My Take VI: Finlay

[Little Jerry Lawler]

From the mean streets of Ireland, Dave Finlay has been wrestling for nearly thirty-five years. He's wrestled in Japan and Germany before coming to the U.S. to join WCW from 1996-2000. Some notable accomplishments while there include winning the WCW World Television Championship in May of 1998.
When WCW was bought by WWF, he began training new wrestlers.

He started wrestling in the WWE full-time in 2006 where he beat wrestlers such as Bobby Lashley, Chris Benoit, and William Regal. He won the United States Championship from Lashley and defended it several times before losing it in a Triple Threat Match to Mr. Kennedy. Now he can be seen in ECW with his son Hornswoggle entertaining kids and staying in the title hunt. I believe he can be WWE or WHC champion someday because he is tremendously underrated.

Finlay can put on a good match with anybody and if he was on Raw or Smackdown and ECW, you would see more of this. I believed he was going to get a push after Wrestlemania 23, but the Vince's illigetimate child angle imploded. Hornswoggle was stuck with Finlay and resulting in his face turn. This is where I believe he lost his chance to win a major title. He has decent mic skills and was damn good as a heel but ever since pairing up with Hornswoggle, he doesn't look the same. I still believe he can be WWE or WHC champion if he ditches Hornswoggle and goes back to being a heel but maybe that's just not in the cards right now.

So do you think Finlay can become a major title holder by the time he retires or do you think he should stay where he is enhancing young talent on ECW?

 

[TheOneBigWill]

You know, I first truly got a look at Finlay when he was in W.C.W. Back during the Chris Benoit/Booker T. feud, I didn't originally like how they entered Finlay into it, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised.

Outside of that little bit though, he didn't really make a splash in the company. He had a brief stint with Brian Knobs in W.C.W.'s failed attempt at their Hardcore division, but to my knowledge I don't think he ever once wrestled during that time. I think an injury put him out.

When he entered the W.W.E., I was surprised because I'd heard rumors of him being injured and it was career-ending. Obviously those rumors were wrong. (then again, H.B.K. had a "career ending" back injury, and he's still using it to fall on a lot these days)

Finlay is nothing more than an on-television trainer. He's helping the younger talent to get ready for bigger things. He hasn't truly been any type of importance since possibly the King Booker era. Sure, he's mainly a cornerstone in today's E.C.W., but in honesty people care more to see Hornswoggle than they do Finlay.

I truly wanted to see a brawl between him and Mark Henry. Now I just wish they'd quit wrestling each other all together. Finlay as a face plain and simply doesn't work. He's got a brawlers attitude buried within him, and he's having to hide it to play the role of a "Father" to a midget. I guess that's swallowing some major pride.

In the end, Finlay won't amount to anything is my guess. He's just above being a jobber, and his biggest claim to fame may either be his T.V. title reign in W.C.W. (when it meant something) or possibly a United States title reign in W.W.E.. he'll get another shot at the E.C.W. Championship, against Jack Swagger most likely.. but I'd be shocked to see him win it.

To answer your final question, if I haven't already.. No. I don't think Finlay will ever win another major Championship. I think he's only still on television so they can use Hornswoggle until that runs out. He's only good anymore to help younger talent. And until they turn him heel, he won't be the slightest bit interesting.

My only next hope is a possible reunion w/ William Regal, in some type of odd "Blue Bloods" reformation. But at this point, I think that's more wishful thinking.

 

[klunderbunker]

Finlay isn't someone that's going to win world titles or be the focal point of a program. He's good in the ring and will rarely make mistakes. That's exactly what ECW needs. He plays a decent enough character and gives the young rookies someone that can help them through a match and that they can learn from. It's either this or running FCW where almost no one will ever see him. He won't win anymore titles, but I think this is the best he could ask for. He's on tv practically every week, he's in a fairly prominent role on ECW. What more could he expect?

 

[Trance Metaphor]

You also have to consider his age. He's no Ric Flair. Sure, he can still go and that alone is impressive, but to hold a major title at this point in his life? I just don't see it with all of these young up and comers ascending with massive potential. Back when he was wrestling in WCW, I was surprised at how good this guy was with countering. He was a technician. He still is, but it's being buried by Hornswoggle's presence and as mentioned, he isn't his true self. I personally want to see him lose Hornswoggle somehow, team up with someone and win the World Tag Team Championship. At least that title has a lot of historic prestige to it. That's as close to getting to a world status title for Finlay. Otherwise? Nah. Underrated? Yes. World Champion material? Not today.

 

[Father:_Polley]

Finlay in the ring is solid and he gets the job done. Who was the first guy to get the most out of Bobby Lashley and make him look solid in the ring? Finlay. He's solid in the ring and easily one of the most dislikable heels on the roster when he was heel.

The problem Finlay has is a small one... literally. The midget is annoying, and makes Finlay look weak in the ring since he doesn't work as well as a face. I miss evil Finlay.

I've a second problem... Do people from Northern Ireland really sound that bad on TV?

As for his ability to be a champion, I don't see him holding anything else but the ECW title, and even then he'll just win it from Swagger to get him over. Fact is, Finlay makes people work better because it takes a lot to beat him and he is easily the most consistent man on roster.

 

[ZAPX4V1]

Finlay and Regal would be a good tag team for Smackdown