a very good promoguy and his version of Bullet Club makes incredible sense. He is also booked a little more vulnerable than he was after the turn, while winning almost every matchs he has. His G1 last year really stood out in my mind because he shined through nearly every matchs and had the best play-off match against Tsuji, then his title match with YOSHI-HASHI and Taichi were awesome, The Tokyo Dome week-end really proved me he is main event ready and if he doesn't leave New Japan yet he will obtain that level with ease (I really think he is about to win the NJC and maybe the title this spring). If he does leave I think he'll be heading to WWE where he can be a very trustworthy midcarder which doesn't bother me neither. But I can't help but be happy about how great this guy I loved since the beginning has became."

[9.0] "I will give Finlay a 9, because even if in ring he is not the best in the world, I think he really improved over 2024. His Global title reign was good for him, he had a good few match (Like with Tsuji recently, Goto or Takeshita during the climax) and he also gained charisma. Also his music theme is one of the best in the entire business."

[9.0] "David Finlay, you just gained a new fan. I have watched some of your matches in the past but I wasn't really paying attention to you like that how I was in your match at wk19. Incredible incredible performance. New Japan better do whatever they can to make sure that they resign him. Especially after what followed his match. David Finlay is an incredible pro wrestler who should be getting more love in the industry as a whole instead of just from the puro fans. Future world champ right here"

[8.0] "I see so many people shit on David Finlay yet every time I see him he puts on a great performance. He's done a great job in all the G1's he's been in and ever since finding his new path as the Rebel I feel like he's solidified himself in NJPW. Can't wait to see him improve as the years go by."

[10.0] "WOTY In his second year in the main event scene, he really showd once again his worth:, really liked his IWGP Global reign with incredible and great G1 performances, his character work is excellent, his ability of storytelling is perfect too, good on mic and my favourite wrestler in control time match and definitely great Bullet club leader"

[6.0] "Yeah he has improved with his promos and in his wrestling but continues to be booked higher than he should by Gedo. The worst Bullet Club leader ever. The fact that he continues to hold the Global Title. If Gedo ever books him to win the IWGP world title he needs to be fired but again we have Tanahashi as the president continues to push himself into championships even though he is 5 years past his prime so at this point anything is possible."

[4.0] "What can be said about an underachieving junior being pushed as a heavyweight? David Finlay is a perfectly fine wrestler that is well suited to being a solid mid-card hand, preferably as a baby-face in tag or junior-heavyweight singles runs. Unfortunately, he has been cast as a heel heavyweight faction leader, and it is AWFUL. His offense does not have the impact or brutality to support the character he is trying to get across. He relies entirely too much on having the exact same match structure every time out, even when it is outright preposterous. No sir, I do not believe that you can actually overpower larger, more accomplished brawlers for 5-10 minutes on your own. Suspension of disbelief has limits."

[8.0] "Finlayy is a very good wrestler, but it took him a long career to get there. Only recently has he been able to start putting together really strong single matches. The biggest note is his improvement. He challenged himself and completely changed his physique and look and then he went heel and changed his whole persona. After this Finaly included MUCH more anger and intensity in his matches and he became much more fun to watch. In almost all his title matches so far I feel like he's been super fun to watch and has a great intensity about him. We'll see where his career leads."

[8.0] "It remains to be seen if David can bring in results as the latest leader of BULLET CLUB, sufficed to say with the legacy of that role, he has a lot to live up to. I've always liked David in the ring but he was missing a certain IT factor, hopefully, he finds it with his new Heel persona. ** Update from about a year later. I'm still not fully convinced about David's character but that more has to do with Gedo's inability to fully commit to a push to him. He's still a great in-ring work but he just feels like the least interesting part of his own faction."

[8.0] "Finlay has been absolutely killing it lately. It's been a very weird run for him in New Japan, but he's really pulling it all together. Bizarrely I think missing out on the NJC may help him in the long run as it's given him a whole new level of fire and intensity to play off. I'm enjoying War Dogs more so than I've enjoyed Bullet Club in a long time, they feel more like what the group should be and not just another 'cool' heel group, and I think he makes a very good leader within that context. He's not had the best competition to work with, and his booking is quite hot and cold, but he's definitely a good talent and a brilliant storyteller."

[7.0] "A guy that bring mixtured feelings. Always the ugly duckling on Hontai, David was only able to lean on his father's name until he fully developed some personality by teaming with Juice Robinson in 2018. The party loving, good vibing and rocking dude he was back then was fun, but made him get overshadowed by Juice's flamboyant gimmick. Fast forward to 2022, Juice joins Bullet Club, effectively ending FinJuice, and many wondered what would be Finlay's next step, and the answer came in the form of the G1, where Finlay, with a new and awesome theme song and arsenal of moves shined with his new Rebel gimmick, pinning the biggest bets for the tournament, including Juice. After that, a stellar match with Ospreay sealed Finlay as a great singles wrestler and again, many wondered his next step. Then in 2023, Jay White loses a loser leaves NJPW match, and as he was about to say goodbye, Finlay assaulted him from behind and claimed his jealousy of him and his accomplishments. Suddenly, the next month, here is Finlay as the new leader of Bullet Club, something that I cringed hard and I still do to this day, because he tries so hard to sound angry and menacing, but it comes out as if he was crying that someone hurt his feelings. The other members outshine him and that makes me sad, because I like Finlay, and I blame Gedo for this."

[7.0] "gotta give credit where credit is due. He is not competent, at least now, to hold the BC leader banner, but few can say they are capable of. He is not fit of the tremendous amount of spotlight put upon him and he has delivered okay if not satisfactory. He has always been serviceable if not out shadowed by Juice, and all this push has helped him to improve. He will unfortunately be known as the less capable Jay White for at least a few years."

[9.0] "What an amazing heel he became! His ring work is not bad, he can put a heel performance, get booed by the crowd and put the face over. It's his charisma that amazes me, he can cut good promos, he has very heelish facial expressions and he simply has the IT Factor. I always thought he was better than Juice, but i could never imagine he would become this good. To understand his heel work, watch his match against Tama Tonga from Wrestling Dontaku, or his post match attack on Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley from Power Struggle"

[5.0] "The nicest thing I can say about David Finley is that he has considerably better matches than his dad. For most of the time I have known him, he has been a lower card guy. His push to the top of bullet club mainly appears to be a huge busted flush at least with western audiences."

[7.0] "He's getting a lot better. It's become a trend to hate him and bullet club now, but he's brought this aggression to bullet club with the war dogs that hasn't been seen since the beginning. He has a way to go to get to the world title, but he's definitely getting a lot better"

[5.0] "His new look is a huge improvement, but once the bell rings the charisma just doesn't translate. I can't see him ever reaching the heights of IWGP World Champion or even close. Not sure what the end game is."

[6.0] "Perfectly serviceable but I've always found him pretty bland and forgettable, particularly in his babyface days with Juice. I like his new found attitude as BC leader, though I don't imagine he has the capability to be as successful as prior leaders."

[4.0] "I just don't get it. David Finlay to me doesn't seem like Bullet Club material, and yet New Japan decided to make him the new leader after Jay left Japan. He may have great matches on his record like his matches against Ospreay, but he doesn't really sell me as the man to restore Bullet Club. If his face run was going stale, maybe they could've done something different, but nope! Maybe Finlay can bounce back from this slope, but I'm not feeling it with him right now."

[9.0] "It took a little bit, but I am sold on heel David Finlay. His more aggressive persona and in ring style have made him a much more compelling wrestler. I don't think he needs to be competing for the World title but should definitely use his current NEVER run to establish himself further."

[9.0] "There are a lot of negative opinions about Finlay, but he seems to have created this situation on purpose.As a heel, I think his method is correct"

[8.0] "I've only started watching consistenly after WK17, but so far as the new "leader" of BC, I've loved what he's done. Dude can work, and from what I gathered before this turn, he really just needed a character. He's got that now, and I'm hyped for an eventual ELP and Finlay feud."

[7.0] "First rating post-switchblade beatdown, I think Finlay has a lot of potential to try to bring bullet club back to life. He is a good worker, and like i said, has potential to be a good leader for the currently dying BC. This heel persona is great, his new look is so much better than the bland babyface he was with Juice. I like Finlay, and see a bright future ahead"

[6.0] "Really showing himself to be a great worker now he's broken out into singles competition. Understands all the basics, good psychology and selling. Still young so has plenty of time to grow even more. With a bit more character work he probably has a title reign in his future."

[8.0] "One of the most improved wrestlers of the year. I really didn't see much in him while he was tagging with Juice but now he is becoming a dependably good wrestler. Logical moveset, realistic selling and great match-pacing. Hope he improves even more as time goes on."

[8.0] "in 2018 I rated him a 6, but after this year's G1 I gotta bump him all the way to an 8. Phenomenal in ring worker that definitely has room to grow. I see a lot of potential for Finlay in New Japan."

[8.0] "David Finlay is pretty underrated wrestler until G1 Climax 32. Now I think now he proved himself to the fans. He's good wrestler in the ring. I like he's style and also he has great microphone. He's red hot now. I hope he'll win IWGP US championship."

[7.0] "So fast for a heavier wrestler David Finlay is! Loved the start of his match this year with Will Ospreay at the G1. Impressed with the amount of intensity he brings. Seems like he still has to find his gimmick in wrestling, but it's been great watching David Finlay this year."