Kicking Out of Finisher

[The Bearded One]

We've all seen it before. Its the biggest match on the card and the build-up has been enormous. Everybody's hyped for the two wrestlers to go at it. And then the match finally happens, and it doesn't disappoint. After an awesome back and forth match, one wrestler hits his finisher on the other. 1...Its over, we think to ourselves...2...Nobody kicks out from this...and as the ref's hand comes down for the 3, the pinned wrestler barely gets his shoulder up to continue the match.

Does a wrestler kicking out of another wrestler's finisher make him look stronger, or does it hurt the credibility of the finisher? One could argue that when someone kicks out of a move that has put countless others away makes the wrestler look better, like nothing can stop him. On the other hand, it could make that move look less devastating. Which side do you fall on?

I personally think it makes the wrestler look stronger, as long as its done overdone. I know I am probably comparing apples to oranges here, but lets look at a recent UFC PPV. In the first round Shane Carwin had Brock Lesnar pinned to the ground and was beating the snot out of him. This is what Carwin is best at, this could be his "finishing move". But Lesnar withstood this bombardment and beat Carwin in the second round. Nobody said that Carwin's punches aren't hard or devastating anymore just because Lesnar didn't get knocked out. It made Lesnar look like a beast because he could withstand the punishment.

So which side of the fence are you on?

 

[Thriller Ant]

Depends on the finisher. If someone kicks out of Zack Ryder's leg lariat or William Regal's knee trembler, I would say it hurts the finisher. Those guys don't win much at all, so if their finisher gets kicked out of, it just furthers the idea that the finisher and its superstar are weak.

On the other hand, if someone kicks out of the Pedigree, Attitude Adjustment, or even Sheamus' pump kick, then it makes the guy kicking out look better. Those finishers have won big matches against established competitors, therefore have been proven to be strong. By kicking out of a legitimized finisher, a superstar looks that much stronger.

 

[CDoherty]

^
Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[HBKevin]

I think generally it's a lazy way to book a match which just hurts the finisher's credibility and thus the wrestler's. There are a few exceptions, such as high profile main events. HBK's and Taker's last two Mania matches are good examples. With two experts like that in the ring, especially in a retirement match, you want a lot of drama, surprise, and tension for the ending. That calls for several failed finishers from both wrestlers, I'd say.

 

[Christian42]

Could you imagine what would happen if someone like the Miz kicked out of the Attitude adjustment... so my answer is it makes the guy look better.

 

[mrbrownstone]

I aggree with the people above me in that it depends on the finisher if someone kicks out of say cross rodes or The Zack Attack it makes the move look even weaker as those moves hardly ever get a win anyway however if say Evan Bourne is facing Hunter and he kicks out of the pedigree that is instant credibility for bourne, that move has won numerous Wrestlemania main events and Evan bourne just kicked out of it whoa that guy must be tough. So it really depends on the finisher.

 

[The Peep Show]

I agree with The Thriz, it all depends on the finisher, if someone kicks out of Zack Ryders' Rough Ryder or Cena AA, it does make the finisher look a bit weaker, already looking weak as it is. But if someone kicks out of a Tombstone Piledriver, I think they looked way tougher, hardly anyone has kicked out it and when Shawn did at WM 25 and 26 it made him look like he wanted it even more and made Shawn look like a tough S.O.B. So once again it all depends on the finisher

 

[Ferbian]

As long as the finisher can put talent down on a regular basic. Someone kicking out of it doesn't hurt the finisher. For the most of it in Pay Per View matches it makes the opponent look stronger.

They're shown that they can hang with the guy up there. That they need more than one finisher to be put down. I've said it around Shawn vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania. The finishers didn't look weak. The two talent looked strong and resilient. And that to me is the primary purpose of letting someone kick out of a finisher, looking strong.

 

[Kingofthedeathmatch]

It depends on the situation. In TNA wrestlers kick out of each others finishers left and right like regular moves, sometimes the announcers dont even try to make a big deal about it and that hurts the credibility of the finisher a little.

On the other hand, if it's a match with a lot on the line or with some type of importance I think its standard that a wrestler doesn't win on the first finisher hit if it hasn't been teased earlier in the match. It just shows exactly how much the wrestlers in the ring want to win.

 

[Mustang Sally]

When it's a long, grueling match that seems ready to end at any minute, the kick-out can be one of the most exciting features in wrestling. In other words, the fans have to be really into it. When they are, you hear that collective groaning sound after each kick-out, meaning the audience is riveted on the match and is actually giving a damn who's going to win it.

Conversely, watching someone like Rey Mysterio kick out of Kane's pinning attempt by merely flexing his legs makes the kick-out look like what is actually is.......show business.