Where the heck did 2025 go? This must be the fastest year yet. I ate, farted, sneezed, blinked, and the year is over.
On the plus side, 2025 was a great year for the wrestling world, and everybody seems to be ending it firing on all cylinders, meaning 2026 is going to start off with a bang. I know I am truly excited to see who goes where, which new stars step up to the plate, how fast Jacob Fatu climbs the ladder, and where many of these soon-to-be free agents end up. Exciting times ahead, that’s for sure.
The War Dogs Exodus: Finlay, Connors, and Moloney on the Move?
Reports suggest that David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, and Clark Connors’ NJPW contracts are coming to an end, with The Knock Out Brothers reportedly signing with WWE.
If you can hang with the best of them in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), you can hang with the best of them in WWE, AEW, or TNA. NJPW put talent like Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, and Kazuchika Okada on the map in the eyes of North American fans, and elevated talents like AJ Styles, The Good Brothers, and Cody Rhodes into the top tier. New Japan is where you go to solidify your status as a major attraction.
Both David Finlay and Clark Connors are in the same boat and now ready to spread their wings stateside, with major companies all wanting to sign them up.
Clark Connors has been featured in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) already, so there is a relationship built. Plus, his romantic partner, Thekla, is a full-time AEW talent, making AEW arguably the front-runner for his signature. While I would enjoy seeing him have a run in WWE—especially alongside David Finlay—AEW is pretty much a shoo-in. If the relationship isn’t the deciding factor, I can see him choosing whichever contract benefits him the most financially.
David Finlay landing in WWE is the obvious choice given his father, Fit Finlay, and brother, Uriah Connors (Brogan Finlay), work there. There is history between the Finlay family and WWE, making it the perfect landing point to show the world he did this all by himself. He worked hard to make a name for himself, becoming a wanted man by promotions across the globe.
From an optics standpoint, David has the WWE look and vibe that will help get him over with the audience, while his in-ring work will bring it home. WWE just has so much to work with here from a storyline standpoint. I would bend over backwards to secure him before AEW swoops in. Because he has family within the company, whichever contract works the best for him and his future will be the winner, and I just hope that is WWE.
The theme here continues with three more members of the Bullet Club War Dogs seemingly on their way out. Drilla Moloney’s contract is close to being up, and rumors speculate Yuto-Ice and Oskar (known as The Knock Out Brothers) have already signed on the dotted line with WWE, who are reportedly looking to bolster their tag team division.
The duo will bring “Strong Style” to the North side and are almost guaranteed to usher in a new dawn for WWE’s tag division. While WWE currently has quite the roster of tag teams, The KO Bros will be the ones to truly elevate it and show why tag team wrestling has always been incredible to watch. The dream matches I am envisioning already can headline any PLE in the not-so-distant future. Get your popcorn ready because shit is about to get real.
Drilla Moloney already has ties with both WWE and AEW, having competed for both companies at one point or another. Drilla worked with NXT UK and got to mix it up with some of the best, but as we know, WWE shut down that brand and Drilla ended up going to NJPW, where he really elevated his career.
While in New Japan, Moloney was able to work with AEW as part of the AEW-NJPW working relationship and even had a match at Forbidden Door, where The War Dogs unsuccessfully challenged The Acclaimed for the AEW World Trios Championship (alongside Clark Connors & Robbie X).
Again, this one will be tough to predict. I guess it all comes down to which company lays out the best plan for his career. We shall see where he lands, but I am super stoked to see the impact they will have on the wrestling world on a much bigger platform.
What Happened to Britt Baker?
We all agree here: WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?
Tony Khan has stated he would love to have her back in AEW, which is an oddball statement itself. Doesn’t Tony have the power to do whatever he wants since it is his company? There is obviously more than meets the eye here.
Unfortunately, we live in an era where everything is shared. We all know about the incident she had with MJF and his girlfriend Alicia Atout, her horrible match with Mercedes Moné, and that “Nobody cares” comment towards Serena Deeb. The world knows she screwed herself. Britt screwed Britt.
Look, CM Punk had “attitudinal” issues there and look at him now. I think WWE would be wise to snag her if the time comes. They have many options here if they want to test the waters before fully committing to her.
Start her off in NXT. See how she carries herself both inside the ring and working at the Performance Center. NXT has a solid Women’s Division and will lose a few key members over the next year or so. By adding Baker to the mix, the division wouldn’t look weak.
WWE could also have her start in TNA. Their division is deep and experienced, so she would fit right in. The roadblock here is that TNA already has one “problem child” (aka Tessa Blanchard), so TNA executives might not want to rock that boat while Tessa is trying hard to rebuild her image.
If AEW won’t use her, WWE should give her an opportunity. It will give her a chance to show the world what she can do. Mistakes happen. Or, she can go there, “copy and paste” her behavior, and damage her career to the point that companies won’t sign her.
At the end of the day, AEW should release her, and WWE should sign her. Then it is up to her to control the narrative on how her career ends up.
Why I Rant About WWE More Than AEW
I constantly see on the internet that “Tony Khan is a mark,” and that drives me absolutely wild. If he wasn’t, then why should he be in this business? “Oh, I hate hockey, but I want to play in the NHL”—that makes no sense.
Why don’t I rant about AEW as much? Because unlike many on the internet, I am allowing Tony and his company to grow, make mistakes, and find their spot in the biz before jumping down their throats.
Look at the many sports websites (much like the Sports Illustrated wrestling awards in my previous rant) and you will see how AEW dominates them. If you break down each company, you will see that All Elite Wrestling has been pretty spot on.
I hate when people blast AEW for their storytelling because they are comparing them to WWE. I like AEW as is. It is different, and it feels like the exact opposite of WWE, which it should be. If it was more like its competitor, why would I tune in?
While the length of their PPVs makes for a solid argument, the matches never disappoint. The wrestlers themselves look motivated to give it their all every time they step through the curtain, and it shows.
The other constant theme is that their roster is too large. While I agree, it is Tony’s money and up to the talent to speak up if they are underused. While it is large, he does well trying to spread the talent out amongst all of their television shows, whereas WWE runs the same formula week after week.
I do think all this talk about the backstage environment plays a major role in why fans bash the company. Again, it is because we live in an era where people use social media to vent their frustrations, and the fans eat it all up. I take it at face value.
The one issue where I sided with the wrestler is CM Punk’s AEW run. I used to be a major Punk fan, had numerous DVDs from his indie days, and was beyond excited when he first signed with WWE. We all know how that went, and I became bitter towards him, thinking he was just a cocky, arrogant man who thought he was bigger than he was.
I inserted my foot into my mouth almost instantly when things started coming out about him in AEW. I felt bad for him because he was being mistreated, and egos from the talent started to appear because Punk—who is a major draw—”took their spot.”
Then came the whole fight with Jack Perry; he was fired, which led to his WWE return. I was excited for that. We got the CM Punk I loved, and I could watch his matches and listen to him cut promos all day long. It was perfect.
That fight really put AEW in a negative light. There is no way to come back from that other than just letting things heal, but things keep popping up about the culture backstage. I think it is up to not only Tony Khan but also the veterans to step in and put an end to the unnecessary drama.
Talent like Cope, Christian Cage, MVP, Paul Wight, and Jon Moxley need to have a group meeting and tell everybody to keep their opinions to themselves, stay off the internet, and leave any baggage at the door. As soon as they walk inside the arena, they all need to be aligned with Tony Khan’s mission for the company. If not, then they need to leave.
We all know every job has troubled employees, and the wrestling business is the same. Plus, when you add in money and stardom, plus the fact everybody wants to be the main event talent, egos clash. But if everyone works as a team, it won’t matter if your match is first, fifth, or last—everybody wins.
Ego, immaturity, and unprofessionalism should be left at the door.
Alrighty folks, that’s all she wrote. I just want to say thanks for reading and following all of our articles here at All Your Wrestling. Thanks for allowing me to blab about different things, which causes me to get even more excited about the wrestling business. Because of you all, my brain-brian (inside joke) is constantly trying to come up with new ideas for writing. I guess having ADHD has its perks sometimes!
Have a Happy New Year, and I hope you all have an incredible 2026.
Cheers,
Nick Whitworth
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