Are they going to retire finishers?

[JDX]

Title says it all. will WWE or TNA or whoever you want retire the finishers of major guys when they leave? Obviously they have moved some finishers around like Shelton and MVP but I'm talking about big moves like the AA(FU), pedigree, superkick, tombstone piledriver, twist of fate, RKO, GTS, Swanton, and any other move thats really been fused with the wrestler who performs it. Of course most of these people won't retire for ten or more years but when was the last time you saw anything close to a Rock Bottom or Jack Hammer?

Discuss.

 

[Serious Jones]

Popular finishers are generally not copied. It's an unofficial rule amongst the performers, followed out of respect. It's different when someone starts using Shelton Benjamin's Paydirt, as opposed to something like the Pedigree or the Stunner. For guys like Shelton, their finisher is one of their moves. For guys like Triple H or Stone Cold, it has become a part of their gimmick. Because certain moves are so easily identifiable with certain superstars, it's a bad idea for another worker to "steal" someone else's finisher. It's not only disrespectful, but the fans would likely hate it, as well.

There are the obvious exceptions, like when stealing finishers is a part of someone's gimmick. Eugene using various top stars' finishers, like the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow, was kayfabe, and just part of his gimmick. Another exception would be situations like when Chris Jericho or John Morrison used Sweet Chin Music on Shawn Michaels. It was a way to get heat on them. Shawn was obviously approving, so in these situations, it is merely ring psychology, not stealing a finisher out of disrespect.

Since performers generally do not use the finishers of big stars unless it's in a respectful manner, there's no need to "retire" them. They are already essentially retired when the superstar that made the move famous retires.

 

[JDX]

That seems natural. But what I'm thinking about (I totally forgot to mention it before) is over the course of the last 20 years, the big finishers are done with the opponent standing right in front of you and at least for me, most of the new guys finishers look really weak (go to wwe.com and look up the mid and low card guys or find it on the web), either they have too many steps or they just don't have that devastating impact. So the future looks pretty bad to me.
On a side note the power bomb has been around the block a few times.

 

[Ferbian]

Why should they retire a finisher? I mean considering the fact that there's hardly someone using a move as a finisher that has been performed by someone else in the past 10-20 years as a finisher. Sure you have Triple H and Shawn Michaels that performed the Figure Four Leg Lock. But that was just as much of a tribute to Ric Flair, than a finisher, because it hardly ever ended matches.

Retiring finishers would be ridiculous. Cause let's not forget that if someone's able to perform a move, and perform it good - Why wouldn't they be allowed to use it as a finisher? Like mentioned above, it can easily be incorporated as a way for the wrestler to "tribute" someone else. Chavo Guerrero performs the frog splash, and Eddie Guerrero performed the frog splash, and Eddie got it from Art Barr - All of it is used as a tribute to either Eddie Guerrero, or Art Barr. And it worked, and it worked well.

Why shouldn't someone be able to do the exact same thing? Or to be able to simply bring on the legacy of a move like that. I mean if someone can perform the superkick (Like the Uso's for example) then I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to perform it? There's not exactly a need to make it their finisher, but letting them perform it, or use it as a signature move should be something that is more than welcome, rather than frowned upon.

 

[Syn]

Depends on the finisher.

The superkick is a basic finisher that many wrestlers have used. However, Sweet Chin Music, on the other hand is something completely different. Other than the aformentioned "stealing" of a finisher while in a match with Shawn, Sweat Chin Music will be a one of kind finisher, tuning up the band and all. Until the day they decide to promote someone as Shawns trainee.

The RKO is a copy of the Diamond Cutter, however, Orton has made it into his own. I really think they have to continue the trend of counters Randy has used in matches. Push that RKO as an out of anywhere move, more so than DDP ever did.

While a move like the Rock Bottom may not specifically be copied, the Rock Bottom is a variation of the uranage. Though uranage moves tend to have a swing momentum to them. So its likely we will see someone else with something close to it, if anything someone will use the Book End.

I dont think they will retire the specific finisher, just more around how it is done. Spears will continue to get used as finishers, however how they are performed (the lead up, or whether they go airborne like Edge or keep feet on the ground like Batista) will change.

On the other hand Piledrivers are a big no no in WWE now, they only allow select individuals to do the piledriver, so it is unlikely the tombstone will live on without the pushing of another individual to carry on the taker/kane legacy, who can prove he wont hurt someone with it.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Certain finishers that are synonomous with legendary wrestlers may end up being "retired" as such, as they are so closely linked with a specific wrestler.

For example, noone will use the Peoples Elbow as a finishing move, it is forever ingrained as the Rock's signiture move. It was a simple elbow drop that he made his own. Same with the Hogan leg drop, noone will be using that as a finisher in the future.

As another poster said, these moves have become synonmous with one particular wrestler and will always be associated with that character. If someone suddenly hit a Stone Cold Stunner on their opponent, the fans would not think ""Ohhhh great move!", they would think of Austin and say "hey, he just used the Stunner...how great was Stone Cold?"

There is not a writen law about whether a certain move can be used, but wrestlers generally respect their fellow performers and stay away from using patented finishing moves, especially if a wrestler who used it first and made it famous is in the same company- CM Punk does not use the Pepsi Plunge- a top rope Pedigree, due to Triple H already making the regular Pedigree famous in the WWE.

We may see these moves being hit by other wrestlers once a certain amount of time has passed, or as a tribute to that wrestler (like Chavo using the Frog Splash), or used in another company (Justin Credible in ECW used the Tombstone, and Mikey Whipwreck used the Stunner), but usually the big stars finishers do remain unique to them for a long time in the company where the move was made famous