Image via Complex Original
It takes a legit badass to take a proper bump.
Of course, a professional wrestling finisher relies primarily on the person delivering it. But the wrestler on the receiving end must “bump” to make the move look deadly. Wrestlers bruise, bleed, and break for a business that is ironically dismissed as fake.
Au contraire. The best bumpers in the business are as tough as week-old steak, and they use their intensity to make their opponents look like Supermen. They jump when they’re picked up, they snap their bodies onto mats, and they stumble, moan, and caterwaul for the remainder of their matches. Wrestling finishers must look devastating, but not be devastating. And both the deliverers and the recipients must go hard to make that happen.
We’ve already gone over many of the hardest wrestling moves, and we covered most of the usual suspects: the Tombstone Piledriver, the Stunner, the F5, the RKO, the Pedigree, and more. Here are twenty more Iconic Finishing Moves in Wrestling History: the high-risk, high-reward badassery that tests the pain threshold, gets the crowds pumping, and pays tribute to professional wrestling’s glorious history.
Shooting Star Press
Popularized by: Justin Thunder Liger, Billy Kidman, Evan Bourne
Move type: High Flyer
We’re kicking this off with a move innovated by Japanese legend Justin Thunder Liger. It takes a sick amount of core strength to climb to the top turnbuckle, backflip while jumping forwards, and stay out of the hospital, but that’s what the Shooting Star Press demands. Any wrestler, however skilled, is putting his life at risk to wow the crowd. The scariest, most infamous botch of this move happened at Wrestlemania XIX, when Brock Lesnar attempted a Shooting Star Press on Kurt Angle and landed directly on his head. But Brock had executed it successfully many times prior. Check out this video of a young Lesnar going hard, from halfway across the ring.
Black Widow
Popularized by: Antonio Inoki, AJ Lee
Move type: Submission
The abdominal stretch is a basic, classic submission hold, and thus, it’s a move that’s ripe for personal flair and interpretation. And there’s no more bizarre and painful looking version of the abdominal stretch than the octopus hold, a move popularized by Antonio Inoki and AJ Lee. What makes this move so iconic is that it allows AJ to be the David to her opponent’s Goliath. She’s so much smaller than most of her opponents, but the Black Widow allows her fans to suspend their disbelief. The victim is crucial to the move’s success: She has to convincingly support AJ’s weight, buckle, and then collapse as the pain overwhelms her.
STF (Stepover Toehold Facelock)
Popularized by: Lou Thesz, John Cena
Move type: Submission
Lou Thesz is the innovator in professional wrestling—a man amongst men in a land of giants. He innovated the Lou Thesz Press, used by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to sit on his opponents’ chests and beat the holy hell out of them. Most famously, Thesz also innovated the STF, made popular by WWE superstar John Cena. It’s instantly recognizable, both by the way it twists an opponent into a hand-rolled pretzel, and also by the way it immobilizes its victim. It’s hard to crawl to the ropes when your leg is bent all the way back, and when you’re dragging your opponent’s weight along with your own.
Van Daminator
Popularized by: Rob Van Dam
Move type: Strike
The WWE had two main competitors during the Attitude Era. The first was WCW, a more “southern style” promotion, with old-fashioned wrasslin’. And the other was ECW, which was freaking bananas. Steel chairs. Barbed wire. Thumbtacks. Tables. “Extreme” was an understatement, and Rob Van Dam’s signature Van Daminator was emblematic of all that ECW wanted to be: hard, technical, and brutal. Plus, it ended perfectly, with a steel-chair-cracking flush against an opponent’s skull.
La Mistica
Popularized by: Sin Cara
Move type: High Flying Submission
When Mistico came to the WWE and became Sin Cara, he was a disappointment. Sin Cara had to wrestle in the “WWE Style”—a slow-paced, narrative-driven, TV-centric approach. And Sin Cara’s high-flying moveset, which made him famous in Mexico, was severely limited. His American colleagues didn’t know how to react to his moves, and that created a high risk for botches and injuries. Check out this pre-Sin Cara finisher—an iconic head-scissors takedown that beautifully transitioned into a submission hold. The original wrestler has since left the WWE, and a new lucha libre wrestler has taken on the Sin Cara moniker.
Texas Cloverleaf
Popularized by: Dory Funk Jr., Dean Malenko
Move type: Submission
Let’s be real: Some submission moves seem pillow soft. The Boston Crab, after all, looks like a good yoga stretch position for cracking one’s back. But sweet glory, the Texas Cloverleaf looks crippling, especially when a technical master like Dean Malenko goes hard on it. Innovated by Dory Funk Jr., the Texas Cloverleaf twists the legs and bends the neck and back into an extreme position. And, as with all submission holds, it’s the victim who makes the move looks good—the more he or she bends his back, the more powerful the opponent appears.
619 & West Coast Pop
Popularized by: Rey Mysterio
Move type: Strike
This was the original, “go hard” move that made Rey famous—the swinging kick through the top two ropes always got the crowd popping. But unfortunately, Rey doesn’t do the second part of the move anymore; the force of the scissors takedown has completely destroyed his knees. We still have a few video clips of the original move, and instead of being disappointed that Rey stopped performing it, we should be thankful that he ever performed it at all. Its technique and risk factor seemed nearly inhuman.
Dudley Death Drop
Popularized by: Dudley Boyz
Move type: Tag
There has been no tag team in history, with the possible exception of the Legion of Doom, that goes harder than the Dudley Boyz. And the proof is in their finisher; the Dudley Death Drop, or “3D,” is the near epitome of what a tag finisher ought to be. D-Von performs a flapjack, and Bubba Ray swings around to deliver a cutter. It incorporates both wrestlers, simultaneously, and it’s ideal for putting the next unlucky sap through a table. It’s still amazing how Bubba Ray comes out of nowhere to deliver the cutter, even when he’s all the way across the ring. He’s got that timing and ring awareness down.
Perfect-Plex
Popularized by: Mr. Perfect
Move type: Grapple
By all accounts, Curt Hennig, the man behind legendary heel Mr. Perfect, was a human Swiss army knife. He played multiple sports, and he was a pure, technical ring worker, who knew a hundred horrible ways to hurt a guy. He went hard in every physical aspect of his life. So it’s perfect (pun intended) that Hennig used a bridging Northern Lights suplex as his finisher. It was damn smooth looking, and Hennig was so well balanced, with such excellent technique, that he was able to perform this move on anyone. Even on someone as massive as the Big Show, as shown in the clip above.
Million Dollar Dream Hold
Popularized by: Sergeant Slaughter, Ted DiBiase
Move type: Submission
There are some moustache-twirling submission moves that seem more villainous than others. And the Million Dollar Dream hold, which was popularized by Sergeant Slaughter (Cobra Clutch) and Ted DiBiase, looked straight up evil. Dibiase would wrench his opponent back and forth. The cross-eyed victim would turn red, before going completely limp. And DiBiase would toss him aside like a wet dishrag before stuffing a hundred dollar bill down his throat. For extra booing, DiBiase would maintain the hold for “too long,” and the commentators would start wringing their hands about possible brain damage. Ted DiBiase Jr. would later adapt the move to his repertoire, but no one could cinch it in like Senior could. It was fierce, scary looking stuff. Definitely don’t try this one at home.
Sharpshooter
Popularized by: Hart family
Move type: Submission
The Hart family, from father Stu on down to youngest brother Owen, all went hard in the Hart family dungeon, where they learned the art and craft of wrestling. Bret was the prodigal son, The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be, who became forever identified with his Sharpshooter. What differentiates Bret from other wrestlers who perform the move is that Bret does the move properly. So many wrestlers, such as The Rock, stand while executing it, which allows the opponent to easily get away. Bret sits down on his opponent, closer to his lower back. It’s all in the Excellence of the Execution; no opponent is crawling to the ropes after that.
Figure Four Leglock
Popularized by: Ric Flair
Move type: Submission
You limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, wheelin’-and-dealin’, kiss-stealin’, son of a gun. Ric Flair was injured early in his career, which limited his athletic and technical skills. But there was silver lining to this proverbial raincloud. He compensated with a slew of low blows, eye rakes, and cheap tactics, all of which characterized him as the “dirtiest player in the game.” The Figure Four Leglock has been executed by a lot of wrestlers, but Flair brings his signature charisma to the move, with all the theatrics that we expect from the Nature Boy. He thrusts his hips, dances about, and WOOOOS for his legions of fans. The Four Horsemen will ride on forever.
Doomsday Device
Popularized by: Legion of Doom
Move type: Tag
The Legion of Doom is to wrestling what Kiss is to music. The spiked shoulder pads, the painted faces, the gritty catchphrases—it made them the perfect anti-heroes in a world filled with braggarts. And their finishing move, the Doomsday Device, was straight up dangerous. The flying clothesline did not just throw the victims onto the mat. It flipped them, head over heels. The timing required to do this safely was insane, which is probably why performers rarely go this hard today. But that extra flip made this move iconic through sheer brutality and flair. “OooooowhataRUSHHH!”
Flying Elbow
Popularized by: Randy Savage
Move type: High Flyer
“OOOO YEAH!” Randy Savage was that rare wrestler who had everything. The look. The mic skills. The technical ability. He famously rehearsed his legendary match with Ricky Steamboat, move-for-move, prior to Wrestlemania III. And Savage’s flying elbow is a textbook example of how a wrestler can go hard, by taking a very simple, basic move and turning it into a devastating, iconic work of art. Savage got incredible height and hang time on the elbow, and he wound it up, mid-air, to give it that little extra kick.
Gory Bomb
Popularized by: Guerrero family
Move type: Grapple
From patriarch Gory Guerrero, to Eddie Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero, wrestling’s royal Mexican family has changed the game for generations. The Gory Bomb, a distinctive, face-first plant into the floor, was innovated and popularized by its members. Watching finishers like the Gory Bomb temper any smug allegations that wrestling is “fake.” It’s “scripted” and “predetermined,” folks. Because at the end of the day, a face plant into the mat isn’t going to tickle.
Diamond Cutter
Popularized by: Johnny Ace, Diamond Dallas Page, Randy Orton
Move type: Grapple
The best thing about classic, iconic wrestling moves is that they take on a lineage, from one legendary wrestler to the next. Johnny Ace innovated the Diamond Cutter, and he taught it to DDP. Randy Orton now performs the move as the RKO, and it is probably the most popular finisher in the modern WWE. DDP’s version, however, went the hardest, because he pulled the opponent’s head directly downwards, rather than letting gravity do the work. The best thing about the Diamond Cutter is that it can be hit from anywhere, at any given moment. At this year’s Wrestlemania, for example, Orton hit the RKO as a reversal from the Curb Stomp, and an entire stadium of fans collectively lost their minds.
Sweet Chin Music
Popularized by: Shawn Michaels
Move type: Strike
It’s not about the move itself, it’s about the wind-up to it. Shawn Michaels turned a basic kick into something truly exciting. To start, he stood in the ring’s corner, stomping his foot to “Tune up the band.” The audience counted along with him and the tension built to unbearable heights. The best Sweet Chin Music moments were when Shawn caught an opponent mid-air with a kick. It looked as hard as a brick, and the opponent hit the mat like a sack of them. There was no way that anyone, with the possible exception of the Undertaker, was kicking out of that.
Iron Claw
Popularized by: Von Erich family
Move type: Submission
The Von Erichs are another one of wrestling’s royal families. Patriarch Fritz taught his six sons everything he knew, and although five of them died tragic, early deaths, their place in wrestling history is assured. Their most famous, family trademark was the Iron Claw, where the Von Erich boys would use their massive hands to crush the skulls of their opponents. Kevin Von Erich still performs the Claw when he makes cameos at wrestling shows, and it kicks every middle-aged wrestling fan directly in the feels.
Diving Headbutt
Popularized by: Harley Race, Dynamite Kid, Daniel Bryan
Move type: High Flyer
This is a move that might actually go a little too hard. Wrestling legend Harley Race innovated it, and he allegedly regrets doing so. The Dynamite Kid copied it for the majority of his career, and now he can’t walk. Today, the most prominent practitioner of this iconic flying headbutt is Daniel Bryan, possibly the only wrestler technically accomplished enough to perform the move without significant risk of paralysis.
DDT
Popularized by: Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Move type: Grapple
Jake “The Snake” Roberts says that he innovated this move by accidentally falling over, and what a happy accident that was. Decades later, there’s still no one more closely associated with the DDT than Jake Roberts. Jake slaps the opponent’s back for emphasis, and his lifeless opponent just drops like a stone. Today, the DDT is used as a transitory, “regular” move, much like an average suplex. And to any wrestling fan over 30, that’s an utter disgrace. The DDT, as performed by The Snake, was the iconic move, and no one answered a 10-count, let alone a 3-count, for something this hard.