6 Finishers that are a perfect fit for the wrestlers

What makes a great wrestler is a question that has been asked throughout the history of professional wrestling. Some will say it's their in-ring technical ability, others will say charisma, many inside the wrestling business will say it's how many tickets they can sell but others will say that a wrestlers finisher is the highlight of a wrestler and is a telltale mark of whether or not they will succeed in the business.

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A wrestler's Signature or Finisher move is vitally important in their struggle to make it to the top of the wrestling world. If you are saddled with a finisher that is too weak, it will make it harder for you to get over with the fans, as you look weak as well. However, even if you have a great finisher, that doesn't always mean that it connects to who you are as a wrestler and even that it will connect with the fans. Countless wrestlers have had fantastic finishers only to see the reaction to said moves go over like a lead balloon.

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The true perfect combination is a great finisher that is suitable for the wrestler itself. Many of these examples show that a wrestler can have a weak finisher, but because it's so suited to their style or character it gets over anyway, such is the charisma of the wrestler.

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Honorable Mention: Samoan Drop - Any Samoan Wrestler

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The Samoan drop is a staple of any Samoan wrestler in the WWE, from Rikishi and the Rock to Roman Reigns and the Usos. This move has been a part of all the Anoa'i family during their time in the WWE. Even non-Anoa'i Samoans, such as Samoa Joe, have used the move effectively.

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The fact that it looks so brutal and has a cultural connection to the wrestler's heritage and identity goes a long way in furthering this move as a powerful asset in any Samoan wrestlers arsenal.

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#6 The RKO - Randy Orton

It's weird to think that Randy Orton used anything other than an "RKO" as his finisher because the move is so suited for the Viper. However, Orton has actually used the Punt Kick as a finisher for a short period of time, and prior to his success with the RKO, Orton used a move called Overdrive or the Ozone as his finisher. Neither of these has obviously caught on to anywhere near the same extent that the RKO has.

Not only is the RKO, especially when done from "out of nowhere", suited towards Orton's Viper character, it is also the fact that it's the quickest move of Orton's move-set, along with the Scoop Powerslam. With the majority of Orton's moves being slow and methodical, such as the draped DDT from the ropes.

The fact is that that this move, basically a stylised "jumping cutter", is so suited to Orton's character that you can't imagine him using anything else, or anyone else using this. It doesn't matter whether he hits it from out of nowhere, or after slamming onto the ring, whenever Orton hits the RKO, the crowd goes wild.

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#5 The Spear - Goldberg

A famous retired footballer looks to cross over to professional wrestling. He already has the look and the physicality that makes him made for the ring. What is the move you give him as a finisher? Naturally, you give him the spear.

While the Spear has been used as a finisher by Superstars like Edge, Rhyno and Roman Reigns, Goldberg was one of the best exponents of the spear. Driving his shoulder through his opponent's midriff, as opposed to Edge who seemed to swing around his opponents, giving the impression that it was less of a spear and more of a strong one armed hug.

Goldberg also combined his vicious spear with the Jackhammer and the powerful combination of the two allowed Goldberg to rack up an impressive streak of 173 wins in a row during his tenure at WCW, which included him winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

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Goldberg also brought the Spear/Jackhammer finisher when he crossed to WWE, the move brought him to win World Heavyweight Championship in his first run and the Universal Title in his second run.

#4 Tombstone Piledriver - The Undertaker

Of course, the wrestler with the mortician's gimmick called the Undertaker is going to have a finisher called "Tombstone" in it. Throughout his career, spanning almost 30 years in the WWE alone, the Undertaker has used one finisher for the overwhelming majority of that time, that being the Tombstone Piledriver.

The Undertaker would pick his opponents up, have their heads between his legs and would either jump or drop onto his knees, seemingly crushing his opponents head into the ground and compressing their neck and spinal cord. The Piledriver move is incredibly dangerous and is responsible for many wrestlers breaking their necks and severely shortening their careers, such as Steve Austin. However, despite the move being essentially banned in the WWE these days, the Undertaker and kayfabe brother Kane are among the few that are allowed to use it.

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While Undertaker may not be as agile as he once was, the Deadman and his Tombstone Piledriver still manage to put away a fair share of opponents. Not bad for

#3 Sweet Chin Music - Shawn Michaels

Many wrestlers have used a variation of the Superkick as a finisher, from Adam Cole (Bay Bay) to James Elsworth's "No Chin Music" and many more. However, no superkick is more iconic than the one belonging to Mr. Wrestlemania Shawn Michaels. From the moment Shawn Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music to his Rockers tag team partner Marty Jannetty and sent him through the plate glass barber shop window, you knew he would be a star in the business.

Michaels used the Sweet Chin music to win championships, end careers, turn on friends, shock opponents and much much more over the course of his career and it always kept the same level of excitement whenever he would hit the move.

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Over the years, countless wrestlers have fallen victim, from Bret Hart to Triple H (on several occasions), to unsuspecting staff backstage and even the boss Mr. McMahon have been on the receiving end of the Heart Break Kid's superkick. What is for certain is no one is safe from Sweet Chin Music.

#2 The People's Elbow - The Rock

If any move proves that the strength of the move has nothing to do with how over it is and how suitable it is, no move personifies that more than the Rock and the People's Elbow. The move was basically an elbow drop, with a whole lot of theatrics added in to make it look bigger.

Triple H told the story not long ago how the Rock came up with the move and started using it at House Shows to try and make other wrestlers break character and laugh. This escalated when Mick Foley dared the Rock to use the move on TV and it got over with the crowd both in the arena and with the TV audience.

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Over the years the developed more and more flourishes. Starting with the Rock slowly removing his elbow pad, hitting the ropes before coming to a complete stop and then hitting his prone opponent almost without fail. Despite the move being called "the hokiest looking move ever" by Triple H, the finisher got over with the audience and matched the Rock's incredible level of charisma.

#1 The Stone Cold Stunner - Stone Cold Steve Austin

Could it have been anyone else with any other finisher? From the kick to the sternum, all the way to Austin's taunt in the face of his opponent, the Stone Cold Stunner was as vital to Austin's legacy as his rebel personality or his "what?" catchphrase. Having used the Stun Gun as his finisher during the time he was managed by the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Austin switched to the Stunner during his winning run in the King of the Ring Tournament.

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From there, Austin would continue to use the move as his finisher, both during matches and to put an exclamation mark on segments, especially with the likes of the McMahon family and longtime main event rival, The Rock.

As much as the move was efficient in defeating the opponents, the Stunner was also helped greatly by the way people like Vince McMahon and the Rock sold the move as they flailed around after being hit with it.

Are there any finishers I missed? Can you think of an iconic finisher that hasn't been included in this list? Sound off in the comments below.

One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE

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Edited by
Vikshith R
 
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