The Natural Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Credit to @Ramsey giving me this idea. The finisher is just that. There's good and bad. I'll start on the positives... Bret Hart's Sharpshooter is legendary, that gets my vote for best submission finish. The best finishers are able to be used on anyone, finishers which come out of nowhere too. I'm thinking Jake Roberts' DDT and especially Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter. I like wrestlers who have a pinfall and submission finish. Daniel Bryan's Yes Lock/running knee, Sting with the Scorpion Deathlock and Death Drop, Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver with Hell's Gate etc. The Lariat by Stan Hansen and Kenta Kobashi stand out. Vicious. Same goes for Kobashi's Burning Hammer. For the worst, anyone who uses the Playmaker/Play of the Day qualifies by right. Ditto for the fucking Stroke. I don't like the Downward Spiral/Mic Check or jumping one. The only type I liked was Kanyon's and more than anyone's, Bray Wyatt's Sister Abigail. John Cena's loose STF is naff. There's also the talking point of more finisher kickouts and how it weakens the move. The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver was protected with few kicking out. Now you had a run from Edge at WrestleMania XXIV to Bray Wyatt from WrestleMania XXXI kicking out. Not many kicked out of Cena's FU/Attitude Adjustment but that's changed. To my knowledge only two people kicked out Bryan's running knee. In the WrestleMania XXX Triple Threat, Bryan nailed Orton with it but Batista threw Daniel outside of the ring and the delay meant Orton survived. The other was Roman Reigns at Fastlane 2015. Isn't Brock Lesnar the only man to kick out of Reigns' Spear? That happened at WrestleMania XXXI. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurningBeard Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Best finishers to me, as a kid, depended on whether or not I could do them to my friends on grass. Texas Cloverhold remains a favourite, it was like the best of a boston crab and sharpshooter. DDT when it's done right is absolutely perfect, althought the only people I've ever seen do it right are Jake, Raven and Arn Anderson. I quite liked Barry Windham's jumping DDT he used in 93, and Cactus Jack's double-arm DDT was a nice variation but his execution was squiffy. I'm also a sucker for a piledriver used as a finish, but again I've only seen a few people give it that lethal look - Lawler, Orndorff, Dibiase and Bret all give it that perfect combo of spring and impact 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 28 minutes ago, CreativeControl said: Best finishers to me, as a kid, depended on whether or not I could do them to my friends on grass. Texas Cloverhold remains a favourite, it was like the best of a boston crab and sharpshooter. We've all done the "Don't try this at home or anywhere". 28 minutes ago, CreativeControl said: DDT when it's done right is absolutely perfect, althought the only people I've ever seen do it right are Jake, Raven and Arn Anderson. I quite liked Barry Windham's jumping DDT he used in 93, and Cactus Jack's double-arm DDT was a nice variation but his execution was squiffy. DDT's a rightful classic. Jake Roberts is the first one that comes to mind. Arn's and Raven's after. You mentioning the running DDT, I like Undertaker's when he used it. The Double arm DDT is my favourite variation of the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 I know the move divides opinion but I like the Rainmaker. The Phenomenal Forearm is a current day favourite, looks graceful and the impact of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomAct Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Easily the worst finishers are when signature moves like the Worm or People's Elbow start pinning people. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurningBeard Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I can never hate the People's Elbow, it always got a massive pop out of me and my friends 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultimo Necro Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 As a kid the Tombstone and Big Boot/Legdrop were so well protected they are my favourite finishers. Probably add in the Macho Elbow. The Perfect-Plex is my all time favourite though, just a thing of beauty. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolCB Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 My vote for worst, is anything convoluted. I.E. the Canadian Destroyer. In my eyes, it has to be something you can watch one person pull off on a prone opponent without the exposure of them helping you. I could be wrong, and might be, but that's just my perception. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Not finishers per se, but I can't stand "signature counters" because they're just too business exposing in their need for obvious cooperation. For example, women who never ever did top rope moves would suddenly think they're Superfly Snuka against Trish Stratus so she could do the Stratusphere. Ditto Samoa Joe's corner Uranage. See also: You Can't Powerbomb Kidman! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofuture Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Current worst finisher is Jay Lethal's Lethal Injection/ any cutter move that involves the person who's taking have their head magically move right into the other guy's arms. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyld Samurai Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Worst finisher currently is Kalisto's something del sol. Any move thst requires the person taking it to do the heavy lifting is just horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.K.o.S. Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 For best, I'll say the Eliminators' Total Elimination. Also Kawada's Stretch Plum, which really looks painful to me. Like if you wanted to rip a guy's head off his body, that's how you might try doing it. The topic of Tombstone kickouts always makes me think of Sasuke and Ultimo no-selling Tombstones at J Cup '95. It looks ridiculous, but it was one of the first things that made me think about the concept of a finisher being protected. Part of the reason it seemed so ridiculous is that I was so accustomed to a Tombstone being a guaranteed death move from watching Undertaker matches. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurningBeard Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Speaking of Tombstones, and I don't know if you guys ar well versed in Finlay's pre-America career, but his tombstone looked downright brutal at times 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Favorite: K-Driller/Rikishi Driver. Awesome, super-hurty looking, protected like hell (I think Matt Hardy was the only one who ever kicked out of it). No one ever said the 400 pound dude's SIT-OUT PILEDRIVER didn't look hurty enough. Least favorite: anything that requires the victim to stand there while time stands still waiting to take it from someone. Like when Brutus Beefcake started using the Stunner while he was in the NWO and held his opponent in it for days before hitting the damn thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuetsar Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I always loved a good piledriver. And I have a softspot for the "Stun Gun", Steve Austin's old finisher, and the Rude Awakening. . . . 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offspring515 Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 That horrible double stomp Del Rio uses is the dirt worst. Takes me completely out of the match every time. Conversely the pop up powerbomb is every bit as business exposing and contrived as the double stomp, but I love it. May have to do with my KO fat guy bias. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwoy2j Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 1 hour ago, Technico Support said: Not finishers per se, but I can't stand "signature counters" because they're just too business exposing in their need for obvious cooperation. For example, women who never ever did top rope moves would suddenly think they're Superfly Snuka against Trish Stratus so she could do the Stratusphere. Ditto Samoa Joe's corner Uranage. See also: You Can't Powerbomb Kidman! I loathe the 619. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 1 hour ago, nofuture said: Current worst finisher is Jay Lethal's Lethal Injection/ any cutter move that involves the person who's taking have their head magically move right into the other guy's arms. Holy shit. Yeah, I hate that move, especially Lethal's execution of it. Guy stands there frozen, maybe swaying from side to side waiting for it like a character in MK waiting for a fatality while Jay signals for it and goes into the convoluted setup. It is only cool if a flippy dude uses it as a counter once in a while. As a finisher it's awful. Doubly so because the guy doing it is a heel and, as such, shouldn't be doing flashy shit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurningBeard Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I'd flat out refuse to take that move if I was facing Jay Lethal. Absolute bollocks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammo~! Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Worst is still The Overdrive. There was a period of time where every WWE guy from around 2003-2007 was given that as a finish until they could come up with something better. I'm also not a fan of spears done by anyone not named Goldberg or Rhino. I've always loved The Diamond Cutter and Stunner, both are quick, come out of nowhere and look like death if sold properly. Shout outs to the Steiner Screwdriver too, which is one of those instant death moves Speaking of instant death moves, people lose their shit over the Burning Hammer. So there's that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyanide Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 17 minutes ago, Sammo~! said: Worst is still The Overdrive. There was a period of time where every WWE guy from around 2003-2007 was given that as a finish until they could come up with something better. I'm also not a fan of spears done by anyone not named Goldberg or Rhino. Agreed on the Overdrive as the absolute pits. Also the Spear was killed for me when Edge started doing it, and it's only gone downhill since. 7 hours ago, The Natural said: The Phenomenal Forearm is a current day favourite, looks graceful and the impact of it. Definite co-sign on the Phenomenal Forearm being, well... you know. I especially love the slow-mo replays with the full pullback, extension, and leg kick for flair. I've been a big fan of a good, quick, solid strike as a finisher for a long time. A quality running boot, KENTA's Busaiku Knee, Nakamura's Boma Ye/Kinshasa, Regal's Knee Trembler, Shibata's Penalty Kick, Nakajima's Death Roll, Cesaro's Very European Uppercut, anything Hero decides to paste someone with. (On that note I'm also a sucker for fireman's carry drops into knees/kicks: the Go2Sleep, the Gut Check, the Kick to Kill/Benadryller variant.) I also really like a good Liger Bomb or sit-out powerbomb variant - impactful and great for transitioning straight into a pin attempt. As far as other "grapple"-type finishers go, my favorites over the last few years have probably been Sister Abigail (I think the strength and size of Bray make the reverse swinging STO look much more devastating than when used by junior-types in the past) and Goto's Shouten Kai (just visually impressive enough in the transition to not look like it's going overboard on the opponent's assistance, and sounds awesome on impact with the way the ring is usually mic'd). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyld Samurai Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I think i still love Macho's Elbow Drop. The suspense, the way hed pop right back onto his feet 1/2 a second after landing... the height he would get in his prime... the craziness in his eyes... it worked against guys of every bodytype... it didnt require any silly setup or assistance. The perfect finisher. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Any of WWE's "jump up into the air, grab a guy by the head in some awkward way and slam him to the mat" finishers can all eat a dick. The Zig Zag, Paydirt and whatever R-Truth calls his move all suck ass. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 I fucking hate finishers like the Overdrive that don't even remotely look hurty and I especially hate finishers like the Diamond Dust and the Spanish Fly / C4, where the guy taking the move just screams, "Hey, I am helping!" Implausibly ludicrous finishers like the Canadian Destroyer and the Hart Rate infuriate me. I am a mark for nerve holds so I give most claws, the Asian Spike / Ice Pick, and the Tongan Death Grip a pass even though they are somewhat business exposing and I love all sudden insta-death moves like piledrivers, spinning neckbreakers, power bombs, and lariats with extra extra love for Buddy Landell's Corkscrew Elbow Drop, KENTA's Busiaku Knee Kick, and Arn Anderson's Gordbuster.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Hansen's Lariat is pretty much what I equate with a Nuke. Hell that turnbuckle lariat is still the ultimate "Well Kobashi's officially dead" moment. I'm also a sucker Liger's standing palm blow as a finisher. there was that time he killed Ohtani and Ohtani being Ihtani sold it like absolute death. I mean there was no question Ohtani was not going to get up I miss Arn Anderson just for the sheer variety of his finishers. The most graceful yet impactful spinebuster, his incredible snap DDT and by god I'm gonna give the Gordbuster some love! A lot of people are throwing love to Jake Roberts and Arn for the DDT but another king of the DDT was Shinya Hashimoto. He did a wicked standing Dangerous DDT early on that can I only assume he stopped using because some guys just won't take that bump on the top of their head. Hell even his version of the reverse DDT looked gnarly as hell James 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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