50 Greatest Finishing Moves: 40-31

Missed the rest?  Catch up before reading the rest:
50-41

40. Booker T's Harlem Hangover

   

If you only know Booker T from his post-WCW days, then the above video is probably the only time you've ever seen him use the Harlem Hangover.  At one point in Booker's early career this was his main finisher but a mix of a age and the watered down nature that main eventers bring in terms of risk taking relegated this move to the shelf from about 2000 until he retired.  The incredible thing about the move to me is the risk involved for the person taking the move.  Booker T wrestled his entire career north of the 250 pound mark, and while graceful for his size, 250 pounds is a lot to trust will land where it needs to after a flip off the top rope without legitimately getting your head crushed.  Just ask HHH, I think there is a good reason the above clip is the only time he ever busted it out in the WWE.

 39. Matt Morgan's Hellevator

 

The Hellevator is another example of a move that impresses due to the size of the opponent.  Any time a seven footer uses a move that involves momentum rather than pure strength, it is fun to watch.  The first time I saw this move I figured this was going to be some boring variation on a vertical suplex.  Then Morgan swung the opponent the other way and added so much extra impact compared to usual variation of just falling backwards.  Sadly, Morgan has since abandoned this move in favor of one of my generic ineligible moves, a big boot with a cute nickname.

38. Bryan Danielson's Cattle Mutilation  

When I first saw Danielson use this move, I certainly thought it was rather unique, but it wasn't until I tried using it on my younger brother that I realized how impressive it was.  I put on the ground chest down, hooked both arms, and then flipped over and heard the screams.  The reason wasn't necessarily the pain of the hold you see above, but rather it was a testament that you need to be a better athlete than myself to attempt this.  After flipping over I landed flat on my ass, with my brothers arms still hooked and stretched then considerably further than a human arm is meant to go.  While the move is visually impressive, it is also great because it is rare that a move used on the mat requires a feat of athleticism that is usually only seen leaving the top turnbuckle. 

The first, and arguably still the best, devastating tag team maneuver.  While I don't have it ranked highest among tag moves, I wouldn't fight with anyone who did.  The concept is so simple, hold an opponent on the shoulders and wait for your partner to come flying of the ropes to knock him cold.  For the era it was in, it was perhaps the most feared move there was.  

 36. Triple H's Pedigree

Everyone knows this move.  Usually, the big main eventers have reasonably generic finishing moves, HHH though created one of the greatest moves ever.  I remember when first group of friends starting wrestling on my trampoline, we were trying out all of our favorite moves on everyone.  Stunners, chokeslams, rock bottoms, all the big moves and we were all happy to let the others try them out on us in return.  The one move no one wanted to participate in was the pedigree.  It doesn't matter what the landing surface you have, landing on your chest is uncomfortable.  The only reason that this isn't higher is because someone has taken it and one-upped since HHH created the move.  You'll be seeing the improved version later in the list.  

35. Rey Mysterio's West Coast Pop

  

Rey Mysterio is one of the greatest innovators in the history of my beloved choice of white trash entertainment.  While Mysterio has moved away from this move due to a combination of knee surgeries and the popularity of the 619, for my money the West Coast Pop is the greatest move that has ever graced his arsenal.  It shows amazing agility and technique but still managing to make you cringe a bit with the impact on the opponents head at the end.

 34. The Maximo's Spanish Fly

  

If you aren't a die hard fan, you've likely never seen the Spanish Fly.  It was used by the Maximo brothers, a team that never found big success, never reaching any higher on the pro wrestling ladder than Ring of Honor (and their stay there was relatively short).  I have never understood their lack of success as they brothers could really wrestle and their finish was absolutely beautiful to behold.  The only move you'll see that manages to get three people leaving the top turnbuckle at the same time.

Everyone knows this move and while it has often been repeated, no one else has ever used it effectively as a finisher.  The thing about the elbow drop is that if you don't use it perfectly, it looks painfully fake.  CM Punk has recently started using the elbow to pay tribute to the late, great Savage, but his just pales in comparison to the original.  The top rope elbow drop is often used so that the wrestler clearly is pulling the elbow up at the last moment to avoid really driving it into the opponent.  With Savage, never.  The point of the elbow is driven deep and hard, sometimes to the chest, and occasionally in the middle of a poor schmucks face.

 32. El Generico's Turnbuckle Brainbuster

While a brainbuster is a move that drastically overused on the independent scene, El Generico has found a way to make a common move stand out from all the other.  A brainbuster is a scary move in it's own right, picking an opponent up and just dropping them flat on top of their head is a move that always carries a lot of risk.  Generico makes a habit of propping his opponent on the top rope and then using the move on the turnbuckle itself, and the landing is generally unpredictable.  

 31. 2 Cold Scorpio's 450 Splash
 

When Scorpio first started wrestling in the early nineties, the top rope had firmly established itself as starting spot for several maneuvers.  Scorpio was the first, to my knowledge, that actually started using the ropes to do something truly incredible, when most were using it as way to just add momentum to a standard maneuver like a splash or elbow drop.  Scorpio used the extra height to add some twists no one could ever pull off from the mat itself, spinning 450 degrees before using that momentum to flatten his opponent into the canvas. This has been used a lot since but like many top rope moves, most high flying wrestlers just use it as another move, and not as signature finisher like Scorpio did.  

50 Greatest Finishing Moves 50-41

I just finished watching the Top 50 finishers in WWE history DVD.  I understand that when you are a multi-million dollar entertainment company, you don't just make lists like that for fun, you are doing it to make money.  That means you get your biggest names in no matter what.  That is all fine and well but after watching a list that has Hulk Hogan's horrible leg drop in the top ten, I felt obligated to put together a list that doesn't need to throw in any shitty finisher, just because it was used by a big name.  

For those of you reading that are not pro wrestling fans, I should elaborate on what I mean by finishing move.  A finishing move is a move that a wrestler regularly uses to win or "finish" a match.  Some wrestlers have multiple recognized finishing moves and will have multiple entries on this list.  

There will be a few changes in the qualifications from my list and the WWE DVD, in that I am not sticking to WWE finishers.  Big time wrestling fans likely know that WWE is the most watered down wrestling company out there and some of the more impressive moves will come from other organizations. 

Secondly, I will not put in any move that is used by several wrestlers with slight variations, so you will not see any variations of DDT's, neckbreakers, or frog splash's.  That is not to say these are not good moves, rather that they are so common, picking one variation really just becomes about which wrestler using the move do you prefer.  I'm biased but I try to limit it.

Finally, I could care less whether the move won a world title or if it was used by a jobber that rarely won a match at all.  The list is not about the wrestler as a whole or careers, just the moves.

With my disclaimers out of the way, let's dive on into the list.  

Just missing the cut: William Regal's Regal Stretch, Dean Malenko's Texas Cloverleaf, Davey Richards' Butterfly Brainbuster, and Evan Bourne's Air Bourne.

50. Austin Aries' Last Chancery (Horns of Aries)

Look we all know by now that wrestling is fake.  The greatness of a move is more than just the danger or pain factor, it is also about the presentation.  The last chancery is not only a painful hold but the presentation is great.  When held in the move, a wrestler is held in a position with their face elevated from the mat just perfectly so the camera and catch every bit of pain etched in the man's face.  Great presentation means a great move.  

49. Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter

Modern wrestling fans will recognize the above move as the RKO that Randy Orton has made famous, and with good reason, it's the same damn move.  However, the RKO is not on my list.  The move itself is one of those moves that is great because it can come from anywhere and shock the crowd.  The reason I included it over the RKO is the realism that Diamond Dallas Page adds to his variation.  Orton tends to lazily hook the opponent's head with a single arm to drop them to the canvas, however DDP uses both arms to really add a level of inescapability to the hold.  

Also, I hate Orton and it's my list.

 48. Victoria's Widow's Peak

The widow's peak is the only move by a female competitor on my list.  While there have been many talented female competitors over the years, there has never been a power move that was more impressively used by a female competitor, as they tended to be more "finesse" than anything.  Then Victoria showed up in 2002 and started delivering the widow's peak.  The move is as devastating as any used by the men, dropping the opponents neck against her own shoulder in a position that does not allow the opponent to use their arms to protect themselves.  There has never been a female that presented a move as brutal before or since. 

47. Steve Williams' Backdrop Driver

I don't know that this one needs much detail.  

Lift a bitch, drop on head, 1. 2. 3.

Goodnight.

46. Chris Benoit's Crippler Crossface

If you have started watching wrestling after 2007, you've probably never heard of Chris Benoit.  Benoit has been more or less written out of wrestling history due to the way his life ended tragically, along with his wife and child.  However, I'm a believer that one action should not make irrelevant a lifetime of work.  For 20 years, Benoit was arguably the most talented wrestler in the world, and the Crossface was his finisher of choice.  Most wrestling fans can likely vouch for the pain of the hold as it is simple enough to use that fellow wrestling fans tend to lock it in on each other.  The concept is simple.  Trap an arm, grab the face, and wrench the neck until the opponent gives up, and it usually worked.  

45. Kevin Steen's Package Piledriver

The piledriver is the original devastating move to be used in a wrestling ring.  Since the first use of the piledriver, many variations have been used, but few have rivaled the one Steen uses.  Most piledrivers focus on simply lifting an opponent and dropping them on their head.  Steen goes a step further in trapping their appendages before the move to ensure nothing can be done to lessen the impact.  

44. Abyss' Black Hole Slam

Most of the moves on my list are impressive because you watch it and say "I wouldn't let someone use that on me." Many focus on the neck or head and just look dangerous.  The black hole slam is much more basic.  The impressive thing about it is the speed at which it is delivered.  It is rare that a 350 pound wrestler uses a move that is impressive because of the finesse involved but that is what this is.  Catch the running opponent, quickly twist around like a madman, and drive to the canvas (preferably with thumbtacks waiting).

43. Test's Test Drive

Just like the black hole slam, this is a move that is impressive because of the size of the opponent using it.  The move has been used by many over the past few years, Cody Rhodes and Christopher Daniels to name a few, but none have made it seem as impressive.  

42. Vader's Vader Bomb

The Vader bomb is not impressive because of the move itself.  Rey Mysterio could use the move and I could kick out. It's the size of the man using it that makes it so iconic.  It is simple, effective, and honestly terrifying if you are the man being hit.  Just picture yourself flat on your back watching a 450 pound man drop on you from the second rope.  The move can really be summarized in one word.

Splat!

41. AJ Styles' Styles Clash

The Styles Clash is unique in that there are very few moves that end with an opponent being dropped onto their chest.  The Styles Clash is great in that the set-up for the move including a believable trapping of the arms to negate an opponents counter, a high impact landing, and smooth, easy transition into the pin.  A complex move that has kept AJ Styles at the top of TNA wrestling for a decade now.  

Stay tuned for 40-31 tomorrow.  

A Whole Lot of Everything

Marvel Madness Marches On........

18. Hyperion

vs.

2. Galactus

10. Proteus

vs.

7. Destroyer

He's Back at it Again

On College Gameday Final this week, Mark May resumed his role as the conductor on the Boise State hate train, we all knew it would happen eventually. As is tradition, both he and Lou Holtz revealed their top 5 at the end of the show. Mark did not have us in his, that's fine and acceptable, they are not in mine either. What is a little less exceptable is his reaction to Lou Holtz's placing of Boise State at number five.

Mark: You have Boise State at number five but no Oklahoma State in there?!?!?! That's just ridiculous!!

That's a good point Mark, I can't believe anyone could make such a stupid selection. Nobody else but Lou could be so dumb. Well, maybe somebody.

Mark May ladies and gentleman.

TV Reviews

Whitney

My feelings on this episode were pretty much the same as the first two. The jokes are okay, the characters just aren't that likable. The supporting cast is awful, just completely unlovable in my opinion. As I mentioned last week, I had low expectations for this show based on it appearing to be nothing but elaborations on jokes in Whitney's stand up routine, and that's exactly what this episode was. Whitney gives her boo the silent treatment due to a dispute then realizes that he loves it because now he doesn't have to listen to her anymore. Upon realizing this, Whitney pulls a 360 and decides never to shut up. Entertaining enough but nothing more than a stand-up joke dragged out for 22 minutes. Rating 6.5/10

The Office

While this week's episode of the Office was pretty entertaining, it did not match up to the first two episodes of the season. The plot revolves around the warehouse workers winning the lottery and walking out on their jobs and a depressed Daryll left behind after not being a part of the winnings. The jokes that are there are great, but depressed Daryll was a realllllllly slow moving story and dragged the episode out quite a bit. The good news is that Andy as branch manager is continuing to be great and that continued here. The bits with Erin, Jim, Dwight, and Kevin trying to manage warehouse duties for a day were great as well. Rating 7/10

The Big Bang Theory
This episode was okay, but really didn't do it for me overall. The character development was virtually non-existent and the plot was just way to predictable. The moments with Sheldon using his Dungeons and Dragons dice to make what he deemed to be insignificant decisions were outstanding though. Rating 5.5/10

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

A pretty classic episode of Sunny here. Sweet Dee gets audited for lying about a dependent child on her tax returns, while the guys try to wretch some decision-making power away for Frank in managing the bar. It winds up with a fake funeral and Charlie and Mac fighting over the need for a crucifix hanging from the bar wall. Nothing amazing here but all the expected laughs make a pretty viewing. Rating 8/10

Dolphins Watch

They had a bye, which was outstanding, because I didn't have to watch them play this week. Even without playing, they took one step closer to Andrew Luck as well, because Minnesota got their first win of the season, leaving one fewer team at the bottom of the league to compete for the top pick against.

Another week in the books and with Chad Henne now out for the season, finishing as the league's worst team isn't much of stretch.

You Win This One. No, I Insist, You Win This One

An emotional Hue Jackson tried to hand the game away in the last few minutes against Houston on Sunday, only to have Houston hand it back. Jackson responded by handing it away again, handing it back, and then having it handed back again at the end. I feel like I've seen way too much awful football this season and the end of this game is up near the top. With a five point lead and less than three minutes left, the Raiders came out and threw on both second and third down to ensure the clock didn't get too low, the decision makes even less sense knowing that they have perhaps the best back in the league in Darren McFadden. When Houston recovered the ball, they immediately gave up a huge sack. But the Raiders had too many men on the field. Houston then facemasked on the next play, then the Raiders gave up a 27 yard pass when 25 were needed for a first down. Then Oakland got a sack that counted, then they allowed a completion down to the four yard line. On the games last play, Schaub dropped to throw and found no one to throw too, luckily he had a WIDE open lane to run to the end zone. Schaub took about two steps forward, stopped and decided to look for a throw again, the gap closed. Schaub found no one again, saw another running lane, started into it, and threw an interception into double coverage instead. Some days it's just a shame both teams can't be declared losers.

The Homebrew Channel

I will seriously pay someone to install this thing onto my Wii. I have found a good chunk of tutorials on how to do it, but my history of technology makes me hesitant to try it myself. That being said, I need this. I really need to be able to play Super Mario RPG with my classic controller, using the keyboard to play an emulator on my computer is just not the same.

Fantasy Week in Review

I play in one league that uses two QB's and I decided to wait a long time before grabbing my second one so I could load up on WR's and RB's. A fine strategy I thought, especially when I ended up with Dwayne Bowe, Andre Johnson, Miles Austin, LeGarrette Blount, Beanie Wells, Frank Gore, and Darren McFadden on my team. The bad news: I'm stuck with Kevin Kolb. I figured that the old Houston gunslinger would hurl the ball at Fitz enough to get some big weeks, throw some picks sure, but I thought he could be at least Jay Cutler at least. I was wrong this guy just reeks of same Cardinal-QB, same-Cardinal numbers. I have Colt McCoy as a backup and it looks like I have to put my fate in the hands of a Browns gunslinger instead.

It could be worse though, I could have wasted a first round pick on Michael Vick or Chris Johnson. So far my plan to grab Gore, Johnson (Calvin or Andre), and McFadden in my first three rounds has looked very good. Now I just need the rest of my team to start paying dividends.

A Dog of a Day

Saturday afternoon featured a unique pattern I happened to pick up on. An undefeated day for teams that have dog mascots. Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, and Georgia (Bulldogs), Northern Illinois, NC State, and Nevada (Wolfpack), and Arkansas State (Red Wolves) all picked up wins. Some were surprising, some weren't, but a unique pattern I thought worth mentioning nonetheless, especially since it relied on wins by NC State and Arkansas State. However the Bulldogs of Fresno State did get destroyed by Boise State on Friday night.

Comic Reviews

The Mighty Thor #6

The final showdown between Galactus and Odin. Sounds epic right? Well, it may have been a bit of a letdown in epicness but it was still a very well written story. The bigger part of the fight happened in earlier issues and surprisingly, the best characters of the issue (and story as a whole) were Volstagg and the pastor of a local church in Broxton. I don't know where this is heading for the Silver Surfer, as the book shows a huge change in his character's direction, but he has be varely used for so long that anything that will get him into comics more often seems like a positive. Copiel's art is absolutely brilliant as usual and as long as he is on this book, it will likely get a passing grade regardless of the writing. Rating 8/10

Kick-Ass 2 #4

This book is dark and scary in all the ways that the original story was goofy, fun, and overly violent. The villians (who I can't even name because of the PG-13ish nature of the blog) are the main focus of the story and we see the terrifying plan for revenge starting to come to fruition. This story feels completely different from the original but is great for all the same reasons anyway, because it is fearless in telling the story it wants to tell. Rating 10/10

Captain America & Bucky #622

This book has been well written, following the story of Bucky as Cap's young sidekick in World War II, and his evolution from young punk kid to warrior. The stories are fun and give you a lot of insight into the character, stuff we probably could've used a bit more before they killed him off. I have no idea where this book is going or when it will actually become relevant to current continuity but I'm enjoying the ride for now. Rating 8/10

Amazing Spider-Man #670

Everything I hated about the Spider-Island story up to last weeks review seemed a little bit better this week. There was an oustanding amount of depth to this issue and it started to finally tie together the events of all the characters we've seen in the tie-ins and main story. J. Jonah Jameson, Anti-Venom, Venom, Spidey, MJ, and even Hawkeye all feel like they actually belong in the story together finally, and I am suddenly optimistic for the blow-off. Rating 8.5/10

Annihilators: Earthfall #1

I picked up this book due to my love of most of the starring characters of this new cosmic super team and Abnett and Lanning have done a great job of restoring the cosmic universe in Marvel over the past few years. After this issue, I think maybe their time has passed and a new team should probably start getting ready for fictional space travel. I'm not sure why the Annihilators suddenly had to rush to earth, or why we can't some new villians that are not the church of universal truth. I hated pretty much every page of this. Rating 2.5/10

My Wife is Out of Town for Three Days

Yeah, it's pretty much like that. Honestly, I could use a few days to feel like a free man and I plan on making the most of them. Well, kind of, I still have to work tomorrow. For lunch: Coke, corn dogs, white cheddar popcorn, gummy worms, and some cookies. For dinner: more gummy worms and Coke and a stuffed crust pizza. The football has stayed on all day and I have spent my time watching it wrapped up on the couch with the quilt from the bed and an over-sized pillow. My wife is concerned that I'll put on 100 pounds while she is gone. I have assured her that I'll cap at 10.

They Took Our Jorbs

Maybe I'm being a bit irreverant here but I have a long standing hatred with this country's pattern of idolizing anybody the minute they die. I understand that he was the visionary at the top of one of the most successful companies in the world but I have never owned a single Apple product and I don't plan to anytime soon, so his loss is particularly small to me. I have heard him mentioned as a hero and a modern day Einstein since he passed and I just don't agree on either account. Steve Jobs was a brilliant businessman and really understood how to create value for his customers. As a businessman at heart I greatly appreciate how brilliantly this man almost single handedly created a market for things like an iPod, then made it something most of the world views as a neccesity. However, being a good businessman does not make someone a hero, and makes computers more user friendly does not make you Einstein. Rest in peace Mr. Jobs, I mean you no disrespect, I just want everyone to keep this loss in perspective.

Jobs Has Company in the Afterlife

They say that celebrity deaths always seem to happen in threes, well Saturday, we got the second in the wave. This one was a bit more unexpected but due to Davis' age less surprising at the same time. Longtime Raiders owner Al Davis passed on Saturday from unknown causes. Davis was one of the founders of the modern day NFL, overseeing the merger with the AFL back in the sixties, and as a owner thought speed was more important than skill for a player. Under his management, the Raiders became a bit of a joke over the last ten years. I just hope that most NFL fans will try not to remember this Al Davis......

Instead of this one.......
You were truely one of the best but also truely one of the worst. The legacy he leaves will be determined by time but you can go ahead and count on his induction to Canton in the next five years.

College Football Top 25

25. Washington - The Huskies have enough defense to be tough in the PAC-12, where to this point, very little has been played.

24. USC - A week later, a close game against Arizona seems considerably worse.

23. Virginia Tech - The Hokies picked up a huge win over Miami to keep them squarely in the ACC title hunt. Logan Thomas, and the entire offense, looked great for the first time this year in what was probably the best game of the weekend.

22. Nebraska - I'll admit that the comeback against Ohio State showed a lot about the character of this team but it also showed a lot about the talent.....

21. Southern Miss. - The Golden Eagles offense is starting to throw up some jaw-dropping numbers, if the defense can keep that C-USA stink off of them this team could end up being special.

20. Michigan State - Defense good, offense bad. That is the general formula for success in the Big 10.

19. South Carolina - Conner Shaw may be the answer at QB for the Gamecocks, if he is this team can compete for a BCS bid.

18. Penn State - The defense has been lights out so far, if the offense can just be safe with the ball, it may not matter how bad they are at actually moving it.

17. West Virginia - The Holgorsen pinball numbers are starting to show....

16. Arizona State - Placing the Devils so high has me really uneasy but they have played to expectations so far and it looks as if they'll run away with the South division as UCLA may be their biggest South game left.

15. Arkansas - Big wins over Texas A&M and Auburn in consecutive weeks have helped a lot of people forget about the shallacking at the hands of the Tide.

14. Oregon - The Ducks are still rolling over everybody and are undeniably the country's best team with a loss on their record.

13. Houston - The Cougars actually played good defense on Saturday, holding a usually potent East Carolina team to just three points.

12. Illinois - Undefeated still but this team has only faced one team with a pulse. If Scheelhause has come as far as it looks from last year though, the Illini could legitimately contend in the Big 10.

11. Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jackets struggled for the first time this year against Maryland but since the Terps are actually the best team they have faced, that could be a bad sign.

10. Kansas State - The win over Missouri was their best on the season but ther is a lot of beef at the top of the Big 12 to deal with before anyone takes this team seriously.

9. Stanford - Impressive again, but again, it was Colorado. If we're talking about actual wins, the best team they've faced so far is Duke.

8. Michigan - The Wolverines are just relentless in the second half. If Denard Robinson was actually consistant throwing the ball this would be a national championship contender.

7. Clemson - The game wasn't that close but if the Tigers want to be elite, they need to blow teams like Boston College away. The injury to Boyd is scary too.

6. Boise State - Something about Fresno State brings out the best in the Broncos and that lackluster performance against Nevada a week ago feels quite distant suddenly.

5. Wisconsin - Didn't play, didn't change my mind about them.

4. Oklahoma State - A lot of teams in the top five finish opponents early and let their quarterbacks enjoy the end of the game from the bench. However, few can let their QB waltz over to the bench BEFORE HALFTIME against a conference opponent. Weeden sat down in the second quarter with a 49-7 lead.

3. Alabama - Hard to drop a team two spots for finishing a shut out but facts are they whipped Vanderbilt and the teams ahead of them beat down on considerably better competition.

2. LSU - Another week, another whipping of a ranked team. The Tigers seem destined for really big things this year, and that trip to Tuscaloosa in November is looking like a "game of the century" atmosphere.

1. Oklahoma - A thrashing of the hated Longhorns is always a big win, regardless of whether or not they deserved their ranking, and moves the Sooners up two spots in my book.

Also considered - Rutgers, Lousiana- Lafyette, North Carolina, Wake Forest, SMU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas.

Closing Thoughts

I really wish that the Miller Lite "Man Up" commercials would just go away. I think that it is very bizzare that the entire idea behind the commercials is that it is un-manly to not be concerned about how much taste your lite beer has. In my opinion, you give up the right to point out a lack of manliness when you all start drinking lite beer in the first place. Lite is the word beers use for "diet."