Finishing moves are amongst the most important parts of professional wrestling and can quite frankly make or break gimmicks. Who would Stone Cold Steve Austin be without his famed Stone Cold Stunner? We shudder to think.
But, just because of the importance of the move, it doesn’t mean that two people can’t use the same move as their finisher. Sure, it is frowned upon in today’s world to do so, but we have seen it from time to time where two wrestlers simultaneously use the same finisher during their careers.
With the limited number of moves available to wrestlers, unless you’re very very innovative, there’s a good chance that the move you use has been used by someone else before you. So, what about today’s WWE? Are there men and women on the roster who have used the same finisher as others? Well, yeah, that’s why this article exists in the first place.
So, without any further ado, here is our list of 5 finishing moves that have been used by multiple wrestlers:
#5 GTS – CM Punk and Hideo Itami
The Go to Sleep was made famous in the WWE by CM Punk who used it to devastating effect during his rise to the top of the company and eventual ignominious exit. But, what is a little-known fact to casual fans is that Punk wasn’t the first man to use the move and make it famous to hardcore audiences.
That honour belongs to the Hideo Itami – current NXT Superstar who popularised the move during his time wrestling in his homeland of Japan. Itami is widely considered as the inventor of the move, and if rumours are to be believed, Punk borrowed the move without consulting the Japanese Superstar.
If the Cult of Personality ever returns to the WWE, it will be interesting to see how the company handles the two men using the move. Would they force Itami – who has first claim to the move – not to use it anymore?
Also read: 5 WWE Superstars and their real life stunts
#4 Pedigree – Triple H and Seth Rollins
Other than that one time when Brock Lesnar no-sold his Pedigree, Triple H’s finisher has long been considered one of the most devastating moves in the WWE. He has been using the double-under hook facebuster since the 1990s and even to this day it is a highly respected move.
One might imagine that he was none too pleased with Seth Rollins when his protege suggested to Vince McMahon that he use the Pedigree as his finisher as a tribute to Trips when told to find a new finisher after his Curb-Stomp was banned.
Hunter will be glad now that The Architect has now moved onto a new finisher which is a rip off of Kenny Omega’s V-Trigger. What is with Rollins and stealing moves? But, that’s neither here nor there, so we’ll put it aside for now.
#3 Styles Clash – Crash Holly, Michelle McCool, and AJ Styles
AJ Styles is the most famous user of the Styles Clash, of course, and it has been his trademark move forever now. But, despite the difficult nature of the move, he hasn’t been the only one to use it in professional wrestling.
Michelle McCool – The Undertaker’s wife – used the move and called it The Faithbreaker during her time with the company. It was quite impressive that at a time when women’s wrestling was down in the dumps, McCool was able to pull off such a sweet move.
The other person to use it was Crash Holly who used the move during his run with the company during the Attitude Era.
#2 Spear – Goldberg, Edge, and Roman Reigns
Well, okay Goldberg basically used The Spear as a set up for his Jackhammer, but it pretty much was a finishing move with the way no one escaped after he delivered one. He used it devastating effect right from his first run with WCW to his final run against Brock Lesnar in 2016 and 2017.
Edge used the move for years as a finisher but it somehow never seemed to have the same impact as when Goldberg delivered it. Perhaps it was due to his smaller frame when compared to Old Man Bill.
The latest user of the move is one Mr Roman Reigns. The Big Dog has a pretty devastating looking Spear and uses it to great effect as we saw against Shane McMahon at Survivor Series last year.
#1 Sharpshooter/Scorpion Death Lock – Bret Hart and Sting
While neither Bret Hart nor Sting invented the move – that honour goes to Riki Choshu – it was the Stinger who popularised the Scorpion Death Lock in the west after learning it during his time in Japan.
Bret Hart adapted the move and put his own spin on it, calling it the Sharpshooter. While there are some minor differences between the way the two men apply the lock, it is very much the same move, and wrestling audiences have been divided for decades as to who does it better.
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