10 finishing moves we want to see brought back
November 7, 2014
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This is especially true when one considers some of sports-entertainment’s greatest finishing maneuvers. Although some moves can never be replicated, there are a number of famous finishers throughout history that have been duplicated with great success.
Recently, Dean Ambrose started putting away opponents with a maneuver made famous by Mick Foley, the Double Arm DDT. Since we at WWE.com are a nostalgic bunch, we started thinking about other forgotten finishing moves that could be used again inside the squared circle. These are 10 finishers we want to see brought back, and the Superstars we think should use them.
Lex Luger's Torture Rack
It may have looked a bit awkward with his opponents’ arms flailing about, but make no mistake: Lex Luger’s Torture Rack was given its name for a reason. Being hoisted up six-and-a-half feet high and bent sideways over Luger’s gigantic, rock-hard shoulders was, in fact, pure torture.
That said, it took someone as powerful as The Total Package to perform the maneuver to anyone on the roster while bringing that intense level of pain along with it. It would take a unique physical specimen to bring the move back today, and few Superstars match Luger’s impressive size and strength quite like The Big Guy himself, Ryback. Already able to pick up any opponent with ease for Shell Shocked, just imagine what he could do to them if he decided to bend them to the breaking point instead of slamming them to the mat. It would mean a slew of submission victories for The Big Guy. — MIKE MURPHY
Razor Ramon's Razor's Edge
When Scott Hall hoisted an opponent over his head with their arms spread out in a cross-like pose, you knew the end was near. Countless competitors fell victim to The Bad Guy’s Razor’s Edge, so it comes as no surprise that the move has been replicated by a number of other competitors, including Sheamus. Whatever you call it — the Razor’s Edge, Outsider’s Edge or Celtic Cross – you can’t deny just how visually inspiring the maneuver is.
The Celtic Warrior has since moved on to dislodging his adversaries’ teeth via the Brogue Kick, but the Razor’s Edge is a finisher that’s just too effective to be ignored. Although there are a number of Superstars with the size and strength to pull off the maneuver, Luke Harper’s already intimidating presentation seems like the perfect fit for the devastating finisher. And his impressive offensive arsenal would become downright scary with the addition of the Razor’s Edge. — SCOTT TAYLOR
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Goldberg's Jackhammer
No Superstar in sports-entertainment history possessed a one-two finishing punch quite like Goldberg’s Spear-Jackhammer combination. Fans knew that after the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion hit the spear on an adversary and raised them high above his head for the Jackhammer, the contest was as good as over.
Many competitors have used the spear over the years, but the Jackhammer has failed to see the same level of imitation. Luckily, we know just the Superstar to bring this move back out of hibernation.
Roman Reigns already uses the Spear as part of his own one-two combo along with The Superman Punch, so why not add the Jackhammer to his already explosive arsenal? Some might argue that the mix of finishing moves may too closely resemble Goldberg’s, but the possibility of the former Shield member putting away his foes with the Jackhammer is just too good to resist. — SCOTT TAYLOR
Rick Rude's Rude Awakening
“Ravishing” Rick Rude had it all. The body of a Greek god, the confidence to match and one of the nastiest finishing moves ever. Rude’s twist on the neckbreaker, The Rude Awakening, was the perfect move with which The Ravishing One racked up win after win.
Grabbing his opponent in a front facelock, then twisting around to get him in perfect position (and show off his own ripped physique), Rude yanked down and cracked his adversary’s neck across his chiseled shoulder. Few Superstars could withstand the vicious hold, making it the perfect finisher.
If there’s any Superstar that the Rude Awakening was tailor-made for, it’s Dolph Ziggler. He has everything Rick Rude had — the ripped abs, the swagger, even the hip swivel. The Rude Awakening would be the perfect complement to the Zig-Zag, another move that targets the head and neck, and ensure that the The Showoff continues his rapid rise through WWE. — BOBBY MELOK
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The Million Dollar Man's Million Dollar Dream
There was a time when the sleeper was one of the most popular submission holds in sports-entertainment. The Million Dollar Man utilized his own variation of the move called the Million Dollar Dream, which was fitting because opponents were left dreaming of better days after succumbing to the hold.
Over the last decade, the sleeper hold has become somewhat forgotten, giving way to more ground submission maneuvers. However, it may be time to bring back the once-popular finisher, and the perfect Superstar to return the suffocating submission hold back to glory is Bray Wyatt.
Not only does Wyatt have the in-ring acumen to perfect the Million Dollar Dream, but just imagine The New Face of Fear locking in the nearly-inescapable sleeper hold before sending his foes straight into their worst nightmares. It offers some truly frightening possibilities. — SCOTT TAYLOR
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Bob Backlund's Crossface Chicken Wing
How is it that Cesaro, master of the throwback, hasn't broken out this one already? Bob Backlund's legendarily painful submission hold is the sort of thing The King of Swing has been making en vogue once again for the past several years: Intricate in theory yet simple in execution (the applier twists his victim's arm back and then wrenches his face sideways), unconscionably agonizing and, frankly, a lot of fun to watch.
Truthfully, the only explanation we could think of is that Mr. Backlund is the one guy Cesaro doesn't want to provoke into a fight for stealing his move. To be honest, though, that'd be a hell of a match. Go for it, dude. — ANTHONY BENIGNO
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Kevin Nash's Jackknife Powerbomb
In the right hands, the powerbomb has the potential to be one of the most devastating moves in sports-entertainment. That’s what happened when Kevin Nash used the destructive Jackknife upon his arrival in WWE in 1993. It was the only move he needed to win the WWE Championship from Bob Backlund in November 1994. Three years later, it helped him put away Goldberg, ending his unbelievable undefeated streak. Ultimately, the Jackknife Powerbomb helped Nash win six World Titles.
It takes a man of great size and strength to use the Jackknife effectively. Anyone who has seen Titus O’Neil in action knows that he is blessed with both. The big man has impressed in recent weeks by using his power to toss NXT’s brightest prospects around the ring as if they were small children. And that’s without a move like the Jackknife Powerbomb in his arsenal. Imagine the carnage Titus O’Neil could cause if he added it … — BOBBY MELOK
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Hardcore Holly's Alabama Slam
There are few finishing maneuvers as physically devastating as Hardcore Holly’s Alabama Slam. That’s why it’s so surprising that no Superstar has utilized the move since Holly’s departure in 2008. This double-leg slam can’t be used by just anybody, as the Superstar must have enough strength to lift a foe onto his shoulders before pulling on the legs with enough force to catapult the opponent’s entire body back-first into the ground below.
Big E is one competitor whose sheer brute force would go seamlessly with the Alabama Slam. The former Intercontinental Champion is an absolute powerhouse who could use the move with force that could be felt in just about every state (Hawaii and Alaska included!). Plus, the hard-hitting slam goes perfectly with Big E’s up-tempo, smash mouth style that already includes a powerful finisher in its own right, The Big Ending. — SCOTT TAYLOR
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Legion of Doom's Doomsday Device
There is perhaps no scarier tag team finisher than The Legion of Doom’s Doomsday Device. Being up on the shoulders of Animal, unable to go anywhere, and watching Hawk bear down on you from the top turnbuckle must have been a terrifying experience to endure. That’s not even taking into consideration the fact that upon collision, the victim would plummet six-plus feet to the canvas.
It’s a maneuver deserving of its name, and one that another tag team could pull off with excellence. That team would be Konnor and Viktor, otherwise known as The Ascension. Their Fall of Man already delivers a similar effect, and the team enjoys nothing more than using ferocity to instill fear in their enemies. Konnor has the size and strength to keep the victim up on his shoulders; and while Viktor isn’t as large as Hawk, anyone who has watched him in action knows that he’s one of the most brutal strikers to ever come from NXT.
Let them inherit the Doomsday Device, and watch The Ascension rise to even greater heights. — MIKE MURPHY
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Ivan Putski's Polish Hammer
Bad News Barrett is already a master of finding inventive ways to punch people, so this would be a no-brainer pickup for the preternatural brawler. Essentially a running, two-handed obliteration of the sternum, the move is already something of a precursor to the Englishman's own Bull Hammer, and a natural fit for the Brit's strike-oriented moves. There'd be a name change necessary, of course (English Hammer?), but that'd just be a bit of bad news the great Putski might have to swallow. — ANTHONY BENIGNO
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