Yardbarker
x

The 10 worst finishers in the WWE

Finishers can make or break a wrestler’s career. Having the right finisher can be the difference in reaching main event superstar status and jobbing in dark matches. Sure, you need the right character and personality, and of course, some in-ring skills help as well, but if you have a dope finisher you already have a head start on your competition. Unfortunately for the 10 WWE superstars that follow, that’s not them. They range from veterans to up and comers to current champions but what they all have in common is their finishers are straight booty. 

10. Alberto Del Rio – Top rope double foot stomp – First things first, this finisher that Del Rio has been using since his return to WWE looks dope. It looks brutal, is executed crisply and fits his striking style. But the reason it makes this list is the amount of suspension of disbelief that it requires. The set up has the opponent hung on the middle rope face up. But the person taking this move has to hold his body up by hanging onto the top rope in order for Del Rio to be able to stomp them. It would be fine if they were flailing or trying to escape instead of just staring him in the eyes, propping themselves up. And if they didn’t hold onto the top rope at all he wouldn’t be able to execute the move. If anyone has seen him wrestle before they should know what comes next, it makes no sense. In wrestling, it’s natural to have some things you have to overlook but the psychology has to make at least some sense in order for it to pay off.

New finisher: Katsuyori Shibata’s Penalty Kick – Del Rio’s kick offense already looks sick so it just makes sense to add another as his finisher. The Penalty Kick looks cool, has the striking element that Del Rio does so well and isn’t used by many people. Plus, he could use his superkick as a setup nicely.

9. Kevin Owens – Pop-up Powerbomb – For as good as Kevin Owens has been since coming to the WWE, it’s weird to see him on any kind of worst list. This is nitpicky for sure. The Pop-up Powerbomb is a fine finisher, but it isn’t the best that Owens has to offer and that’s why it’s on this list. It suffers from the dynamic nature of his other moves. It’s not realistic to see someone kick out of a Swanton and a Fisherman Buster but then be defeated by the Pop-up Powerbomb. The momentum that was created with the previous moves doesn’t reach a crescendo but instead a slight dip. Plus having to throw his opponents into the ropes first doesn’t make for the smoothest or the most sensible setup, especially since they are supposed to be extremely beaten down at that point.

New finisher: Steen Breaker – It’s easy to say that Owens should be using his indie finisher of the Package Piledriver but that would never be allowed in WWE. But he does have the Steen Breaker in his arsenal and has been able to use it in both NXT and on the main roster. The Steen Breaker is just devastating looking and screams something special, which is where the Pop-up Powerbomb falls short. Owens can still use his old finisher as a signature move hereafter just with a shiny new destructive finisher.

8. Luke Harper – Discus Clothesline  – Luke Harper is a freaking monster, not in the Brock Lesnar unstoppable force kind of way, but in the he can do almost anything in the ring way. But his finisher suffers in much the same way Kevin Owens’ does. Because he can do so many different things in the ring, the Discus Clothesline, while still a very nice move, feels ordinary. He’s never used the Discus clothesline as a finisher until he came to the WWE but it should still be in his arsenal because he pulls it off so well. Instead, it should come as a momentum stopper or a signature move as opposed to being the deathblow. Since right now his Discus Clothesline tends to act as a momentum stopper for the action leading up to it.

New finisher: Sitout Powerbomb – Harper is an easy solve as the perfect finisher for him is already in use as a signature move, he just needs to flip the order that he uses them. He used this as a finisher during his long indie run and it’s easy to see why. The force he slams people down with is startling. It makes sense for him to use it if only so he can yell his creepy, “yeah yeah yeahs” and taunt before hitting his finisher. With his clothesline there's no crowd cue, even with finishers that are hit “out of nowhere” like the RKO or the Brogue Kick they still have specific gestures that play to the crowd, but Harper’s clothesline does not.

7. The Miz – Skull Crushing Finale – There isn’t one glaring thing that is wrong with this move per se, it just doesn’t look as good as it should. Before we go any further it should be said that this is the best finisher Miz has had during his WWE run. That’s not saying a whole lot but it is a good sign for him that his finishers are getting incrementally better. It may be part of WWE protocol about taking the move but on the way down to the mat the person taking it clearly puts his hands in front of his face. This probably has to do with who takes the move as well but there is too many times where the move looks bad because the person doesn't takes it all in the arms. He seems to be moving into more of a manager/interviewer type lately but can still work and a new finisher could give him that second life in the ring.

New finisher: AJ Styles’ Styles Clash – Two things here: one is that whatever his new finisher would be it needs to involve hitting his opponents face into the mat somehow, which this does. This adds to his whole gimmick where his face is too good to be hit but others are not. And two, he already has taken Ric Flair’s Figure-Four, so he might as take another well-known finisher without concern. The concerns are obvious. The Styles Clash has critically injured two people so far so it is unknown how the WWE would react to someone using it although before the incidents with Styles, former Diva’s Champion Michelle McCool used it as her finisher. And with AJ Styles’ now headed to the WWE, there is no chance that Miz would actually use this finisher. That said, the Miz just needs a finisher that finally looks dope and that’s just what he would get with this. 

6. Big E – Big Ending – The Big Ending isn’t seen too often these days since E works mostly in the tag team division with the New Day. They use a version of it as their team finisher but that has the added bonus of Kofi or Xavier also hitting a diving DDT so it looks a lot better. The concept of the move isn’t bad as a variation on the usual gutwrench powerbomb/suplex, so it’s pretty unique. The problem with the move is that the end of it has his opponent land square on Big E’s chest with little to no impact on his opponent’s body. Everything about the move looks like it should do a lot of damage until it gets to the end. Chris Jericho even said it was his favorite finisher to take because it was like landing on a pillow. There's nothing wrong with your finisher being wrestler-friendly, but it better not come off that way in the execution and unfortunately for E it really does.

New finisher: Val Venis’ The Money Shot – This is the perfect finisher for Big E to go with. He's athletic enough to go to the tope rope for a move but also with how big he is just a splash would look very painful. The move itself is perfect for him but also take with it the person he’s emulating. The New Day as a whole but especially E have their dancing and hip gyrations on point, so why wouldn’t he incorporate that into his finisher just like Venis. Plus can you imagine Woods playing the trombone while E climbs the ropes and gyrates before leaping into a splash? That’s worth the price of admission on its own.

5. Braun Strowman – Yokosuka cutter – Braun Strowman has been a force since appearing on TV in WWE, he doesn’t have a wide assortment of moves but he really doesn’t have to because he's a massive human being. Basically everything he does seems like it legit hurts, but the weak link is his Yokosuka cutter. It’s a little out of place with all of his usual vicious strong man moves like his shoulder blocks or his throws. It doesn’t really fit because it doesn’t add to the monster mystique, he looks awkward having an opponent lay on his shoulder and head, it almost makes him look smaller because his head is scrunched down a bit and his face is obscured by the body. And being a member of the Wyatt’s he can't afford to have anything take away from the aura of the family and the tone they are trying to set.

New finisher: Cobra Clutch Slam – This would serve two purposes one, it gives him a devastating looking finish that would look good on big or small guys. And two it could replace his choke now, which looks kind of weird. He could use the Cobra Clutch to rag doll and choke his opponent unconscious like he does now, but then immediately follow it up with the slam to make it all the more emphatic. It also lets the camera and crowd see directly into the eyes and face of his opponent, which would give the opponent another chance to sell the move and Strowman and add to the overall brutality.

4. Brie Bella – Bella Buster – While her sister Nikki has skyrocketed up the Divas division thanks to an improved move set and a monster finisher, Brie has plateaued and basically just jobs to everyone. She has a big following from 'Total Divas' so with an updated move set and a jump up in ringwork Brie should be able to elevate her status in the division. Since she is used to put over other Divas she doesn’t get to show off her Bella Buster very often anymore. But really you're not missing much. This move is a throwback to old WWE where women move sets were afterthoughts because you don’t need moves in an evening gown pool match and were usually simple low impact mundane moves.

New finisher: Shining Wizard – Brie has already morphed some of her offense in the style of her husband Daniel Bryan like taking his kicks, but she should really go all the way and use a version of his finisher as well. Yes, AJ Lee did use this in her time with the WWE but most people remember her for using the Black Widow, plus she’s gone now and Brie desperately needs a fresh finisher. It’s an easy enough move to perform that doesn’t require her to go out of her comfort zone. It would also play off of her running knee strike that could be the setup. And since it’s a rough looking move on a kneeling opponent it can be a more heelish finisher for someone who WWE can't decide is a face or heel.

3. Naomi – The Rear View – There was a time that this move actually fit Naomi’s skills and personality. But that was a long time ago, when Funkasauruses roamed the earth. Now as a wrestler as opposed to a valet, Naomi needs to update her prehistoric finisher. Someone who is as athletic as Naomi shouldn’t have a finisher that relies on an opponent running into her ass. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have a place in someone’s offense, but the people who use it (see Asuka), don’t use it as a finish to a match. But even if you ignored that, the biggest problem is that this is a comedic move for someone who is supposed to be a heel now. The apparent leader of Team B.A.D who dishes out serious post match beat downs shouldn’t have a finisher that is supposed to make you laugh.

New finisher: Booker T’s Harlem Hangover– This comes back to her athleticism, whatever her finisher should show off her greatest strength. And this is a move that does just that. Any top rope move is going to automatically set her apart from the other Divas in the division because no one has an aerial finisher. Plus it isn’t super flashy where it would be too babyface of a move for a heel. The only question is if she has the ability to pull it off consistently because this is a move that needs to be executed precisely to avoid injury. But if she can pull off things like this then it shouldn’t be a problem.

2. Big Show – Knockout Punch – You can kind of see the thought process with this finisher. Big Show is a giant and has a giant fist so naturally if he hit you with it you might die. But that’s where the thinking ended because everything else about it doesn’t really make any sense. Because his finisher is something literally everyone else uses as regular offense Show has to resort to using chops or headbutts or punches but to the stomach but no punches to the face early in the match. When in reality he should just be trying to punch everyone from the outset. That’s forgivable though, there has to be some suspension of disbelief as to why people don’t try to hit their finishers immediately. But what makes this finish truly god-awful is that it probably looks believable five percent of the time. He either whiffs completely or has little to no wind up. It’s just all-around atrocious and one of the worst finishers in WWE or anywhere.

New finisher: Chokeslam– What makes this so frustrating is that Show pushed aside a perfectly good finisher for this punch. Yes this is nothing new as he's used this for basically his whole career but there's a reason for that. The chokeslam just works for him, as he is able to get people high off the ground and then goes down to the mat as he slams them to really sell it. Not to mention he wouldn’t have to worry about actually hurting someone, which is why the Knockout Punch suffers, because he wouldn’t be striking anyone. Show gets a lot of grief and downright hate from fans, a lot of which is undeserved, for pretty much everything he does but fixing his finisher would go a long way to rehabilitating his mystique.

1. Dolph Ziggler – Zig Zag – When you're finisher is even lamer then the Big Show’s Knockout Punch, you know you're doing something just depressingly bad, and unfortunately for the Showoff he is. At least you know Show’s finish is a punch to the face, whereas what the hell is this move? It’s basically Dolph pulling his opponent down by the shoulders, which is pretty much the weakest finishing move you could think of. The person taking this move essentially just falls down. What is this supposed to hurt? The opponent’s back? His head? Even his opponents don’t know because they don’t sell any area. Ziggler himself is the one that looks like he takes the most impact on the move since he’s jumping in the air instead of virtually laying down. Plus it never looks the same, sometimes he has a headlock grip or he grabs them by the chin or by the eyes? It’s just a mess of a move. Every other move on this list should continue to be used in the wrestlers repertoire but get this one all the way out of here, never again please.

New finisher: Impaler DDT – Realistically this could be any move that Dolph uses. Famouser? Yup. Jumping DDT? Of course. Superkick? No question. Kick to the midsection? Sure. Anything is an upgrade on the Zig Zag, but the Impaler DDT would suit him. Almost all of his offense targets the head of his opponent so it stands to reason he should have a finisher that targets that area as well. It also gives him something that’s a little more physical and mean looking than his usual flashy moves. But it also has the style and flair that Ziggler is known for. Yes, Heath Slater technically uses this as his finisher but when’s the last time anyone has seen him win with his finisher? I'm not even sure if Heath knows that he uses this move still. 

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.