THE 10 BEST WRESTLING FINISHERS OF ALL TIME
#10 Canadian Destroyer
The first time you see Petey Williams land a Canadian Destroyer in the ring you have to ask yourself if what you just saw was actually possible. The momentum, timing and athletic ability a performer needs to pull this off is astonishing. Now factor in what his opponent must think when he is spinning and about to land head and neck first into the mat!
Shop The Move
#9 Figure-Four Leglock
Has there ever been a better performer both in and outside of the ring than Ric Flair? A true in-ring innovator, Flair utilised the Figure Four Leg Lock to finish his opponents by submission. Once his opponent was down, the trademark strut starts to a massive pop of “Woo” from the thousands in attendance, Flair then grabs one leg, wrap’s the other around and applies pressure to the knee and that’s all she wrote! WOOOOOOOO!!!
Shop The Move#8 Crossface Chickenwing
Throughout the 1970’s and early 1980’s, Bob Backlund was the face of the then WWF. His finisher was the Crossface Chickenwing, a move that restricts the flow of blood to an opponent’s head, rendering them unconscious within minutes. Backlund would later go on to lose his title to none other than The Iron Sheik, which raises the question... which finishing move was more successful, Iron Sheik’s “Camel Clutch” or Bob Backlund’s “Crossface Chickenwing”?
#7 Swanton Bomb
If you watch any highlights clip from the Attitude Era you will no doubt see Jeff Hardy fearlessly throwing himself from numerous heights, in what is still one of the most death-defying moves in pro-wrestling, the Swanton Bomb. Each time Hardy sets himself up and signals the two guns, you still hold your breath and hope the timing is perfect, as he flips forward and free-falls facing away and lands on the poor soul unlucky enough to be underneath. It doesn’t matter if it’s off the top rope, the top of a cage, of a cell, a ladder, or even the titantron, no height is out of reach for Jeff Hardy and the Swanton Bomb.
#6 Pedigree
When Hunter Hearse Hemsley first appeared on the scene, there was no doubt that the industry had a future star on its hands. Although the thing that stood out most about this athlete was his finishing move; The Pedigree. A move that conquered countless adversaries by driving them face first into the canvas with the whole weight of Hunter providing the force! Fast forward a few years and Hunter Hearse Hemsley would join forces with Shawn Michaels and Chyna to form D-Generation X and become Triple H. Throughout the Attitude Era, Triple H became a main contender in the WWF roster and would go on to win an astonishing 14 heavyweight titles with his finisher!
Shop The Move
#5 Sharpshooter
Some say you can still hear the screams coming from underneath that suburban Calgary residence. Some of the greatest talent in pro-wrestling came out of the Hart “Dungeon”, but none could ever compare to the excellence-of-execution, Bret “Hitman” Hart. The Hitman was the complete package and had one of the sickest finishers in the game, the Sharpshooter! A back-breaking leg lock that left his opponent’s no other option but to tap out and in doing so, won and regained numerous titles in the process, putting him into consideration to be the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be!
Shop The Move#4 Powerslam
Pontiac Michigan. 1987. Arguably the most famous body slam in wrestling history takes place at WrestleMania III. Fans across the globe could feel the animosity in the air that evening and the 93,000 in attendance were on their feet as both contenders entered the ring and finally stood face-to-face. The match saw Hulk Hogan taking the best Andre the Giant had to offer, then finally as Hogan was getting the better of the Giant, he signalled to the crowd he was going for the slam. With all the strength he could muster, he picked the 520 lb Giant up and slammed him onto the canvas, securing the pin and reclaiming the WWF World Heavyweight title!
Shop The Move
#3 Flying Elbow Drop
Wrestlemania IV saw Macho Man Randy Savage take on The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. The match was a showcase of the best in-ring entertainers 1988 had to offer. After a back-and-forth battle with plenty of outside interference, Macho Man finally subdued the Million Dollar Man and pointed to the rafters of Boardwalk Hall to signal he was going ‘up-top’. Macho Man scaled the ropes, poised himself on the turnbuckle to take a second to let the moment sink in, he then leapt into the air to land the Flying Elbow Drop of the century to secure the gold and cement his legacy in the wrestling history books!
Shop The Move#2 Stone Cold Stunner
King of the Ring 1996. Steve Austin defeated Jake Roberts in the final to win the tournament. In his post-match interview he went on to state “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!” and Stone Cold Steve Austin was launched into superstardom and cemented the Attitude Era! Austin’s finishing move is the Stone Cold Stunner. You could say this move was perfect, he could pull it off in the blink of an eye and get the pin. During the Attitude Era there wasn’t an episode of Raw in which you didn’t see him “Stun” at least five superstars on the roster.
Shop The Move
#1 Tombstone Piledriver
As the lights dim across the arena and you hear the infamous bell toll, you know the Deadman is in the building and whoever is in the ring is about to have a really bad time. The Undertaker is a true living legend of professional wrestling, an entertainer who has managed to reinvent himself numerous times to remain at the top of the pile in top-level professional wrestling. The Deadman has arguably the coolest finishing move in the history of pro-wrestling; The Tombstone Piledriver. This is everything you need in a finishing move, it’s dramatic, dangerous and it puts people to sleep!
Shop The Move
