David Finlay Is Determined to Close Nic Nemeth’s New Chapter in NJPW

By: R. Faliani

As the IWGP Global Champion David Finlay recovers from his injuries sustained in the brutal Dog Pound Match between the United Empire and the Bullet Club War Dogs, Nic Nemeth, previously known as Dolph Ziggler, steps into the cerulean blue for the first time in his career, and he’s willing to defeat Finlay and start a new chapter with the best intro possible. Finlay, on the other hand, does not believe Nemeth has what it takes.

【新日本】ドルフ・ジグラー改めニック・ネメスが初参戦へ決意表明　「俺のレスリングの第２章の幕開けだ」｜東スポWEB https://t.co/js5TedXZUA

— 岡本佑介@東京スポーツ新聞社 (@okamotospo) February 22, 2024

In today’s press conference for NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo, Nemeth and Finlay had a brief exchange of words, with Nemeth cashing in on the importance of this match for his career, and what it means to him as a wrestler who didn’t get the chance to show his true potential. When asked about this match specifically, and based on the report from Tokyo Sports, Nemeth took it upon himself to address the significance of this bout:

“Tomorrow is the most important match in my career. This is the beginning of the second chapter of my wrestling.”

“I respect everyone involved in wrestling, but not Finlay. Finlay had a great match on January 4th, but he spit in my face.”

NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo 2024 Preview

Nemeth was clear with his intentions surrounding this match for the IWGP Global Title, and he declared he was going to be the next champion and elevate the value of the title and the IWGP brand as a whole. Finlay answered these declarations with a calm and relaxed tone, treating Nemeth as just another guy:

“I am not completely healed from my injury. My whole body is still sore and I’m full of wounds. But I don’t think Nic will be a match for me tomorrow.”

This calm tone only hid Finlay’s opinion on Nemeth as a wrestler, and what he believes is the value of whatever he did in his career. The IWGP Global Champion didn’t have time for Nemeth’s chatter, and he decided to make things more personal:

“What have you accomplished in that time? All you’ve accomplished is getting fired from your job. Tomorrow, if you can prove something to me, do it.”

The conference ended with an ominous atmosphere, with a match that has become more personal than just a little brawl. For Nemeth, this match is practically his test of might in uncharted territory, but for Finlay, this is just another day on the job, and as Bullet Club leader, he needs to defeat Nemeth.