Best (Basic) Finishing Moves Of All-Time

[TheOneBigWill]

Now I realize we have a couple threads directed at the attention of Wrestlers needing new finishing moves. And possibly the best overall finishing moves, but while I was watching a DVD (Wrestlemania 2000) I noticed how it's rather ironic that a lot of finishing moves in the business, even today, aren't all that complex.. yet get some of the biggest reactions when delivered.

This thread is for everyone to recall any type of original and very basic Wrestling finishing move, that has received a ton of hype for. I'll give a few examples.

The People's Elbow: Now obviously, an elbow drop is one of the most basic known moves in Professional Wrestling history. Yet when the Rock stands over an opponent, slowly pulls off an elbow pad, whips it into the crowd and proceeds to toss it into the crowd.. it electrifies the crowd and almost causes a riot. But in the end, what is it.. it's just an elbow drop.

Walls of Jericho: In the end, it's nothing more than a Boston Crab. It's the most original and basic submission leg hold a wrestler could learn in training, yet when Chris Jericho grabs the legs and sweeps his opponent to his back, the fans jump to their feet and ignite with a roar.

F-U: Again, just like the rest, it's a move that when accomplished by John Cena, it sets the crowd on fire with cheers and boos alike. However in the end, it's just nothing more than a Fireman's Carry.

So what I'm asking, is what makes these moves more than what they are? Is it the name? Is it the Wrestler? What are some other examples of finishing moves that are nothing more than your basic seen in almost every match situations? What are your thoughts on these moves.. Discuss.

DO NOT just list moves that are basic, without explaining your opinions and feelings on why they're good or bad. Thank You.

 

[klunderbunker]

Two spring to mind.

Sweet Chin Music. This move is a kick. It's nothing more than a side kick. How many people have used this at one time or another in their careers? It is nothing more than a big boot from the side. But it's Shawn Michaels with that boot. He made it one of the most epic finishers of all time and it means the end of the match for anyone.

Leg Drop. If this move isn't on the top of the chart, nothing else can be. It is a move that hundreds of people have done and to no one else on the planet is it a big deal. But if Hogan does it, it's the most epic finisher of all time. How many people have fallen victim to the boot (there it is again) and the big leg? Thousands. How many others have used it? Thousands. Has to be #1 on this list.

 

[RKOFAN**1]

Thats a hard one! cause beside the elbow drop and the leg drop, I dont really have other basic finishers in my mind... there could be more with the fact that Ive only been watching wrestling since the beginning of evolution... So there may be other wrestlers that have one! But if I had to chose one, i could say JBL's Clothesline "from Hell". In my opinion its just a simple clothesline with maybe a little more strength and speed. It doesnt really electrify the crowd simply because its JBL's! but the fact is: its just a clothesline!

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

Some more examples...

DDT = A move that still looks like it could hurt like hell in most variations...particularly the ones that don't just turn into the opponent's FACE hitting the mat, not their head (like the lifting DDT that Hawkins/Ryder/Edge do). That one doesn't look like it has much of an impact, but tornado DDTs and such, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of.

Piledriver = Its a shame they don't allow this move anymore. You don't even need the Canadian Destroyer version...just the simple one that they used to use non-stop in the 90s looked painful enough.

Splash = The most basic of all moves that someone can do, essentially, outside of a punch, and it still is very, very effective if the wrestler is a huge guy (Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, Vader, Yokozuna, etc).

Spear = Very simple, very effective, especially when the guy is huge like Goldberg or Batista. It doesn't fit Edge too well in my opinion, outside of how quick it is.

 

[Taker316]

Well, Frog splash (in many different variations) is really nothin but a cross-body splash, but with a lil twist/twitch of the body. RVD, Eddie Guerrero, D-lo Brown using it, i dont know i think its just overused.

Yeah, obviously the people's elbow, clothesline from hell, leg drop all so basic, but the characters that pull it off make it so believable!

Good ol Jake The Snake's DDT, nowadays somethin like that wouldnt even put a guy down for a 1 count. But back them days, the move was most feared, devastating

Sergeant slaughters modified sleeperhold.....well obviously just a sleeperhold, that's performed practically once in every match (with the typical *oh is he out? lifts he hand once,,,,twice..... OH he's back, escapes the hold and match goes on)

 

[The Snake]

Good calls on Sweet Chin Music and the Spear, they are so incredibly simple, but they can by built up so many different ways, and can be used to the effect of a bolt from the blue, or can be built up by a simple hand-gesture, and we all know whats coming (Edge and Batista with the Spear best exampling this)

Two other mentions I would like to give.

Frog Splash - Certainly not complex, nothing really to it apart from some tiny mid air movement which is basically glorifying a splash from the top ropes, but it always looks impressive, mainly because of how simple it is. I'll discount the RVD version (and maybe to an extent the Art Barr one aswell) as they require fairly complex motions, but when it is executed like Eddie used to (Christian and Chavo carrying it on of note) it is oh so effortlessly nice.

RKO - Why do people love this move so much? It's just really a cutter, which is little more than a reverse neckbreaker - In the way it's executed, it isn't visually stunning, like Morrison's Moonlight Drive, because it doesn't need to be, you get hit by it and it looks like it hurts, and it looks like there was no way out of it, and you are often left wondering "where the **** did that come from", not a move going to win any "Most sexy looking move" awards, it's just simple and does its role to perfection - Thats the answer to the question I opened this paragraph with.

 

[Davi323]

How about the absolute most basic finishing move ever? The full nelson? Whether its called the Masterlock, or just what it actually is, as used by Hercules Hernandez, Billy Jack Haynes, or the spinning version Ken Patera used...its simple, can be applied in an instant, and when done properly, its inescapable by anyone who isn't an absolute powerhouse. The full nelson was almost a guaranteed win for the wrestler putting it on their opponent.

 

[Slyfox696]

The Leg Drop definitely has to be up there. However, and this is what so many people don't understand, the Leg Drop itself isn't the UBER-ULTRA knockout move. Rather it's a combination of Hogan's finishing routine that knocks an opponent out, and Hogan finishes with the Leg drop. But, in the end, it is a basic move that gets incredible heat.

Why? Because what it has come to symbolize. What it has come to symbolize was the final blow of Good defeating Evil. Just like the Atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima symbolizes the end of World War 2, the Atomic Leg Drop symbolizes Good triumphing over Evil once again. And since Good vs. Evil was Hogan's calling card for decades, it's synonymous with that, even if it is on a subconscious level in fans minds.


And shouldn't this be in the Classic Wrestling section Will, since it asked for all time? Just asking.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Some more examples...

DDT = A move that still looks like it could hurt like hell in most variations...particularly the ones that don't just turn into the opponent's FACE hitting the mat, not their head (like the lifting DDT that Hawkins/Ryder/Edge do). That one doesn't look like it has much of an impact, but tornado DDTs and such, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of.

Piledriver = Its a shame they don't allow this move anymore. You don't even need the Canadian Destroyer version...just the simple one that they used to use non-stop in the 90s looked painful enough.

Splash = The most basic of all moves that someone can do, essentially, outside of a punch, and it still is very, very effective if the wrestler is a huge guy (Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, Vader, Yokozuna, etc).

Spear = Very simple, very effective, especially when the guy is huge like Goldberg or Batista. It doesn't fit Edge too well in my opinion, outside of how quick it is.

YES! This entire post embodies the thread. Simple, easy moves that have stood the test of time in professional wrestling.

The DDT, in the hands of a cunning and dangerous individual, was devistation. Jake Roberts was obviously the kind, but the Mick Foley Double-Arm variation was bad ass as well.

The Piledriver was great because a) it looked painful, b) the announce team could tell a story with it and an effective seller of the move could play a kayfabe neck injury to worry the crowd, and c) it did the most damage in the video games. Jerry Lawler comes to mind as a terrific purveyor of piledrivers.

The Splash is the simplest of them all - an SHW could do it, a lightweight could do it, and either way it could be tweaked to add impact. Vader off the 2nd rope with the backwards srpingboard, Ultimate Warrior off the ropes, Kamala out of nowhere, Yokozuna with the Banzai Drop, etc. The basic idea of one wrestlers entire body mass crashing down onto another is the basis of many other moves.

The spear didn't get big until the 90's with Goldberg, but it stems from the basic football idea of using momentum, like a missle, to knock somebody over and so some appreciable damage, so despite its newer status as a "trendy" move, it belongs on this list.

Seriously, NoFate, nice work here.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Atomic Drop: Sadly this isn't used as much as it used to be. Which is a darn shame. It's tailbone trauma. Great move. It might look slightly silly. But it all depends on how animated the wrestler receiving it is. If they struggle to be lifted up and really fight it, then when they're dropped they should crumble on the floor it would work today. None of that hopping about holding your buttocks like most wrestlers in the 80's did. It should incapacitate your opponent for at leats a minute.

 

[Danmen001]

There are quite a few, but then this comes down to what you define as a basic move. When it comes down to it, isn't every finisher a basic wrestling move. I mean, you can't be original with these moves, since every finisher is a wrestling move. The overgeneric ones I guess you could say are:

DDT: Everyone uses it all the time. So am I ment to feel that one person can do it so well, and yet another can't? But sticking with my policy, it can still be a finisher.

Leg Drop: One of the simplest moves ever, coming from one of the greatest stars ever. I believe that Hogan's leg drop was pretty interesting to be able to get over with seeing as it is so basic. Being basic doesn't take away from the fact it is a finisher.

The People's Elbow: Once again a move coming from a great star. My problem with this move is not the fact that it is a simple elbow, but the fact he runs around like an overexcited kid before he hits it. Other than that I guess an elbow would be ok too, although I think it would be hard to get over with it.

 

[HBK-aholic]

Sweet Chin Music
In theory, and in the hands of anyone else, this move is nothing but a kick. The sort of kick anyone could see someone doing, and it'd just be known as that. However, this is a kick in the hand of Shawn Michaels. Further proof he can make anything special. The Sweet Chin Music is a magical move. Especially the way he "tunes up the band". When this happens you can feel the energy from the fans around the stadium, see it channeling through Shawn. It's a great 'basic' move.

 

[a7xoff]

Sweet Chin Music
In theory, and in the hands of anyone else, this move is nothing but a kick. The sort of kick anyone could see someone doing, and it'd just be known as that. However, this is a kick in the hand of Shawn Michaels. Further proof he can make anything special. The Sweet Chin Music is a magical move. Especially the way he "tunes up the band". When this happens you can feel the energy from the fans around the stadium, see it channeling through Shawn. It's a great 'basic' move.

See now the way I look at it, HBK has his own special kick. I mean there are other guys that use Sweet Chin Music and it gets called something like a superkick or shuffle side kick. Either way though I agree with Becca that HBK has been able to take an incredibly simple move, a kick, and turn it into something amazing. I mean the DDT is a really sick basic move by drilling someones head into the ground, but the energy that HBK produces for the crowd is quite literally electric. When Shelton used a kick similar to Sweet Chin Music he was not able to generate much crowd reaction for it at all. So as I said. I feel that Sweet Chin Music is different than an ordinary superkick that only one man will ever be able to produce... HBK...

 

[snidercrs]

All great suggestions so far, but I have to throw in The Figure Four Leglock. This move has been used by the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Micheals, and Triple H so it is a pretty basic move. But when it is applied by Ric Flair, it gets taken to a much bigger level. Maybe its the history behind, or maybe its just because its Ric Flair, but when he applies the figure for the crowd goes nuts and the WHOOOOOOO's begin.

 

[klunderbunker]

The Angle Slam. This move is nothing but picking the person up and putting them on their backs. At I believe No Mercy 2001, Austin used a belly to back suplex and JR called it an Angle Slam. There's nothing special about this move. It is simply a rotating suplex. The opponent goes up and lands on his back. It's the same as a slam, a chokeslam, a Rock Bottom, or a jackknife powerbomb. However when it's Angle, it's epic. I love the move, but it's about as basic as you can get.

 

[chrisgod]

What about the Perfect-Plex / Fisherman Suplex???

this move is nothing but a regular suplex while grabbing the opponent's leg... I mean, when Beth Phoenix is doing it, JR was like "mygawwwwwwwd what a hellacious move!!!! it was devastating!!!", but John Cena uses it as one of his five moves of doom.

 

[mcflyboy]

I'm not sure how much others may agree with this one, but how about "The Perfect Plex"? It really was nothing more than a different way of pinning someone that started with a suplex. But when Mr. Perfect hit it, you knew the match was over. It's not a move that gets used very often anymore, and on the few occasions it is used, the person usually kicks out. But Mr. Perfect doing it was a different story.

Also this may be out of left field, but I thought that the pinning combination at the end of nacho libre was pretty cool. It's nothing more than a different way to pin someone, so it's basic, but at the same time was so unique I think it'd be cool if a wrestler were to adopt a move like that sometime.


Edit: Whoa...someone else was typing my thoughts the same time as me! Spooky!

 

[conrad2008]

There was one finishing move i expected to see on the list and that was :
F5
brock lesnar could use this finisher to anyone in the WWE and could probs do it to anyone now.
He became the youngest WWE champion in history (BTW if your thinking randy orton became the youngest champion He became the youngest world heavyweight champion) with that finishing move

so reply back with your views
Conrad

 

[chrisgod]

There was one finishing move i expected to see on the list and that was :
F5
brock lesnar could use this finisher to anyone in the WWE and could probs do it to anyone now.
He became the youngest WWE champion in history (BTW if your thinking randy orton became the youngest champion He became the youngest world heavyweight champion) with that finishing move Conrad

I don't think the F5 is a "basic" move turned into a finisher... Of course the F-5 is a great finisher and looks pretty impressive... but this thread is more of a regular wrestling move used as a finisher... like... The Masterlock which is nothing but a full nelson (damn! when Chris Masters was using it, the announcers went nuts like if that lock was really unbreakable)...

I forgot to mention them before... but all of Rey mysterio's complements to 619 are pretty much standard cruserweight moves (frog splash, senton, hurricanrana, the ocassional tornado DDT)... I mean, he never pinned someone with just the 619 kick... did he??? and I don't think anyone besides him has pinned someone with a hurricanrana... at least not in the WWE...

 

[texas freebird]

bear hug it just likr hugging a teddy bear but mark henry and ine or two others have picked up a win with it.

claw hold this move popularised by the von erichs dosnt seem that devistating. simply squeezing someones nogging or ribs would not keep them down for a 3 count or make them pass out even if applied by khali.

 

[BarryHorowitzfanclub]

My Greatest of all time finisher:

The Sleeper Hold (Brutus Beefcake): Now, call it the Sleeper Hold, Cobra Clutch, Million Dollar Dream, Tazmission, Dragon Sleeper, whatever you wanna paint it. They're all pretty much the same thing. They make the opponent unconscious by ways of strangulation of the blood supply to the brain. Not only is this the best wresrling move, it works in real life.

Second: Tourture Rack (Lex Luger). It's such a cool move, especially since only about two guys really used it as a finisher. It's a power man's power move. YOu're making a guy quit because you're so strong, you can throw him on your shoulders, hold him there, and bend him in half.

Now, these aren't impact moves for sure, but they are as simple as making a peanut butter sandwich.

 

[HeartBreakk1dPr]

The Elbow Drop from off the top rope-----Randy Macho man Savage baby. It looks beautiful yet it hurts so bad....of course not within pro wrestling but try it for real,lol....I have. DIG IT?????!!!!!

 

[jpfizzle]

Clothesline From Hell:

I'm suprised no one mentioned this, one of JBL or Bradshaws strongest move is basically just a clothesline with the words "from hell" on the end yet when he does it it is usually sold so well, I think I saw it on Billy Gunn on an old summer slam video the other night, it was like OUCH! that was the single greatest clothesline eveaaaaaah.

Walls of Jericho: and The Camel Clutch

When these submission finishers get locked in you just know the damage they can do but they are old and have stood the test of time, they are constantly modified, Walls of Jericho is just a boston crab with an angry Jericho shouting "is he tapping" with a fierce face.

 

[phat_inallthegoodplaces]

i think if you've played SDVR 08 and have gone down the move list, any move with 3 or more different versions can be on this list. so with that in mind the one basic move that is also a finisher that i haven't seen mentioned yet is a powerbomb. any heavyweight or super heavyweight wrestler uses it. batista, undertaker, kane after undertaker taught him how to do the last ride, even jbl used one. of course, i'm not saying the powerbomb is ineffective, it's just something that is pretty basic, but when used with the force that batista or taker uses, it can be pretty painful.

 

[Dead Kennedy]

The powerbomb is as good an impact finisher you can get with a basic move. It just looks do damn powerful, and it's not that dangerous a bump to take (unless you're Bob Holly and sandbagging Brock Lesnar...also, I've had it applied on myself, so that's FACT) so I love a good powerbomb, although nobody uses it anymore it seems. The crap Batista Bomb doesn't count.