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Fit Finlay
David John "Dave" Finlay, Jr. (born 31 January 1958) is a retired Northern Irish professional wrestling trainer and former wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a trainer and assistant coach at the Performance Center, as well as a producer. He is best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2000 under the ring name Fit Finlay, and in WWE from 2005 to 2010 under the mononymous name Finlay.
Finlay debuted in 1974, and has held over 20 championships around the world throughout his career, including the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship. He is also well-known for his coaching to other wrestlers, notably for his training contributions to the WWE women's division.
Finlay was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim in 1958. His father, Dave Finlay Sr., is a former amateur and professional wrestler and coach, who was appointed MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours "For Services to Olympic Wrestling in Northern Ireland". His grandfather was also a wrestler, and his sister was a referee. His uncle, Albert Finlay, was a goalkeeper for Glentoran F.C. in the 1960s and 1970s.
Finlay's first match was for his father's promotion in Glynn in 1974, when he filled in for a wrestler who no-showed. He began wrestling on a full-time basis in his hometown of Carrickfergus and throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the next four years before moving to England in 1978. In England, he wrestled for independent promoters such as Jackie Pallo, Orig Williams and Brian Dixon. On a visit to France in August 1980 Finlay made his television debut, teaming with Ian Gilmour as "Scotsmen" to lose to Guy Mercier (father of Marc Mercier) and Alan Mitchells. Around this time, he began working for various companies under the Joint Promotions banner. Finlay defeated Alan Kilby on 9 June 1982 to win his first title, the Joint Promotions British Heavy Middleweight Championship. He also formed the Riot Squad tag team with Skull Murphy (Peter Northey), together winning the 1982 World of Sport Top Tag Team Tournament. At this time, Finlay's then-wife, "Princess" Paula (Valdez), became his manager. Dressed in a Native American headdress, she would frequently admonish her husband for mistakes in the ring.
He then won a tournament to crown a new British Light Heavyweight champion and fill the vacant position, defeating Ringo Rigby in the finals. Finlay soon lost the championship, but later pinned Marty Jones to win the World Mid-Heavyweight Championship. He traded it back and forth with Jones for over two years before losing it a final time to Jones via disqualification. He defeated Jones to win Joint Promotions' British Light Heavyweight Championship. In the second half of the 1980s, he defeated Frank "Chic" Cullen on television for the British Heavy Middleweight Championship, but later lost it to Danny Collins. In 1990 he became a champion at the top of the weight range when he won All Star's British Heavyweight Championship. Finlay often competed on ITV's World of Sport programme as Dave "Fit" Finlay on which he had many matches against Jones, Collins, Big Daddy (whom he fought on TV during coverage of the 1984 and 1986 FA Cup Final matches) and "The American Dream" Steve Adonis, as well as on Williams' Welsh language wrestling show, Reslo, for S4C.
During this time, Finlay also began to wrestle in Japan, then in Germany and Austria for the European promotion Catch Wrestling Association, alongside Paula, who was sometimes billed as Princess Beautiful. While holding the British Heavyweight championship, he teamed with former rival Marty Jones to win the CWA tag title from Tony St. Clair and Mile Zrno. The two would later team back home in the United Kingdom after Jones turned heel in 1992. After losing the British championship to Dave Taylor, Finlay began to focus more on the CWA, winning many of their championships.
Finlay teamed with Mark Rocco and Murphy in a 1989 WWF dark match in London, defeating the team of Al Perez, Dusty Wolfe and Tim Horner.On July 3, 1993 he defeated Robert Fasser for the vacated the CWA Intercontinental Title. On November 25, 1995 he defeated Paul Roma for the CWA Mittelgewicht Championship. He left the CWA in December 1995 and went to World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
In 1996, he returned to CWA after a stint in WCW. He dropped the CWA Mittelgewicht Championship to Franz Schuhmann in July of that year. His last match with CWA was in September 1997 and returned to WCW. The CWA Intercontinental Title was vacated in October 1998.
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Fit Finlay
David John "Dave" Finlay, Jr. (born 31 January 1958) is a retired Northern Irish professional wrestling trainer and former wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a trainer and assistant coach at the Performance Center, as well as a producer. He is best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2000 under the ring name Fit Finlay, and in WWE from 2005 to 2010 under the mononymous name Finlay.
Finlay debuted in 1974, and has held over 20 championships around the world throughout his career, including the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship. He is also well-known for his coaching to other wrestlers, notably for his training contributions to the WWE women's division.
Finlay was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim in 1958. His father, Dave Finlay Sr., is a former amateur and professional wrestler and coach, who was appointed MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours "For Services to Olympic Wrestling in Northern Ireland". His grandfather was also a wrestler, and his sister was a referee. His uncle, Albert Finlay, was a goalkeeper for Glentoran F.C. in the 1960s and 1970s.
Finlay's first match was for his father's promotion in Glynn in 1974, when he filled in for a wrestler who no-showed. He began wrestling on a full-time basis in his hometown of Carrickfergus and throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the next four years before moving to England in 1978. In England, he wrestled for independent promoters such as Jackie Pallo, Orig Williams and Brian Dixon. On a visit to France in August 1980 Finlay made his television debut, teaming with Ian Gilmour as "Scotsmen" to lose to Guy Mercier (father of Marc Mercier) and Alan Mitchells. Around this time, he began working for various companies under the Joint Promotions banner. Finlay defeated Alan Kilby on 9 June 1982 to win his first title, the Joint Promotions British Heavy Middleweight Championship. He also formed the Riot Squad tag team with Skull Murphy (Peter Northey), together winning the 1982 World of Sport Top Tag Team Tournament. At this time, Finlay's then-wife, "Princess" Paula (Valdez), became his manager. Dressed in a Native American headdress, she would frequently admonish her husband for mistakes in the ring.
He then won a tournament to crown a new British Light Heavyweight champion and fill the vacant position, defeating Ringo Rigby in the finals. Finlay soon lost the championship, but later pinned Marty Jones to win the World Mid-Heavyweight Championship. He traded it back and forth with Jones for over two years before losing it a final time to Jones via disqualification. He defeated Jones to win Joint Promotions' British Light Heavyweight Championship. In the second half of the 1980s, he defeated Frank "Chic" Cullen on television for the British Heavy Middleweight Championship, but later lost it to Danny Collins. In 1990 he became a champion at the top of the weight range when he won All Star's British Heavyweight Championship. Finlay often competed on ITV's World of Sport programme as Dave "Fit" Finlay on which he had many matches against Jones, Collins, Big Daddy (whom he fought on TV during coverage of the 1984 and 1986 FA Cup Final matches) and "The American Dream" Steve Adonis, as well as on Williams' Welsh language wrestling show, Reslo, for S4C.
During this time, Finlay also began to wrestle in Japan, then in Germany and Austria for the European promotion Catch Wrestling Association, alongside Paula, who was sometimes billed as Princess Beautiful. While holding the British Heavyweight championship, he teamed with former rival Marty Jones to win the CWA tag title from Tony St. Clair and Mile Zrno. The two would later team back home in the United Kingdom after Jones turned heel in 1992. After losing the British championship to Dave Taylor, Finlay began to focus more on the CWA, winning many of their championships.
Finlay teamed with Mark Rocco and Murphy in a 1989 WWF dark match in London, defeating the team of Al Perez, Dusty Wolfe and Tim Horner.On July 3, 1993 he defeated Robert Fasser for the vacated the CWA Intercontinental Title. On November 25, 1995 he defeated Paul Roma for the CWA Mittelgewicht Championship. He left the CWA in December 1995 and went to World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
In 1996, he returned to CWA after a stint in WCW. He dropped the CWA Mittelgewicht Championship to Franz Schuhmann in July of that year. His last match with CWA was in September 1997 and returned to WCW. The CWA Intercontinental Title was vacated in October 1998.