Dave Finlay David John " Fit " Finlay Jr . ( January 20 , 1958 ) is a Northern Irish road agent and retired professional wrestler . He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and WWE ( formerly known as World Wrestling Federation ) as an active wrestler and later as a road agent . Finlay has held over twenty championships around the world throughout his career , including the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship . Career history . Finlay began his wrestling career in Carrickfergus , Northern Ireland , before moving over to Great Britain in 1978 . While in England , Finlay wrestled for various companies under the Joint Promotions banner . Finlay defeated Alan Kilby on June 9 , 1982 to win his first title , the Joint Promotions British Heavy Middleweight title . The belt was traded back and forth with various opponents over the rest of the year , but in early 1983 , Finlay lost it for the last time . He then won a tournament to crown a new British Light Heavyweight champion and fill the vacant position , defeating British Legend Ringo Rigby in the finals . Finlay soon lost that belt , but gained another , beating Marty Jones to win the " World Mid - Heavyweight title " . He traded it back and forth with Jones for over two years before losing it a final time to Jones via disqualification . Later , Finlay once again defeated Marty Jones en route to winning Joint Promotions ' British Light Heavyweight title . He won a major British title ; All - Star ' s British Heavyweight Championship . Finlay often competed on ITV ' s World of Sport programme as David " Fit " Finlay . During this time , Finlay also began to wrestle in Germany and Austria for one of the biggest companies in Europe , the Catch Wrestling Association . While holding the All - Star title , he teamed with his old foe Marty Jones to win the CWA tag titles from Tony St . Clair ( the man from whom he won the All - Star title ) and his partner , Miles Zrno . After losing the All - Star title to Dave Taylor , Finlay began to focus more on CWA , winning many of their titles . World Championship Wrestling ( 1996 – 2000 ) . 1996 - 1998 . Before his current run in WWE , Finlay was best known in the United States for his run in WCW from 1996 – 2000 , first as The Belfast Bruiser , a nickname he had previously used while in the UK , and later as " Fit " Finley . His momentum began during a feud with Lord Steven Regal in 1996 , including an infamous parking lot brawl on WCW Monday Nitro during which Finlay got glass in his eye , leading to him wrestling with an eye - patch for several months . In 1998 , he won the WCW World Television Championship and feuded with the likes of Chris Benoit and Booker T . Before long , he was a well established midcarder with his newly modified name , both in spelling and pronunciation , Fit Finlay . Finlay also feuded with Alex Wright due to the fact Alex was mad at Finlay for ending the wrestling career of Alex Wright ' s dad Steve Wright . The feud led to Halloween Havoc where Finlay lost to Wright . 1999 - 2000 . Near the end of his WCW run , he won the " Hardcore Junkyard Invitational " at " Bash at the Beach 1999 " , winning a " hardcore trophy " . However , he legitimately suffered a badly lacerated nerve in his leg during a hardcore match at a house show in Jackson , MS , in July 1999 , which nearly cost him use of the leg . As he was wrestling Brian Knobbs , he was thrown into a table in the corner of the ring , causing it to shatter and the shards to cut his leg . He managed to regain use of the limb and came back later in the year , but by that point , all momentum he had from the Junkyard Invitational win was lost . In 2000 , Finlay formed a trio of " Hardcore Soldiers " with Brian Knobbs and Al Green . They feuded with Vampiro ; the feud included a match between Finlay and Vampiro at Uncensored 2000 , which marked Finlay ’ s last appearance on a WCW pay - per - view . His final match in WCW was at a German house show in November 2000 , losing to Norman Smiley in a hardcore match . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2004 – 2011 ) . 2006 . Finlay began work on a comeback in 2004 , even wrestling in a match against Jamie Noble at a house show in Glasgow , Scotland , and promos began airing for his impending in - ring return in December 2005 . His gimmick is that of a proud native Irishman who loves to fight . His first televised WWE match was on the January 20 , 2006 airing of " SmackDown ! " against Matt Hardy , which ended in a disqualification loss for Finlay . After the match , Finlay dragged Hardy to the steel ring steps and smashed Hardy ' s face into them with his boot , quickly establishing himself as a heel . This helped to give him the nickname , " The Fighting Irish Bastard " . Finlay continued to establish himself on the " SmackDown ! " roster . During February and March 2006 , Finlay was involved in an intense feud with Bobby Lashley which began when Finlay cost Lashley his unbeaten streak by interfering in Lashley ' s match with JBL at No Way Out . This feud would see the pair brawl on many occasions , including a parking lot segment in which Lashley tried to overturn a car onto Finlay . Later , the pair competed in a Money in the Bank qualifier Lumberjack Match that Finlay won . During this time , Finlay began to wield a shillelagh as a weapon . On April 2 , Finlay competed in his first WrestleMania , WrestleMania 22 . He faced five other WWE Superstars , from both the " RAW " and " SmackDown ! " brands in a Money in the Bank ladder match . This match was eventually won by then " RAW " superstar and former ECW superstar Rob Van Dam . Finlay next entered the King of the Ring tournament on " Smackdown ! " , defeating his first round opponent Chris Benoit before being beaten by his rival Lashley , who advanced to the finals at Judgment Day . Finlay helped the other finalist , Booker T , defeat Lashley in the King of the Ring finals . At the same pay - per - view , Finlay lost to Chris Benoit . Beginning on the May 26 episode of " SmackDown ! " , Finlay was joined by The Little Bastard who came out from under the ring to attack Finlay ' s opponents . Finlay joined forces with William Regal as loyal subjects of the newly renamed King Booker and his Court . Both men were later " knighted " by the King , and Finlay used the name Sir Finlay . During his time as part of the court , Finlay picked up a win against World Champion Rey Mysterio in a non - title match before defeating the court ' s main foe Bobby Lashley to take Lashley ' s WWE United States Championship . Finlay defended the championship on several occasions , often with help from Little Bastard , and even defended it against fellow court member William Regal at The Great American Bash . He lost the title to Mr . Kennedy on the September 1 edition of " SmackDown ! " in a triple threat match that also involved Bobby Lashley . After the title loss , Finlay continued to attack and wrestle threats to court leader King Booker and his newly won World Heavyweight Championship , including Lashley and Batista . Finlay defeated King Booker in a non - title singles match and lost in a four way match at No Mercy for the title . After leaving the court , Finlay continued to feud with Batista . On the November 10 edition of " SmackDown " , he returned to fight Batista in a singles match which he lost after Batista pinned him following a Spinebuster . At Armageddon , Finlay and King Booker faced Batista and his partner , the WWE Champion John Cena from RAW , but were defeated . 2007 . At the 2007 " Royal Rumble " , Finlay participated in his first Royal Rumble match . He drew number 2 and started out against the number one entry , Ric Flair . He was eliminated 12th by Shawn Michaels . Shortly after the Royal Rumble , Finlay began a feud with The Boogeyman . At No Way Out , he and Little Bastard defeated The Boogeyman and The Little Boogeyman . Finlay earned a place in the Money in the Bank ladder match at " WrestleMania 23 " ; however , Mr . Kennedy won the the match . Following this , he would feud with Mr . Kennedy , after an attack on Little Bastard ( now known as Hornswoggle ) during the Money in the Bank match , and Jamie Noble for assaulting Hornswoggle after he won the Cruiserweight Championship . However , Finlay ' s feud would quickly redirect to Kane after Finlay spilled coffee on him . The two also became involved with Batista and The Great Khali . At " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " , he and The Great Khali lost to Batista & Kane . Kane beat him at " SummerSlam " . Finlay defeated Kane in a Belfast Street Fight rematch a few weeks later . Finlay and Hornswoggle briefly separated when Hornswoggle was stripped of the Cruiserweight title , thus making a full face turn and moving to " RAW " with his " illegitimate father " . Finlay then feuded with Rey Mysterio by attacking him during a confrontational interview with John " Bradshaw " Layfield . At " No Mercy " , Finlay would fake an injury after taking a bump to the outside . Once placed on a stretcher , Finlay suddenly rose and attacked Mysterio , forcing Rey to be carried out on a stretcher . The feud continued at " Cyber Sunday " , where fans voted for the two to face - off in a Stretcher match . Mysterio came out on top , but Finlay would retaliate with a victory on the November 9 edition of " SmackDown ! " The feud intensified further when the two faced on opposite teams at " Survivor Series " . Finlay would then reunite with Hornswoggle by coming to rescue in a match against The Great Khali , effectively making Finlay a face ; while retaining their mischievous , rule breaking nature , the two became fan favorite underdogs . At " Armageddon " Finlay was placed in a match with The Great Khali . Finlay scored an upset win after Hornswoggle interfered by hitting Khali in the groin with a shillelagh . 2008 . Finlay continued his feud with The Great Khali in 2008 . Still battling Khali and his translator Ranjin Singh together with Hornswoggle , he qualified for the 2008 " Royal Rumble " . He drew number 27 , but was immediately disqualified when he entered before his time and hit Big Daddy V and Mark Henry with his shillelagh to save Hornswoggle . Hornswoggle was disqualified as well . Finlay fought in the Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out , ultimately being pinned after a Chokeslam on the steel floor by The Undertaker . Finlay began making occasional appearances on RAW to protect Hornswoggle from Mr . McMahon who had been showing him " tough love " . After Hornswoggle was injured ( kayfabe ) in a Steel Cage match by John " Bradshaw " Layfield , Layfield revealed that Finlay was Hornswoggle ' s father , and not Mr . McMahon . A week after , on March 3 , Finlay admitted this . At WrestleMania XXIV he was defeated by JBL in a Belfast Brawl , where Hornswoggle also reappeared . 2009 – 2011 . He was traded to the SmackDown brand on June 29 , 2009 . His first match returning to the brand was against Ricky Ortiz , which Finlay won . He went on to form part of John Morrison ' s team at Survivor Series , but he was eliminated by fellow Irishman Sheamus . In late 2009 , he began pursuing the Intercontinental Championship , feuding with Drew McIntyre . In 2010 , Finlay became a full - time trainer and agent , thus semi - retiring him , though he still competes occasionally at house shows . On the June 4 edition of SmackDown , Finlay returned in a SmackDown Battle Royal to determine the new number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship , but he was unsuccessful in winning . On the November 12 edition of SmackDown , after another few months of hiatus , Finlay returned as a lumberjack for the match between Edge and David Otunga . He retired in 2011 . On March 29 , 2011 , Finlay was released from his WWE contract . Return to WWE ( 2012 - present ) . Following a stint in the independent circuit and a year after the house show incident , Finlay returned on July 11 , 2012 as a backstage producer . The two sides had been negotiating since " WrestleMania XXVIII " , but there were situations that delayed the deal being finalized . Finlay made a cameo appearance on the 20th Anniversary " Raw " episode in January 2013 . He was one of the officials who separated The Rock and CM Punk ' s brawl . He then appeared on the WWE Active set on the WWE App to talk about the Elimination Chamber Match . Personal life . Finlay was previously married to his former manager , Princess Paula Finlay is currently married to a German woman and has three children , the eldest of which , David , was born in Germany . He lives in southern Georgia . Both Finlay ' s father and his grandfathers were professional wrestlers , and his sister was a referee .