Finish Maneuver -- John Cena

[milkman12]

I am not sure if this thread has been asked before but I still feel like this is a valid question/suggestion.

2 part Question.

1.) How important do you think a specific finisher is to a WWE superstars success, push, value, etc. ??? Meaning is a finisher a big factor in holding anyone back, or propelling them.

2.) Is there anyone in the current WWE landscape that would benefit from a different finishing maneuver.

Would love to hear some input, as this is something I ponder quite often.

My Opinion.

1.) I personally think that a finisher is definitely a huge part of a persona as we know many superstars by there finisher but I am not sure if it is one of the more important things to have in order to get a push. For example Roman Reigns has the Spear and Superman punch and I do not find either overly impressive yet he is still getting pushed. Same can be said for JBL who had essentially a hard clothesline from hell which wasn't the most unique move although he did execute it well.

2.) I know this sounds a little crazy because if it aint broke don't fix it but I think John Cena should get a new finisher. We always talk about wanting a heel turn or an edgier Cena but how about simply just changing his finisher. Yes, the AA is very well known and is a staple of Cena but in my opinion and new finishing move can freshen up his character and add a new dimension as he can still have the AA as a move to put in his back pocket. In my opinion superstars with two finishers are much more exciting anyways as you never know what to expect unlike the typical one move guy where you know it is coming.

 

[Big Al]

It's very important. If a finishing move is over then it helps get the performer over as well. If their finisher sucks the audience might not buy into and it could cost him a push. You may not like Reign's superman punch or spear but those moves are very over right now and its making him be over.

John Cena hasn't changed anything since 2005 so that is out of the question.

 

[kbpj]

I think maybe if Cena stopped gently laying his opponents down with the AA & turn it into more of a death valley driver, he'd be fine.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Even though the AA isn't a high impact move, because it is used solely by Cena and he has been as dominate as he has over the past 10 years the move is held in high esteem. In that respect, a finishing move is considered more powerful based on the wrestler who performs it as opposed to how it actually looks.

 

[mesl]

Hogan wins by a legdrop.. Macho with an elbow... At the end of the day the actual finisher isn't that important, it's the prestige and the build which goes along with it.

Wrestling has lost the meaning of a 'finishing move' in recent years. Currently if you watch Wrestlemania you know they are going to kick out of the first AA.. you know the first tombstone isn't going to win.. And pedigrees mean nothing unless you've done 2 of them already.. and there is a steal chair underneath the third.

It's not so much the fact Cena's finisher has become stale.. It's the fact we see him deliver it 200 times in a calendar year. On RAW there's 3 of them, PPV's there's 3 of them. The rule should be one and done (for 95% of the time).

The best example of this is The Undertaker losing at Wrestlemania.. It wasn't the fact The Undertaker lost to an F5 by Lesnar.. It was the fact he didn't kick out to that final F5 from Lesnar. Hitting a finishing move SHOULD mean the end, but we have now entered this phase in wrestling matches where it's become more MY GOD he didn't kick out this time, was that a botch?.

I do believe they need to bring back more submission and top rope finishers. The image of seeing an exhausted star like Guerrero climbing to the top rope to drop a frogsplash or a Bret Hart dripping with sweat leaning back with a sharpshooter locked in is priceless. But truthfully finishers are what the star makes them to be. Nobody kicked out of a Jake Roberts DDT, everybody kicks out of a regular DDT. AA's are fine, provided the build to them is acceptable.

 

[RicSpade]

In the late 80's early 90's it was the build up to the move, think of the I quit match between Terry Funk and Ric Flair, The diamond cutter of DDP coming out of no where, Hogan Hyping before the leg drop, the height of the Frog Splash from RVD.

A finisher is what makes you pop out of your seat, or even the false finish from the move.

Paul Birchill had an awesome move off the top but he could only do it to certain wrestlers and was deemed to dangerous, The Knee + can hit from anywhere at anytime and thats why people POP when Bryan hits it. Cenas finisher is big but he hypes it too much I enjoy it more when it comes out of nowhere, and thats why it kills itself.

 

[MCMG]

Cena's finisher is fine. Being that high and landing on your spine should theoretically hurt even a tough wrestler. The AA is fine. It can be kind off hit out of nowhere and it looks great, especially when Cena gets a heavyweight on his shoulders.

The people's elbow is both awful and wonderful. The Rock made it the most electrifying move in sports entertainment but, ultimately, it's only an elbow. Any one could do it and even then I'm not sure it would be enough to take out a tough pro wrestler. However, The Rock is one of the biggest superstars of all time.

Finishers are important but, on the whole, there haven't been many "bad" finishers. I can't see one move holding a superstar back because when that is the case they swiftly move on.

 

[Ace Amoeba]

Finishing moves are important. I see a lot of younger performers wanted to come up with a new finisher that has never been done before. Being innovative is awesome but this usually leads to a finisher that is very contrived and not credible and it can kill and entire in ring persona.

I feel a finisher should be simple, look "hurty" and be able to be done easily without setup. The AA, Spear and Superman punch are all examples of this. Cena's AA used to look more like a fireman's carry but he is laying it in more these days. The finisher has to be protected in two ways. One, they cannot be used by others as a mere midmatch move and only should be used by others if it contributes to a storyline. For example, someone using another's finisher to mock whoever they are feuding with.

Secondly, a finisher should be protected by not having many kick out of it unless it's that epic of a match. It should never be kicked out of three times in the same match.

 

[theblasterkid]

Well when he did it to Kane on the stretcher it looked weak as hell. It would look better if it were a basic Death Valley Driver.

 

[Chris02M]

Well when he did it to Kane on the stretcher it looked weak as hell. It would look better if it were a basic Death Valley Driver.

that was because he didn't want to knock the stretcher over and have to drag kane back onto the stretcher

 

[theblasterkid]

Wouldn't had been more credible if he just AA'd Kane on the stage area then picked him up and put him on the stretcher? That AA on the stretcher was trash like Cena in-ring overall.

 

[BestWrestlingOpinions]

1) I guess it is important to some extent. You don't want to finish your opponents with some stupid move, when you can't put them away with superplexes, and expect the people to buy into your finisher. With that said, it isn't the most important, it isn't even close to being of much importance. Bryan got to the top without even having a finisher at first (he had the submission). Wrestlers get over by connection to the crowd and a finisher doesn't do much towards that direction. You gotta be able to speak and perform in the ring. As long as you do those things right, the finisher is just something that the fans will get used to. Look at Bryan. I find he finisher kinda stupid, because he used his kicks all the time and then some random knee finishes off the opponent? Nah.. Yet I buy into it when HE uses it, because he is Bryan. If Heath Slater did it, it wouldn't even keep someone down for a one count, kayfabe wise....


2).... which brings me to the point about Cena. No, it won't change anything about him. As you said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, it is broke, but it doesn't generate problems or whatever. The thing is, the problem about Cena isn't his finisher, but his persona and the same stuff he does in the ring all the time. By that, I mean that he lays on the floor for 15 minutes, gets back up, 5 moves of doom, win. Even if his finisher changes, he will still be laying down for 15 minutes, hitting the 5 moves of doom and picking up the win.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Wrestlers get over by connection to the crowd and a finisher doesn't do much towards that direction.

That's a very good point.....and can be contrasted with the direct opposite: if a performer has no connection with the audience, he's not going to become attractive to them simply based on his finisher.

John Cena gets crowd reaction coming and going; the folks who like and him and the ones that don't all weigh in when he appears. Compare that to all the performers who garner no feelings at all from the fans. The fact his detractors are so vocal about "hating" him is likely music to WWE management's ears because he's successfully reaching the target audience; does it really matter how?

As to his finisher, it's effective looking and uniquely his. Rest assured Cena and management monitor this stuff.....and when it's time for him to change up and start going with a different finisher, he's capable of bringing it. With his strength and work ethic, he'll make it go.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

Well when he did it to Kane on the stretcher it looked weak as hell. It would look better if it were a basic Death Valley Driver.

I agree with this. Specifically relating to Cena, it looks like a lazy finishing move. Like it's supposed to be a DVD, but he just doesn't know how to do it right. I agree with the overall idea that it's the "hype and prestige of the move" not necessarily the move itself. But if Cena hit the move properly, the way Saturn used to do the Death Valley Driver, it'd be much more impressive.