Full Career Retrospective and Greatest Moments for Finlay

"My name is Finlay, and I love to fight," the theme music of Irish tough man Dave "Fit" Finlay would announce before the grizzled veteran made his way through the curtain, a shillelagh in hand and a disturbing smile enhanced by the missing teeth.

One of the toughest workers to ever lace a pair of boots, the second-generation star transcended international competition to enjoy considerable success in both World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment at different points throughout his critically acclaimed career.

Whether he was waging war with Booker T and Chris Benoit over the Television Championship in Ted Turner's company or challenging the likes of Batista and The Undertaker in Vince McMahon's, he was a legitimate worker whose contributions to the industry went far beyond what he accomplished between the ropes.

A trainer whose mind for the business led to the golden age of women's wrestling, he was key in the development of Hall of Fame inductees Lita and Trish Stratus.

A future Hall of Famer himself, Finlay's influence is still being felt today as he continues his role in WWE's backstage.

In celebration of his career and accomplishments, relive his greatest matches and moments with this special retrospective.

International Journeyman

There was no major glitz and glamour for Finlay early in his career. The bright lights and big stages of WWE and WCW were nowhere to be found as he broke into the industry in 1974, filling in for a wrestler unable to make his scheduled appearance for Finlay's father's promotion.

That fateful night in his native Ireland kicked off a career that would span five different decades, include matches all across the globe and feature the second-generation wrestler accumulating titles in nearly every promotion he worked.

His travels took him through the United Kingdom, into Germany, across Australia and even into Japan. Along the way, he learned his craft and developed the reputation as one of the most skilled and tough wrestlers in the industry.

Along the way, he worked with some of the most respected stars across the Atlantic, wrestlers such as Marty Jones, Dave Taylor and Steve Adonis.

He even worked a dark match for WWE in 1989 but was not signed to a contract at that time.

Finlay would continue making his name overseas, pummeling opponents and establishing himself as one of the elite performers not already signed by one of the two major promotions.

That would change in 1995.

The Belfast Bruiser

Arriving in WCW in 1995, Finlay underwent a name change, becoming the Belfast Bruiser and almost immediately targeting another veteran of the European wars, Steven Regal.

Together, they engaged in some wild, hard-hitting and high-impact brawls that completely changed fans' perception of Regal. No longer did they see the Brit as some stuck-up elitist from Great Britain. Instead, they came to respect his toughness, which was on display as the two beat the unholy hell out of each other on a weekly basis.

They would clash at the Uncensored pay-per-view in March 1996 as well as in a Parking Lot Brawl on a memorable episode of Monday Nitro.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the New World Order over the summer of that year forced the Brawler into the background, and soon, he disappeared from television as a result of WCW dissolving him into the midcard.

Television Championship and Finlay Goes Hardcore

1998 saw the resurgence of Finlay. After nearly a year of doing nothing, he returned to television and instantly found himself in the mix for the WCW Television Championship, a title that had seen its prestige restored, thanks to a rivalry between Booker T and Chris Benoit that spawned several outstanding wrestling matches.

Finlay would defeat Booker for the title that May, kicking off a three-way feud over the gold.

Unfortunately, his return to relevance was short-lived, as he dropped the championship back to Booker at that June's Great American Bash pay-per-view. 

While he would continue to kick around the midcard, it was clear that management again had lost interest in pushing the Irishman as a legitimate threat to any of its most prestigious titles.

The arrival of a hardcore division in WCW appeared to be just what Finlay needed to return to championship glory by the time 1999 rolled around. Instead, it would be the division that nearly ended his career.

During a Junkyard Invitational during the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, Finlay sustained an injury so bad that he nearly lost his leg. It was a crushing blow for the competitor, whose career appeared to be cut short. Proving double tough, though, he rehabbed and returned to the squared circle just in time to see the company go out of business.

Training the Girls

Following the demise of WCW, Finlay began working for WWE as a trainer. A skilled wrestler with decades of experience, he had much to offer one of the most talented rosters in the industry. Rather than working in developmental or helping lay out main event matches, WWE put Finlay in charge of training the company's Divas roster.

Though he admitted during a 2002 episode of WWE's Confidential program that he thought he was being ribbed by management, he took on the assignment and set out to make the best performers he possibly could.

Approaching each Diva differently, he brought life to their characters, helping to mold their in-ring work to fit their personas.

He saw Jazz as a Mike Tyson-like wrestler, someone incredibly dangerous and ferocious whom he helped put together a move set for that worked to that personality. He developed Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly and Victoria and, in the process, was responsible for what many consider the golden age of women's wrestling in WWE.

When he returned to the squared circle in late 2005, leaving the Divas to be trained by his peers, it was clear that his influence was absolutely key to the success of the women earlier in the decade.

His Name Is Finlay...And He Loves to Fight

At age 48, Finlay returned to the squared circle, becoming a full-time worker for the SmackDown brand in 2005. A tough Irishman whose journeys across the globe and status as a second-generation wrestler became the emphasis for his character, he worked as a heel, finding himself on the opposite side of the ring from the likes of Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Kane and even the Undertaker.

It was obvious that he was still very much a respected worker and that management trusted him to deliver when paired with some of the industry's biggest stars. And he rewarded that trust, becoming a huge success story in 2006.

In short order, Finlay found himself working televised main events, often pairing with the likes of King Booker and William Regal in the world champion Booker's feud with Batista. At No Mercy in October, he even headlined the show in a Fatal 4-Way match for the heavyweight title.

Finlay's return was a legitimate success. Then, writers conceived the bright idea to introduce Hornswoggle to the mix. A mini wrestler, WWE referred to him as a "leprechaun" and gave him the name "Little Bastard" initially. When that name was deemed offensive, the company switched it. Regardless of what WWE called him, the act got over with the audience and helped propel Finlay toward a babyface turn by the time 2008 rolled around.

When it was revealed that Hornswoggle was the illegitimate son of Vince McMahon, a rivalry between Finlay and John Bradshaw Layfield kicked off, leading to a Belfast Brawl at WrestleMania 24, won by the tough Texan.

Together, Finlay and Hornswoggle would remain a valuable part of WWE television throughout the remainder of his WWE stint. Whether it was on Raw, SmackDown or ECW, fans and industry officials saw Finlay as an elite ring worker who could be paired with anyone and deliver the goods when necessary.

He would leave WWE in 2011, then return a year later, continuing his work behind the curtain.