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David (Dave) Finlay (born January 31, 1958 in
Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a British / Irish professional wrestler and road
agent. He is currently wrestling in the United States of America on the
SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Finlay.
The reigning WWE United States Champion, Finlay is perhaps best known for his
appearances with World Championship Wrestling throughout the late 1990s as Fit
Finlay.
****
Ring name(s) Belfast Bruiser
Dave Finlay
David "Fit" Finlay
Dave "Fit" Finlay
Fit Finlay
Finlay
Height 182 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 107 kg (233 lb)
Born January 31, 1958
Belfast
Trained by Ted Betley
Debut October 1978
****
Career
Finlay began his career in Ireland, being trained
by his father who is also a professional wrestler (and even runs his own
wrestling promotion in Ireland called Ulster Championship Wrestling), before
moving over to Great Britain in 1978. While in Great Britain Finlay wrestled for
various companies under the Joint Promotions banner, with his manager and then
wife Princess Paula by his side. Finlay won his first title when he defeated
Allan Kilby on June 9th, 1982 to win the Joint Promotions British Heavy
Middleweight title. He would trade that belt back and forth with various people
over the rest of the year, but in early 1983, lost it for the last time. Finlay
would win a tournament to crown a new British Light Heavyweight champion, a
vacant belt at the time, defeating British Legend Ringo Rigby in the finals.
Finlay would soon lose that belt, but gain another,
beating Marty Jones to win the "World Mid-Heavyweight title", although said belt
never left Great Britain. Later in the year, Finlay once again defeated Marty
Jones en route to winning the British Light Heavyweight title. Through 83 and
into 84, Fit was always fighting for a title or defending a title.
He would achieve notoriety by winning a major
British title; All-Star's British Heavyweight Championship. Finlay often
competed on ITV's World of Sport programme as David "Fit" Finlay.
During this time, Finlay began to wrestle in
Germany as well, for one of the biggest companies in Europe, the Catch Wrestling
Association. While holding the All-Star title, he teamed with his old foe Marty
Jones to win the CWA tag titles off Tony St. Clair (the man he won the All-Star
title from) and his partner, Miles Zrno. After losing the All-Star title to Dave
Taylor, Fit began to focus more on CWA winning many of their titles and amassing
international fame, with it coming trips to Japan and Mexico, on one Japanese
trip teaming successfully with the Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit).
World
Championship Wrestling
Until his current run in WWE, Finlay was best known
in the United States for his run in WCW from 1995-2000, first as The Belfast
Bruiser and later as "Fit" Finley. His momentum began picking up after his
surprising defeat of Eddie Guerrero on WCW Thunder via count-out. Soon after, he
cut his dark, greased mullet in exchange for the short, blonde look he sports
today and began a pursuit for championship gold. He found some success in 1998,
winning the WCW World Television Championship and feuding with the likes of
Chris Benoit and Booker T. Before long, he was a well established midcarder with
his newly modified name, both in spelling and pronunciation, Fit Finlay.
Near the end of his WCW run, he won a "Hardcore
Junkyard Invitational" at Bash at the Beach, winning a "hardcore trophy".
However, he suffered a badly lacerated nerve in his leg in a hardcore match at a
house show in July, which nearly cost him use of the leg. He was wrestling Brian
Knobbs, was thrown into a table in the corner of the ring, and the table
shattered and cut his leg. He managed to regain use of the limb and came back
later in the year, but by that point, all momentum he had from the Junkyard
Invitational win was lost. In 2000, Finlay formed a trio of "Hardcore Soldiers"
with Brian Knobbs and Al Green. After the return of Eric Bischoff and Vince
Russo to power in WCW, he was virtually forgotten on TV.
World
Wrestling Entertainment
After leaving WCW, Finlay wrestled in independent
promotions before retiring to become a road agent and trainer for the Divas in
WWE.
Finlay began work on a comeback in 2004, and promos
began airing for his impending in-ring return in December 2005. His gimmick is
that of a proud native Irishman who loves to fight. His first televised WWE
match was on the January 20, 2006 airing of SmackDown! against Matt Hardy, which
ended in a disqualification loss for Finlay. After the match, Finlay dragged
Hardy to the steel ring steps and smashed Hardy's face into them with his boot,
quickly establishing himself as a heel. This helped to give him the nickname,
"The Fighting Irish Bastard". On one memorable SmackDown!, Finlay interfered in
a Junior's Division match and brutalized the participants.
Finlay continued to establish himself on the
SmackDown! roster. During Februrary and March of 2006, Finlay was involved in an
intense feud with Bobby Lashley which saw the pair brawl on many occasions,
including a memorable parking lot segment in which Lashley tried to overturn a
car onto Finlay. Later, the pair would compete in a Lumberjack Match that Finlay
would win. During this time, Finlay began to wield a shillelagh as a weapon.
On April 2, 2006 Finlay would compete in his first
WrestleMania, WrestleMania 22, Finlay faced five other WWE Superstars, from both
the WWE RAW and SmackDown! brands in a Money in the Bank ladder match. This
match was eventually won by RAW's Rob Van Dam.
Finlay would next be entered into the King of the
Ring tournament on Smackdown!, Finlay would defeat his first round opponent
Chris Benoit before being defeated by his rival Lashley, who advanced to the
finals at WWE Judgment Day 2006. Finlay would help the other finalist, Booker T,
defeat Lashley in the final.
Beginning on the May 26 episode of SmackDown!,
Finlay would be joined by The Little Bastard character who came out from under
the ring to attack Finlay's opponents. The Little Bastard would continue to
attack Finlay's opponents with or without Finlay's permission for several weeks.
Finlay would join forces with William Regal as loyal subjects of the newly
renamed King Booker and his Court. During his time as part of the court, Finlay
would pick up a win against World Champion Rey Mysterio in a non-title match
before defeating the court's main foe Bobby Lashley to take Lashley's WWE United
States Championship.
Wrestling facts
Finishing and signature moves
Celtic Cross / Emerald Fusion (Air Raid Crash)
Tombstone piledriver - in WCW
Finlay Roll (Rolling fireman's carry slam)
Arm breaker DDT
European uppercut
Running seated senton
Various offensive and defensive maneuvers using the
ring apron
Signature foreign object: Shillelagh
Quotes
"My name is Finlay and I love to fight!"
"Finlay! That's my name!"
"The name's Finlay! Remember it!"
"My name is Finlay, and I give a new meaning to the
term, Fighting Irish"
"My name is Finlay, some people call me a Fighting
Irish Bastard, but not to my face."
Managers / Allies
Little Bastard
King Booker
Queen Sharmell
William Regal
Princess Paula
Wrestlers managed by Finlay
The Dog
Brian Knobbs
Championships and accomplishments
All-Star Promotions
British Heavyweight Championship
Won from Tony St. Clair on February 5, 1990 in
Croydon, England
Lost to Dave Taylor on April 6, 1991 in King's
Lynn, England
British Championships
World Mid-Heavyweight Championship
Won from Marty Jones on May 10, 1983 in Croydon,
England
Lost to Marty Jones on June 7, 1983 in Croydon,
England
World Mid-Heavyweight Championship (2)
Won from Marty Jones on November 2, 1983 in Leeds,
England
Lost to Marty Jones on May 29, 1984 in Dartford,
England
World Mid-Heavyweight Championship (3)
Won from Marty Jones on June 8, 1984 in Carlisle,
England
Lost to Marty Jones on October 26, 1984
World Mid-Heavyweight Championship (4)
Won from Marty Jones on November 5, 1984
Lost to Marty Jones on November 13, 1984 in
Carlisle, England
Catch Wrestling Association
CWA World Tag Team Championship (with Marty Jones)
Won from Miles Zrno and Tony St. Clair on June 23,
1990 in Graz, Austria
Lost to Miles Zrno and Franz Schumann on August 3,
1990 in Vienna, Austria
CWA World Middleweight Championship
Won from Steve Wright on September 1, 1990 in
Vienna, Austria
Lost to Steve Wright on September 28, 1990 in
Hanover, Germany
CWA World Middleweight Championship (2)
Won from Steve Wright on December 21, 1991 in
Bremen, Germany
Lost to Franz Schumann on July 11, 1992 in Graz,
Austria
CWA World Middleweight Championship (3)
Defeated Eddie Gilbert to win the vacant title on
December 19, 1992 in Bremen, Germany
Title later vacated after a match against Gilbert
in Bremen, Germany ends in a double disqualification
CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
Won from Buffalo Patterson on July 3, 1993 in Graz,
Austria
Title vacated in October 1998 when Finlay leaves
the promotion
CWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
Won from Tony St. Clair on December 14, 1993 in
Bremen, Germany
Lost to Tony St. Clair
CWA World Middleweight Championship (4)
Won from Paul Roma on November 25, 1995 in Bremen,
Germany
Lost to Franz Schumann on July 6, 1996 in Graz,
Austria
Irish Championships
1-time Irish National Champion
Joint Promotions
British Heavy Middleweight Championship
Won from Alan Kilby on June 9, 1982 in Bath,
England
Lost to Alan Kilby in August 1982
British Heavy Middleweight Championship (2)
Won from Alan Kilby on September 14, 1982 in
Croydon, England
Lost to Alan Kilby on November 10, 1982 in London,
England
British Heavy Middleweight Championship (3)
Won from Alan Kilby on November 15, 1982 in
Bradford, England
Lost to Alan Kilby in November 1982
British Heavy Middleweight Championship (4)
Won from Alan Kilby on December 21, 1982 in
Wolverhampton, England
Lost to Alan Kilby in January 1983
British Heavy Middleweight Championship (5)
Won on September 29, 1984
Lost before the end of the year
British Light Heavyweight Championship
Defeated Ringo Rigby in a tournament final to win
the vacant title on February 24, 1983 in Oldham, England
Lost to Marty Jones on November 26, 1983 in
Manchester, England
British Light Heavyweight Championship (2)
Won from Marty Jones in February 1984
Lost to Marty Jones on February 8, 1984 in
Leamington, England
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 278 of the 500 best singles
wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
World Championship Wrestling
WCW World Television Championship
Won from Booker T on May 4, 1998 in Indianapolis,
Indiana, USA
Lost to Booker T on June 14, 1998 in Baltimore,
Maryland, USA
WCW Hardcore Junkyard Invitational Trophy winner
Defeated Ciclope, Jerry Flynn, Johnny Grunge,
Hardcore Hak, Horace Hogan, Brian Knobbs, Hugh Morrus, La Parka, Steven Regal,
Rocco Rock, Silver King, David Taylor and Mikey Whipwreck on July 11, 1999 in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
WWE considers this as a WCW Hardcore Championship
reign, but Finlay was never officially the champion.
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE United States Championship
Won from Bobby Lashley on July 11, 2006 (aired July
14, 2006) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Current
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Date Article Copied:
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