WWE Best and Worst Finishers : RKO to the Cobra

One of the most important aspects of a pro-wrestling contest is the finishing move. The climax to a back and forth “fight”, the finisher is the move that garners the best of reactions. The superstars build up the match to a point where one of the performers defeats the other with the coup de grace. It is the exclamation point to a good match and can easily ruin the whole contest if not executed to perfection. I will now talk about some of the best and worst finishers in the WWE today.

BEST FINISHERS

1)      RKO – The eponymous move is one of the most exciting in the business. The move has grown to a point where it is difficult to separate the superstar from it. Randy Orton owes some of the best moments of his career to this move. The traditional cutter has been used by many, (Triple H, the Hardy Boyz etc.) but has not has the huge success of the modified jumping cutter that Orton uses. It is an extremely versatile move and helps Orton strike from out of nowhere. The RKO engages the audience and you are assured of an RKO chant every time Orton wrestles. Though easier to execute (compared to other moves), Orton sells the move like no other.

2)      LeBell Lock – The current World Heavyweight Champ uses this submission move to perfection. The fact that Bryan is a genius inside the ring sure helps his cause. The LeBell Lock looks painful and suits Bryan’s in ring style. It reminds me of a slightly tamer version of the Crippler Crossface, made famous by the one and only Chris Benoit. Bryan is competent enough to pull the move off and has even put the lock on the Big Show!

3)      Trouble In Paradise – Though the boom dropping Jamaican complains about being overlooked, I assure you that his finisher will never be sidelined. A modified jumping roundhouse kick, the TIP kick looks legitimate enough to knock out people. Kofi’s athleticism in the ring helps him connect the kick with awesome precision. The move is versatile and can be delivered from unpredictable spots.

4)      Air Bourne/ The 450 Splash – Two superstars who totally depend on their finishers to further their fledgling careers. The high flyers of today are not in the league of earlier greats like Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio etc., but their moves certainly bring back old memories. Since the scrapping of the Cruiserweight Division, we haven’t seen any great high flyers in the business. These two could be the leaders of a future division. Their moves – Air Bourne (Shooting Star Press) and the 450 Splash are excellent climactic moves which grab the audience’s attention. These moves are believable because flying is the only way they’ll ever muster up enough offence to defeat a bigger superstar.

WORST FINISHERS

1)      Cobra – I know that Santino Marella is a comic wrestler and he isn’t booked to win matches. Even so, it is ridiculous to have a guy put on a rubber film on his hand and “strike” like a snake. It is totally unbelievable and does no damage whatsoever. The use of Mr. Socko by Mankind had more credibility (slightly more) because it was a submission maneuver. A guy would eventually give up if you have a smelly sock in his mouth!
The Cobra is even lamer than the Tadpole Splash (Hornswaggle). But I guess we’ll be seeing more of it since the WWE has no plans to push Santino up the ladder.

2)      The People’s Elbow/ The Five Knuckle Shuffle – The “greatest” Wrestlemania match ever will see two of the worst finishers ever. I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this and I probably “can’t see” the “most electrifying move in ALL of sports entertainment”. I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it. How do the guys stay down for so long? And tell me you haven’t seen the guys on the mat adjust themselves to take the fall. All said and done, these are only an elbow drop and a fist drop respectively. Minimum damage done. It’s for the best that the WWE gave these moves to the two most charismatic wrestlers of all time. Only the Rock and John Cena could sell these atrocities!

3)      WMD – the Big Show employs this move to knock out his opponents. If he can knock them out in one punch, why doesn’t he do it earlier in the match? The Chokeslam looks far more effective than the WMD. Also, Show uses normal punches throughout his matches. Am I to believe that he gathers some supernatural force into his fist when he clenches it angrily?

A normal punch used by a giant is effective. Just don’t overuse it. Let the Chokeslam be reinstated. Please.