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The punt to the skull – Randy Orton’s banned finisherNo great wrestler is complete without his signature move. Like how the Spear used to define Goldberg and the Tombstone still defines the Undertaker, the finishing move adds to the mystique of the wrestler.We have seen the finishers undergo quite a transformation over the years. While a legdrop was considered to be a devastating move in the 80s, it doesn’t even warrant a two count now a days.WWE fans have seen many dangerous moves being banned by the company like Randy Orton’s running punt, Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp and Billy Kidman’s Shooting Star press.Well, how about those moves that are so dangerous that they have never made it to the WWE or at least never used for an extended period?This article gives a list of the top 5 deadliest finishers that a normal WWE fan might be excused for never having seen.
#5 The Vertebreaker - The Hurricane/ Homicide
While all other moves in this list have never been seen in the WWE, the Vertebreaker was actually used in the company by the Hurricane for a short period of time till it was banned in 2003.
While a Piledriver is bad enough for a person to get badly injured, the Vertebreaker increases the danger manifold. Basically a back to back double underhook Piledriver, the opponent would be lifted up in an inverted position on the Hurricane’s back before the PileDriver was swiftly executed.
While Undertaker's Tombstone PileDriver has the provision of keeping the opponent’s head off the mat during the move, the same is not possible in a Vertebreaker and the wrestler almost always lands on his neck or head.
Impact Wrestling’s Homicide uses a comparatively safer version of the move known as the Gringo Killa, but it is still a devastating finishing manoeuver.
#4 The Dragonrana - The Dragon Kid
Imagine a 450 splash coupled with a Hurricanrana and you get the Dragonrana.
Popularised by Dragon Gate wrestler the Dragon Kid, the move also ended with a pinning combination which meant that the shocked opponent would have no time to recover from the dizzying impact.
The Kid would come off the top rope with a 450 splash – which in itself is a remarkable finishing move – land on the opponent’s neck and execute a hurricanrana ending in a double leg cradle pinning hold. The move received a huge pop every time it was executed and due to the risk factor associated with the move, the Dragon Kid utilises it very rarely nowadays.
#3 The Burning Hammer - Kenta Kobashi
If success rate and rarity of appearance are used as factors to determine the best finishing move of all time, Kenta Kobashi’s Burning Hammer would top the list.
Used only seven times in ten years, Kobashi saved the move for the most special matches and once he hit the manoeuver, there was no getting up. It is quite obvious to say that no one has ever kicked out of the move.
Initially keeping his opponent in a Torture Rack position, Kobashi then does a side slam on the unfortunate opponent which ensures that the guy lands neck first on the mat. The move looks sick and hurts like hell. A slight miscue can lead to the wrestler getting paralysed from the neck down.
A toned down version of the Burning Hammer – under the same name – was used in the WWE by Tyler Reks. But it had Recks flip his victim before the side slam off the Torture Rack meaning that the person has more flexibility to cushion the impact. Since Reks spent the majority of his WWE career on Superstars, the move did not get the attention it deserved.
#2 The Tiger Driver '91 - Mitsuhara Misawa
Another Pile Driver variation, the Tiger Driver’91 is a double underhook variation of the normal one.
Developed by Mitsuhara Misawa in All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1991 and named after the year of inception, the move had Misawa hooking the arms of his opponent before executing the manoeuver, with the reduced flexibility of the move ensuring that the opponent always landed on his neck.
Check out the video and I will bet that you will cringe when you see how the opponent ended up on the mat.
So devastating was its impact and so prestigiously was the move booked that only one person has ever kicked out of it in the 25 years since its inception – that guy being Kenta Kobashi.
#1 The Canadian Destroyer - Petey Williams
The move that initially put TNA’s X-division on the map, it is difficult not to gasp when you see the Canadian Destroyer being executed for the first time.
A flipping variation of the normal Piledriver, the Canadian Destroyer was the brainchild of former ROH and TNA wrestler Petey Williams. The move would have Petey line up his opponent in a normal Powerbomb initiating a position, then have the opponent execute a backflip simultaneously as Petey does a forward flip.
The double flip would lead to the opponent getting slammed headfirst into the mat with the very serious chance of a career-threatening injury.
The move would be greeted with loud cheers every time it was executed – and it was executed a lot of times by Petey during his TNA stint.
A variation of the Canadian Destroyer was used in TNA itself by Amazing Red who called it the Code Red.
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