10: The Jackhammer

The Jackhammer is a move that is mostly associated with Goldberg. The move (along with the spear) helped get Goldberg over when he was in WCW, and he continued to use the move during his two respective runs in WWE.

Certain WWE wrestlers have used the move over the years, yet nobody has fully committed to using the move as a permanent finisher. The closest fans got was Madcap Moss, who used the Jackhammer for a brief period, but due to most of his matches being on WWE Main Event, nobody was aware that the move was being used.

The move is impactful and is ideal for a strong wrestler such as Bron Breakker or Braun Strowman. Whilst the move is instinctively linked to Goldberg, WWE could easily give it to one of their modern stars. 

9: KO Punch

There has been endless debate surrounding Big Show and his KO punch. On the surface, the move is perfect as a finisher for one of the largest wrestlers to ever live, yet in reality, it’s questioned why the move is even legal, and why every wrestler on the planet doesn’t just adopt the move as their respective finishing move.

WWE attempted to give Lacey Evans a version of the move when she moved to the main roster in 2019, yet it wasn’t presented as remotely credible, and the move often received zero reaction.

A wrestler in the modern era using the KO punch as a finisher could work, that’s if WWE presented the finisher as credible, and perhaps discuss on commentary why the move is legal in certain circumstances.

Of course, certain wrestlers use a variation of the KO punch as a signature move, most notably, former WWE World Champion, Roman Reigns who uses the Superman Punch. In terms of what wrestlers could adopt the KO punch, names such as Bronson Reed and Oba Femi come to mind as names that have the potential to get the move over as a finisher in the modern era. 

8: Walls Of Jericho (Boston Crab)

One of the reasons why fans gravitated towards Chris Jericho (particularly during his time in WWE) was that he had a fantastic finishing move.

The Walls of Jericho was a move that looked truly devastating, and even though the move is in essence a Boston Crab, Jericho, and his opponent always made the move look like the most painful thing in the world.

A wrestler using a Boston Crab as a finisher is rarely seen in modern wrestling, especially WWE. This is possibly due to Jericho himself still being in AEW, yet it’s a move that would instantly help a wrestler build a solid connection with the audience.

Current WWE star, Gunther on occasion likes to use the move as his finisher; however, Gunther has a character where any move can be used as his finisher, so it would be problematic to officially label this as Gunther’s finishing move. Perhaps when Gunther moves into the main event scene in WWE, WWE decides to give Gunther a permanent finishing move, and the Boston Crab would be a sensible choice. 

7: F5

The F5 is one of the most popular finishing moves of the past two-decades. Brock Lesnar was the one to truly make the move mean something, and it’s a move that looks incredible when delivered correctly.

Time and time again, WWE have attempted to give the move to someone else. Most infamously, Matt Morgan in 2005. The issue is that wrestlers are always going to be compared to Lesnar, so unless the delivery of the move is emphatic or unique, then it’s going to fail to stand out.

With Lesnar being absent from WWE for the foreseeable future, now could be a great opportunity for WWE to give the move to another wrestler. This is of course a huge risk, but ultimately, the move is far too good and credible to be retired. 

6: DDT

Whenever Jake The Snake Roberts would hit the DDT, it was traditionally the signal to the audience that the match was about to come to a close. Roberts’ DDT was one of the most protected finishing moves in WWE history, and unfortunately, WWE over the past 3-decades have failed to make the DDT mean anything substantial.

The DDT is now used as a transitional move and is rarely used as a finishing move. The legendary Roberts had a humorous remark regarding this during a discussion on his podcast:

"People often ask me, 'Well Jake, don't you get mad at these guys who are using the DDT now for a false finish?' and I'm like, 'no, I think it's great because all they're telling the people is they're not half as good as I am, because if I did it, you're didn't get your a– back up."

Whenever wrestlers use the move as their primary finisher, fans question if the move is strong enough to be used as a finishing move in today’s-era. For instance, when Alexa Bliss used the move as her finishing move, it lacked the sudden nature of Roberts’ version of the move, and this impacted the credibility and aura of the once celebrated move. 

5: Powerbomb

During the Attitude Era, it was commonplace for wrestlers to use a powerbomb as their finishing move. Top names in pro wrestling such as Sid, Kevin Nash, Kane and The Undertaker used a version of the powerbomb as their finishing move at one stage; however, the move has slowly been phased out in WWE.

The move does pop up from time to time, mainly when a name such as Gunther uses the move as one of his various finishers, and Roman Reigns is prone to delivering the move in major matches, yet unfortunately, the powerbomb doesn’t get used as a primary finishing move for seemingly anyone on the main roster.

Why exactly is this? Do WWE higher ups believe the move is dangerous, and exclusively only want top names using the move? It would be interesting to find out, as the move is one of the most well-known moves ever delivered in WWE, and it would be welcomed if WWE adds the move into a wrestler’s permanent move-set. 

4: Leg Drop

Whilst the leg drop is used as a transitional move in most WWE matches, it was once one of the most feared and protected moves in the industry.

When Hulk Hogan began to use the move as his chosen finisher, it was rarely kicked out of, and Hogan to his credit managed to make the move mean something.

A wrestler using the leg drop as their finisher in the modern-era would be problematic, as even though the move works for plus-sized wrestlers, a standard size wrestler using the move as a finisher just wouldn’t be taken seriously.

Additionally, Hogan has spoken at length over the years about how he has regrets regarding using the leg drop. Whilst the move looks simple and safe, it has caused significant damage to Hogan’s back, and this is something that WWE would inevitably consider before giving it to a wrestler on the roster. 

3: Tombstone Piledriver 

Wrestling companies outside of WWE allow their talent to use the Tombstone Piledriver; however, when it comes to WWE, the move has virtually been abolished since the retirement of The Undertaker back in 2020.

According to former WWE star, Ronda Rousey, WWE considers the move far too dangerous, and the move is outright banned in WWE.

This is a shame, as although the move can be dangerous, this isn’t the case if it’s performed by a top-tier pro wrestler.

WWE could indeed look to re-introduce the move and protect it as much as possible. The Undertaker could even give his approval to a certain wrestler to adopt his famous finishing move, and there are numerous wrestlers on the current-day roster that could do a great job in carrying the legacy of The Tombstone. 

2: RKO

There have been various versions of the cutter in WWE; however, the most famous is without a doubt the RKO.

Randy Orton is responsible for making the RKO a part of pop culture, and it wouldn’t be drastic to say that the move is the most famous WWE move of all time.

Orton’s version of the move is hard to replicate, and due to Orton still being active, and performing at a high-level in WWE, it’s unlikely that anyone is going to adopt the iconic move until Orton retires, which is still some time away.

Even when WWE’s resident viper calls it a day, it will be a tough task for the person who begins to use a cutter as their primary finisher, as any delivery of the move will likely be heckled with chants referencing Orton and his trademark RKO. 

1: Superkick

One of the criticisms directed towards modern wrestling is that every wrestler seems to use a superkick. At one time, the superkick was only used by a select number of wrestlers, and when Shawn Michaels began to use the move as his finisher, it meant a great deal.

Tasking a wrestler with the onus of using a superkick as their finisher would be incredibly difficult. Whenever Dolph Ziggler used the move as his finisher in WWE, it was hard to take seriously, especially when wrestlers across the roster were using the move and barely getting a two-count.

The only way it could work would be for there to be a mass reduction in the amount of wrestlers using the move, yet this is unlikely to happen, so the odds of a wrestler using a superkick as their main finishing move ever again are rather slim. 

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