5 WWE finishers that have been known by more than one name

Michelle McCool's "Faith Breaker" was mentioned by AJ Styles during his feud against The Undertaker.
Michelle McCool's "Faith Breaker" was mentioned by AJ Styles during his feud against The Undertaker.

WWE superstars try to find flashy and remarkable finishers to end their matches with, one the audience would accept as a believable threat. Certain finishers have become widely popular amongst the audience, including the likes of Stone Cold Stunner, RKO, and Spear.

However, uninteresting finishers exist and they create a negligible impact on the audience. Cesaro's Neutralizer pales in the presence of Cesaro Swing and UFO. Naomi's Rear View has suffered its share of criticism over the years.

There can only be a finite number of finishers in existence. Thus, a popular move is often used by multiple professional wrestlers. In some cases, the original name is retained. But most WWE superstars create unique names that form a connection to their gimmicks at that point.

Sasori-gatame, invented by Riki Choshu, was brought to the US by two legendary wrestlers. The same move was called Scorpion Deathlock by Sting and Sharpshooter by Bret Hart. Here is a list of five such instances concerning current WWE superstars.


#5 Styles Clash (former WWE Champion AJ Styles) / Faith Breaker (former WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool)

Styles Clash is a move associated with current WWE superstar AJ Styles, who has used it for the majority of his career. It also has an unfortunate reputation as a dangerous move.

Michelle McCool started using the same move during her WWE career. As the finisher of the first WWE Divas Champion, it was called Faith Breaker. When she first started using the maneuver, she suffered some heat from fans and TNA wrestlers alike for copying the finisher of a worldwide star of professional wrestling.

The similarity between the moves was used as part of the storyline between The Undertaker and AJ Styles, where the latter tried to get into the skin of his legendary opponent by insulting his wife, McCool.

#4 Khallas (former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal) / Dream Street (Ted Dibiase Jr.)

The Million Dollar Man of WWE used a Cobra Clutch as his finisher. When his son entered the WWE ring, he started paying tribute to his father by hooking the Cobra Clutch on his opponents before slamming them for the pinfall. Ted Dibiase Jr. called his finisher the Dream Street.

When Jinder Mahal returned to WWE, Rusev was already using his old Camel Clutch to perfection. He then started using the same move as Dibiase Jr., naming it the Khallas. Khallas means 'finished' in multiple Indian languages.

Mahal was more successful with the move as it proved to be a well-protected finisher during his unlikely run as the WWE Champion.


#3 Skull-Crushing Finale (former WWE Champion The Miz) / Breakdown (former WWE Champion Chris Jericho)

Chris Jericho and Grandmaster Sexay used the same finisher in the early 2000s. Sexay, who has been using it for a long time, called it Sexay Facebuster. Jericho, who had more success with the finisher, called it the Breakdown.

The sweeping match-ender is currently used by The Miz, who is one of the most versatile superstars in the company today. Although it isn't the most visually impactful finisher, he has used it to much success and it's certainly better than his horrendous version of the Figure-four Leglock.

#2 South Of Heaven (WWE United States Champion Damian Priest) / Chokeslam (WWE Hall of Famer Kane)

Multiple monstrous WWE superstars have used Chokeslam to perfection. Kane and The Undertaker used the move most prominently, with the former using it as his primarily finishing move.

Other alumni of the company, including The Big Show, The Great Khali, and Braun Strowman, too, used the impactful move on occasion.

However, current WWE United States champion Damian Priest is one of the rare stars to use the move under a different name. He calls it South Of Heaven and uses it as a secondary finisher.


#1 Diamond Cutter (WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page) / RKO (WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Randy Orton)

Diamond Dallas Page used the Diamond Cutter finisher during his WWE run, and despite his mediocre booking, fans invariably cheered the flashy finisher.

The move was innovated by Johnny Ace, who is better known as John Laurinaitis. It was DDP who popularized the move through his meteoric rise in WCW.

Randy Orton has made the move his own, using the surprise aspect of RKO to tremendous effect. He has countered countless moves by RKOs out of nowhere, including an unforgettable counter to Seth Rollins' Curb Stomp.

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