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I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my ten favorite WWE finishers of all time. Keep in mind, these are MY favorites and MY reasoning. So please don't flame me for not selecting YOUR favorites okay? I'm talking to you, Jeff Hardy fans. I encourage you readers to leave some feedback and even your own lists in the comment section. Thank you.
- Huero
First off, I thought I'd list some honorable mentions; they all couldn't fit into the list but these moves just missed it by that much...
1) Sharpshooter (Submission), Made Famous By Bret "The Hitman" Hart
This move used to thrill me. Once it was slapped on, you KNEW it was the end of the match. Heck, the ref would just ring the bell right away; barely asking the opponent if he submitted...wait. Wow, irony IS funny! Not only was the move lethal, it was fun to watch how it was applied. It was one of those moves you tried to do as a kid because your mom said, "Just don't drop your brother on his head!". The reason it didn't make the list is because they're so many new submissions that are deadlier and nicer to look at nowadays and also because it's lost its exclusiveness thanks to The Rock, HBK, Edge, and basically any other Canadian wrestler...
2) Tombstone Piledriver (Drop), Made Famous By The Undertaker
The Undertaker has been burying his opponents for nearly two decades with this very dangerous and very real manuever. Often imitated but never duplicated (correctly—you got that Mongo!) the move can really end your career/life if not done correctly. Though, at times, impressive to look at, its own brutality is its downfall. Also, it can't always be done. Remember when 'Taker had fought a series of really big men? Yoko, Giant Gonzalez, King Kong Bundy ring a bell? He couldn't lift them up at all, and this was in his prime. We had to settle for horrible looking chokeslams...
3) Stone Cold Stunner (Attack), Made Famous By "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Oh hell yeah! Now this takes me back! Wasn't the Stunner something back in the day? I remember I couldn't wait for Stone Cold to deliver one of those bad boys to Mr. McMahon or The Rock. The Rock used to sell that thing like he was hit by a missile! I remember when those SmackDown video games first came out, I used to give the Stunner to my CAW. That's how much I loved the move. I realized, however, that it's not really a move that just anyone could take/sell; and when I had to decide whether this or the RKO should be in the list, the Age of Orton continued. Why? Simple, the RKO can come out of anywhere and doesn't require a kick to the gut...although, that kick IS cool...
Now on to the Main Event!!!
This list IS in a particuliar order and, again, are of my own thoughts and reasoning...
10) The Razor's Edge (Drop), Made Famous By Scott Hall/Razor Ramon
The only thing not more associated with Scott Hall besides his accent and sweet theme song is his sweeter finishing move: The Razor's Edge! Back in the day, this was a treat to see because it was one of a kind; only Scott Hall did such a thing. The move was also nice to watch being put together and the best part? It had its own hand signal/gesture and Scott would taunt his opponent before he'd lift them in the air. The reason why it's not higher on the list is because 1) It just took too long to apply and 2) unless Scott was strong and fresh enough, he couldn't muster the strength to lift up his opponent...
9) Perfect-Plex (Suplex), Made Famous By "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
What makes this move so special is that only a man as gifted and talented as Curt Hennig could make it look PHENOMENAL! Sure, many wrestlers today can bust out a Fisherman Suplex but none of them are on par with Curt Hennig's! Once Mr. Perfect had hit the move, the match was more than likely over. Back in the old days, these moves meant a lot more and more devasting with their impact. Which is why I couldn't place the Perfect-Plex higher. Today, in the WWE, the Fisherman Suplex is just a set up move or less...
8) Flying Elbow Smash (Dive), Made Famous By "Macho Man" Randy Savage
OOOOH YEEE-YEAH! The Macho Man is hands down, without a doubt, one of the most popular and important wrestlers of all time and his finishing move of choice, the flying elbow drop was one of the reasons why this statement can be made. In an era where hardly anyone would climb the ropes, Mr. Savage felt most comfortble there. Not only was Randy Savage a technical wizard in the ring but he could brawl, high fly and (in my opinion) give the greatest promos of all time. When he connected with his elbow drop no one was kicking out. Today, like the Fisherman Suplex, an elbow drop is not effective like it once was. Mostly used by the late Test and as a set up move for Shawn Michaels, it
is a move that only the Macho Man could really pull off....DIG IT?!
7) DDT (Drop), Made Famous By Jake "The Snake" Roberts
There was a time when one could mention Jake Roberts and no jokes could be made. It's sad for me to see a childhood hero be taken off the pedestal and fall into despair, but believe me, Mr. DDT, in his prime, was one of the best! The way he walked, the way he talked, his grasp of wrestling, was quite amazing. There isn't anybody like him and that says a lot. His famous DDT is a wrestling staple and that also shows a lot; even more so, it shows how much he contributed to wrestling. The way Jake hit the DDT was always a thing of beauty. And the icing on the cake? Wrapping his opponent with Damien (or Lucifer) afterwards! Again, the move is now somewhat less devasting and is used by almost everyone. It's special appeal, all but gone...
6) Frog Splash (Dive), Made Famous (In The WWE) By Eddie Guerrero
If I was a biased person, this would be atop the list reigning as king but luckily for you kind reader, I am not. Eddie Guerrero is not only my favorite wrestler of all time, but my role model as well. I admire the man, the wrestler, and the teacher in him. Until he had passed away, I took for granted the beauty of the Frog Splash. Chavo can barely do it and Rey? Oh God! Please, just stop it, Rey! You look more like a Seal than a Frog....Anyway, learning it from and honoring Art Barr with it, Eddie's leap was always convincing and the impact looked like it hurt! Some say that RVD's looks a lot more realistic but to me, it seems like RVD hurts himself more than anything. The reason this won't make it higher on the list is because it's a harder move to pull off; your opponent basically has to be all but knocked out to connect with. Eddie missed more than he connected, if you know what I mean. But when he did...amazing!
5) The Walls Of Jericho/Lion Tamer (Submission), Made Famous By Chris Jericho
Currently, my favorite wrestler is none other than the former Y2J, Chris Jericho. But you probably already knew that...didn't you?...parasite! Anyway, I feel like the Walls Of Jericho, or the Boston Crab, in its loose term, is a visually lethal move. More so, it's a submission move that can sometimes come out of nowhere, depending on the situation. Admittedly, Jericho seems to have toned down his finisher in the last few years; going from the modified "Lion Tamer" version to the standard one. It's not as thrilling as before but when Jericho wants to, he can make it look impressive. I really wish he would "save" it and bring back the old, more brutal version...
4) Ankle Lock (Submission), Made Famous By Kurt Angle
This may contain spoilers, so if you don't want to be "spoiled", skip this and go to #3 first. Now, the Ankle Lock was first used in the WWE by Ken Shamrock, who indeed, used it as a finisher and yes, used it effectively. If Shamrock made it dangerous, then Angle perfected its danger! The best part of Angle's version of the hold is that he can hook it whenever he wants to, given the opportunity. I don't recall Shamrock ever hooking it in any other way than the usual approach of the opponent being down on their stomach. Also, note Angle's Ankle Lock is what started the "Tapping Out" system (I believe, I may be wrong on this) but between the Ankle Lock and the Crippler Crossface, this only ranks lower because the Crossface looks a little more painful...
3) Crippler Crossface (Submission), Made Famous By Chris Beniot
Okay, before I begin here, note that I am not celebrating the man behind the move; but the move itself. No "But he killed his family!" nonsense okay? I know he killed his family. I know it was horrible. And I lost my respect for Chris Beniot. Now, about the move...I mean, just look at the picture! That looks like it hurts! The way it's applied; the way how there's seemingly no escape...look at the face of the Crippler as he applies it. He made me BELIEVE this hurt like Hell! Like the Ankle Lock, the move can also come out of nowhere, but it is far more easier for "nowhere" to come from...if that makes any sense. It sounds good in my head. It's too bad the move is basically banned now as it was a very exciting move to watch...
2) RKO (Attack), Made Famous By Randy Orton
Ha Ha! Take that, you stupid Cena! (Notices reader) Oh, hello! So the interesting thing about the RKO, to me, is that it stands for Randy's intials, "Randal Keith Orton"...so basically..."Oh my Gawd, King! Randy just hit the Randal Keith Orton on both Bella Twins! That Sumbitch! That awful man, King! By Gawd, someone needs to take this stud out behind the woodshed!". Yeah, it's a wacky name but damn it, it's EFFECTIVE! Unlike the Stone Cold Stunner, (which I think is a fair comparison) Orton can hit the move out of nowhere: Standing, on the ground, in mid-air, you name it. It does not need a set up (even though he kind of uses that Viper slither thing nowadays) and I think it is a lot of people's favorite finisher, or at least top 3...
1) Sweet Chin Music/Super Kick (Attack), Made Famous By Shawn Michaels
At long last, I give to you my pick for the best WWE finisher of all the times: The mighty Super Kick! Now, not only does the move look devastating, but it really goes well with Shawn's character and his style of wrestling. It has helped him be more recognizable and it gets the fans to interact with the move: Stomp! (1!) Stomp! (2!) Stomp! (3!). It's great to be able to countdown isn't it? The impact of the move is often amazing as you can hear his boot connect with flesh and again, like most of these moves listed, it can also come out of nowhere! Remember the great kick he delievered on the unfortunate Shelton Benjiman? Such a great usage!
That concludes my list; feel free to comment, agree, disagree or even tell me your ranked list!
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