The Dropkick was a move that went from being a rare maneuver that was only seen on rare occurrence to a move that is a standard mid-match move for many pro-wrestlers today.
Believe it or not but there was a time where a crowd would cheer for a dropkick; even a DDT got a reaction from the crowd.
When the move is executed properly it can look extremely elegant. The move involves the user of the move lifting him or herself into the air and striking the opponent with both feet.
Today it almost feels as though we have to see somebody perform a moonsault or a phoenix splash to secure an outrageous pop from the crowd. So let’s take a minute to look at a simple mid-match move that only few wrestlers can boast about doing to perfection.
Here are 5 wrestlers that do the best dropkicks in the business.
#5 Daniel Bryan
Yes, I know Daniel Bryan is making the list because of his missile dropkick and not the original dropkick but it’s done so well it had to make the list.
The version Daniel uses involves him running into the corner and leaping at his opponent, dropkicking him in the process with brute force. Other WWE stars have higher and prettier versions of the move, but Bryan's is the most powerful, almost like a sledgehammer being thrown at someone's face. It’s almost as though Bryan is trying to lodge his boots into his opponents.
#4 Ted DiBiase Jr.
Ted DiBiase Jr. was an extremely agile and athletic superstar that the WWE had at their disposal. One move that he performed that was proof of this was his excellent execution of the dropkick.
Superstars such as Kofi Kingston can get (most of the time) more height and hang time with their version of the manoeuvre than almost anybody on the WWE roster, but that being said it is DiBiase's flight during his dropkicks that often gets him a touch higher. Dibiase also has been known to do the move mid-air alongside the standard version.
With the height he obtains and the impressive execution DiBiase bags the number 4 spot on this list.
#3 Kofi Kingston
What nabs Kofi Kingston the number 3 spot is the height this New Day member gets with his dropkick.
It's one of the many jaw-dropping weapons in his arsenal. Everything Kofi seems to do in the ring somehow makes him look as though he is a bird-like creature, as he leaves the ground, takes flight and leaps towards his opponent.
One thing that can let Kofi down is that his version of the manoeuvre doesn’t look as though it leaves much of sting on his opponents. Some of the other wrestlers who perform the dropkick, look as though their boots could get lost in their opponents head.
All that being said he still executes the move better than many other wrestlers can.
#2 Dolph Ziggler
The top two on this list were extremely hard to pick from it has to be said.
Dolph however has run just a fraction short of the number one spot. It’s not just the Dropkick Dolph does well, it’s almost everything he does in the ring is seen as pure brilliance. That being said his dropkick is something of a thing of beauty.
Ziggler manages to launch himself into the air with amazing speed and height. Once up there at that height, he smacks his opponent with a thunderous and impressive impact.
His delivery and execution is stunning and watching his move it’s easy to see why he ranks so high on this list.
#1 Randy Orton
The number one spot has got to go to the Viper himself, Randy Orton.
The height, the beauty and the power of his version are all top-notch, there’s nothing more that can be said about it. It’s a stunning version of the move done to absolute perfection.
It gets even more brilliant when we see Orton stiff someone with it mid-air. This is the kind of variant of the manoeuvre that should be shown to people who are trying to learn the move themselves.
Orton’s version is arguably, without a doubt, the best in the business of professional wrestling.
