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WWE Superstars can possess all the in-ring ability in the world, but they will struggle to receive a crowd-popping reaction at the end of matches if they are unable to create a finisher that audiences can connect with.
The RKO, for example, is widely viewed as one of the best finishers in pro wrestling/sports-entertainment history. Randy Orton’s go-to finishing move can be used when his opponents – and, most importantly, WWE’s viewers – least expect it, which is why fans will never get tired of seeing him slam Superstars to the mat in such destructive and unpredictable fashion.
While Orton has been able to use the RKO ever since he introduced it as part of his WWE move set in 2003, some Superstars have been told that they are no longer allowed to perform a certain move to finish their matches.
In this article, let’s take a look at five WWE Superstars who were told to change their finishers, as well as the reasons why.
#5 Darren Young was told to change his WWE finisher
With Bob Backlund by his side as a mentor, Darren Young used the WWE Hall of Famer’s Cross-Face Chickenwing submission move as a finisher in the latter stages of his WWE career (01:15 mark of the video above).
During his last meaningful feud on WWE television with The Miz in 2016, Young was told that he could no longer use the submission due to the move being a dangerous hold.
However, as he recalled in an interview with Chris Van Vliet, he later found out that the move was being saved for main-roster newcomer Asuka, which is why he was told to stop using it.
“The Miz pointed that out to me in the locker room weeks later and I was like, ‘I f***ing knew it!’ It broke my heart. I’ve got pictures of [Triple H] on my wall in my childhood room. It broke my heart. I cried like a baby backstage and he came over and was like, ‘Darren, why are you crying?’”
Young admitted it was unfortunate that nobody in WWE management had his back at the time, but there was nothing he could do after being told to stop using the move.
#4 Apollo Crews was told to change his WWE finisher
In 2015, Apollo Crews followed up his debut victory over Tye Dillinger at WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn with another win over Tyler Breeze at WWE NXT TakeOver: Respect.
WWE Network series Breaking Ground followed NXT’s up-and-coming Superstars behind the scenes during this period of time, including the hours leading up to the TakeOver: Respect event.
Shortly before the show, NXT founder Triple H spoke to Crews at ringside and advised him to introduce a power move as his new WWE finisher, replacing his usual gorilla press/standing moonsault sequence (01:40 mark of the video above).
“I think with your physique and everything, some kind of power [move] would be good, you know, that has some stamp to it, because you’re quick and sudden. Like I’m almost trying to get something for you where you put a guy up there, and you’re gonna keep him right here, and you’re gonna sit with your legs out like this, and then [motions slamming opponent to the mat].”
The WWE Network documentary showed Triple H smiling and nodding backstage when he saw Crews hit his new finisher – a spin-out powerbomb – for the first time in his match against Breeze.
#3 Triple H was asked to change his WWE finisher
Before the Pedigree became Triple H’s go-to WWE finishing move, he used a variation of DDP’s Diamond Cutter – the Pedigree Pandemonium – to defeat his opponents.
As you can see above, DDP called Triple H and asked him if he would stop using the move because it was similar to the finisher that he used in WCW.
The former Hunter Hearst Helmsley had no problem with DDP’s request and he immediately stopped performing the move.
Speaking on WWE Backstage in 2019, Triple H revealed that he did not particularly like using the cutter, so he was happy that he could go back to defeating Superstars with the Pedigree.
“When I first came to WWE, they actually gave me a slightly different finisher, a version of the RKO. I wasn’t enamoured with it and I went back to the Pedigree because it was what I had been using prior to that and I really liked it.”
Triple H added that he felt “honored” when Seth Rollins asked if he could also start using the Pedigree in 2015.
#2 Tyler Reks was told to change his WWE finisher
In 2011, former WWE Superstar Tyler Reks was called out backstage by John Cena after using a move that looked similar to the Attitude Adjustment.
Reks actually debuted the move – the Burning Hammer, an inverted Attitude Adjustment – eight months earlier and he had the approval to use it from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE producer Arn Anderson.
During a live event match against Primo Colon, Reks accidentally botched the move and it ended up looking similar to Cena’s finisher.
When Reks returned backstage, Cena smirked and told him that he might have to find a new finisher. At the time, the six-foot-five Superstar thought his WWE colleague was joking around and playfully suggesting that they do not botch the move again.
However, after executing the move on Primo at another WWE live event, Reks was greeted by a furious Cena after the match.
“I come backstage happy after a good match with Eddie [Primo] all excited and John grabs me in front of everyone and says, ‘What do you think you're doing? I thought I told you to get a new finisher.’” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Reks explained the situation and said there had been a misunderstanding over the botched move from the previous event, but Cena did not accept his apology.
“He started yelling at me asking who gave me permission to use that. He belittled me, called me an idiot, and asked me if I enjoyed working here. I told him of course I do. He told me, ‘Find another finisher or you're fired.’”
After taking some time to cool down, Reks said he tried to apologize to Cena again but the 16-time WWE World Champion asked him if he was stupid and did not want to continue the conversation.
The two men hardly ever spoke after that incident, according to Reks.
#1 Seth Rollins was told to change his WWE finisher
To clarify, Randy Orton was not in contention to make this list because, unlike the other WWE Superstars we have mentioned, he did not have to find another finisher after being told to stop using the Punt Kick. Instead, he just used the RKO as his only finishing move.
Of course, the Punt Kick has now returned to WWE programming, and so has Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher, which was previously banned by WWE in 2015.
Speaking on NotSam Wrestling in 2017, Rollins explained that Vince McMahon wanted him to stop using the Curb Stomp after he watched an interview on The Today Show with the then-WWE Champion following WrestleMania 31.
“He sees this package of me stomping another man's head into the ground and it being called The Curb Stomp on national television. And he thought to himself, 'Well, that's not a good representation of what I want my top guy to do,' so he just had a meeting with some of his people, and they decided, 'Well, we don't need it - we can figure out another finish for you,' and the rest is history.” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Rollins, who did not agree with the logic behind banning the move, began using the Pedigree (2015-2017) and Ripcord Knee (2017-2018) as his finishing moves.
The Curb Stomp then returned in 2018 after a three-year absence, but it is now only referred to as the Stomp.
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