David Finlay, the son of legendary wrestler Fit Finlay, is sending shockwaves through New Japan Pro Wrestling.
In today’s C-Block Finals, David Finlay defeated AEW Star Eddie Kingston, making him the top-point scorer in his block. This came after hard-fought victories over HENARE, Tomohiro Ishii, Mikey Nichols and EVIL.
Despite losing to Shingo Takagi and Tama Tonga, Finlay still found himself at the top of the table, even though he was tied on points with EVIL. His sixteen-minute victory over EVIL earlier in the tournament secured him the top billing.
This is The Bullet Club leader’s second foray into the famous NJPW G1 Climax. However, it is his first occasion qualifying from his group. He will now go on to the tournament’s Quarter Finals, where he will face off against B-Block runner-up Will Ospreay.
The last time David Finlay and Will Ospreay faced off was at NJPW Burning Spirit 2022, where Ospreay defeated Finlay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title. This memory will no doubt fuel Finlay as he looks to push past Ospreay to the Semi-Finals on Thursday.
Joining David Finlay and Will Ospreay in the Quarter Finals are SANADA, EVIL, Kazuchika Okada and Hikuleo. After the D-Block concludes, two additional wrestlers will be added to the Quarter Finals, with the first and second-place finishers advancing.
When Did David Finlay Become The New Bullet Club Leader?
David Finlay’s leadership of the Bullet Club began when he attacked former leader Jay White at NJPW Battle in the Valley. Jay White had only recently lost a “Loser Leaves Japan” match to Hikuleo, which forced him out of NJPW.
After the assault, Jay White’s former manager Gedo gave David Finlay his blessing to become the seventh leader of the Bullet Club, stating that “Bullet Club needed a rebel.”
Elsewhere in the G1, Zack Sabre Jr has debuted a new finishing move with a very tenuous British reference.