AEW news, Berlin, David Finlay, More

• Arie Alexander was also used in an extra role backstage, appearing in Mercedes Mone’s segment.

• Former NWA talent Joe Alonzo was security in the MJF/Daniel Garcia segment, and was the security guard who "noped" out during the Moxley/Marina Shafir segment.

• Those that we spoke to were very happy with Daniel Garcia's performances at AEW All In and Dynamite this week. We've not yet heard an update on his status.

• For those that inquired, Grizzled Young Vets working AEW US shows doesn't give any hint to their contract status as of yet. They're now based in the US.

• A reminder, you can see early access to our interviews on tier 2 of Fightful Select.

• Fightful is dropping an interview with Maven Friday, and Willow Nightingale next week. Both, in addition to Bobby Steveson are already up for tier 2 members.

• Fightful will have staff at next week's BLP Combine show, AEW Grand Slam, AEW All Out, WWE Bash In Berlin, as well at September 11 AEW Dynamite. If you have any live notes from shows you attend, drop us a message here.

• Most of the WWE European tour cards have been the same, but Gunther has went back and forth defending against Sheamus and Ilja Dragunov.

Finlay

Fightful caught up with David Finlay, the IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, and Bullet Club War Dogs leader. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp spoke with Finlay ahead of his upcoming six-man tag team match at New Japan’s Capital Collision in Washington, D.C., this Friday. Finlay jokes with Sean about being he [Sean] is fortunate to have NJPW Global Champion on his show.

Sean mentions New Japan's increasing presence in the United States and the success of Finlay’s achievements and leadership. Finlay reflects on the evolution of New Japan Strong, especially from the pandemic era when matches were filmed without audiences.

Finlay discussed his recent defeat to YOSHI-HASHI at the G1 tournament. YOSHI-HASHI  pinned him after Finlay had lost the semifinals, eliminating his chances of making it to the G1 finals. It would set the stage for YOSHI-HASHI’s challenge for Finlay’s IWGP Global Championship.

Finlay said he appreciates the G1's return to a 20-man, two-block format, finding it more prestigious than recent changes. However, he acknowledges the physical strain it imposes on participants. Despite losing in the semifinals, Finlay expresses satisfaction with his performance, emphasizing that the demanding nature of the tournament aligns with his resilience and dedication to wrestling. He said it is a tough tournament and believes he slept in 15 different hotels in 20 nights.

Sean highlights Finlay's busy schedule, noting how Finlay kicked off the G1 tournament shortly after a lengthy match against SANADA. Finlay clarifies that there were a few weeks in between, giving him time to rest at home, although he admits he prefers staying active to avoid rust. He shares that he feels more confident and sharp when consistently wrestling, indicating that long breaks can hinder his performance.

Finlay discusses the importance of staying active and getting regular reps to maintain his wrestling skills. He notes that long breaks often lead him to attend more training sessions, such as going to Tampa to train with Natalya Neidhart and TJ Wilson, whom he praises as long-time family friends. He mentions that his connection with them dates back to their early wrestling days when they wrestled at a DSW event at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Finlay shares that he lived in Tampa for a period during the pandemic and would get some reps in at their gym. Finlay says Neidhart and Wilson have been family friends for decades. 

Sean brings up Finlay’s early career, mentioning a notable match from 2012 where Finlay wrestled against Big Van Walter, now known as WWE’s World  Heavyweight Champion, Gunther. 

Finlay said that the match marked his official entry into professional wrestling. Finlay recounts how his father [Fit Finlay]  was gone from the WWE and asked him to participate in what was to be his father’s last match. He said this led to his debut in Germany, where he wrestled Big Van Walter in a singles match before teaming with his father in a tag team main event, a memorable introduction to the wrestling business. He laughed and said that Big Van Walter beat the shit out of him.

Finlay reflects on his early years in wrestling, including tours and matches with notable names such as Johnny Swinger, Andre Chase, Sam Adonis. He recalls meeting Jay White in England before heading to New Japan. Finlay said that he and White were in the New Japan Dojo together. Finlay emphasizes that early on, he wasn’t fully aware of the significance of wrestling in Japan or its challenges, highlighting that his dedication helped him and others succeed. 

Sean mentions Finlay’s breakout year, beginning with Wrestle Kingdom, where Finlay competed against Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay and defeated both. 

Sean mentioned that AEW had shown interest in having Finlay wrestle their top talent, specifically Hangman Page. Finlay noted that New Japan and AEW's relationship is good for wrestling as a whole. He added that having other people show up in different places is always cool to me, but he says he is a prize fighter at the end of the day.

Finlay mentions his familiarity with Hangman from their time in New Japan. He notes that the companies may change in wrestling, but the talent often remains the same, making it feel like a continuation of old rivalries.

David Finlay discussed his experience teaming with Gedo, someone he once faced in his early matches in New Japan. Despite their past rivalry, Finlay acknowledged Gedo as a master in the wrestling world. Finlay also shared that a change in attitude helped him and that Gedo’s advice was instrumental in achieving his goals.

Finlay spoke about New Japan's approach to stipulation matches, which are relatively rare in the promotion. He reflected on the challenges of leading the Bullet Club, describing it as drinking from a poisoned chalice but seeing himself as the right person to tackle the task. Finlay recognized that other members like Gabe Kidd, Alex Coghlan, and Clark Connors also needed help to gain traction.

Finlay expressed pride in his recruitment abilities, indicating Gabe Kidd as one of his most successful picks. Finlay said if ESPN did a grade for his pick, he would get an “A+.” He mentioned seeing Kidd's potential early on, making him the first recruit for War Dogs.

Finlay addressed the existence of various Bullet Club factions, including Bullet Club Gold and the OC, and clarified that he does not recognize their legitimacy. When he took leadership of Bullet Club, Finlay excommunicated all other groups, positioning War Dogs as the only true representation of Bullet Club. Finlay says anyone unaligned with his group is not part of his Bullet Club.

The fourth-generational wrestler reflected on the state of Bullet Club when he joined, noting that it had lost its edge. He felt the need to reinstate the group’s tough reputation, taking action to ensure that leaving or joining the group was marked by clear consequences, a standard he felt had slipped in recent years. Finlay recounted his journey of proving his worth by fighting against former members like Jay White before officially joining the club, underscoring his commitment to restoring the group's legacy.

He discussed the opportunity he had working with Yota Tsuji at the G1. Finlay admitted that losing was not ideal but bolstered his confidence. He acknowledged Tsuji’s talent and growth, which he witnessed firsthand from Tsuji’s early days in the dojo. Finlay praised New Japan's ability to develop and reload talent effectively, particularly after losing English-speaking stars. He took pride in being part of a group that was ready to step up, mentioning the readiness of his fellow War Dogs. 

Finlay expressed a strong sense of pride in carrying the mantle for New Japan, seeing himself and his group as the company's saviors. He mentioned that his Titantron at WrestleKingdom said in bold letters “Savior of the Company.” Finlay says he is committed to returning New Japan to its former glory and making it the top wrestling promotion again.

Finlay also touched on Mustafa Ali's recent appearance in New Japan, noting that while Ali is undoubtedly talented, he does not fit the War Dogs' mold. He said Ali's victory over Hiromu Takahashi, one of the top junior heavyweights, was impressive. Still, Finlay highlighted that Ali’s personality and moral code do not align with the War Dogs’ lifestyle. Finlay said, “He's a good Muslim boy. He sticks to his morals. War Dogs go out, we drink, we smoke, we party,  we fight people, we say bad words.”

In closing, Sean asked Finlay if anyone in New Japan or outside the company could be War Dog material. Finlay responded by naming Shota Umino and Oleg Boltin. However, he feels they both have hearts too pure to be part of Bullet Club.

You can catch David Finlay on New Japan’s Capital Collision this Friday. He teams with his Bullet Club War Dogs Stablemates Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney as they take on Kevin Knight, Rocky Romero & YOSHI-HASHI.

Sunshine Machine Interview Notes

Following their hectic schedule across All In weekend, TK Cooper and Chuck Mambo of Sunshine Machine sat down with Fightful’s Corey Brennan to reflect on winning the Undisputed British Tag Titles, being involved with AEW All In and their other appearances across the weekend.

While speaking about Pro Wrestling Ceasefire, TK noted that the event was ‘so much fun’ and was an incredible start to the weekend, with Mambo echoing his thoughts on the event. TK jokingly referred to Sunshine Machine’s match as a ‘nepo booking’, with Chuck reassuring TK he would have been the first person contacted regardless of if they were tag partners or not. Both men praised the overall energy from the event.

On their Riot Cabaret booking on the following night, TK and Chuck both said that there seems to be a deeper connection between Sunshine Machine and the Riot audience, as they seem to be more in tune with their act than other crowds. Both men noted their gratitude to being known as the heart and soul of Riot Cabaret.

Both men were happy to finally wrestle Emersyn Jane and Rhio at NORTH ALL CAPS ALL DAY prior to their big moment at RevPro’s 12th Anniversary. Chuck referenced that the pair had come up wrestling in The Garage, and been fans in the venue throughout the years for PROGRESS shows. TK did chastise Mambo for allowing Rhio to stalling piledrive him, while also thanking her for the wedgie he received as a result. Both men did poke fun at the size of the locker room in the venue, joking that it was ‘the size of a cupboard’. Chuck also noted that it was great to see ALL CAPS ALL DAY bring three promotions together for an event on the UK Scene.

When Brennan asked the team about their big moment at RevPro and the overarching story they had built up with their tag team partnership on the line, TK explained that the story had been born out of their lackluster win/loss record in the promotion at the time and felt that it built up their bookings with the promotion and felt like the roar of the tag when Chuck tagged him in for the finishing sequence at The Copper Box was a testament to the investment in the story. Chuck also noted that the GYV are two talents that always tell a story while putting on fantastic wrestling matches.

With the conversation turning to the two men’s All In cameos, both men recalled the difference between attending in the crowd last year vs being part of the show this year. Chuck joked that his biggest worry of the weekend was finding a suit for the event. TK was very pleased with the catering backstage and getting to see people from years past like Malakai Black and Brody King. Both men commented on the fact they had wrestled in front of 4000 people the night before, and the step up in crowd size was daunting. Chuck also commented on being starstruck by the likes of Bryan Danielson.

On their final appearance of the weekend at Progress on the Monday after All In, TK told a story of how Chuck had suggested an idea of how their surprise appearance would be revealed involving their signature beach balls. However, after the first beach ball was thrown out of the entrance way, TK explained that as he and Mambo went to throw more beach balls over the stage, Mambo’s ball would hit the rigging and rebound back, hitting him in the face in what TK described “the mamboiest moment ever”, before also poking fun at Chuck being recognised for his underwear and socks during his AEW All In Cameo.

Corey also asked TK about the origins of his “HE’S SAMOAN!” spot, noting that originally he did it with Toni Storm on his own, and it took off from there with various iterations over the year. Both men discussed how the spot has changed as they’ve teamed together, and how German crowd’s don’t seem to understand the spot due to language barriers.

Finally, when asked what’s next for Sunshine Machine, TK was candid that while there are ideas at play, the two men were still trying to figure that out for themselves. However, TK did tease Sunshine Machine heading to the US, Australia and Chuck also adding in Ireland with OTT. Both men noted that winning the OTT Tag Titles are a bucket list item for them in the future.