3 of the best finishing moves in wrestling and 3 of the worst

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Not every finishing move in wrestling is pure gold, but some are

Finishing moves in pro wrestling have a long and storied history. Originally, when wrestling was still a legitimate athletic competition, the idea of a finishing move was rather silly. After all, if a wrestler used a move to win multiple matches his opponent would train to avoid it.

However, as the matches transitioned from hours-long contests of skill to an athletic performance, finishers rose to prominence. The finisher was meant to be the coup de grace, the final detail that also served to let the audience know the match had reached its conclusion.

Finishing moves like the Iron Claw utilied by Frank Gotch had little real world combat value, but they played for great dramatic effect in the ring. Often times it is the reputation of the move rather than the maneuver itself that determines how much the crowd anticipates and reacts to its performance. For example, Undertaker's Tombstone piledriver isn't particularly spectacular looking, but its reputation is such that the fans go wild at just the suggestion they might see it.

On the other hand, there are moves that serve a very real combat purpose that are also utilized in pro wrestling. Alberto Del Rio's cross arm breaker is a good example of one of these types of moves.

These days, finishers range from the simplistic to the spectacular, the silly to the brutal. A good finisher can make or break a wrestler's career. Here are three of the best finishers in pro wrestling...along with three of the worst.

Best: The Flux Capacitor/Moonsault slam.

Frank Kazarian performs the Flux Capacitor

Used by: Frankie Kazarian, Charlotte Flair, Ultimo Guerrero

A powerful, and very dangerous, variation of a top rope fall away slam, the Moonsault Slam is one of the most spectacular finishers in all of pro wrestling.

The move begins with the victim sitting on the top turnbuckle. From there the attacking wrestler will get onto the top rope, lift his opponent up onto his level, and twist backward with a moonsault, landing on his hapless victim.

Obviously, the move is very difficult to perform, and is seldom used beyond a few extremely talented wrestlers.

Strengths: Fantastic visual display, looks devastating, almost like a video game move.

Weaknesses: Very dangerous to perform, takes a long time to set up, can only be used in the corner.

Worst: Leg Drop

Used By: Hulk Hogan, The Great Khali, Nia Jax

The leg drop most fans are familiar with is actually a variation called a running guillotine leg drop. However, since one almost never uses a leg drop on any other part of the body than the neck, the guillotine descriptor has been dropped by most wrestling announcers.

To perform this move, the victim must be prone on the mat, lying face up. The wrestler performing the finisher hits the ropes, runs across the ring, and leaps into the air. They come crashing down with their leg right across their opponent's throat, rendering them unconscious for the three count.

Hulk Hogan is the most famous practitioner of the leg drop, and he was criticized for most of his career by wrestling journalists and fans for it.

Strengths: Simple to perform, relatively safe

Weaknesses: Just not impressive enough to be a finisher, can only be used in the ring on a prone opponent.

Best: Steiner Screwdriver

Used by: Scott Steiner

Scott Steiner debuted this horrific looking move when he was still tagging with brother Ric, long before his "big Poppa Pump Days."

Steiner was much leaner, quicker, and more athletic in those days. He used a number of moves that were largely unknown to the American wrestling fans, like the hurricanrana--which his brother dubbed the "FrankenSteiner."

He also deployed this devastating finisher upon occasion, usually destroying some enhancement talent during a squash match. The Steiner Screwdriver begins like a suplex but then ends with dropping straight down onto the mat, driving the opponent head first.

These days, you rarely see Steiner utilize this move. Back surgery forced him to abandon much of his original repertoire, and he changed to a more brawling heel style to go with his new Big Poppa Pump gimmick.

Strengths: Fantastically graphic and brutal looking

Weaknesses: Very dangerous move to perform, and takes a long time to set up.

Worst: Garvin Stomp

Used By: Rugged Man with the Hands of Stone Ronnie Garvin, Apex Predator Randy Orton, Godzilla.

This 'finisher' involves slowly walking around a downed opponent, repeatedly stomping on their vulnerable body parts, from legs to body to head and arms. If you're wondering why it's called the Garvin Stomp, it's because it was invented by Rugged Ronnie Garvin.

Ronnie Garvin who, you may ask? Well, Ronnie is a former NWA world heavyweight champion, but he somehow escaped being famous or well known like Ric Flair or Dusty Rhodes. Rather, Ronnie Garvin is considered the second worst NWA champion in history, right after Wildfire Tommy Rich.

Garvin wasn't much of a technical wrestler, nor was he particularly swift or agile. Mostly he just clubbed his opponents about. His finisher was to stomp on every part of his opponent's body one by one. Most likely no one would even remember the Garvin Stomp if Randy Orton had not inexplicably brought it out of the attic and onto international television. Thanks, Randy.

Strengths: None. There's nothing good about this move other than the fact that it is simple to perform.

Weaknesses: The extended time spent walking around and stomping stretches the suspension of disbelief with the audience to the utmost. It's just a draggy, unimpressive looking move.

Best: Gorilla Press Slam

Used By: The Ultimate Warrior, Beth Pheonix, Lars Sullivan

Perhaps one of the most impressive of all pro wrestling moves, a gorilla press slam involves lifting your victim over your head with both arms and then dropping them to the mat. Many variants exist, but all involved the initial lift in a 'military press' position. The move is alternately called the military press slam and the lifting power slam.

Several legends have utilized the move, which requires the practitioner to be in incredible physical condition and capable of safely lifting and holding their victim high overhead.

Strengths: The Gorilla Press slam is very impressive visually, but is one of the safer bumps because the victim lands in a supine position. It's also very versatile, and can be used inside or outside the ring, and is of particular use during battle royals.

Weaknesses: The wrestler performing the move has to have legit strength.

Worst: Pump handle Slam

Used by: Road Dog Jessie James, Wrath, Austin Aries

At the end of the day, the pump handle slam just looks awkward and unwieldy. It also involves some very uncomfortable positioning of the limbs through an opponent's legs, and the lifting has to be done smoothly or injury could result.

The Pump handle slam is a variant on a traditional body slam but adds extra steps. In other words, it complicates a simple but impressive looking move and winds up with less impact overall.

These facts haven't deterred numerous wrestlers from trying to use the move, however. Road Dog Jessie James utilized it to great effect as one of the New Age Outlaws, though it often failed to give him the win in his singles career.

A lot of indie stars, including Austin Aries, try to use this move as well, to show off their strength.

Strengths: The Pump handle slam results in a safe bump for the opponent, and is an easy move to consistently perform.

Weaknesses: The pump handle slam takes a long time to set up, looks horribly awkward, and results in a relatively tame bump.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them below the article, and thanks for reading!

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