Does a finisher help make the wrestler?

[The Wolf]

Are there any wrestlers that if you would change their finisher it will sell them better?

Example I think they should change Mark Henry's move to either the powerbomb or the torture rack or both cause alot of wrestlers today have more then one.

 

[Schizophrenic]

I do think a finisher really does help to make the wrestler. I'll make one distinct example. Shawn Michaels. When he started as a singles star and "HBK" was born he was using a belly to back suplex as his finisher.....think about that for a moment. Shawn Michaels, the "Show Stopper", the "Main Event" was using a belly to back suplex as a finisher. Wow that sure gets the crowd going. When he started using the Superkick thats when he started to take off. That move was like a peice of the puzzle and it's been history since then.

 

[Ferbian]

I think it's all about what finisher, and what wrestler / gimmick you put together to make the wrestler seem more over and exciting.

Personally I think there's finishers that does absolutely nothing for the wrestler to become more over or hated with the crowd, but yet the finisher still seems fitting very much.
As for example, I would probably have to go ahead and say CM Punks GTS does absolutely nothing for his character and to put him over if you ask me, but I still think his GTS finisher is very good in itself, and should not be changed.
But I definatly agree, Shawn Michaels, HBK.. belly to back suplex.. what? It didn't make any sense at all, so that was definatly in for a change.
But all in all, I do agree, a finisher helps make the wrestler, but it's definatly not among the bigger parts of what makes the wrestler.

 

[TKO 3:16]

The finisher is the "actual" John Hancock of a wrestler. They start the match, fighting and batteling to the "high point" and then the finisher comes into play. Deffinatley is a key role in making somebody's carrear or breaking it.
There are plenty of superstars of there that have some pretty good finishers and aren't that big a deal, ie. Evan bourne, but he is over with the "target" audience. Someone mentioned previousley about HBK and the belly to back suplex, and that is one of the best examples I could have thought of.
If HBK had stck with that as a finisher IMO he would have has 2 have a couple more signatures or "big spots" to have been so "over" as a character. Idk but some how the super kick is just HBK, that's who I associate with the move because IMO he does is best. It made him, I mean, "tunin up the band for a little sweet chin music!" It gave hime more depth, like stats if you will for pro sports, wrestlers had "special" moves or knock out blows, its all there.
However there are some exceptions to the rule when it comes to that, because some of the TOP guys in hisory have had BAD finishers. For god sake all Hogan was doing was a glorified leg drop, but it in some way was a MAJOR deal when he did it. Like with The Rock"s peoples elbow, DUM ASS MOVE, he just made it work and IMO because he's the rock it worked. So it kind of is a double edged sword I guess..

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

I think it does help a guy get more recognition. It is not the overall factor though. If you recall Hogan had one of the worst finishers I have ever seen. A leg drop, the Undertaker uses that on the apron and it still doesn't seem like a finisher. The rock had a falling elbow. MVP does that too with his balling and no one cares about it. I think it isn't that big of a factor unless you count R-Truth's Lie Detector which is absolutely more shittier than Hogans. Mark Henry will never be a main event-er even if you gave him the Vader bomb.

 

[Dan E. Inferno]

A good finisher can help make a wrestler become more popular and recognisable but it isn't a huge factor. The reason I say that is because it is totally possible to get to the top with a weak finisher. In my opinion, the attitude adjustment is a weak finisher. However, Cena got to the top with that finishing move because his excellent character, charisma and work rate made that generic finisher popular with the live crowds.

The same could be said for the Miz. He is destined to keep climbing up the roster and it's likely he will keep his skull crushing finale finisher while he does. I consider his finisher to be very weak but as long as the Miz is over, he'll climb to the top.

However, I do concede that current wrestlers like MVP and Dolph Ziggler could benefit from a more unique or impactful finisher.