5 Current WWE Superstars who need new finishers

A WWE Superstar's finisher is generally the most devastating move in his/her arsenal. The move should be lethal enough to 'finish' off an opponent and legitimately earn the three-count.

Over the years, we have seen WWE Superstars become immortalized due to their finishers. Stone Cold Steve Austin's finisher- the Stunner- is as popular as the Texas Rattlesnake himself. Similarly, the RKO is synonymous with 13-time World Champion Randy Orton, or the Tombstone Piledriver with the Brothers of Destruction- Undertaker and Kane.

As compared to the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression Era, the onus on wrestling skills has increased manifold and the WWE Universe expects all the moves, especially the finishers and signatures, to be immaculate. In a roster boasting of the likes of AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Adam Cole, Daniel Bryan, it is not hard to see why this expertise is expected.

Finishers play a vital role in the popularity of a Superstar among the WWE Universe. One can only wonder whether Roman Reigns would be more popular if he had a deadly finisher, instead of the rather overused Spear.

Let's discuss 5 current WWE Superstars who need to change their finishers.

Honorable Mentions:

Bayley, Big E and Dolph Ziggler have perenially made every such list and require new finishers as the 'Bayley to Belly', the 'Big Ending', and the 'Zig Zag' pale in comparison to the finishing maneuvers of other WWE Superstars. However, it is highly unlikely that any of these three Superstars will change their moves as they have been using them for years and fans have more or less accepted that fact.

#5 Naomi

Naomi (real name Trinity Fatu) is undoubtedly one of the most athletic Superstars that WWE's women's division has ever seen. The 2-time SmackDown Women's Champion signed with WWE in 2009, initially starting off in the company's past developmental brand FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling), where she became the inaugural FCW Divas Champion.

Ever since making her main roster debut in 2012, Naomi has primarily used the Rear View as her finisher. The move involves Naomi jumping midair with some momentum and hitting her opponent's face with her hip. Although it is a move that symbolizes her remarkable athleticism, it doesn't look effective at all. It appears like a small bump for the opponent and letting Naomi get the pinfall following the move just looks ridiculous.

Although Naomi has used her submission move- the Slay O Mission- on numerous occasions to win matches (most notably against Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania 33 to regain the SmackDown Women's Championship), she hasn't ditched the Rear View completely. A wrestler possessing her in-ring skills shouldn't be using such a weak finisher. Naomi should find an alternative move to again become a force to reckon with in the women's division, especially since she teased a heel turn on SmackDown last month.

#4 John Morrison

Make no mistake, John Morrison's current finisher, the Starship Pain- which is a split-legged corkscrew moonsault- is one of the most beautiful maneuvers in WWE when executed to perfection. The problem? It rarely gets executed correctly.

The Shaman of Sexy stated using the Starship Pain after moving to SmackDown back in 2009. The move was an instant hit, but as the weeks passed, fans began noticing how low impact it was. He has a tendency to overshoot the opponent, either because of his own misjudgment or his opponent not positioning himself properly and barely grazes the opponent, losing most of his impact on the mat.

It's a shame that a Superstar of Morrison's caliber gets undone by his finishing move. He had a great opportunity to use a new finisher when he returned to WWE at the start of this year, but went ahead with the Starship Pain, and even botched the on his first match back.

Although the move looks scintillating, proper coordination and positioning of Morrison's opponent are essential for the proper execution of the move, which is difficult to ask from every WWE Superstar from such a big roster. Thus, Morrison should be looking at a new finisher, a move that justifies his exceptional in-ring talent.

#3 Andrade

Andrade is one of WWE's fastest-rising stars. The Mexican wrestler is exceptional in the ring and full of flair and charisma. Managed by Zelina Vega, Andrade has won the NXT Championship on the Black & Gold brand and the United States Championship on the main roster.

Although his United States Championship reign wasn't one to remember (he held the title through a 30-day suspension too), he has all the makings of a top Latino heel, reminiscing some fans of the late WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Gurrero.

Andrade has used the Hammerlock DDT as his finisher, which is certainly better than the finishers of most Superstars on this list. It involves Andrade hooking one arm of his opponent behind his back in a hammerlock position and then hooking one leg of the opponent with his own leg and executing the front face lock into a DDT.

While the move is quite detailed and technical, it takes a lot of time to set up and has to be sold extremely well. We've always seen the biggest heels in WWE have the swiftest of finishers (the RKO or The Pedigree for instance). It will always be tough for Andrade to get the required amount of time to set up the hammerlock DDT against the biggest faces in the company.

Moreover, DDT has become a very common move in WWE today and doesn't sound particularly appealing as a finisher, even though it's an effective variation. Andrade should use a high-flying move as his finisher, and use the Hammerlock DDT as a signature. Maybe he can use a move similar to the frogsplash, which will draw further comparisons between him and the Latino Heat, Eddie Guerrero.

#2 Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville has been one of WWE's biggest breakout stars of the year. Since turning on her Fire and Desire partner Mandy Rose just before WrestleMania 36, Deville has been one of the mainstays on SmackDown. She has ditched her MMA gimmick and showcased her immense abilities both on the microphone and inside the ring.

Since making her main roster debut in 2017, Sonya Deville never really got to express herself as a singles competitor and was largely overshadowed by Mandy Rose in Fire and Desire. But now, The Pride Fighter is one of the top heels in WWE, and a top drawer Superstar should have a top drawer finisher.

Deville has tried several moves as her finisher throughout her time in NXT and on the main roster. Owing to her MMA background, she used to use the Kimura Lock and the Triangle Armbar as her submission finishers during her early days in NXT. After moving up to the main roster, she used the Step-Up Enzuigiri as her finishing move, and just recently started using the Step-Up Knee Strike as well.

Both of these moves have been used frequently by WWE Superstars as part of their regular repertoire, and hence they look ineffective as a finisher. She once used the Hellevator to defeat Naomi on SmackDown and it looked like a much more credible finishing maneuver.

If Deville wants to win the SmackDown Women's Championship and establish herself as a top tier Superstar in WWE, she needs to find and stick with an effective finisher.

#1 Otis

Truth be told, no one could have predicted the push WWE would give Otis in 2020. He was always seen as the funny and entertaining one half of Heavy Machinery, but he was never tipped to get a push to the top as a singles competitor so soon.

Ever since engaging in a romantic storyline with Mandy Rose which later involved Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville, Otis' stocks have risen manifold. He defeated Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania and later, much to the surprise of WWE fans, went on to win the Money in the Bank contract. He still holds the briefcase, which guarantees him an opportunity at a title of his choice anytime and at any place.

Since Otis is now one of SmackDown's top guys, he needs to add a legitimate finisher to his arsenal. He has been using the Caterpillar Elbow Drop throughout his time in WWE and has used the move as his finisher since competing in singles matches. Now, although the move looks funny and provides entertainment value (which is primarily what Otis provides), it is not effective enough to be a finishing maneuver.

When Otis pinned Ziggler at the Show of Shows, the finish looked quite weak and may have spoiled an otherwise solid match. The low impact of the elbow drop makes it very difficult to believe that it is enough to get Otis the three-count over an opponent. Instead, Otis should start using a new finisher, using the Caterpillar Elbow Drop as a signature, like the Rock using the Rock Bottom and the People's Elbow.

Unless Otis finds a credible finisher, there will always be doubts over his prospects as a singles competitor in WWE.

Which WWE Superstar do you think is in need of a new finisher? Let us know in the comments section below.

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