EXCLUSIVE: David Finlay talks career goals, growth, and favorite matches (part three)

David Finlay says that he is constantly thinking about different ways he can improve on a daily basis.

In an exclusive interview with PWTorch Assistant Editor, Zack Heydorn, Finlay talked about how he can grow as a wrestler, what his goals are in the wrestling business, and some fun detail on his favorite matches.

“That’s a question I ask myself on a daily basis,” Finlay said of trying to find ways to grow as a wrestler. “I want to improve daily and that thought is what drives me. I want to keep doing hard things, I want to keep having hard matches, and I want to keep being put in high pressure situations. I live for that. The best way to grow is to constantly test your limits. I want to do this every chance I get.”

In terms of the goals that Finlay has for himself, he says that beating Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship is number one. He also says he wants to become a world champion.

“My immediate goal is to beat Will Ospreay for the IWGP US Championship in Kobe,” Finlay said. “Although I’ve had a few championship matches, I have yet to win a singles championship of my own. That’s something that really bugs me and fuels me. The US title has been held by guys like Kenny Omega, Jay White, Jon Moxley, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Cody Rhodes, and obviously the current champion is Will Ospreay. I want my name to be added to that list. Long term, I want to reach a level that nobody else is on. I want to be undeniably great. I want to be the guy that everybody wants to beat. I want to be world champion. Beating Will Ospreay for the US title is one hell of a milestone  towards that goal.

Finally, Finlay openly discussed which of his own matches are his favorite and which others stand the test of time with him.

“I think I’m most proud of my win against Juice Robinson and my win against Will Ospreay, both from this years G1,” Finlay said of his own favorite matches. “Beating Juice was a real personal moment for me because I fought my heart out against someone I considered a brother at one point and I came out on top. It took place at Korakuen Hall, which has seen all my successes and failures. Korakuen has seen a majority of both Juice’s and my journey, so it felt poetic to beat Juice there. I also was proud that in the last few moments of the match I could hear fans start to gasp and make noise.

“Beating Will Ospreay was something nobody thought I would do. He beat me in our previous singles match and went on to win multiple championships after that. He’s arguably one of the best wrestlers in the world and has had an incredible career. He’s won almost everything you can win overseas. The pressure was definitely on that night and I felt that at the beginning of the G1 a lot of people doubted me, wrote me off, or thought I peaked. So, to prove everyone wrong felt incredible. I’ve been saying I’m one of the best wrestlers in the world, so to prove it by beating one of the best wrestlers in the world feels incredibly rewarding. It didn’t matter that nobody believed me. I believed in me and that’s part of what makes me dangerous.”

My all time favorite match would have to be Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25,” David Finlay said. “It has everything I love about pro wrestling. My favorite match that I saw live would have to be A.J. Styles vs Hiroshi Tanahashi during the 2015 G1 Climax. I was a young boy at the time, so I was ringside and I remember losing my mind at how good both men were. I had just started my career, so the thought of being that good one day just didn’t compute. Now, I strive to be better than both of them.”

CATCH-UP: EXCLUSIVE: David Finlay talks in detail about his G1 Climax tournament experience (part one)