A finisher is a key part of a wrestler’s arsenal. It’s almost like an extension of their personality. It is sometimes accompanied by some theatrics, which adds flair to it. It is of utmost importance to the wrestler as much as cutting a promo. Sometimes finishers help establish a superstar in the company.
A finisher is the final move of a superstar, which is generally at the end of the match. The superstar’s finisher plays a huge role in impressing the fans. A finisher should be unique and hard-hitting. There have been a lot of amazing finishers across the decades in WWE. Here are 10 of the best, in no particular order:
1) Frog Splash
The move made popular by the likes of Eddie Guerrero, RVD, and Rey Mysterio is now widely used by superstars across brands. This involves the wrestler ascending the ropes and landing a body splash on a prone opponent. It used to be the forte of high-flyer wrestlers, but wrestlers like Kevin Owens rely on the move as a signature. Bronson Reed uses a variant as his finisher and the Usos too. It requires impeccable technique to perform the move.
2) Spear
Perhaps the most used move on this list. Spear is very much like a football takedown. The top superstars that use this move are Roman Reigns and Edge. They rely on the move as a finisher. The move was popularized by the likes of Goldberg and Rhyno. Goldberg’s spear was painful to watch owing to his football background. Bron Breaker is often seen throwing a malicious spear as well.
3) Tombstone Piledriver
The Undertaker is synonymous with the WWE. When there is a conversation about an Undertaker match, there is the Tombstone. The Tombstone Piledriver is an iconic finisher in the WWE. Post the infamous Steve Austin neck break, piledrivers were banned in WWE, the exception being the Tombstone, as both The Undertaker and occasionally Kane were able to perform the move safely.
4) RKO
There is just something about the move. Yes, the move was basically the Diamond Cutter, but over the years, Randy Orton has perfected the art of hitting the move absolutely out of nowhere. There’s a certain beauty to the move, and over the years, it’s given WWE Universe countless OMG moments. The fact he was able to take something like The Cutter and give it cult status is just a testament to Randy Orton, the performer.
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5) End of Days
Baron Corbin is criminally underrated. He is considered one of the safest in-ring workers. Corbin also has an impressive arsenal of moves, which include his finishing maneuver, The End of Days. The move is just pleasing to the eye, and he performs it with quite an ease and is safe for the person taking the move. His balance while performing the move on opponents of different sizes makes it all the more impressive.
6) F5
The name Brock Lesnar sends chills down the spine of any fan. The man is a specimen of strength and freakish power. It is only fitting for him to have a finisher like the F5. He hoists people on his shoulder and throws them down after spinning them with authority. A flat-out display of power and his ability to pretty much hit anyone with the move makes it even more impressive.
7) The Last Ride
When The Undertaker transitioned into the American Badass gimmick, there was a small period of time where he didn’t use the tombstone. Granted, he’s never injured anyone with the move, but there was always a possibility. Hence came The Last Ride.
The move was basically a Powerbomb, but after lifting them onto his shoulders, Taker would further hoist them above his head and bring them crashing down. It looked absolutely devastating, especially if the person taking it was much smaller. Considering the fact that Undertaker was nearly 7 feet tall, the elevation the person taking the move got was wild.
8)Chokeslam
The go-to finisher for giant men. It was simple to perform and looked very effective, especially when the big men did it. The Undertaker, Kane, and the Big Show have all used chokeslams to win matches.
9)The Curb Stomp (Stomp)
Seth Rollins was perhaps the first member of the Shield to quickly build an identity of his own outside of the stable. He was always a capable in-ring performer, and he had a finisher that was easy to perform yet looked devastating.
In fact, there was a time when the Stomp was banned and Seth resorted to moves like the Pedigree to finish matches. The move was easy to perform. All he had to do was drive the opponent into the mat by stomping on him. Simple yet effective.
10) The Stunner
The Stunner was more of an extension of Stone Cold’s character. It was a very basic move that was aided by the theatricality of the person taking it. But the fact that it was associated with Austin made the move work. Currently, Kevin Owens uses it as a finisher.
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